“You’re one to talk. I hear people talk in the hallways too. You should be one of the smarter ones entering. But if you enter this trial voluntarily, you’re everything but smart. You sign a death sentence and there is no stepping out anymore,” I snap. I shake my head in annoyance and my body tenses. I am furious. I don’t want to be, but I am.
“You don’t know that,” he snaps back at me. I put my hand on my forehead and rub my temples. I look at him, my eyes wide.
“You don’t know him. Caleb!” I scream. “You have no idea what he is capable of!” I stamp towards him. He grasps his sword off his back, pointing at me as I come close.
“Back the fuck up.” He bristles. “I don’t know him, but I have heard him and others talk—and you, you haven’t exactly gotten the best reputation either, mate.” I reach for my sword as he jumps forwards.
“You really want to fight this one out, huh?” I spit out. I step to the side, and we circle around each other. How did this conversation get out of hand this fast? It was me probably, but I don’t know how to handle things differently. He swings his sword down, aiming for me. I deflect, slamming my sword against his. I slash forwards, cutting his upper arm. He doesn’t react. Blood triples down his arm. I have made a small cut, but it bleeds—a lot. He throws out a kick as his signet starts to work. My sword, which is still at my right and his left from the cut I made, starts to shape into a dull pole. I throw it on the ground and it clatters down. I focus on my tingle in my body. Caleb jumps forwards and before I can jump back, he slices my leg. It is a sharp pain, but nothing in ratio with what I am used to. Iaim my hand, and his sword flies out of his hand landing on the ground, making it even. He jumps towards me and throws out a punch, aiming for my jaw. I duck away and jump on him. I throw him down, holding him by his waist as we fall to the ground together. He kicks his knee in my groin, but I don’t react. I press my arm against his throat, and my sight goes blurry. My eyes feel like they are going to burst out of my head. He must have noticed my moment of weakness. He wraps his legs around me and flips us over, giving me a taste of my own medicine. Even though he’s smaller than me, he’s strong. His sleeve is all bloody and he looks pissed off. His lips are pressed firmly together.
“Got that out of your system?” he breathes out, his sweat dripping on my forehead. He gives his arm a firm press before stepping off me. He wipes his clothes clean as he wanders to grab our swords. I bow forwards grabbing my knees as I sit up. What has gotten into me? Fighting with the only candidate I kind of get along with. He started, though. I watch him in silence as he puts his own sword on his back and grabs mine. The pole of iron melts back into the old sword. He wanders towards me and as he stands in front of me, he reaches me with his hand. I stare at it in confusion.
“What?” he asks, furrowing his brows. He is already smiling a bit again.
“Nothing,” I breathe out. I just never fought anyone before who stayed friendly with me afterwards, but decide to keep this to myself. “You are just still friendly.” I shrug, deciding to give him something at least. I grab his hand and he helps me up, handing me my sword again.
“I bet I am your first,” he announces, putting his hand on his hips. He has a smile on his face. “No wait, that sounds gross. What I mean is, there is a first time for everything.” He chuckles. I interrupt him from saying anything else.
“Why are you being nice to me?” I question him.
“Because having a friend here seems necessary. And you seemed like the perfect candidate.”
Friend.
Nobody ever called me a friend, and I am not sure how to feel about that. A flash of white blonde hair appears in my sight.
“I don’t want to interfere with your little teatime, but Caleb, let’s go,” Gwen announces. He stares at her, blinking his eyes a few times in confusion.
“Where did you come from?” he asks, stuttering and looking around in perplexity.
“From the woods, duh. Now let’s go. Because we—” she points her finger between Caleb and herself, giving me a side eye, “—we need to win.” She presses her hand on her hip, rolling her eyes at me in annoyance. Or not, because that is not what Caleb told me. I give him a nod in encouragement.
“See you later, friend.” He waves his hand at me. He is a bit strange, huh? First, he slaps a ball of iron against my head. After that, he is being friendly, then he fights me, and now he is being friendly again. Is he trying that good cop-bad cop kind of game? I chuckle. At the end of the day, he called me his friend—again.
Friend.
It is one of the few words that doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste in my mouth anymore.
All alone, I’m searching through the forest again, looking for Eliane. In the distance, a light shines above a small lake. That’s when I know it.
I have found her.
It took me a bit longer than fifteen minutes, but there she is. Chatting with Kailey, her long golden hair shining bright as they sit on tree stumps next to a lake. A ball of light dances above their heads and a small campfire burns between them. They look like they are all settled. It is almost dark, so I can understandthat she hasn’t seen me, but I would have thought she would have felt my presence by now.
“Turn around,”I command. I see her stiffen from where I am standing. I stroll closer as she turns around. I am maximal 50 feet away. Her face lights up as she sees me. She jumps up and bolts toward me.
“I knew you would find me!”she gushes, and her face softens. Her arms wrap around my neck as she crashes into me.
I freeze.
She must feel me tense because she lets me lose and takes a few steps back. She narrows her eyes, holding her head tilted. Her golden blonde waves are up in a long ponytail that bounces around. She is wearing an all-black outfit, with leather details. A belt is wrapped around her leg, keeping her daggers in place as usual. A nasty feeling fills my stomach. Her outfit and hair aren’t the things that make me worry.
One of her eyes is starting to get blue and is swollen.
Under her nose are still little pieces of dried crust of blood.
The person who did this has a death wish.
Her eyes scan me, and she has this silly look at her face, probably trying to figure out what I am thinking. Well, I will tell her what I’m thinking.
