Magium - Project Zero (A What-If Story)

Chapter 4 - The Stillwater

Daren waited at the entrance of the cave, waiting for both Kate and Barry, who had disappeared in the middle of the night. As their silhouettes had taken form in the distance, Daren quickly approached them. As he got closer, he saw the damage that was done, and helped them back to the cave. As Daren began the healing process, he started to rant about their reckless actions. That they shouldn't have gone out all alone and how they should stick together at all times.

"Damn it, Barry!" Daren exclaims as he takes out an arrowhead that was deep inside Barry's leg. "What if these arrows hit you in the head? What then?!" Daren says as he pulls off another arrow from Barry's arm. "I can't believe you two! We come together and the first thing you do is go off on your own and almost get yourselves killed?!"

"Hey, could you maybe be a little more gentl-"

"Oh, sorry, what was that?" Daren asks while intentionally pulling off the last arrow on Barry's back with even more force. "I can't hear you with all these arrows around!"

"Okay I get it!" Barry shouts back. "We were reckless and we should've stuck together! I got it! I should've thought about it more! Clear! Can you heal me now?! This really hurts, you know?!"

Daren stands silent for a moment before raising his hand to the air, casting white magic on his comrade. Barry's wounds begin to disappear, completely melding with his skin, leaving it as if nothing had happened in the first place. His blood also disappears into fine air.

"Where does the blood go anyway?" Barry asks himself as he sees his wounds completely disappear.

"Well..." Daren says, extending his hand to Barry. "The deed is done and you're as good as new. Nothing I can do about your head though, sorry about that."

"My head?" Barry asks, somewhat scared. "What's wrong with my head?"

"Oh, nothing really," Daren says, brushing it off. "Just a severe case of lack of common sense."

"Oh, hah hah, very funny," Barry says, with sarcasm in his voice.

"If you two are done with your little chat," says Kate from a corner of the cave. "I need some rest. That whole ordeal really drained me and I'd much rather recover my energy. So I'll take this time to get some sleep."

"Sweet dreams, I guess." says Daren as he walks outside the cave, Barry following right behind him.

The cool night breeze rustles against the trees, a whistling sound emerging amongst the calmness of the night. Daren and Barry stand guard the front of the cave.

"I just don't get it," Daren tells Barry. "What are the organizers thinking? They aren't even bothering to enforce a rule that prohibits fighting before they announce the objectives! It's like they don't even care about all the lives that are at stake!"

"Pretty sure they don't." Barry tells Daren. "Do you remember what they made us agree to before joining the tournament? Whoever wins the championship will be obligated to come to Varathia's aid in case of an outside invasion. People only agreed to it because there hasn't been an attempt at invading Varathia in thousands of years, but I don't think that's the point. They just want the most powerful mage in the world to serve as their own personal scarecrow. They probably only care about whoever's going to win."

"But even so, if their goal is to get their hands on a powerful mage, why have they not announced the objectives? Wouldn't it be in their best interest to get this tournament finished as quickly as possible."

"That's a good point," Barry thinks. "But knowing them, they would want the weakest ones to be eliminated as soon as possible."

"Maybe they're just waiting for our numbers to decrease. Maybe they just want to cut out the weakest links and assure themselves that only the strongest ones get to even participate..." Barry says.