by P B Hughes
Chapter 32
This is it, Gregory thought when he opened his eyes. This is the day that will determine the rest of my life.
Their cloaks had been washed and folded and placed neatly outside their door. When Gregory surveyed himself in the mirror—crimson cloak, shining brown boots—he thought he looked like a Guardian.
“Not some scraggly Littleton mess anymore, are we?” he said to the others.
“We’ll always be a scraggly Littleton mess,” Daniel replied, “and proud of it.”
The three boys made their way down to the lobby to meet up with the others. They were already waiting for them, sober and ready for the battle ahead. Jelani leaned up against the wall. Around his head was a leather band, studded with an amber jewel at the center. He greeted them with a nod. Ari stood next to Nera—her hair down her back in a thick braid, arms folded across her body. Nera’s blonde curls were tied back into a ponytail, brushed and bright. She greeted them with a quick wave and moved toward the door.
“There’s a carriage waiting outside for us,” she said as she opened the door. “Apparently, the streets are too wild for us to navigate on our own.”
Sure enough, at the base of the steps a white carriage drawn by four sturdy horses waited for them.
“My father sent it over,” Ari said. “He would rather my driver take us than someone we don’t know.”
They piled into the carriage, one after the other. Gregory went last. As he stepped up, he felt a tug at his sleeve. Behind him stood Martha, dressed in a pale blue frock and white leggings. Her light brown hair hung down about her shoulders, and she clenched a white letter in her hands.
“Good luck, Gregory,” she said, extending the note to him. “I wrote this—you know, for inspiration.” She embraced him quickly, and then stepped back to make sure he looked presentable. She smiled and reached out to smooth the front of his cloak like a worried mother. “Always so many wrinkles,” she said, unable to get it to lie flat. Her eyes glanced past Gregory to the inside of the carriage. “I wanted to tell you all that even though most don’t believe you can beat Caden and his team, I think they’re wrong. I know you can do it.” She ducked her head and hurried away before any of them could say a word.
“Oooh, somebody’s got a girlfriend!” teased Nera when Gregory climbed aboard.
Gregory felt heat rise into his face and stuck the note inside his cloak. “She’s not my girlfriend—just my friend.”
“Sure she is,” said Nera with a wink.
The carriage began to roll through the empty streets. Everything was still and quiet, but as they neared the stadium, the streets grew thick with excited people.
“Come on guys, let’s say hi!” Nera said, sticking her head out the carriage window. “Hello—hello everyone!” she said, Gregory and Daniel joining her.
Flowers, music, laughter, and encouraging words floated up to them from the crowd. But many were not so encouraging. Some men and women taunted them outright, telling them that Caden’s team would annihilate them. After a few minutes, all Gregory could hear were the discouraging words that stuck out like dissonant chords amidst a symphony of beautiful music.
“You can’t beat Caden, Littleton boy!”
“You’re just an extra, Gregory! A place-holder until Caden is crowned Alpha!”
“Worthless boy—might as well give up now! You’ve got no hope!”
Gregory pulled his head inside and sat down, feeling disheartened.
“Ignore them,” Daniel said, taking a seat next to him.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Gregory replied. “You and Elenora have a fifty-fifty chance in their eyes. As far as they’re concerned, I have no chance at winning.”
Daniel looked out the window, scowling at the mob outside held back by rope and a throng of silver-armored guards. “Then silence them. Show them that you deserve to be a Guardian.”
Gregory reached inside his cloak, pulled out Martha’s note, and read it between his legs to avoid prying eyes.
Dear Gregory,
You have made it this far for a reason. I have known you for such a long time, and have always admired you. You’re brave, funny, smart, and you always know what to say to cheer me up. I believe in you! I have always believed in you. Now it’s just time to believe in yourself. You can do it!
With love,
Martha
* * *
Gregory stood alone in the tunnel, second thoughts flooding his mind like a rising tide. He clutched his staff—determined not to let himself be overcome by fear. But there was something about the arena, something about being alone that caused his hands to shake and sweat to slide down him like drops of hot rain. Again he felt dizzy, as nauseating self-doubt crawled up his ankles and into the pit of his stomach.
“No!” he yelled out aloud. He let out several deep breaths. “You can do this,” he whispered. “You’re not alone this time.”
The Spyball above his head began to whir. It was time—the last battle—his last time in the arena. And the fate of their team rested on his shoulders.
He crouched down, ready to sprint.
Now!
He dashed down the tunnel, cool air rushing past him. Then, out of the tunnel, into the arena—the sun bright overhead. His eyes took a moment to adjust. He was alone in a barren field of dirt. Across from him, Caden and his team poured out from a single tunnel. Caden signaled Brawn. Brawn waved his staff over the ground—six stone pillars, like tombstones, rose up from the ground, shielding them from potential fire. Each member of Caden’s team crouched behind a pillar, watching for potential foes.
“Here goes nothing,” Gregory said. His eyes sparked red, and then began to glow steadily as he held out the palm of his hand. An orange fireball burst to life. He walked out to the middle of the arena, stopped, and then shouted, “Hey, over here, you bunch of pompous gasbags!” He stretched his arm out behind him and hurled the fireball into the air. The ball glowed against the sky and then fell like a tiny meteor. Each of them ducked behind the barriers as the fireball exploded in front of Sneed.
A larger one, three times the size of Gregory’s, launched from behind one of the walls, roaring as it sped toward him. Gregory rolled to his left, sending up a cloud of dust. The fireball ruptured at his feet against the dirt—tongues of fire licking at his heels.
Gregory got up and brushed himself off. “Is that all you got, Caden?” he cried. “My grandma burns candles bigger than that!”
Suddenly, fireball after fireball erupted like lava from a volcano behind a stone barrier, the sound of laughter echoing out through the arena. Gregory looked up to the sky, the rain of fire glistening in his eyes.
Then, the enemy Miraclists darted out from behind their barriers, rushing toward Gregory with outstretched staffs—all except Caden and James, their Amethyst Miraclist. A golden bolt flew out from Sneed’s hand; a zap of electricity buzzed past Gregory’s ear. Hurry up, guys, Gregory thought. He dodged the fireballs as they collided with the ground around him—dashing, jumping, and rolling.
“After him!” screamed Caden, emerging from behind his barrier to watch. “You too, James!”
James turned to Caden. “But where are the others?” Gregory heard him ask. “We can’t just go rushing out into the middle of the arena—”
“I SAID AFTER HIM,” Caden bellowed, seizing James by the front of the cloak. “Now go before I eliminate you myself!”
James stumbled backward away from Caden, and then turned, tailing the others.
The five Miraclists charged forward, hurling boulders and bolts at Gregory. Gregory danced backward, backpedalling nearly as quickly as if he were at a dead sprint, never taking his eyes off the barrage.
“That’s right,” Sneed jeered as Gregory retreated. “Run away—run like the coward that you are!”
Sneed shot another bolt of electricity, striking the ground in front of Gregory. Gregory jumped to the left; a stone glanced off his shoulder, knocking him to the ground. Pain
shot down his arm and into his fingers. He rolled onto all fours, dug his boots into the dirt, and jumped to his feet, running like a fox from the hounds, glancing over his shoulder.
Where is Jude? he thought desperately.
The arena wall was in front of him—he couldn’t let himself be pinned. He turned around to face them—Sneed, Brawn, Elenora, Hespa, and James—twenty yards away. He punched his right fist five times—fireballs shooting at each of them. None of them hit, but they scattered.
An icy chill shot up Gregory’s leg—it was frozen solid to the ground. Elenora shot another spray of ice at him with keen precision, freezing his other leg.
“You won’t be going anywhere,” she cackled as her teammates re-grouped by her side. “You’re done. Brawn, would you do the honor?”
“I crush you!” yelled the hefty boy as he took a great step forward. A boulder tore from the earth and hovered in front of him.
Suddenly, the ground shook, then a boil of earth, five feet in diameter, bulged directly behind the five Miraclists. Brawn stumbled; the boulder fell to the ground with a thud. Then, bursting forth in a spray of earth, Jelani, Daniel and Jude flew up from a subterranean burrow.
Jelani fell to his knees, exhausted by the amount of energy it took to perform such a task, but Jude and Daniel went to work.
Gregory sent a stream of fire from the tip of his staff, thawing his feet from the ice.
“Hey, Elenora,” Daniel shouted, a frost-spear in his hand, “catch!” He threw it, catching her in the left shoulder, knocking her down.
She yelped in pain and dissolved the spear into water with a wave over her hand, crawling backward.
“Sneed—help me!” she cried.
“Back off you little worm!” Sneed hollered, shooting a bolt from his hand at Daniel. Daniel ducked—a wall of ice shot up from the ground and deflected the bolt, bouncing it into the sky.
Brawn slammed his fist to the ground. A fissure rumbled in the earth, slithering rapidly toward Daniel, shattering his ice wall and throwing him backward. “Get him, Hespa!” he roared to the Emerald Miraclist.
Hespa lurched forward, throwing a seed at Daniel’s feet. Before she could do anything else, a vine tore her staff away and tossed it to the ground. There was Jude, trilling his fingers, sending a flurry of vines around Hespa and Elenora.
“Caden!” Elenora screeched as the vines hoisted her into the air. “Caden stop him—we need you!”
Gregory searched for Caden. He spotted him—Caden could not come! Ari and Nera had him pinned behind his pillar, Ari blocking his flames with gust after gust—Nera keeping him at bay with thunderbolts. The two of them had waited for Jelani, Jude, and Daniel to emerge to join the fray, focusing all their energy on Caden, delaying him while the others were picked off.
Jude flicked his wrist—Elenora went flying into the air, flailing her arms and legs, then hit the ground with a dull thud. She tried to pick herself up, and crumpled. A blue orb encircled her and whisked her from the arena.
Brawn raged in fury, leaping forward toward Jude, flinging a massive boulder at him. Jude released Hespa. The boulder was mere feet from crushing him when it stopped, mid-air. It was Jelani, countering Brawn with energy of his own. He stood, beads of sweat on his head, and then smashed his hands together. The boulder crumbled into dust over Jude’s head.
“I will take him,” said Jelani, facing Brawn. “You take care of the others!”
Jelani and Brawn stood roughly the same height, equally matched in physique, circling each other like two grizzly bears, ready to charge. Brawn made the first move. He slammed his staff to the arena floor. Three small boulders ripped from the ground and shot forward. Jelani jumped, roundhouse kicking the projectiles into the air, one after the other. He landed, crashing his fist to the ground. The earth beneath Brawn’s feet shook—he stumbled. Jelani took his chance—dashing forward and ramming his shoulder into Brawn’s gut, sending him toppling backward.
Gregory shot a fireball at Hespa, who was still on her knees coughing. It hit her on the side, and sent her spinning. She picked up her staff and tossed a large seed to the ground. A wicked plant—a flower with black petals and a red stamen and pistils slinked up from the soil. Hespa spun around on her toes—the flower petals shot off from the rest of the flower, slicing Gregory’s leg in three places.
“Gregory—no!” Daniel shouted, turning his attention from Sneed. Daniel sent a jet of water rushing from his staff, knocking Hespa from her feet. “Now, Gregory!”
Gregory spun his staff around his body; a stream of fire formed at his toe and spiraled upward. He moved his entire body as if dancing to a silent melody. The fire rose up like a viper and struck at Hespa, engulfing her.
“Back off, hags!” Sneed shouted as he bolted away from Daniel, trying to free Caden from behind the barriers. He shot a bolt at Ari, hitting her in the right arm.
“I’ll get Sneed!” Daniel shouted, pulling water from the air and forming an ice javelin. He took aim and, squinting one eye, pulled the spear back and launched it, guiding it to his target. His aim was true—the spear struck Sneed between his shoulder-blades. Instantly, he was taken away in a blue sphere.
Ari toppled over, convulsing. Caden wasted no time—he burst from behind his prison, blasting at Nera with all his might.
“You can’t stop me,” he taunted as he attacked. “You can stall me but the end is inevitable—I will be the Alpha!”
“I’ll go heal her—Gregory, take care of that guy!” Daniel pointed to James, who was standing some distance away, sending gusts of air to knock Jelani off balance. Jelani bolted himself in place—stone coating his feet. Brawn took advantage of Jelani’s immobility, pummeling him with the end of his staff.
“I’m coming, Big Guy!” Gregory cried, stepping forward. Sudden dizziness overcame him. His vision blurred—he saw two Jelanis, two Brawns. He looked down at his sliced leg. The wound was bloodied, swollen, and turning a strange yellow. He shook his head and thrust his staff into the air. A wall of fire burst from him, rumbling forward like an ocean wave. Brawn dodged, but the wave caught James in its wake.
Jelani seized the opportunity—he blocked Brawn’s staff with his own, and caught him under the chin with a fist, sending Brawn reeling to the ground. Jelani tore his stone-encased feet from the earth then leapt onto Brawn’s chest with a crunch.
Both Brawn and James were eliminated.
* * *
Daniel sprinted toward Nera as she battled Caden’s attacks, countering and dodging as best she could. He backed her against the wall, fireball after fireball blasting past her—then finally, one hit her in the chest. Her coat caught fire—Caden turned from her and darted away.
“You’re not worth my time!” he barked. He sprinted into the middle of the arena.
Daniel looked from Nera to Caden, and then back to Nera. He made his choice. He slid next to her, extinguished her cloak with a quick splash of water.
“You all right?” he asked as she lay there, moaning.
“No—it hurts,” Nera gasped.
Daniel looked back over his shoulder. Caden was barreling toward Gregory like a charging bull.
Gregory was on his knees crawling—yellow drool falling from his mouth. His skin was pallid, dark circles under his eyes.
“Gregory, get up!” Daniel shouted.
Gregory’s staff lay several feet away from him. He rocked back and forth, muttering inaudibly. In his left hand, he clutched the note Martha had written him. He vomited.
“Jude, he’s been poisoned!” Daniel cried. “Caden’s going for Gregory—stop him!”
Jude’s head shot up to Gregory—he raised his staff into the sky and sent another blast of vines twirling toward Caden. Caden lifted his staff—a wall of fire spun up around him, incinerating the vines. He leapt into the air.
Jelani threw a boulder.
A burst of flames shot out from beneath Caden’s feet, rocketing him upward.
Gregory retched on
the ground.
“Now you die!” Caden shouted. An explosion erupted from his hand like the head of a great dragon.
The flames fell, engulfing Gregory in an inferno. Gregory cried out in pain—then was silenced. Everyone—his team, the crowd, watched in horror as a blue sphere rose up from the ground.
Gregory was eliminated.
Daniel screamed, running forward with speed he did not know he possessed. Jude dropped his staff, staring at Caden with disbelief. Caden turned to face them with an insane smile, and spread his arms apart, dropping his staff to the ground.
“Go ahead,” he called out, laughing at them. “End it! I got what I wanted.”
Daniel slid up in front of him, his face contorted with fury.
“Oh—don’t look so pathetic, Daniel. Your friend was unworthy—riding upon the tailcoat of his more talented companions—a leech. He deserved to be ousted long ago. The best Ruby Miraclist should be—and will be—made Guardian. And you,” Caden pointed his staff at Jude, who was still standing, unmoved with shock, “you thought you could defeat me? Fools—the lot of you! Now I, Caden Baine will be your Alpha—even if you knock me from the ring. It’s over.”
“Gregory is twice the Miraclist you’ll ever be,” said Daniel, pulling water into a spear and freezing it. “You might be able to overpower others with sheer force, but you’re no leader.”
Caden’s smile vanished.
“You can’t lead us,” Daniel continued. “You can’t crown a rat king over lions.”
Caden’s lip quivered with rage. “How…dare you speak to me so!” He reached down to pick up his staff, but Daniel was too quick for him. Daniel lunged forward and thrust his spear into Caden’s chest.
Chapter 33
Jude was dazed. He did not remember Daniel finishing Caden, or the sphere encircling him and pulling him from the arena to the Judge’s Platform. He did not hear the euphoric cheers ringing from the stadium. All he could see was fire. That hellish fire—the blaze that had consumed Gregory.
He had failed.
Pounding—pounding blood, so loud he felt his eardrums might burst. His legs shook. He felt he would faint. Then he saw him—lying on a mat on the floor like a piece of charcoal—scorched and lifeless. Healers, Mrs. Eldridge amongst them, blocked his view, working to heal his charred skin.