Killer of my Father

"Get the fuck away from me," Zaelia spits as she breaks free from Rikers' grip. The sword he's holding is scorching, leaving Zaelia shaking just by the sheer heat of it. Riker lets go, but Zaelia knows she would be dead from his power if he didn't.

She nearly collapses, sweat and frustration swirling in Zaelia's vision. The sweat makes her hot and her head pounds from the two-hour "practice," if she could even call it that.

More like a punishment, in Zaelia's eyes. Riker wishes he could punish her more.

Riker had spent the last session blasting fire on fire in her direction, and even the cool wind from the open arena felt sticky on her skin.

He wanted her to give in, and Zaelia hated giving in. Especially to him. But luckily for Riker, Zaelia just about had enough of being his test pet for today. Exhaustion was beginning to take over Zaelia's body.

Mandy and a couple other decent trainees stood silently watching near the entrance of the arena, Mandy's expression unreadable. Zaelia understood it wasn't ideal to have Mandy unexpressionless, but her headache was growing, and the urge to escape Rikers presence had never been so prominent. She needed to get away from his gaze.

Riker was panting, the tip of the burnt sword on the grass as he glared at her. He looked like he could destroy worlds if he wanted to. But Zaelia wanted to destroy him first before anyone could touch him.

"A fight won't just stop because precious Zaelia wants it to," Riker snapped, but the bruise on his left eye made Zaelia hide a smile. Matted hair and all, Riker was always stunning. But that bruise gave Zaelia hope that he could look just as horrible.

She couldn't tell who was more frustrated at who. Slowly, she turned her aching head at him and stared right in his dark brown eyes.

"This one will and fuck you," Zaelia spat out venomously. A low, dangerous laugh escaped Rikers mouth, and Zaelia wanted to cut his head off, but the pain was too much to do anything but simply begin walking towards Mandy and away from him. She made her way towards the entrance, wanting a cold shower and for Riker to put on any article of clothing to cover up the scar on his left bicep.

From father before Riker ended him.

She could feel Riker match her pace towards Mandy, but Zaelia walked faster. She wanted to leave. She wanted to sleep and wake up to Riker with his head through a stake at her door.

She wanted to kill him.

She just had to fucking wait.

They both reached Mandy, but Zaelia simply stalked past her through the others, not making eye contact with anyone.

"I am not teaching someone who can't be taught," Riker whispered furiously, as if Zaelia couldn't hear him. She whirled around immediately.

"I was taught. Just not by some asshole whose whole personality is his god-given abilities," she snapped, head-ache bulging. "Unlike you, some of us actually have to work for what we want."

Mandy simply ignored Zaelia and turned to Riker calmly. Zaelia watched as his eyes blazed infuriatingly as his fists closed.

"You were at it for two hours. I say that is progress," Mandy stated as if Zaelia wasn't listening.

Rikers eyes were still on Zaelia, fierce and terrifying.

Eyes that my father saw before he took his last breath.

"I am not doing this for some snobby rich kid who thinks the world is her oyster," he said every word with venom as if it were laced with a toxin. Zaelia was done for today. With him and his fire privileges, so she turned on her heel swiftly, her heart pounding loudly.

"Get someone else for her," he said.

There was a pause, and the silence stretched all the way to Zaelia, and she stopped. "You said if I wouldn't, someone else could," Riker stated, hand around his sword tightening with each second. "So get them because I'm not doing it."

Mandy takes a breath as if it were the easiest thing to handle.

"There is no one else, Riker," Mandy explained calmly. He looks at Mandy and truly studies the words falling out of her mouth. Mandy simply stood there and glared back, unintimidated and unashamed.

"What?" Riker asked, his sword reheating rapidly as he glared at Mandy.

"There is no one else," she repeated, this time stricter, as if daring Riker to argue. Riker looked like he could explode at this point, the tension stretching so far he could have cut it with his sword.

Zaelia couldn't process that. In fact, she wouldn't because the man who killed her father would not be the one going on this mission with her.

He'd be dead before he could. And Zaelia would make sure of it.

Riker started yelling, his sword clattering to the ground as he chunked it with all his weight.

"This is bullshit," he seethed, stalking away from the group of them. If Zaelia was unhappy, Riker could have come in first place for that emotion. He turned furiously at Mandy, still walking away to not injure anyone.

"You said there was another," he yelled, his voice strained with fatigue and fury. Mandy had the decency to look slightly guilty.

"There never was," Mandy said louder.

Riker threw many words as he cursed to the gods. But Zaelia wasn't sure about her God, who seemingly double crossed her.

Zaelia was furious. She never once felt betrayed by Mandy. Mandy had taught her all she needed to know about anything and everything. But as she stared at Mandy's stone expression, betrayal didn't seem like a strong enough word to describe the hurt that welled up inside her.

Mandy knew. She knew about Zaelia's dad and about what Riker was. She knew that no matter what Riker thought about himself, no matter how good or just Riker assumed he was, he was still a monster.

Zaelia could have put up with other monsters, but this one she didn't want to.