The tournament

700: Wildfire

It was in my sleep when I sense an erratic heat rate in my suit, I realize the sweat my body was producing and I couldn't help tossing and turning on the turf, given the material the suit was made of, it can enhance any heated temperature.

But my premise is proven wrong when my eyes swing open and found the surrounding emit visible vapor.

I quickly push myself up and crawl to the others to wake them up immediately.

Cuthbert at first whines "What?" But when he comes to perceive his environment he intensifies. "WHAT?"

"Something is wrong," I tell the two people trying to recognize what has enclosed us.

"We need to get out of here," Harper announces, and begins packing her belongings.

But she turns around and found both Cuthbert and I watching her as the complete dumb that we are in this odd situation.

"It's wildfire, it's eating all the trees, this one here can not resist any longer, we need to go now."

I hastily grab our stuff and ask Cuthbert if he can walk on his leg.

"I should be able, after all, it was just a dislocation." He says and supported himself up until he is standing balanced to the ground.

"Cool." I nervously smile but he returned an assuring one.

"Good, now let's go." Harper urges and begins reciting some foreign words that I am positive got the barks of the tree sliding open and we all emerge through the trunk. And immediately we are revealed to the eyes of the forest.

I tip my head around the universe that was presumed to be home to humankind, but sad; nowadays even the universe is against itself.

There are flames of fire unmercifully eating up the woods and bringing down a tremendous amount of hefty trees.

Even with the manufactured air provided to us, I still can sense the thick fume through the heated atmosphere that I bet I'm already losing abundant water from the sweat my body is producing.

Panicked participants are rushing for some specific direction. This is the first time I saw the others apart from my two mates here. And I guaranty you the rest I'm sure won't be friendly.

"We have to run for safety." Harper commands and forefront the way.

Cuthbert and I follow behind her, joining the others heading for some route.

"Does that mean we can't be seen?" I ask Harper when I look around to everyone fighting their way for the exit.

Harper looks back to us over her shoulder and responds: "No, it means they can." Just then, two arrows appear striking us, both Cuthbert and I had to squat to dodge the attack.

"Do your thing then? Make fireworks and hide us." Cuthbert derisively remarks audible heaving breathes while we all run through the burning woods as we drain too much from our tanks.

"It doesn't work that way."

Confused by her words, I huffed: "I don't get it."

"When the evil of the forest awakens it stops all powers within it. No witch can perform any spell, no one can stop this, we need to get out of here." Harper explains while we try to shield ourselves from some two participants aiming for us.

"So is fair game?" Cuthbert questions.

"Yes."

"Cool because I'm about to s*******r some necks." He angrily sweeps out his sword from its sheath and changes path, making way for the two enemies attempting to reach for us.

As I watch Cuthbert slopes his blade to professional angles, I implore Harper: "So Agnes is behind this?"

"She can't control fire, someone dumb must have lit the fire and rises the evil of the forest."

Instantly, my eyes pop out when I ask: "Evil?" but shuts when Cuthbert stabs one among the participants who were attacking us.

"It won't stop until it eats the entire woods with the participates camouflaging in its shelter." I heard her explain with my mouth hanging open at the scene before me, and a thumping heart behind my chest.

I am gaping at Cuthbert, I flinch as he returns the sword into the scabbard, so as the two wristbands he came into possession, he has blood all over his suit after slaughtering the last hostile.

"You have to run faster, we have to make it to the sea." He says, jerking his head forward. That's when I let out a breath.

"Sea? There's a sea?" Harper questioned.

"How do you know?" I added upon hers.

"I'm a geography student." Cuthbert smiles through his face protector and takes the lead just when something phenomenal begun taking place.

When I say phenomenal I mean something quite extraordinary, sometimes I'm sure has never occurred even before earth become contaminated.

I heard about the rain, Bella and dad say it falls when gray clouds formed in the sky and there's no visible blue you can spot. But right now, nothing is happening seems like rainfall, but another tragedy about to occur. Above the burning woods is a sky made of nothing but thick waves of water, yet to let loose upon the forest.

"What in the name of hell is that?" Cuthbert gasped when we both looked up. There are screams around the dark forest. Harper quickly pats my shoulder and says: "Don't stop."

Panicked is an understatement when I managed to vocalize: "What is happening?"

"Rees, He's a warlock, He summons liquid. We have to get out of here, the rain is about to be as boiling as fuck."

"What the f**k?" Fear evident in Cuthbert's tone when the words roll from his tongue.

"Run," Harper screams a command.

Surely, the court members told an untruth message to innocent citizens, there's nothing like a better life, it never happened, nothing like gratification ever existed, not out here nor down in Archiefield.

I look through the dense tropical forest collapsing by fire, I look up to the sky and there's the most unusual view where those sliver shining stars are fenced with the fury of waving water, eager to shower upon us.

The inaccuracy of words cannot be illustrated when I view this vast plain of mystic.

We need a safe house, a place of shield for when the water over us decide to falls, we shall all be broiled and die in an evil forest.

But when I look forward; I see something extraordinary, it's a light, shining brilliant, although it is approaching my direction, I halted, stopping every activity in the middle of roaring fire, verily I see my path.

It kept approaching me and didn't stop until it's right before me, and I could see a well-dressed woman smiling at me.

"You're so grown up, my dear Daphne." Says the golden blonde-haired woman dressed in a little black dress and long heels just like the elegant people in Archiefield.

Why isn't she protected from the radiation?

Her eyes were big and blue, they could effortlessly command anyone without having words spoken.

"Who are you?" I trembling asked the woman smiling broadly at me.

She delayed her response, instead, she begins circling around me.

"The last time I saw you, you were just a tiny little adorable thing."

"Mother?"

I heard some confused voice in my head echoing the same word, along with my name.

"Yes, my love."

"I-I miss you."

"Oh I miss you more than anything, I would do anything to get to you, I hope you'll do the same?" She queried, intertwining my gloved fingers with her freed ones.

"I'm on my way to get to you," I answered.

"I am so proud of you, Daphne. You've grown into a strong warrior, but you don't have to continue, I'm here already." She held out her hand waiting for me to take it. "Come with me."

Gradually I take the first step and lay my other hand into hers, they felt soft and warm like every mother's hand, just like Bella had told me.

"Come, my girl. Finally, we’re reunited." She said, turning to the tumbling forest and lead us step by step back into the fury of the fire.

My name is being recited several times mentally in my head but it feels so much like a delusion compares to my present, which feels too real to give up.

I have my mother again, I shall follow her no matter how deep she's willing to lead.

But unfortunately, it didn't happen, that hope is robbed from me when I felt a hard knock behind my head.

"Mother " It was all I mumbled, and all of a sudden everything begins to recede away, that's how I know I'm losing consciousness.