Leona was in an inescapable cage of pain. Her soul was trying to find its way out, but her defiant body clung to it. A red shadow bled out from underneath her. Each second stretched on endlessly. Against death, it was the greatest fight of her life.

  Twisting deeper into the pit of agony, Leona awaited her inevitable end. She started to feel distant from her body, becoming more aware of her soul.

  She saw her soul spinning like a top from above. A black and purple cyclone was tearing across the surface of a tiny star. Expansive shadows threatened to choke out the little light. Compared to this ancient darkness, the Voidlands was as bright as a bonfire. It was the same heavy darkness that had surrounded her for her entire life.

  Her peers had all been able to pull magic up from this wellspring in their souls. Before putting on the glass necklace in Twilight Town, her soul had been as still as a boulder. She could not cast a single spell. Now her spirit had become a storm.

  The vortex encompassed all of Leona’s perception. From the star, a dozen purple ribbons emerged, spinning. Leona could feel her power through them like antenna. She was surprised the magic felt so alive.

  Suddenly, a voice mimicking her own spoke to Leona and said, “I’m glad we can finally meet, soul to true soul.”

  “Are you another shadow?”

  “No, I am the shadow. The first curse born from your first death.”

  “I don’t understand,” Leona said, retaking her bodily form at the center of the shadow spiral storm. “This is my first death.”

  “This is only one out of thousands, besides, you are not dead yet. We are close though,” the shadow soul replied.

  Leona stood in the storm’s eye and watched the purple ribbons flail about her. She cautiously reached her hand out to touch the storm wall. It was like a gentle feather brush. The shadows shrunk away from her.

  “You are quite lucky, or terribly unfortunate depending on how you look at things,” the shadow said.

  “How can that be?”

  “You remind me too much of our first incarnation. It seems that you only fall short in not being a true dragon. I can’t hurt you, but the other’s will. How regretful is that?”

  A burning sensation sparked to life at the ends of Leona’s limbs. Her senses were quickly returning.

  “I’m so confused. Please, tell me what’s going on. Who are you?” Leona cried, wrapping her arms around her chest where Ozceron kicked her.

  The storm settled like falling ash, accumulating in one pile. It condensed into a mirror image of Leona, standing taller with black scales and alluring red eyes. The only thing it was missing was her enchanted necklace. Where the necklace should have been, an orange overseeing eye rested in the shadow’s chest.

  The shadow smiled larger than possible saying, “remember Leona, we’re on a quest. No matter how long it takes, we are going to fix this world. Even, if I lose you, there is no stopping me.” A profound look of determination took hold in the shadow’s eyes. “My duty is beyond death.”

  Leona thought of the story she read about the sages and the goddess. They were the most powerful beings to ever live. If the world could be healed, they would have done so by now.

  “We can’t fix the world,” Leona stated.

  “I know that,” the shadow replied, indignant. “But I’m not going to let us give up again.”

  “I left home to learn magic and use it to help people, not to clean up the world. Is this going to be my job now?” Leona asked, balling up her fists.

  “Our interest are aligned, Leona.” The shadow spread her wings sending out winding purple ribbons. “I am as much of you as this cursed land and these shadows who threaten you are. Like how your youth has become alien and regrettable to you, so am I.”

  The ribbons circled around Leona and animated in them she saw childhood memories. A young draconian girl left abandoned in the garden as others go off to play in the trees with magic. Bringing home good grades to Mom and Dad, while hiding behavior reports from her teachers. Biting a lanky elf kid after he threatened her with his magic. Sitting in far-back corners in classrooms. Picking up a stick to fight like Dad. Using Dad’s lessons to beat up the bully.

  The ribbons rolled up and sank into the darkness. Shadow Leona was frowning.

  “It’s not the worst, but go ahead and despise me. Your pasts are my shadows. This world is full of them, but they aren’t all yours. Speaking of shadows, I don’t claim any name, but you may call me Lev.”

  “Lev,” she said back to the shadow. “I suppose, we’ll be working together for now on?”

  “As we always have,” Lev nodded, smiling.

  Bright energy passed under Leona’s skin, interrupting her focus. Her broken bones were shuddering back into place and her cuts were sealing. As each of her breaths returned stronger, her connection to Lev was fading.

  “Leona!” Lev called out from the growing storm. “Many of our shadows are wayward, but they belong to us. Let your blade bring them home.”

  Lev was obscured by the shadow storm. The last thing that she could see was Lev’s bright orange eye staring back. Then everything blacked out including the central star. Leona lost sight of her soul and opened her eyes.

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  ~ ~ ~

  Blue shards dotted the sand floors of the arena. Leona lay facing up, her blood and Ozceron’s had soaked deep into the sand, leaving little trace beyond a pink tint. Turning to her side Leona saw him chained to his throne at the top of the arena. Seven dragon rings spun lazily around him. His white locks shaded his eyes. On her other side, a dueling sword had been tossed into the sand near her hand. Standing at a distance, a young woman crossing her arms tapped her foot.

  Leona rose and picked up the sword, immediately coming on guard. A spiky sense of danger sent a cold chill across her scales. Without thinking, dozens of black and purple ribbons emerged from her back. They coiled like snakes preparing to strike.

  “That’s our shadow Quinn. Like the others she wants my power and she will take your living body to use it. Destroy her and return her essence to me,” Lev commanded through Leona’s mind.

  At first, it was surprising to hear Lev, but then it felt natural. In the form of her alerting danger sense, Lev had always been there and now she had a voice.

  Quinn prepared herself and loosened the purple lace on her dress. She drew her own dueling sword. Out of distance, Quinn left her sword pointing to the ground and pulled out two silver rings.

  “I challenge you to a duel. Ozceron judges. There will be no magic. We fight to the death.” Quinn said tossing one of the rings to Leona’s feet. “Our rings will ensure that we follow these terms.”

  Never looking away from Quinn, Leona bent down to pick up the ring. The enchanted silver band had their terms magically engraved. She put it on and immediately her ribbons dissolved. Lev’s protests were muffled but her danger sense remained.

  Out of habit, Leona performed sword salutes towards Quinn, Ozceron, and the remaining Voidlings in the arena. Continuing tradition, Quinn followed her example.

  Under the shade of his hair, Ozceron displayed a grim smile. From his throne, his voice filled the arena.

  “On guard, ready?”

  ….

  Leona raised her sword. Quinn looked like she was going to pounce.

  “Fence!”

  Without delay, both duelists advanced until their blades were tip to tip. Leona let her blade dance around Quinn’s. Quinn followed it’s arcs predictably. Leona lead her into a pattern then broke it with an attack. She took Quinn’s blade out of the dance, bound it, and pushed her out.

  Quinn dashed into a retreat and Leona lost contact. Leona resisted the temptation to chase her down. The distance between them had grown vast. Quinn rested her blade on the ground. It was too much, Leona snapped at the opportunity.

  Blade leading the charge, Leona ran at Quinn. Quinn caught the attack and swept it upwards. The opposing blade sought its target. Leona’s senses spiked and time slowed. She took a risk, halting mid-sprint. Her body went horizontal, sliding on the loose sand. Quinn’s point was and inch from punching a hole in her face.

  Cheers and claps sounded out from the Voidlings.

  Leona recovered fast, sending her point out. Quinn instinctively retreated. It was frustrating. With each attack, Quinn would only defend and retreat. She was conserving her energy.

  If Leona kept playing Quinn's game, she would tire and lose. She had to force Quinn to play her game. Leona stopped making attacks. The duel dragged on as they stood, circling each other like hungry wolves.

  An air of impatience settled over the arena. The shadows wanted quick blood and a victor. Neither duelist was willing to oblige until a searing pain crawled up from their rings. It was unbearable enough to drive them back into lethal range. Their time was running out, and the deadly dance began again.

  Quinn was hesitant to retreat too far. Leona took advantage of that, exposing her targets and sneaking small cuts into her opponents hand and arm. Quinn's face twisted in pain.

  “First blood!” Ozceron announced.

  The arena was on edge again.

  Quinn enraged, attacked. Leona was too late to parry and brought her off-hand up to block the blade. The sacrifice left a line of red pain from Leona’s hand to her elbow.

  She screamed and the audience cheered.

  With pain and exhaustion, their technique devolved. Quinn’s movements with her blade became weak and jerky. Seeking a quick end, Leona bound and flung Quinn’s blade out to the side. She rushed in for an attack.

  Quinn rose her blade up to her head in a panicked parry. Leona stepped in, grappled Quinn’s sword hand, and forced it behind her back.

  Leona’s sword pierced Quinn’s chest.

  Quinn attempted to strike back, but Leona held back her weakening hand. Red bled into Quinn’s blue dress. The look on her face was shock turned to exhaustion. Sword still embedded in her chest, she stumbled and fell back onto the sand.

  The arena erupted.

  Leona ignored the noise.

  She stood silent behind Quinn. Promise fulfilled, the ring on her hand snapped off. Without her direction, Lev’s ribbons sprung out again. They spun around Quinn’s body, covering everything. At the same time, one wrapped tight over Leona’s arm to bind her wound. The ribbons obscuring Quinn unraveled leaving nothing behind.

  Within Leona’s soul a river of blue magic blended into the shadow spiral. Through her own shock, Leona felt an overwhelming sense of clarity. Quinn’s shadow would find rest and fulfillment in joining Lev.

  Leona could feel her ribbons changing. The ends of them came to a point and a sharp edges appeared along them. Similar to a cat’s claws she could sharpen and dull them at will.

  “Truly, wonderful duel,” Ozceron said, applauding her. “Believe me, I was taking notes. I’m looking forward to my turn, but the lady insists that she’s next.”

  Two moon-lit eyes shown out from behind Ozceron’s throne. Leona did not have any energy left to fight. Even if she won, Ozceron was just biding his time until he could pick her off. Of the seven chains that held him to his throne, one had already snapped. She had to do something.

  Countless fragments of tear gems from Ozceron’s shattered wings still dotted the sand. She thought back to how the chains had restricted him. The gems would give her abundant magic for her ribbons to tie the whole arena down. Then she could escape and look for a way out of the Voidlands. It was reckless, but she had to try.

  “Lev, Quinn, help me out here,” she pleaded.

  Closing her eyes, she prepared her greatest spell yet.