A second later, smoke surrounded the wolf, causing it to falter and stop in its tracks. The smoke solidified around its icy body. The icicles on its fur broke through the smoke but didn’t stop it from being stuck in place. The wolf thrust against the solidified smoke but to no avail. It was stuck. Joren slowly walked up to the demon but when he got close enough, the wolf huffed its freezing breath and froze Joren in place. Lilica and I rushed to his side, Lilica distracting the beast while I broke the ice around Joren’s feet.
“Our weapons won’t work on the demon. As soon as we attack it, it heals immediately.”
Joren nodded although his eyes were fixated on the beast. I had no way of knowing that he heard me or understood me in the trance he was in. He stepped forward when I cracked the ice. With one swift motion, he grabbed the blade in my hand and a second later, smoke swirled around it. I had never seen anything like it before, a weapon infused with a wizard’s magic. I held out my other blade and he did the same thing before rushing over to Lilica and repeating the process with her sword.
The beast thrashed against the solid smoke again, this time the spiky, frozen fur of the demon cracked the smoke and set it free. The demon let off a deafening roar and added another layer of ice to the cavern. It stomped its feet against the icy floor, sending giant icicles crashing down on top of us. Joren knocked both Lilica and I out of the way as he used a smoke shield to save himself. The wolf was enraged, its eyes glowing a bright white and frost was now pouring from its nose and mouth. The beast charged along the ice, its sharp claws digging into the frozen ground and sent icy shards flying.
Joren still held his place, he stared into the beast’s eyes and engaged his smoky shield again. When the beast made it close to him, Joren planted his back foot and leaned forward, waiting for the impact. The wolf crashed into his shield and slid Joren back towards the lake. As I scrambled to get my footing and rejoin the fight, I watched Joren and the beast begin their fight. Frozen claws crashed against every smoky attack Joren sent its way. I turned to Lilica who was using a rock to pull herself off the cavern floor.
“We need to get back in there and help him,” I said.
“I know, but how can we when we can barely stand?”
Before I could answer her, I heard the powerful roar of the demon and as I flicked my eyes towards them, I caught the very end of its raging attack. The creature stood on its hind legs and used all its strength to smash its front legs down onto Joren, crushing him into the ice.
I gripped the hilts of my scimitars tight and used the rock behind me to push off and slide towards the rubble. The wolf was still standing on the rocks and ice that now covered Joren. With my blades to my side, I slid to the back of the beast and without it seeing my movements, I jumped onto the rocks behind it. Once I knew I was clear, I jumped onto its back and with the force of my weight hitting it, the beast thrashed against the ground, trying to buck me off. I dug my blades into a small crevice between two of its frozen fur spikes. It yelped from the pain and bucked more. I cried out to Lilica to help but when I turned my head to find her, she wasn’t there. When the wolf shook its head and neck to try and loosen my blades, I tightened my grip and made sure I wouldn’t fall. The beast yelped again but it was different this time. The yelp held more pain as it gasped for release. When I looked down the side, I spotted Lilica sliding and slashing her sword into the stomach of the beast.
After a few more bucks from the wolf, its movements finally slowed. I was able to release one of my blades and dig it into the side of its neck, finalizing our kill. The beast dropped to the icy floor and after one more twitch, it was dead. I sighed with relief and released both of my blades before remembering Joren under the rubble the wolf created.
Large chunks of ice and rock were overturned on the ground. I slid as quickly as I could to the side of the rubble but before I could move any of the rocks, a smoke barrier shifted all the rubble, sending the rocks and ice across the cavern. Joren sat up, bruised and battered, his eyes had stopped glowing and he was back to normal.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I held my hand out to him to help him up.
Joren nodded as he gripped my hand and I lifted him from the rubble. “I’m fine. Although, I’m not at my usual strength. That argentium only gave me a small amount of my power back. If I was my full strength, I would have beat that demon wolf.”
“Wait... That wasn’t your full strength?” Lilica said as she slid over to our conversation.
Both Joren and I shook our heads. “You saw me in the games. My strength is way above that level.”
We slowly made our way to the other end of the icy cavern to the only exit. Even though the cave was silent, in the back of my mind, I knew more of those beasts were out there to get us. We needed to get out of here and figure out who transported us here and why.
The cave passage thinned out into a tunnel that only a person could fit through, and even then, there were certain points where we struggled to wedge our way through. The light was barely visible and the air was thicker, making it harder to breathe. When the passage opened into a small clearing, I stopped in my tracks. In front of us were five tunnel entryways.
Instantly, I wished I was the one that had the magic as I would have used my earth magic to sense which tunnel was the one we needed to take or smell the air for anything that indicated the way out. Instead, we were stuck there trying to decide which of the five tunnels to take. When we finally agreed to take the second tunnel from the left, the instant we started down the dark path, a sinking feeling rose in my stomach.
We walked slowly down the passage, being careful not to trigger any traps or to wake any nearby beasts. Ahead, I could hear water and I didn’t need my magic to smell it in the air. Finally, the tunnel widened and we entered the biggest cavern we had seen yet again. On the opposite side was a large rocky wall with a landing on top, a giant waterfall cascaded over the side of it into a vast blue lake. On the top of the landing, something glowed.
“Is that another argentium crystal up there?” I asked as I pointed to on top of the waterfall.
“No, the glow is different and there is something reflecting on the ceiling, too,” Lilica said.
I stepped forward to the edge of the lake to try and get a better look at the glow. When I saw it, I almost shrieked with excitement. It was a spinning magic circle that had been cast on the ground, it was glowing a bright white and in the symbols of the circle, I could see the word ‘exit’.
“It’s the way out! We found it.”
Joren stood beside me and stared at the magic circle for a moment. “Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Yes, I am fluent in magic runes. I know what each one means and everything they can be used for. The runes in that magic circle say ‘exit.’ It’s our way out.”
“But how do we get up there?” Lilica asked.
We looked around the walls for any holes we could use to climb up onto the landing, but we found nothing. I walked the entire edge of the lake, looking around the vast cavern but when I made it back to where I started, I came up short. I sat on the edge of the lake and dipped my feet in, taking in the beautiful waterfall. The water hit against the rocks and was cast off into the air, creating a fine mist that flowed around the room. It was refreshing after being in a stuffy cave for who knows how long.
As I watched the water flowing over the rocky wall, I noticed something different about the rocks. While the wall was a normal grey in colour, a few were off in colour. Through the water, they almost looked white. I followed the pattern up the wall, all the way up to the landing. It was a path.
“Guys! I found it. In the waterfall, there is a white rocky path. We can use that, but we would have to swim over there and climb through the falling water. The pressure would be painful but it’s the only way.”
Lilica and Joren stood at my side and looked over to the waterfall. Their eyes lit up for a second before realising how hard it would be to climb up a waterfall. The rocks would be slippery,
and the pressure of the water would be intense, but we needed to do it.
“Let’s go,” Lilica said.
“Let’s get out of here,” Joren agreed.
We dove into the giant lake and began the long swim over to the rocky wall. The water was warmer than I realised and the further we swam into the centre of the lake, the hotter the water got. I swam faster and faster, the water scalding my skin. From below me, the water began to bubble, and I knew something was wrong. I looked through the bubbling water and saw two small, oval shapes glowing and speeding towards me. It circled around, swimming between the three of us before leaping out of the boiling lake. It was a huge, white serpent with green and white scales and green fins, its eyes glowing a bright blue, the same colour as the lake.
Its eyes gleamed at us just before it sent a breath of water towards us. Its breath attack burnt every inch of me and sent waves into the lake, knocking us further back. I tried to swim against the current, but the scalding water made it hard to push myself through. My eyes burned with every splash of water that hit me; when my vision blurred I stopped swimming forwards and just tried to stay in place. Around me, I could hear splashing mixed with the strange roars of the serpent. The grunts of Joren and Lilica alerted me to their fight.
When a giant splash rippled waves towards me, I fought against the current until a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me forwards. The bubbles stopped and the water temperature lowered back to normal. When it cooled down, I washed my eyes out and as my vision returned, I found we were close to the waterfall. Joren was the first to start climbing the water-slick rocks and showed us a path that wasn’t too slippery. About halfway up, the waterfall began to burn my face. The serpent had reawakened and was looking for revenge.
Joren was now at the top and slowed the serpent down by sending attacks down from the landing. I could hear its cries as multiple splashes sent vibrations up the wall. When my hand reached the top, Lilica grabbed it and tried to lift me.
“Both of you go! I can make it myself, just get out of here.”
“Are you sure?” Lilica asked as my torso hit the edge of the landing.
“Just go!”
I watched as both Joren and Lilica sprinted to the magic circle. When their bodies hit the rings, the runes activated, and a flash of light brightened the cavern. The instant the light faded, they were gone and I was alone with the serpent.
I could see the beast riding the waterfall, chasing after me. I lifted myself onto the landing and as I pulled my right leg up, the serpent shot up a scalding breath attack at me. It hit my legs and knocked me onto the landing. I screamed in pain as I gripped any rocks I could and dragged myself away from the water and closer to the magic circle. Once I got within arm’s reach, the serpent launched itself into the air above the landing and prepared another attack that would hit my whole body. I scrambled quickly and pulled myself into the circle and instantly activated its magic.
I had escaped.
16
Side by Side
The crowd cheered as I fell onto the hard ground of the arena. Through blurred eyes, I looked around and saw the stadium seats filled to the brim with wizards. To my right stood Lilica and Joren who offered me their hands to help me to my feet. In the sky, I saw the familiar face of Elijah on the projection screen.
“Look at that folks, our first three who escaped from the Cave of Beasts! Let’s hear it for Joren, Lilica, and Melanie.”
I turned to my friends and they had the same look on their faces. “That was an event? Why didn’t they tell us?” I was furious.
Before they could respond to my question, we were transported to the infirmary and treated for any injuries we received during the event. I was so mad I didn’t speak to any of the healers when they asked me questions. However, one thing I realised was as soon as I landed in the arena, I could feel my magic again. It felt good to be able to sense my surroundings again after being stuck without it for so long.
After the healers were done with me, I stepped out of the room the instant more of the competitors were transported in. I watched them for a moment, realising they knew exactly what was coming, they had it running like clockwork. Everyone knew except for us and knowing that made me madder. When I returned to the competitor’s area, I could see the others that were still in the cave and beside the projection screens was a countdown and time was running out. They had twenty minutes left to return from the cave or they would come last and be eliminated. Both Lilica and Joren stood at the front of the area and were watching the screens with full attention. As I watched my fellow wizards fight against beasts and wind their way through the labyrinth, I wondered if that was what we looked like.
“Do you think it was unfair they didn’t tell us it was an event? After what we went through?” I asked Joren.
He shook his head. “It wasn’t just us they didn’t tell. Everyone in the event is fighting through the cave like it is the last thing they must do to survive. I guess if they told us, we wouldn’t have fought so hard to escape.”
“You have to admit, it was fun,” Lilica said with a giant grin on her face.
“Fun? I was scared for my life, scared The Order found us again and wanted to try again. No, it wasn’t fun for me, Lilica.”
Her grin faded and her eyes drooped with sadness. “I’m sorry, Melanie. I didn’t mean it like that.”
I pulled her in for a quick hug and whispered in her ear. “I’m glad you were with me.”
Before I could say any more, Elijah’s voice boomed over the crowd’s cheers and through the entire stadium.
“More of our wizards have found their way out of our cave. Only minutes left and still two wizards are weaving their way through.”
I watched as the screen split in two and showed the only remaining wizards in the cave. The first was Neva the ice wizard. She was having a hard time against a troll demon who looked like he could move among the shadows. The second wizard left was Aedus the fire wizard who was now entering the final cavern with the white serpent. Both had their magic energy back and were using it to their full advantage. Neva’s troll demon towered over her and even though it was heavy, it moved with intense speed. She was having a hard time keeping the troll in place long enough to attack it. Aedus, on the other hand, used his fire to rocket himself over the lake, he was high enough in the air that when the serpent leapt out of the water, it couldn’t make the height to attack.
Aedus landed safely on the landing and stepped into the magic circle, appearing in the arena seconds later. When he stepped foot onto the solid ground of the stadium, the cave view faded, and Neva was transported back. The event was over. Elijah’s projection screens appeared in the air above the field and his face lit up the sky.
“Today’s event is over! Our final wizard to finish was Aedus the fire wizard, leaving Neva coming last. However, because her points were so high, she will not be eliminated from the games.” He paused for a moment and looked around at the cheering crowd. “Tonight will be our battle round but I am feeling a bit different today and have decided to change it up. Today’s battles will be two on two. Teams will be chosen when we return.”
Of the wizards left in the Games, most of them stood around our area and spoke about the escape event. The monsters and demons they had to fight and how they made it out. I kept my place on the balcony, feeling stupid about thinking we had been taken again. Lilica made her way over to me through the small crowd, she nodded to anyone who spoke to her but didn’t stop. Her soft eyes were focused on me.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it,” she said. Her thoughts were unknown to me and her statement completely random.
“What are you talking about?”
The pulled me into a hug and whispered it in my ear. “You were scared and I know it. Not having magic again, being taken in the middle of the night. I was scared, too.”
I smiled into her shoulder and when she finished hugging me, she offered for us to go and train. After a few days of not having my m
agic, it felt good to feel it running through my body again. I tested each one of my elements on the training field. First, I sprouted a small vine that curled around Lilica’s ankle, she tried to cut it away with some of her fairy dust, but it was no use. Before she could try to break free again, I sent a small burst of fire down the vine. When growing up, I made sure to make my vines resistant to my own fire so I could combine my attacks as much as possible. When Lilica blocked my small fire, I sent a small gust of wind towards her, igniting the fire more.
Lilica tried everything she could to put out the fire, but nothing worked. I saw her struggling against my vine’s grip and the fire hurting her, so I doused the flames with a small rain focused over her leg and withdrew the vine back into the ground. Lilica pulled herself off the ground and as she opened her mouth to speak, a light clapping sounded from behind me.
“I know I’ve seen you in battle before, but I never knew how handy the elements could truly be. In a way, I hope we are paired in the battles, I’d love to see what our magic could do together. It would definitely be an easy win,” Joren said, his eyes and smile looked more smug than usual. He was still only thinking about winning after everything we had gone through.
Before I could respond, light colours flashed before my eyes and we were transported back to the arena. The final twelve of us stood above the stands and waited for Elijah to appear. The thought of having two on two battles was exciting but I wondered how it would work. How the teams would be able to work together, who I would be paired with, and how my magic would complement theirs. There were so many factors that couldn’t be answered until we were paired up. The crowd’s cheers echoed up towards the competitor’s area and it was easy to tell they were eager for the next battle round.
A light flashed in the sky and the projection screen appeared, however, Elijah’s face wasn’t there. On the screen were all twelve of our names in a random order.
The Elite Wizard Games (Elite Wizards Chronicles Book 1) Page 11