The army marched closer to the stone, forming a circle surrounding it. Everyone looked at each other, fear shining in their eyes, silently daring the other person to make the first move. I lunged. And they did too.

I sprang forward, my legs carrying me with speed I didn’t know I possessed, every fiber in my body pushing itself to go faster. The armies clamaoured around me, tripping over themselves to get to the stone first. We all wanted it equally as badly. But I couldn’t afford to lose. Not this time.

I reached my hand out, extending my fingertips, barley grazing the hilt of the sword lodged firmly into the stone. Then I was snatched backward, plucked like a turkey in a cage. I felt hands grabbing at me, pulling me back, propelling themselves forward off of me. Closer to the sword.

No, no, no. I was so close. So…close…

I kicked and elbowed in all directions, shoving myself forward, towards the sword. A body came crashing over me and I landed, sprawled out on the ground. It didn’t stop me. I grabbed onto ankles, pulling myself forward, knocking people over like dominos. I reached up from the ground, my hand meeting a mass of struggling bodies in front of the sword.

Legs came pounding my my feet, stumbling on my back, and I lifted my chest, ignoring the pain, my hand brushing against the sword.

Almost…there…

My hand closed around the ancient hilt of the sword and a sudden blast of light sent everyone crashing backwards. I gripped the sword tighter, pulling myself up and easily sliding it out of the rock.

The armies staggered back to their feet, the cluster of bodies confused. A hush settled over the crowd. I watched the fear sparkle in their eyes as they looked from me to the sword.

Yes, it was mine. Finally. I held the ancient relic up, power radiating off of it. I felt a surge of energy make its way from my fingers around the sword to every vein in my body. This ended now. These armies would pick themselves up and leave my kingdom, or face me.

I thrust the sword in the air. “Tell your commanders,” my voice carried far into the crowd, powerful, commanding. “That the rightful queen has claimed the Ancient Relic and resumed her role in leading the kingdom. All opposing armies are to leave immediately as the kingdom works to rebuild itself.”

As I lowered the sword, a hand reached from my side and gripped my arm, pulling it down. And the sword with it. I moved my arm with inhuman strength, twisting my hand and bringing it against the skin of my opposer. I heard flesh sizzle as I pushed the ancient blade deeper into his skin, a scream piercing the field. I brought the sword down with one final thrust and a light burned underneath the man’s skin, seeming to engulf him from within. With one last painful scream, his skin burst, cracking, flying everywhere, and he was gone.

I looked up at the crowd, waving the sword. A threat.

“Leave my kingdom. Now.”

Bodies crashed into each other again, this time turning around, running the opposite way, desperate to get away from the relic.

The fight for power was finally over. The war was done.