He did just that, the pair charging as fast as they could on the slippery ground. Flagro and his sister were doing the same, moving at a near sprint despite the difficult terrain. It was almost unnoticeable, but Ziana saw the reason. The pair were wearing a new set of boots. Sure, they were identical looking to the ones they’d arrived in, but these were clean and lacking thetelltale dirt, mud, and grime from a full day of trekking through the caverns.
Someone had hidden them each a new pair. And she was willing to bet these had ice spikes built in. Just the thing they’d need for the final dash.
Ziana didn’t say anything aloud. There was no point. They would just have to beat the cheaters on their own without any helping hands. And, amazingly, because they’d started on this level while the others had to descend to it, she and Dorrin were actually ahead. Not by much, but they entered the final stretch barely in the lead.
The large, arched exit door was open, unsealed from the rocks and visible now, beckoning to them with a warm, golden light. It was all for the cameras, of course, but that didn’t make it any less appealing of a goal. Get through that door to the tunnel leading to the outside and they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But first they had to win.
“Out of the way, bitch,” Galla snapped, driving her elbow into Ziana’s side as they jostled for position.
“Not happening,” she shot back, throwing a shoulder and pushing her attacker hard, making her nearly trip over her own feet.
Galla’s wrist cuff went tight from the cable connecting her to her brother abruptly snapping taut as she fell out of their pace. Then, just as Dorrin had said it would, the cuff quietly let out a little slack. Nothing huge. Nothing noticeable to the spectators, but it allowed Flagro to keep his footing and Galla to regain hers. The two charged ahead with even more vigor, closing the gap fast.
They were nearly to the exit, the threshold beckoning with every step, but Ziana realized that with their specialized boots the elites were too quick. They were going to overtake them.Dorrin realized it too, and just as Flagro began to pass him in the final steps, he turned to Ziana and shouted, “Dive!”
It was a crazy plan, but at this point what did they have to lose?
The pair dove hard, their arms outstretched, elongating their cable to its limit. Normally, that wouldn’t be enough, but Dorrin wasn’t sliding headfirst. He’d spun around as he leapt forward in the air, kicking his legs around to take the lead, his arm over his head to stretch his body as long as possible.
A bell rang out as his foot crossed the line just ahead of Flagro’s outstretched arm.
“We did it!” Ziana shouted, jumping up and down and flinging herself into Dorrin’s arms for a victorious hug before quickly sliding back to her feet. “We won!”
“We did,” he replied, grinning wide as they turned and walked into the tunnel.
“You! You fucking whore!”
Ziana spun on her heel. “Donotcall me that.”
“I’ll call you whatever I like, you wretched bitch,” Galla seethed. “Child born of filth. The product of common scum. You think you can beat us?”
“We just did, so deal with it,” she shot back. “Come on, Dorrin.”
“I’m not done with you,” Galla raged on, rushing right up to her, Flagro following his sister close though not quite as enraged as she was.
“ButIam done withyou,” Ziana replied, continuing down the corridor. It was only another fifty meters or so until they would step out into the air and be returned to their lodging. She just had to endure a little while longer.
Galla grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “You donotignore me, commoner. Look at you. Your mother was clearly a whore, and you likely don’t even know who your father was.”
Ziana’s jaw flexed. She looked up at Dorrin.
“Hey, Dorrin?”
“Yes?”
“We crossed the finish line, so we’re out of the cavern. But while we’re in the exit tunnel and not outside, are we still technically in the cave course?”
“Yes.”
“And the same rules apply?”
“An odd question, but technically, I suppose they?—”
Ziana spun and slugged Galla right in the nose.Hard. The woman dropped to her knees, blood streaming down her face.
Ziana loomed over her. “I told you, donottalk to me like that.”
