There was a girl with chains around her neck and wrists. She had her arms stretched out in both paths to the end of the maze. It was obvious she was the one controlling the fire, but not willingly. The chains had small spikes on them and if the fire dwindled, they would dig into her skin causing a flow of blood, the ones around was her neck she was concerned about the most.
"And I thought I was cruel." The brown haired boy said taking a look at the chained girl.
"Please take it off, I can't keep going." She pleaded with teary eyes but instead the spikes pricked her even more.
Looking at the crystal, it was kept on a soil made pillar with vines and small rocks sticking out. Some participants were climbing it both successfully and not, using the stones and vines as steps. Others would pop out of portals that were around the pillar. They would fall back to the ground, appear in another portal or knock off the successful climbers.
Kiyan first moved to the girl with the chain. He held the chain from both sides and pulled on it hard till they broke into two. He threw them off to the side and she fell to the ground.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much." She appreciated falling at his feet. Everyone who stood there found the act disgusting and could not imagine what child their age would have done that.
Parts of the maze wall had burnt down, more people trooped in now as the fire was no more.
"Hey! who said you could stop?!" A red haired boy said walking towards the girl with fury in his eyes. As he neared, he was struck by a lightning bolt, burning his skin and causing a great deal of pain, next he was hit by a fireball which sent him far off into the maze. His body then got sucked into the earth as he landed.
"Now, we have a crystal to get." Kiyan said looking at the pillar in front of them. Many had already began making the climb, others decided it best to clear off everyone since it would make the task easier.
Creating a pillar of his own, the brown haired boy was going straight for the crystal, but ended up entering one of the already placed portals only to come out in two parallel placed portals. As he fell in one, he came out of the other then fell back in the first. He kept falling and he yelled out in frustration.
Lecter got back on his feet only to get hit by a stray ice blast to the chest, freezing him slowly. "No, no, no, no, no no, no, NO!" He yelled out. Half his body was already frozen and he was beginning to get sucked underground as well.
The person who had sent the ice, eventually got hit by a small rock to the head, drawing blood and passing out immediately.
The centre of the maze became a battlefield and one wouldn't even know where to begin. Little had eventually moved closer to the twins, could it be she felt safe? Whatever it was, she didn't want to get involved in the battle at all. She had been looking at the crystal for a while, trying to study the portals and where which one led to, but the use of different abilities around her, the flow of magic began to disrupt her ability, she couldn't see anything.
Kiyan and Jarett had been looking for a way as well but was finding none. The number of participants had drastically reduced, there were no more than fifteen of them left. Raten carefully looked around and sighed. "We have to climb." He said and ran forward avoiding every stray and purposely sent attack. Jarett, Kiyan and Little followed.
They began climbing up the earth made pillar. Though it hurt their fingers, they climbed still. The brown haired boy who kept falling from portal to portal, began to feel sick. There were a few others who suffered same fate as him. They just got in the wrong portal.
The climb was slow, painful and tiresome. When one participant would come close to another, there would always be a struggle until one pushes the other off. Sometimes they both end up falling. Jarett and Kiyan were close to the top already and that was were the real battle was. It looked like a very small podium was set up and there stood seven boys and girls fighting for a chance to grab the crystal.
While climbing, one of them had hit little and she fell off. While falling, she hit Raten. They both fell to the ground. Good thing it wasn't so high or they would be badly hurt. Their bodies still stung with pain, Raten more than Little for he broke her fall.
"Darn it!" Raten kissed his teeth. He looked around and sighed. "Guess I need to see if this will work." He said remembering the pattern he noticed when he was watching those who fell into portals.
"Jarett! Kiyan! Can you hear me?!"
"Loud and clear!" They replied.
"Stop anyone from touching that crystal. Got it?!"
"Got it!" They gave a thumbs up.
"Here goes nothing." He let out a puff of air and grabbed Little who was thinking of making the climb again. There was one portal he noticed took some people straight up to the podium, and that was the one he was going for. Lifting Little, who was too stunned to react, in his arms, he ran to the left and jumped into a hidden portal.
Up in the podium, Kiyan and Jarett were faced with seven participants who had heard Raten's words as well. He sounded so confident that the two of them could take on everyone there. If truly they were, then it would be better to get rid of them first.
Both of them didn't even look tired, and were unhurt, especially Kiyan. It was as if he had only just arrived. His messed up hair was the only thing that proved he had at least done something. The two of them were been cautious at the moment, the glares they got was alarming.
Jarett moved his foot and immediately got a fireball sent at him. Kiyan had to avoid an earthen thorn that grew beneath his feet. He then jumped forward and sent out flames in all directions. Jarett turned into his wolf and ran in the direction of some of them, with a swipe of his paw, he aimed to slap them off the podium, instead he received a fireball to the back, throwing him off balance. letting out a growl and taking a stance, Jarett pounced on the lad next to him and kicked another off the podium.
His claws dug into the flesh of the one he pounced upon, drawing blood. The boy screamed in pain and Jarett got off him ready to pounce on another. Kiyan avoided what was almost the size of a pillar made of ice thrown horizontally at him by sliding underneath it and then sending a fireball at the one who sent it. His attack was evaded and hit Jarett instead. "Sorry!" He yelled and jumped back avoiding the growing ice from the floor.
Jarett had moved back and ended up next to Kiyan. They were now both surrounded and the crystal was behind them. The remaining six and five more that successfully climbed up then went on the attack resorting to their fists.
"AARGHH!" They let out some sort of battle cry and went on the attack. One of them took a swing at Kiyan who ducked and punched him in the gut. He pulled his clothes and flung him on another who ran forward, successfully pushing her back.
Another sprinted and threw a punch which Jarett caught and delivered a blow of his, a kick was sent at Kiyan which he avoided and hit the leg away with his palm, he pulled the girl's hair and kneed her in the stomach. Everyone would be stopped from touching the crystal!
"Huh?" Noticing a small spark a little above himself, a portal opened and Raten popped out with Little in his arms.
Kiyan sewing this moved his hand in a circle, spreading flames around himself, Jarett and the crystal.
Knowing he wouldn't be able to reach the crystal from how he fell, Raten pushed Little forward and yelled "Grab it!"
She pushed herself off his grip and stretched her arms forward. As she made to grab hold of the crystal, Raten was falling to the floor. With a thud, he hit the ground, and although she almost missed the crystal, Little grabbed it and fell off to the side.
"We did it!" Kiyan exclaimed happily. The podium began lowering itself, those trapped in portals fell to the ground, Raten and Little got up from the floor with Little holding onto the crystal tightly.
The smile on Kiyan's face vanished as he saw the faces of everyone around. They were still after the crystal and they would snatch it from the hands of whoever held it. Raten then hurriedly stood in front of Little.
"This is... troublesome." Kiyan said as he and his compatriots were surrounded.
________
Hello readers, we are drawing closer to the days of the academy where secrets will unfold and the life of the twins will take a massive turn.
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