Game of DIcE

Short-term Companions

Riley tossed her dice that she finally found again onto the ground. Her first dice was unfortunately stolen by the man who bumped her and heartlessly laughed at her as if he was in some sort of children's play and he won that was why he was laughing at the person who lost, which in this case was her.

She also got a Flee, apparently, there were still people having a hard time looking for the dices either buried or securely hidden somewhere in the bushes or top of the three like how she got hers as she had to climb up the tree. Of course, there were again people who tried to get the dice she saw as they also tried climbing up the tree and pulled her feet down but she managed to kick the man, as much as she doesn't want to do it, she needed to, the desperation of moving forward was getting in her mind and being kind was not a choice with these cheaters.

Since she was again being chased by the men, she just jumped on the three and readied herself for the impact of hitting the ground but instead of what she expected, she was welcomed by a sudden force which brought her upwards and the sound of wings and the forceful wind that hit her face, and when she opened her eyes, a Flee had saved her. His skin was rough when she caressed it, eye blue, sharp and wide, it was twice larger than her and when it flies, it flew high. She was confused at first why it was just flying around level one and then she realized that she hadn't tossed her dice yet.

She looked at the view of the fifth division from above, and it was extremely formidable, she could see people already fighting and struggling to the level they got in, and when she looked up, the number was one by one getting reduced, she saw a woman not so far from where she was, on level two that was slowly being consumed by the quicksand and as soon as she vanished, the number was decreased by one again, and it had dawned on her that she was really in a survival game where real people, probably hers too sooner, was experiencing death in real life and was not like those computer games where players were usually granted five or three lives before dying, but in her situation, it was real, she only had one life and one chance that she couldn't risk wasting.

She tossed her dice in the air, she felt like everything turned into a slow-motion, she threw it a little higher, looking up, it covered the bright sun and slowly came down, rolling at the back of the Flee and continuously turned to different numbers until it settled on the part with only two circle gold.

Riley frowned, if she ever had something in her that she didn't like, it was this lacking of luck, she was so unlucky in times like this. She remembered when they came to the festival two years ago with her siblings, and this game also involved card with a lot of rewards which certainly tested her luck, out of all eight reward bearing cards and two penalty cards, she had unluckily chosen one of the penalty cards which had eventually disappointed her two brothers.

And now this. Anyway, it was better than getting one.

"Hey! What level you're heading to!?" Someone asked Riley while on air, it was a woman obviously older than her which she guessed was five years, she was so thin, and if she was not holding onto the Flee tightly she might be carried away by the wind because of how weak she looked.

"Level three." Riley simply answered, still sulky of what she got, "How about you?"

"Level three too, let's help each other!" She suggested, covering her face with one hand to properly look at her.

Riley looked at her for a moment. She doesn't really think being alone was a bad idea, in fact, she preferred it more since she thought having someone to worry for was just a problem to her. But she also doesn't think having someone to finish the levels was bad. So though unsure, she just nodded and smiled.

"Yes, it's fine." She answered, looking down and tapped the Flee's head twice upon seeing that they were already above level three.

The woman did the same, the Flees slowly flew downwards, coming nearer to what awaits them at level three. The Flee put them down on the field in front of the huge, there were also other participants going down and some were already walking towards the mouth of the skeptical passage which appeared to be formidable in size that she couldn't help but think that they were going to be facing a huge enemy.

Their hairs moved to their face as their Flees flew up again, vanishing in the air and leaving them. Her new found companion clung her thin, pale arm around hers and pulled her as they walked along with the others towards the entrance of the cave.

"Do you have, like anything else aside from your slingshot, any more weapon to fight which had the higher percent chance of winning?" She suddenly asked while they were near the cave, she raised her sword, "Like this?"

"None. they took everything." She answered truthfully, the disappointment in the eyes of the woman was visible but she immediately hid it behind a smile. Seems like having a companion was not a good idea at all.

"It's okay, let's go." She said and went inside without even thinking twice, leading her because she felt like she now had the upper hand knowing that the woman she was with was clearly useless because she does not own any weapons with her.

The cave was dark, hot, and eerie, it was awfully silent though a lot of people had already been inside. The only sound they could hear was their cautious steps on the wet ground, holding the wet wall of the cave, and just followed where it would lead them. The woman's sword, Riley realizing that she hadn't asked for her name, was ready in front of them in case something came and attack them suddenly while her slingshot with three stones was in her hand.

"I'm hearing something this way." She said, pointing to the right when they were in the middle of taking two ways, one on the left and one on the right. "We should take where most people go."

"Are you sure? How about the other way? It seems peaceful to me." She implied, pointing the other way, and tried peeking at it but red eyes only welcomed her, "Duck!"

The two of them ducked along with the others behind them when a bunch of bats hurried out and flew out of the cave that lasted for more than two minutes because of their number.

"No, that seems bad, we should go here." Her companion firmly suggested standing up through the help of her sword as she started venturing the way she wanted to go to like the other people who witnessed what happened with the bats also took the way with her thinking that there might be something scarier waiting for them inside.

But Riley remained outside, didn't know if she should follow what the woman's, she still didn't know the name of, advice of following where most of the participants were going or she should follow her instinct of taking the other route. Then she remembered how most of the time she regrets her decision of not choosing her original choice and goes along with the others which didn't bring happiness to her.

She remembered one time, she had on the same situation of choosing between two ways to take together with her brothers, but her brothers unanimously chose the way in a purpose of opposing them so following them, they were almost caught by the sentries because apparently, there was a checkpoint there and violently taking them to isolation without even doing anything so they had to run back to where they started and the two brothers received a few viragos from the oldest.

"Hello? Are you going to follow me or let yourself die in that uncertainty?" Her companion asked, yelling at her while waving her sword, "You don't even have anything with you, are you going to detach from me?"

"Uhm... I'll just try here. I'll run soon to you if there isn't anything to be found here." She had decided, pointing to the next cave where only a few people, barely made up her fingers, went inside and no one had yet to come out.

"So, you chose death? Sure! I don't need a weakling as a companion, anyway! Die well!"

Riley watched in astonishment as the woman gestured her thumb slicing her neck as she mockingly looked at her before turning her heels and running more inside the cave she had chosen along with the other.

"Wow, the duality." She muttered to herself, a little annoyed by the attitude she had just shown to her, "What was she expecting me to do? Follow her like a dog? Even dogs go astray sometimes."

She walked towards the other side of the cave in an annoyed mood, but her steps instantly slowed down as the chill wind hit her face coming from the inside of the cave. She looked at the side, the other participants were watching her as they go inside the other, silently judging her that another one will be found dead.

She sighed, deciding to finally step in without anyone by her side, she was firmly clutching the slingshot with readied stone in case of a situation. She started stepping in, only to immediately ducked once again because of the second surge of the bats but luckily, it was only lesser this time.

"Are you going in as well?"

Riley looked over her shoulder upon hearing someone spoke. A man with thick specs, brown hair which reached until the top of his ear, eyes curtained by his bangs, carrying an ebony spear and a few inches taller than her, he had this dependable body, a good and healthy one and belonged to the other guys that she had seen good at their weapons.

"Yes," She answered, "How about you? Choosing the odds instead of the common?"

Now that she got someone on her side, she finally stepped in, the man walking beside her with his spear on guard.

"Seems like it. I always wanted to be different from anyone." He answered, chuckling. "I supposed we're the same?"

"No, just following my instinct this time. I have someone earlier persuading me to come to the other cave, but I didn't follow her, obviously."

She looked around the dark cave, there was a light at least coming from the red eyes of the bats and it was not too much shady but still, it was hard to see the way to the end of the spear had to become a cane for a moment to check if there was something on their way.

"That's interesting. What's your name?" He asked, looking around too, he walked to the other side to hold the wall of the cave but abruptly stopped and exclaimed an "Oh!" upon feeling it wet and sticky. "What on earth is this? Ew."

"Probably bats' pee and poop. I'm Riley." Riley nonchalantly answered, squinting her eyes upon seeing something far from them, she got excited, finally seeing something at the end which she supposed was the end where they would find the dice they were looking for without getting hurt. She knew she was right by following her instinct.

"I could see a light there. Let's hurry! There might probably be people there already!" She said with a huge smile, but the man remained silent.

She looked behind her, and the spear that fell on the ground had caught her eyes first, she slowly looked up, moving her foot backward upon seeing the man she was with.

"Ahhh!" He groaned, his voice doubling as if he was possessed.

Riley kept on walking backward as she watched him collapsed as if having a seizure on the cold, wet floor, his voice became scarier, she could hear his bones cracking, his eyes turned red and his nerves seemed to about to pop out in no time but they were turning black from his face to his neck to his whole body.

"Run!"