The Dark Goddess

Chapter 20

It was challenge day at Haven, and a couple of activities with free use of powers were going to be sanctioned.

Ami didn’t particularly see this as good news, for one she had a couple of sassy second year Egyptian magicians after her probably waiting for this opportunity ever since she publicly disgraced them by flogging them with a stick when she came to Zara’s rescue.

Another thing was that she could now only activate her powers for a few seconds and could use the winds that come from it for a few minutes, it wasn’t good enough by her supposed standards but it’ll have to do.

What she was really worried about though was her clothes which rips and tears whenever she uses said powers, if she has to use so much of her powers today she was afraid she’d be naked by the end of the day.

One more thing was the issue with Casey, she had been avoiding Ami since the incident just two days ago, not that their schedule made them see each other much, but the few times they did meet, the avoidance was obvious as the bandages still warped around Ami’s arms and fingers.

Ami didn’t know what she could possibly do to salvage what they have, she knew it was still very present in Casey too just as it was in her.

For now that would have to wait though, Ami needed a way through her first two issues.

For the first issue she had visited the armory and gotten two slim twin swords with blunt blades (most of the weapons left for public use are blunted, to get a real one it’ll have to have been made for you or you’d have been granted permission to get one from the armory keeper)

And for the second issue any had a pack bag with two sets of extra clothes, she wasn’t about to allow herself be humiliated by her very own powers.

Now as she stood at the drafts stand where everyone was checking which challenge they had been drafted to, she saw an opportunity to solve her third issue, she and Casey had been drafted to the same challenge, Binge Treasure Hunt.

Just yesterday at dinner, Zeke had been explaining to her that he found out it was the most intense and challenging event amongst the challenges.

In the Binge Treasure Hunt, everyone was given a piece of a treasure which you have to make visible at all times as the challenge goes on (if not an air nymph warns you, after the third warning you get kicked out of the challenge and drop all treasure with you right at the spot)

Everyone hunts for the other person’s treasure and whoever has the most treasures acquired at the end of the third hour wins.

Teaming up is allowed if those who teamed up can trust each other enough not to betray each other, it is a wise move to team up as it means their defense and offense would increase, but the treasures acquired will be low as it would have to be split amongst the team.

Ami also saw the names of the three sassy Egyptian magicians that were after her and it was sure they were going to team up.

‘It seems all my issues are following me in’ Ami thought to herself, better to avoid them at all costs.

She couldn’t possibly hope for a team up with Casey now, not after all she had done to avoid her, and Zara wasn’t in on this challenge, neither were Zeke, Miles and Darren.

This left her with three known enemies amongst all others and just one unwilling friend.

“Would you like to team up?” said the voice of the unwilling friend from behind her totally surprising her.

“Thought you were avoiding me, I mean not even an Hello has been said between us since the incident” Ami answered and folded her arms across her chest.

“Well, Hello” Casey said with a gentle smile “I’m sorry though, but I was hoping we could use this opportunity to talk” she pleaded.

“Well, fair warning, I have three enemies who will do all they can to target me, and my powers are threatening to humiliate me so I won’t be using it much, just so you know before teaming up with me” Ami replied.

“Well I know of your foes, you’re all they could talk about in yesterday’s Economics class, I’m in some of their classes yunno, they really have the hots for you though and as for your powers, we can handle it” Casey said to her.

Ami wasn’t so surprised to hear that Casey shared a few classes with them, she was also a second year after all same as them, but she was surprised to hear they were talking about her all through the class, this was deeper than she initially thought.

“Well if you insist, I suppose I could really use the help as well, I need a friend in this world of madness I’m about to enter” Ami said with humor.

Casey smiled at that “Lets do this then, shall we?” she said to her friend.

The horn sounded for the players to come pick their treasures, it was of three types; an anklet, a bracelet and a pendant around a throng.

Both girls picked the pendant and then after everyone had picked, the horn sounded for the second time for players to take their starting positions.

The Binge Treasure Hunt location spanned the hills behind the main woods out into the main woods reaching the lake close to the amphitheater.

Ami and Casey ran into the woods and took up their starting position behind a large boulder.

“Give me your treasure” Ami said to Casey who was surprised at the request but complied anyways.

“Our strategy is this; I’ll be the decoy, flaunting our treasure and any we acquire, you’ll be hidden close by to me at all times and when there’s an encounter, I’ll hold them off with my sword skills and my powers (although I hope I never need to use it) till you can come to finish up with a strong attack from you and we’d add to the treasure with me by so doing” Ami explained as she strung Casey’s treasure with hers.

Casey was impressed by the strategy Ami had come up with so quickly, it sounded like a really safe and wining strategy.

She smiled at Ami as she said “So what are we waiting for, let’s go stack up those treasures”.

Ami smiled back “All that is holding us back is that third horn” she replied and just then the third horn sounded indicating the start of the challenge.