Rise Of Faeries Book I : Ascension

Chapter Five - Made It.🌟 (rewritten version)

She must have broken her nose and lost a few teeth. She tasted blood inside her mouth and cursed. Standing up proved to be a little difficult as stars danced in her vision.

She tried to see ahead and was horrified to see that the shrinking had increased. Humourless laughter got her attention and she realised that must be the moron that tripped her. The kid had his back to her and was laughing at the other scrawny boy he had tripped. His case was worse as his glasses skittered across the ground. Rage gripped her suddenly and she swiftly removed her dagger.

In almost a veiled motion she thrust the sword with expertise and it landed right where she wanted it to. A scream tore from the boy and he turned to glare at her.

"Trip me again and the next dagger goes through your head." She warned ice in her voice. She turned and ran towards the opening which was shrinking even more. Kairo had no idea what it meant if it closed her inside and she did not want to find out so she increased her speed. She ran like the fires of hell licked her soles, a helpless scream grabbed her attention.

Twisting vines pulled at a young girl, her entire face was covered in mud and Kairo did not want to imagine what hell she must have gone through. Her screams were filled with enough pain and desperation to get Kairo moving towards her. Loosening her sword, she made a clean cut at the vine pulling at the girl's leg. As though alive, the vines thrashed and pulled back, Kairo jumped to help the girl to her feet.

"The... the opening," the girl cried and Kairo saw that only a small space was left and it would close.

"I am sure they will get us out if it closes on us. " Kairo tried to assure the girl, but even that sounded false to her ears.

"No, we will be hunted by them," the girl said weakly, her voice tinged with tears. Kairo turned to follow her finger which she realised belatedly. A battle cry rang across the field, as creatures similar to the one she faced earlier came charging in all directions. Kairo watched in horror as body after body fell, the boy with the glasses never made it across the field. Kairo half dragged the girl towards the rapid closing, her nerves spurring her own. The girl limped hurriedly, trying to increase their pace. Kairo saw out of the corner of her just how much painful it was for her. Blood pooled at her ankle where the vines had gripped her.

"They are nearing!" the girl cried.

Kairo did not look backwards but decided on her plan B. They would not make it in time but one of them would. She pushed the girl towards the opening with all her might, the girl was surprised at the movement until she reached out a hand grabbing Kairo by the vest.

She was stronger than she gave her credit for and soon the shrubs closed shut. Kairo was thrown at the base of the closed shrubs and could hear the sickening sounds of tearing flesh and the horrifying screams. Her ears sang and a pain gripped her suddenly, she grimaced when she noticed that her ankle was broken.

The pain was searing enough to make her see blind spots. She crawled upwards, there was another soil mount. She half dragged herself and saw four boys clad in leather with their hands on their backs. There was a lady who held a book and a pen, writing the names of survivors.

Kairo let her eyes roam around, looking for the boy that saved her twice now. She found him, standing alone in front of one of the four boys. He stood rigid and still, and she crawled towards him. The four boys were leaders of the quadrants, which were made up of at least seven fresh students and led by a quadrant leader. Students chose their leaders but Kairo cared less about the leader than the boy who chose him.

She pulled herself to her feet and bit her lower lip at the staggering pain shooting up her angle. But she dragged her leg towards the quadrant, her eyes fastened on the back of the boy with stars for eyes. A roar of frustration grabbed her attention just as she managed to pull herself behind the boy, her breaths uneven as the pain intensified.

"What do you mean you can't remove the dagger?" a boy roared at the boy he had chosen as his leader. Said boy regarded him coolly, not the least bothered.

"Either you remove it yourself, taking full responsibility for what damage that might cause or you let the person who daggered you remove It," the leader drawled.

"The bitch who did this is properly being eaten back there by the monsters," the boy growled.

Kairo outstretched her hand, flickering her hands in a beckoning motion. A scream filled the entire field as the dagger disembodied from the boy and flew towards Kairo. She caught it swiftly, it dripped off blood and she wrinkled her nose at the sight and smell.

All eyes, including that of the boy, turned towards her. She met the boy's eyes across the field and with a wicked glint in her eyes said," I believe the dagger is mine."

The boy all but glowered. Smoke erupted from his ears as he turned a putrid colour in rage. "You almost paralysed me you bitch!"

"What is your name?" the girl in leather gear with the book and pen had moved towards Kairo, a pen poised to take her name.

"Yes, what's your name? You will pay for this dearly! You must be from the minor families that seem to litter about!" he snapped, swaying slightly from the pain in his leg. No one rushed to help him and it was clear why, the boy was as arrogant and rude as they came.

All through the exchanges, the boy in front of her never turned. Not even once. She had frowned at him but said nothing. She faced the girl with the book, swaying slightly from the pain of her broken ankle. "Stormhart. Kairo Stormhart."

This time, along with everyone else again, he did turn to face her and their eyes locked. And once again, Kairo forgot to breathe at the intensity at which he seemed to look at her. The scriber recovered fast and nodded at something behind Kairo.

"And your name?" she asked, her eyes focused on her book.

As soon as the boy faced forward again, Kairo let herself plummet to the floor. She turned her head towards the boy and was pleased to find him watching her with a pale face. Ah, that's right, the Stormharts were basically royalty in Elaria.

"Genevieve Herongail."

Every eye turned towards the girl again there were murmuring between the fresh years as they glanced at the boy, Kairo and the girl behind her. Kairo was now focused on the pain that turned to the strange way they all reacted to the girl's name.

"Let me see that. I might help you fix it." Someone said above her head, Kairo turned to see the girl she had saved from the vines and who had saved her again. She flashed her a genuine smile, was she Genevieve? It suited her.

"Thank you for back there," Kairo told her.

The girl only hummed as she gingerly picked up Kairo's ankle and looked back at her, this will hurt. She looked Kairo in the eye before snapping the ankle in place, she quickly produced a small vial from her place and indicated for Kairo to drink it.

Kairo didn't need to be told twice and downed the entire thing. It tasted sweet and then the sweet turned to bitterness that made Kairo cough but at least the pain had disappeared. The girl was no longer bloodied and her golden curls could be seen now along with her hazelnut eyes.

"This was for saving my life. We are even now," she said and went and stood on the other side of the boy in front of her. Kairo watched the girl go in confusion but stood as well. She tested her ankle and was relieved when it was truly well. Four other people joined them and their quadrant was complete.

"Congratulations in surviving the death games. Welcome to Ekiya Academy , where surviving is all that matters. Follow your quadrant leaders back to the academy grounds where your families will be waiting for you."