Both Brian and Armin continued to trade lance strikes, although the latter was becoming somewhat less common.
Armin was left gasping for air as he received hit after blow from Brian, his arm and legs trembling in response to each contact. Brian moved out of the way to launch his attack.
Getting up and spreading his legs, Brian cracked his neck. As Armin planted his feet on the ground, spitting on the ground as his eyes met.
Both boys saw two yellow flashes that crossed the river, and two thin yellow fire cords crossed, making an X between both boys.
A bandage of yellow fire wrapped around the base of Brian's wrist, while another tightened around Armin's ankle. Then a sharp jerk ripped through them both at the same time, and a voice screamed.
"Stop, you two morons!!"Neferet's voice he didn't have a hint of her usual sweet tone or the playful tone he took when he talked to Rebeca.
Her voice was completely serious as she pulled both bandages hard. Armin's ankle gave way under the tug asBrian's spear fell hard out of his hands.
Brian, unarmed and looking at Neferet dumbfounded, exchanged a quick glance with Armin, who was armed but on his knees with one foot in the stinking little river.
Breathing hard, her nails and eyes glowing a deep yellow, Neferet reached into her shirt and pulled out a small necklace.
It was a circular raft with a gold rim and a red jewel in the center.
The engraving on the necklace appeared to be of an eye, while below the eye was an inscription written in hieroglyphs.
With his voice full of authority and without lowering his tone, he said.
"Your Lawrence, you believe that because you come from a Renowned family, you have the right to lead. Then you have to follow me."
While the bandages disappeared, Neferet held her raft while saying, "I am Neferet Zakira, only daughter of one of the guardian families of the seven primordial tombs, and I am the future priestess of the solar tear."
Armin looked down slowly as if bowing. As Brian stared at her, Neferet quickly returned her gaze, saying, "And you, I thought you were acting carefully and holding back with the other applicants. What gives you the right to attack? Did the insults he gave you hurt you enough to kill him? I thought you were better than this."
Brian opened his mouth for a few seconds, and without saying anything, he looked down.
Both young men were silent when without saying anything, Brian held out a hand to Armin.
The one who raised stretched the hand with which he was holding the shield, squeezing it firmly, rose.
They both looked at each other for a few seconds in silence when Armin said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said those insults about your fa…."
Armin is silent. He shook his head. Brian knelt for a moment to pick up his spear, saying, "No need to apologize. I also overreacted."
The boys looked at each other in silence. When the bandages were completely gone, Neferet gently let her eyes pay.
When Neferet completely extinguished her flame in the eyes of the boys, there was a flash of hostility, and then they calmed down again as if his feelings had been pulled and then released.
The sun was going down completely. When the hunter with the rifle took a quick stride away from the group and launched himself behind a tree as Neferet screamed.
The three boys who were on the other side of the road saw him jump and silently took a defensive stance.
Neferet letting go of her raft, said, "Armin, that boy attacked Brian and confessed that he was after the knights. While he didn't attack the other girls and me, we saw him take another applicant's life without hesitation."
Armin stared at Neferet as he took his foot out of the river. He gasped for a few seconds when he heard Bryan's voice was yelling, "You son of a bitch!"
Two crashes destroyed the silence. A blue arrow shot through the air, making a loud whistling sound towards a tree.
While a small orange sphere was going in the direction of Neferet, Brian, and Armin.
Before they could react, Brian kicked Neferet in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.
While he jumped on top of Armin, pushing his hips to the ground. A green flash cut through the air intercepting the orange sphere.
When the flash hit the sphere, there was an explosion, and then hundreds of small dull orange pellets whizzed through the air, hitting trees and the ground.
There was a new silence that was broken by the voice of the hunter with the rifle shouting, "The three are together, they come, they are shooting to kill."
Neferet was lying on the ground, trying to catch her breath. She when she could see the silhouette of Brian getting up.
While Armin writhed on the floor, trying to get up. The sun had completely hidden. The only thing that illuminated the group of applicants were the small traces of the attacks, a blue flame burning a tree, small orange flames burning the earth, and some leaves.
Occasional red and burgundy llamas scattered along the path.
With Brian up in the shadows, unable to see where the shots came from, the second night of the survival test began.