The tournament

1500: Saving

“Cuthbert!!!" I shriek the warning when I notice the boy's making a move, he was slowly grabbing something from a backpack, he has no idea I was watching. "Behind you." My voice amplified, given the fear taking over my body. It was loud, it woke up the last person.

Shit.

There is desperation and eagerness in Harper's voice as she commands me to continue slashing on the robe. “Faster.”

I am hyperventilating while eagerly trying to sever the robe and release Harper, at the same time shifting my eyes to Cuthbert who's struggling with the armed participant.

The other one who just woke up casually stood there, wordlessly watching the two boys avoiding getting exposed to the radiated universe, as so Cuthbert dodges every attack the opponent brings until he finally catches an opening and his sword hurried to the boy's neck, slitting his throat like a wild animal. With a thumping heart, I watch the bleeding body collapses hard to the ground.

I choke instantly at the situation I find myself in, my fingers were shaking.

I couldn't breathe or either my body demands too much air my windpipe couldn't provide. I forget the one thing I should be doing. Release Harper so she can veil us.

"Look at me, Daphne." She exclaimed gravely, I heard because I can only look at her. "Rees is going to kill him." She cried after a loud colliding sound played in my hearing. "Daphne... Daphne?"

The last call snapped me out of my shock and my eyes meander around the woods where I found the last boy, I'm sure is Rees advancing toward defenseless Cuthbert; he was scarcely moving on the turf.

If anger could kill, I think that's the weapon Rees was about to use against Cuthbert. I saw it right through him.

My eyes widen, I added strength with urgency on the robe.

Rees's hands were slowly raising from his sides until they came to the front of his chest when he halts in a specific pose that explains he was performing some magic or is it rituals, I can't quite differentiate. Well, whatever it is Harper and I noticed his intention.

Dark clouds were fabricating in the sky-dimming the sun rays, the angry clouds are making thunderous sounds along with my heartbeat.

It shoots ice through my veins until my blood turns cold.

Like nothing I've ever seen, I am observing the draining of blood from the two suddenly dried corpses lying helplessly on the forest surface. As if floating bubbles in the wind the thick red substance were blending into a flaming scary circle.

Surely the tournament is nothing as we're all told. The game is everything but fair because whatever we are playing; It has deteriorated.

Just when Rees's hands ebbed and were about to hurl forward, I successfully let loose of the robe, freeing Harper's hands.

Rees directs the flaming ball of what I am certain is an assortment of cursed blood from his two deceased friends towards Cuthbert.

Instinctively along with dread, I am on my feet, running towards Cuthbert but luckily, Rees weapon hits nothing in particular however it sparks electric-like light and bounces back to explode all over Agnes' hazmat suit.

He stumbles back from the force of his magic, the blood of his friends was flowing all over his outfit as his eyes wander around the woods, his eyebrows were furrowed and he inspects the environment through his face protector, looking frustrated.

"Show yourself, you shouldn't be a coward and stay invisible," Rees screams and that answered my inner thought, Harper has shield Cuthbert, she had shielded all of us.

"Let's grab Cuthbert." She orders and stood up.

I quickly bring my finger over my face protector and whisper to her: "Shush, he will hear us."

"Make as much noise as you can, no one can hear us." She smirks and turns away.

"But you said..."

She interrupted again as she walks toward Cuthbert. "I didn't want too much noise last night."

I stare at her astonished, with my mouth open.

What?

"f**k you." Rees continues to exasperatedly yell to the face of some ancient tree, he seems extremely annoyed and alone.

I can't help smiling.

***

Cuthbert has suggested we rest by some double trees that made somewhat of a cave, lively green plants exist there, they dance with the invigorating forest air, the leaves were green and healthy, it confuses me how the plants survive around this kind of atmosphere a human cannot inhale.

"They are so prosperous," I say using my golden stone to trace the veins of a leaf.

Harper flashes me a smile and agreed: “They are beautiful."

"But how are they still..."

"Alive?" Cuthbert interjected before I could finish.

I glance at him and briefly observe his expression, he seems tired yet eager. I know he doesn't like the idea of having Harper around but we need her. Besides she just saved his life.

"They come off different, I thought nothing should survive in the contaminated air if humans can't," I answered and tore my eyes from him.

"Maybe the radiation only affects human beings and nothing more, maybe that's why there are no animals anymore," Cuthbert said, calling back my attention.

"But it doesn't make sense, I know I have little knowledge but this is unusual."

There should be some explanation to this, why can't we breathe from what is supposed to be fresh air but the plants grow graciously well.

"It is." He concedes and exhales loudly.

After that, there was silence around us, no one says anything. Instead, we use the time to eat from the backpack Harper had stolen from Rees while invisibly walking away from him.

Oh, and she had swapped her oxygen tank with those she found more satisfying from Rees deceased friends, earning herself additional time.

The food wasn't much but it was enough for this moment. I gulp down more water than needed and lay on my back for a while.

It was after twenty minutes when we decided to start moving. However, with a geographic locator and a witch with vision, agreement became the hardest for the three of us.

"We are taking the woods, the path is more closer." Harper suggested, she hangs the strap of her oxygen tank over her shoulder and begin taking forward steps but stops when Cuthbert opposes: “There is no way we are going that way, it's not on the map."

Her eyes roll while she irritatedly turns back to face him. “Map map map, no one cares about your stupid intelligence. We are going north."

"Is now I realize the reason why you can only perform one spell. You are too dump." Cuthbert fires back.

Harper shifts her eyes to me, they were pretty convincing when she tells me: “Daphne I can see, I can tell what is right, I detect it, please follow me."

Regardless of Harper's persuasiveness, I am distracted by Cuthbert's next words.

“She is not going anywhere with you, south is the proper direction to the bridge, if we follow the hills it will only take us a minimal time, it's the easiest route." He asserted and I know he is right from my little experience. I have that same map mentally, I don't know how it shelved itself in my head but it did, it's the only thing I have apart from the stone in my hand.

Harper's upper lip lifted when she stepped close to Cuthbert, acrimony piercing through her eyes. She snapped: “I don't know what you think you are but I know you, I know nothing is good about you. I shall not let Daphne become a victim of your cruelty."