A hundred students disappeared before my eyes, leaving me shocked - unable to believe what I just witnessed.
"Do you have any plans to become a mage?" Prof. sickly yelled from across the field, "If yes, what are you still waiting for?"
"Sorry Professor." I apologized and charged headfirst towards the starting line and as I was crossing I overhear Sickly saying, "Sorry for your self."
And then I jumped over, blinking into an alternate reality of where I was. It felt like passed through water. I am now standing in the middle of a thick forest with the largest of trees. Insects and birds chirp in the distance, I could even smell the refreshing breeze coming from the ocean.
"Woah." I look around in awe, a soft chuckle of disbelief leaving my lips.
I have no idea what I am expected to do but if there is a starting point; there must be a finishing line so with that in mind, I advanced forward.
I had to use my hands to push away some of the branches that hung on my path. Walking as carefully as I could on soaken brown earth with vines and massive tree roots covering the surface.
I was walking when I suddenly hear the sound of a twig snapping a few feet away from me. Sharply, I turn towards the direction of the sound. My eyes land on a blonde girl, she gawks at me with her eyes wide open. We had a mini staring contest and then she smashed the green gem in her hand on the ground. Immediately, green smoke emanated from the ground and shrouded her. At the blink of an eye, the girl before me transformed into a tree.
"Holy …" my mouth touched the ground as I stared at the pine tree that was once a student.
So this is what Storm meant with the stones? It's crazy!
What could the girl be hiding from? Just when I was wondering, I hear a low growl coming from behind me. I swallowed a huge lump, slowly swiveling only to meet a pair of red eyes, and the four legged jarguar is not here to play hide and seek. Thick saliva drools on the ground as it slightly exposes its sharp elongated fangs.
My heart gallops in my chest. I started moving slowly backwards and the jarguar would step closer with each move I made.
I have no weapon, no gem, nothing to protect myself with. In that moment, I cussed the dude who stole that black stone from me, but truth is, even if I had it, I wouldn't know how to use it.
The jaguar and I remained glued in our positions, each awaiting the other to move. I don't stand a chance against this beast so is this how I die?
All of a sudden, an arrow floats out of nowhere and plunged into the jarguar's eyes. Blood spouted out of its eye as the arrow flew in and then the beast dropped lifeless with a sharp whimper.
A skinny male student ran to where the jaguar lay. He placed one foot on its belly, using both hands to yank the arrow out of its eye.
I watched in horror at how excited the student looked. Does he think he is in a video game or something?
He took back his arrow, lifted his smiley face and when he saw me, he frowned. He said nothing and ran off into the forest.
I glanced at the jaguar one more time before launching off deeper into the woods. Occasionally, I would sight or hear the sound of thunder whipping through the forest.
It must be the stone that could make thunder; I should have picked that one.
Exhausted, I stopped to rest under a tree when a melanin girl walked past me. What left me shocked is the dark cloud hovering above her head and raining down on her.
So this is what the white stone does? I watched in awe.
I couldn't rest and continued on my journey. I thought I was clear from danger and was walking quietly when I came across a tiny rabbit standing on my path.
"Awww." I couldn't step myself as I fell in love with the fluffy little thing. He is as white as a snow with huge eyes that sparkle.
But the rabbit clearly didn't fall in love as it suddenly started growing before my eyes.
At this point, my mouth will rip into two as I have been constantly widening it for a while now.
The rabbit grew to the size of a ram. Muscles punching out of its once tiny body, hands growing double in size with sharp black claws. Even its eye changed; they turned red.
"Oh that definitely isn't cute." I shivered, taking a step back.
"GRAAAAHHHH!" The rabbit beast growled ferociously and launched itself at me. I spin sharply around in alarm and dashed back the way I came from. The animal was fast as it raced after me.
I was breathless, running as fast as my legs could. I took left and right turns that I lost count at some point, I was just running for my dear life. The relentless beast is still behind me.
I reached a part with bigger trees and my attempt to run over them flopped as my leg got stuck in between the massive roots that were laced all around my path.
The beast screeched in the distance. I can hear it getting closer.
"No, no, no, no!" I panicked, using both hands to pull my leg out but to no avail. The sound of its approaching pace made me sharply turn, as a result, I lost balance and dropped back-first on the roots.
The rabbit beast found me in my weakest positions and he vaulted himself in the air and was coming at me in full speed.
I had lost hope, there was nothing I could do but right before its claws grabbed my flesh, the beast suddenly bursts into pieces, the smelly juice showering down completely on me. I think some even got into my mouth.
I coughed, reaching into my mouth to pull out what seemed to be a piece of flesh. Screaming, I tossed it across the ground.
"What the FUUCCCCKKKKK!!"
"At this point, even the animals will go deaf." A voice spoke from above. I looked up only to find a familiar face looking down at me.
"YOU!" I growled through gritted teeth, "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"That doesn't sound like a thank you." He jumped off the massive pine tree, landing swiftly on his feet, "That beast could have torn you to pieces if I hadn't interfered."
"You stole the stone from me else …"
"Else what?" He interrupted me. Shaking his head as he stared at me stuck and bathed in beast blood, he then gave a defeated sigh, "You look awful." He leaned to give me a hand but immediately looked away in disgust, "Smell even worse."
I rolled my eyes, "If you are helping then help me and if you are not, get the fuck out of my face."
"Woah, woah, relax, language." He said, extending his hand, "I am here to help."
I grabbed his hand, our skins colliding with a mini spark. He effortlessly lifted me up and helped to untangle my foot that was stuck.
"Now you need to wash off this …It's gross." He pointed out the obvious.
I couldn't even swallow my own spit from the disgust that took over me.
"Lucky you, I saw a stream around here. Come on." He smiled and started heading north. I had no choice but to trust and follow him. We reached a small stream under a rock. The clear as crystal water churns, creating a soothing melody.
"I hope there are no weird fish beast in there?" I asked, taking another wary glance at the stream.
"The water is safe." He confirmed and then settled down on a rock by the shoreline.
Sighing, I enter the unnaturally warm water, giggling as I plunged my head into it. I took a dip and when I came out, my clothes were as good as new.
This place is truly magical.
I was reluctant to but had no choice but to come out of the stream and immediately as I did, my clothes went completely dry in a matter of seconds.
"How do you know this will happen?" I asked him in awe.
"And how do you not?" He answered and started heading back the direction we came from.
"Give me back my stone." I demanded as I followed him.
He stopped, wheeling around to face me, "Or …we could just do this together?"
"But Storm said two people can't do it together."
"Yes that is true."
"Which means we are breaking a rule. Are we?" I glanced at him questionably. He only shrugged, "And who would know we broke a rule and even if we are caught, we can just say we had no choice as there was only one stone left."
That makes sense. "Fine, but not because I want to." But I do want to, doing this alone is far too risky.
After a while, we reached the end of the forest and I thought it was the finishing line but as soon as we crossed over, my foot was swallowed up as I stepped onto ice. I gasp, turning around and just as I feared, we are in a land completely covered with snow, even the trees were all white.
"Holy crap."
"Are you disappointed?" He asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
"Are you not?" I said, looking away from his handsome smug face with a groan.
"This is the physical training, a mage could find themselves in any dangerous situation so we are forced to go through this process to prepare ourselves." He explained, looking around with a smile, "We are lucky we got the forest and snow land. The previous batch had a desert and a volcano."
My eyes snapped open as I shot him a sharp glance, "Volcano? Woah, we are really lucky."
The cold breeze slapped my face and hugged my skin. I shivered, wrapping my arms around my waist.
"Are you cold?" That was a stupid question, and he knows it.
"No, I am so warm that you could make tea from my sweat." I responded with sarcasm.
He only chuckled, clearly enjoying the drama.
"Don't worry, we survived the worst part. This is like drinking water, the finishing line is just by that tree."
My eyes followed his hand movement, taking stock of the only fully green tree all around the snow land. Seeing it washed down my heart with joy. I increased my pace, I can't wait to get out of this torturous training.
We were barely ten feet away from the finish line when suddenly, a massive polar bear jumped out of nowhere and blocked our path. The beasts's frosty gaze pierced through my soul as it glanced at me.
"Shit." He mumbled, taking a fighting stance.
Why does this always happen to me?
Knowing very well we don't stand a chance against this mighty cruel beast, still, I lifted my fists to my face, a cold shaky breath escaping my lips as I said,
"Like drinking water, huh?"