by P. A. Peña
Virgil watched Olivia as she walked away, mesmerized by the gentle swaying of her hips. For a moment, he considered going after her. But just what would he say? What would he do when he caught up to her? Ultimately, he sighed and began making his way back to his room. As he walked, bathed in the moon’s light, he couldn’t contain the grin on his face.
Chapter 14
Light beamed on Virgil, jarring him awake. He turned in bed, pulling his blanket closer to his face. Usually, Virgil didn’t mind an early start to the day. However, after the previous night’s episode, he found it difficult to wind down and get some rest.
He stared at the wall, begging his mind to go back to its peaceful slumber. Surely, they would be coming for him. He needed to enjoy this moment of rest before the start of the next phase, but he might as well have been asking the sky not to be so blue. That’s when he noticed it sitting on his table: a box that hadn’t been there before he laid his head down to rest.
“When did that get there?” He pulled himself out of bed.
As he sat up, his ears perked, and he clenched his fists. The box was cardboard and had the Alliance insignia printed on the side. Virgil approached the table cautiously.
“Could the third phase already be underway?”
He prodded the box. Nothing. Again, he poked, only this time a little harder. Still nothing. Virgil relaxed his guard. The box burst open in a shower of sparks and fire. Virgil jolted backward and braced himself. Quickly he raised his hand to the box, preparing to reduce it to ash. The fire that had sprung from it began to take shape. It morphed into a series of letters that read: Congratulations On Making It To The Third Phase!
Virgil rolled his eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He approached the table and his congratulatory message faded away. Virgil peered into the box, finding a note addressed to him. It contained instructions telling him to suit up, report to the banquet hall for breakfast, and at eight o’clock sharp, the third phase would commence. Virgil continued rummaging through the box. There were several sets of clothing, although each set was the same. Virgil damn near flinched. He wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a tracksuit, especially one with a massive number four sewn into the back. Not to mention, the Crusader’s Alliance’s insignia was just as gaudy on the front.
“At least it’s black,” he said as he pulled out his watch.
His eyes nearly burst from their sockets. Eight o’clock was fast approaching. Virgil stripped down, letting his clothes fall wherever they landed. With his uniform on, he charged out of his room. A quick scan of the castle revealed a collection of auras gathered in the distance.
“Please don’t be late,” Virgil said to himself, his heart pounding furiously in his chest as he flew through the halls.
They were empty, allowing him to throw caution to the wind and fly as fast as he could. Of course, that also meant that Virgil was the only one not in attendance, and it would be that much more noticeable when he finally arrived. Virgil rounded the corner and came to a screeching halt as he crashed into a wall. Or at least that’s what it felt like.
“I’m sorry,” a golem said. “I didn’t see you there.”
The golem had to be at least seven feet tall. He was quite round, with thick forearms, and his tan skin looked to be as dense as stone. His eyes were a light blue.
Virgil massaged his shoulder. “No,” he said looking up at the behemoth towering over him. “It’s my fault. I should have been paying attention to where I was going.”
The golem reached down. “How about we split the difference?”
“Sure,” Virgil said as he got back up on his feet. He levitated once more. “I hate to hit and run, but I’m running a bit behind.” He began to fly away when he was halted by the golem grabbing his arm. “What is it? Not to be rude, but I’m kind of in a rush here.”
“You know where the banquet hall is, right? Could you tell me how to get there? I’m afraid I’m lost.”
In his haste, Virgil hadn’t even noticed the golem was wearing the same jumpsuit as he was.
Virgil turned to leave again. “Sorry. I can’t exactly give you directions, but I’ll leave a trail for you.” He flew away, and in his wake, a trail of heatless flames hovered over the stone floor.
Virgil made it to the banquet hall. As he approached the door, he checked his watch. Six past eight. He entered the hall and to his surprise, it was disorderly, without a king in sight. The applicants were spread across the room, sitting at tables. Each wore the same uniform: the men in black, white for women. The scent of breakfast lingered in the air, although all of the food had been cleared from the room.
Virgil looked for an open seat. Before he could find one, Aurelia waved him down. Naturally, Logan was sitting there with her. Virgil weaved his way through the tables, making his way over. “What did I miss?” he asked as he took a seat.
“Nothing yet,” Aurelia answered.
“Really? The note said eight sharp, didn’t it?”
“It did,” Logan said, his arms folded together. “It appears the kings are running late.”
“Did you sleep well?” Aurelia asked.
Thoughts of Olivia flashed through Virgil’s mind, and his heart skipped a beat. “I-I slept okay.”
The group sat, waiting for the start of the third phase. The hall was boisterous, but Virgil’s table had fallen eerily silent. Logan was as still as a rock, his eyes closed. Aurelia, on the other hand, was nervously twirling the cross around her neck. Virgil sat, quietly scanning the room and analyzing the crowd.
You have to be ready, he thought. You nearly failed the last phase. Don’t let it happen again.
“There are a lot fewer people here,” Aurelia said softly.
“I count seventy-five,” Virgil replied.
Aurelia’s eyes widened. “Really? You actually counted them all?”
“Of course. Who knows what the kings have in store for us? We may have to fight some of these people.”
“Or each other,” Logan added.
Once again, the group fell silent, until Virgil spoke. “Right. Or each other.”
A white void appeared, and the room filled with three overwhelming auras. Roxanne and Clayton stepped through the void, accompanied by a kurara man. He was average in height with crimson red eyes, an orange beak, and matching talons. His black skin bore tints of gray here and there. However, his hands and ribs were red in color. Feathers surrounded the base of his neck, and sprouted in a crown like a mohawk. Both were the same shade as his eyes. He was shirtless, showing off a set of hardened muscles, but sported ripped black jeans with a gray fade, and his wings consisted of large gray feathers.
“Good morning,” Roxanne said as the group took their place at the head of the hall. “Please forgive us for the late arrival. Before we get things underway, allow me to introduce you all to the final king of the Crusader’s Alliance. This is—”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” the kurara began, “but I can introduce myself.” He stepped forward and held out his arms. “I hope you’ll forgive me for missing your first two phases of the exam, but we can’t very well expect the world to keep itself safe. My name is Aiden Alabaster, better known as the Crimson Wind.”
Aiden snapped his fingers and a whirlwind of flames shot through the room. They captivated the crowd as they collected at the ceiling in a radiant ball. It burst open, and beautiful embers fell to the floor like sparkling bits of confetti. The crowd erupted in a myriad of cheers and whispers, and Aiden grinned.
Clayton sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are you done with the theatrics?” he groaned. “You’ve already made us late enough as it is.”
Aiden didn’t respond. Instead, he continued indulging in the roar of the crowd. Roxanne stepped forward.
Aiden opened his beak to speak, but with a twirl of his finger, Clayton encased Aiden’s beak in stone. “You’ve done enough showboating for the day, sweetheart.”
The crowd laughed, but a sharp look
from Roxanne quieted them down. “Back to business,” she started again. “Aiden and Clayton will be assisting with the third phase of the exam, and before any of you ask, no, you will not have to fight either of them.”
“Phase three will be conducted as follows,” Clayton joined in. “Each of you will be thrust into what we call the Network. Roxanne will be voiding each of you to a different entry point. The goal is simple. All you have to do is make it out.”
“There will be two methods to do so,” Roxanne added. “By default, you will be voided out of the Network once twenty-four hours have passed. If you’re still alive and conscious when that happens, you will be passed onto the next phase. Alternatively, if you can find an exit point, you can escape the Network. Both methods are equally valid.”
All right! Virgil thought. This should be an easy win.
“One last thing,” Aiden said, finally managing to melt the muzzle off his face. “For this phase, you are allowed to group together. Feel free to party up with as many people as you like, but know that for each member of your group, your required survival time rises by one day. And yes, it still counts if you decide to group up while inside the Network.”
“Choose wisely how you would like to proceed,” Clayton said. “The third phase will begin in one hour.”
Aurelia turned to Logan and Virgil. “This should be easy enough,” she said.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Virgil agreed.
Logan scoffed as he unfolded his arms. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Come on, Logan,” Aurelia said with a nudge of her elbow. “Each of us could easily handle this on our own. If we group up, I know we’ll finish this challenge in no time at all. I bet we even finish first.”
“Don’t forget about what Roxanne said. We may not be fighting Aiden or Clayton, but they’re involved in some way. It isn’t wise to assume this phase will be easy.”
Aurelia turned to Virgil. “I’m sure we got this. Right, Virgil?”
“Y-yeah,” Virgil stuttered, looking away. “I’m sure it will be a piece of cake.”
“Are you okay?” Aurelia asked. “You look nervous.”
Virgil turned back to face Aurelia. Her face was full of concern.
Just be honest with her, he thought. It’s best if you handle this alone.
Aurelia’s gaze was soft and comforting. The longer he sat there looking into her gray eyes, the harder it became to force his words out. Finally, he spoke. “I, uh, I’m just hungry is all.” Virgil stood up. “I’m gonna go see if I can snag a leftover biscuit or something. You two want anything?”
They declined, and Virgil left the table heading towards the kitchen in the back of the room.
You’re such a coward, he thought with a shake of his head.
Virgil was in luck. The kitchen staff had yet to discard of a bowl of croissants. Virgil grabbed a few along with a glass of lemonade. As he made his way back to the table, Virgil bit into the flakey goodness. It was just the right amount of buttery, making Virgil wish he had gotten there on time to taste the pastry in its prime. The lemonade was chilly on his tongue and fell spectacularly in the middle of sweet and sour. However, as the beverage made its way down his throat, it began to grow colder and colder until it felt as if Virgil was swallowing a mouth full of ice.
Virgil’s heartbeat quickened as he tried to pull the glass from his lips, but it was no good. The lemonade was frozen solid and stuck to his skin like candy to a wrapper. He looked around in a panic, searching for whoever was responsible. After a few quick glances, he saw Lucious standing off in the distance gripping his sides in laughter. Virgil’s eye twitched and his nostrils flared. He took in a deep breath through his nose, and exhaled, releasing a stream of blue flames from his throat and melting the frozen beverage.
“Was that too cold for you?” Lucious taunted as he approached Virgil with Fynn and Paisley at his side. Chad, however, was nowhere to be seen.
“You just don’t know when to quit, huh?” Virgil replied. “Weren’t you embarrassed enough after phase one?”
“I admit you caught us off guard back in the forest, but I assure you, it won’t happen again.”
“Yeah,” Fynn jumped in. “You better hope we don’t run into you in the Network.”
“That would suck,” Virgil confessed, “I really would hate to dish out the same ass-whooping twice.”
Fynn smirked as he flexed his knuckles. “This should be fun. I hope Logan will be with you. I owe him for breaking my arm.”
“What are you smiling for, you oaf?” Lucious said, popping Fynn in his arm. “I swear, as long as you can get a good fight, you’re happier than a pig rolling about in its own filth.”
“What’s wrong with wanting a good fight?” Fynn asked, rubbing his arm. “And I told you to stop talking to me like that, or—”
“Or what?” Lucious interrupted. “You’ll stop being my friend? Stop being so dramatic, and focus on the task at hand.”
“I was kinda hoping you’d be disqualified in phase two,” Virgil said. “You know, on account of being an insufferable dick. I see the system has failed us all. I guess being a noble excuses you from being a decent human being.”
Paisley stepped forward, boldly standing in front of Virgil. “You have no right to speak of nobility that way. Not as a hunter, and definitely not after what you and your friends have done.”
Virgil let out a quick puff of air. “That’s funny. Last I checked, it was you and your friends who started this.”
Paisley’s eye twitched and her face reddened. “No, that bitch started this. Walking around here like she’s hot shit. The nerve of her to look down on me. Like she’s so much better.”
“This is far from being over,” Lucious said. “Chad’s been eliminated from the exam, and it’s all your fault. We won’t rest until we make this right.”
“He’s going to be disowned for failing the exam,” Paisley added. “Do you have any idea the amount of shame you’ve brought upon his family?”
Virgil laughed. “Do you have any idea the amount I don’t care?”
“We’ll see just how funny you think this is in The Network.” Lucious said, turning to walk away. “You’d better be ready.”
Chapter 15
The hour ended, and the kings rounded up the teams. One by one, Roxanne enveloped them in a white void, and they were gone in an instant. Before long, it came time for Virgil, Aurelia, and Logan.
As quickly as they left the banquet hall, they reappeared in a room. Or at least that was what Virgil believed it to be. Nothing but darkness surrounded them.
“I got it.” Virgil summoned three wisps of fire.
The trio looked around, finding that they had been transported underground. Jagged rocks, moist to the touch, jutted from the walls. Unlit torches lined the walls, and while there wasn’t much of note in the cavern, one thing stood out like a sore thumb. A massive stone door waited on the other side of the cave, with ancient runes written upon it in red ink.
“The door’s over here,” Aurelia said, pointing in that direction.
“Wait just a minute,” Logan said.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“We shouldn’t leave this room. We only need to outlast the timer to pass on to the next phase, and this room presents no immediate danger.”
“You’re joking,” Virgil joined in. “You really want us to camp out in this room for three days? There isn’t anything here. We’ll starve before time runs out.”
“We’ll be fine. It won’t be pleasant, but—”
“Speak for yourself. I’ve only had a handful of croissants for breakfast.”
“Frankly, that’s your own fault for being late, but even on an empty stomach, you can survive three days without food and Aurelia can provide us with plenty of drinking water.”
“I’m with Virgil,” Aurelia said. “We may not know what’s outside this room, but this phase will go a lot faster if we try to find the exit.”
Virgil rolled his eyes as he placed his hands on his hips. “Don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic?” he asked.
“I don’t do dramatic,” Logan said, flashing Virgil a cold, dry look.
“If you say so. What make you think that door leads to certain death?”
Logan pointed to the door. “It’s written right there.”
“Oh,” Virgil said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is that what that says?”
Logan groaned. “You didn’t know? It’s ancient dragonian.”
Virgil rolled his eyes once again. “No, I didn’t,” he sneered. “Forgive me for not studying ancient languages in my abundance of spare time.”
Aurelia giggled.
Logan shot her a stern look. “Don’t you dare laugh,” he scolded. “You couldn’t read it either. You’ve been neglecting your studies again.”
“Neglect is such a harsh word,” Aurelia said, her cheeks reddening as she turned away.
“Well, if we’re going to be stuck here,” Virgil began as he raised his hand, “we might as well turn on the lights.”
“DON’T!” Logan shouted.
It was too late. Virgil had already closed his fist, lighting each of the torches along the walls, and filling the room with light. The cave began to shake violently as chunks of rock dislodged from the ceiling. Aurelia surrounded the group in a massive bubble, preventing the stones from crushing them. After a brief moment, the rocks stopped falling, and Aurelia dispersed her bubble.
“S-sorry about that,” Virgil said.
“It’s fine,” Logan said with a heavy breath. “Just don’t touch anything else.”
“Guys,” Aurelia said, pointing to the ceiling.
Water began to pour from the newly formed holes. It started out slow, but with each second, it picked up in speed.
“This isn’t good,” Logan said.
“Don’t worry,” Virgil replied, summoning flames around his hands. “This I can handle.”