The Games for Gaiathal (Part 3 of 'A Tale of People and Apples Trilogy')

Chapter 13: The Final Pathway

Luka tensed through his slump against the wall as blood continued to drip from his shoulder and side, slowly leaking to the blackened floor.

His eyes strained as the smoking gun and shining orange uniform progressed through the hallway and towards him, casting aside his pistol and jogging towards Luka, and then sprinting towards Luka when he realized he was hurt.

As he arrived at the beginning of the hallway and back where Luka sat, Luka tried to stand. "What have you done?" Luka said to him.

Tristan walked over Adrian's lifeless body, ripping at his other black sleeve with a solemn face, which he wiped with his now torn off arm and side to his uniform. Both his arms were bare, along with half his abdomen, Tristan more muscular than Luka remembered, or appearing more muscular after saving his life.

Tristan crouched to inspect Luka's injuries, delicately touching the silver branch at his gut and dabbing Luka's shoulder which were imprinted with savage fang marks of which Tristan knew belonged to a Wolf. These may have been trivial injuries for Luka with his Gift, but without it, they were grave.

Luka removed the silver branch with a grunt. The pain worse than when it first entered. A foolish move, but an expected one from the withering Wolf. It was not like he could lug the massive branch around as an extra limb.

"Adrian didn't get any vital organs. Deep breath," Tristan said to Luka, and before Luka could ready himself, Tristan yanked tight on the bandage and wound he wrapped around Luka. It seared with pain as the bandage dug in, feeling more like a red hot chain than his friend's soft clothing.

"This will slow the bleeding, but you need your Gift back," Tristan said, slowly helping Luka to his feet who winced as he put weight to his injured side.

"Tristan, what you did..." Luka said, as they walked past Adrian. Luka stopped and stumbled and kneeled at his friend's body, closing his eyes and putting his hand to his broad chest. "I said to play the Games, let the strongest of us win, Tristan. Is this in the rules? What if the Programmers punish you?"

Tristan looked onwards and away from Adrian, at Solan and Calysa who were locked on the other side past the finish line and behind a blue field.

"That's what I'm doing, Luka. Him ambushing you was not the way, either. That's not how we will beat Solan, by turning on each other."

He helped Luka back to his feet, and threw Luka's arm around him to brace his walk again as they limped towards the finish line.

"Can't you see, Tristan? How hurt I am? I'm going to lose, anyways."

Tristan solemnly and grimly grinned at Luka with his index finger to the bandage which wrapped his now missing eye. Luka hadn't even noticed until Tristan finally revealed the other half of his face, the torch light from the hallway finally meeting it.

"My God, Tristan. What happened to you?"

"Long story. I'm sure you have yours, too."

"Tristan," Luka winced as they continued their limped ascent towards the finish line.

"Yeah, Luka?"

"If you were Adrian, and you had a broken leg... would you have done it? Would you have ambushed me?"

"No," Tristan said, not meeting Luka's eyes with his only one, not wanting to speak of what he did to Adrian ever again. "You know I wouldn't have."

"But you ambushed Adrian," Luka replied.

Tristan brought Luka closer, Luka able to walk more efficiently but still in great pain, the colour from his face slowly fading by the minute. "Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the good in this world," Tristan said to him. "A wise man taught me that."