Evora, daughter of Antimony

There was a shift in the plants as dawn broke. They bristled beneath her, branches bending outwards as the alcove she had magicked wore down from its charm. It had been well-concealed, and Evora felt very content with Elsinor's own magic, as they certainly did a well job at casting the shadows to obscure their settlement. It laid at the thick of the forest, the mountain several dozen treetops away, from what Evora could see. They were very high up, as it was that their actual settlement was formed in the foliage of the trees. It had taken much time—until the nightfall previous—for Elsinor to clamber to the thinnest branches, but Evora had provided vines to step on, so it was far less treacherous than it would have been back in Lirima. Noting that, Evora thought, there should be far more trees like the ones around her back in Lirima: they were tall and beautiful and bountiful in produce. Just as suddenly as she had the revelation, though, came a shake that tore the fruit from its branches.

"A fight," said Elsinor, their body seeming to appear from the shadows below as they spoke.

Evora watched across the canopy, watching as the birds were rustled from their perches. "I do believe so, yes. It would be at the mountain, would it not?"

"Most probably. Supplies, blood, that sort. Only those foolish enough to risk their lives would go up, even for supplies. Most likely a sort of trap, draw us back together before the mountain explodes or some sort of other deadly accident."

While neither of them had been very knowledgeable at volcanics, they could both tell it would not be some dormant mountain. Take it as it was, they still, however, could not be certain of any of their musings. Evora took her yew branch and held it lightly in her palm. "We don't know, though, do we? Of course, supplies would be most helpful, so if you do not want to follow, I do suppose I should just investigate. Investigations are just happy discoveries waiting to be found, after all."

"Well if you are adamant on going, I should be, instead. After all, your powers would scarcely be of use up there. You'd be dead within a moment of someone laying eyes on you," said Elsinor, their shoulders rolling back as they squinted in the direction of the mountain.

"Oh please," huffed Evora, still sitting still and her eyes unmoving from the rustling trees in front of her. "I politely say you would be hardly any better. You may cast shadows well, but you could hardly get to the mountain at this point without my help, and though I am adverse to the notion of fighting, your skills do not render you a fighter unless the other is disable from their own magic. I will accompany you. Also, have you seen these fascinating petals? I've never seen such a flower before." And just like that, Elsinor's argument had become nothing but bits of flower like the one she held in her hand.

"I don't agree."

Evora scarcely listened, suddenly fully enamored in the flower that had sprouted on the willowy branch beside her. Elsinor seethed, but they were stuck with little else to go, as it was true: Evora had gotten them up. They cast a shadow, sending shivers to Evora and the flower suddenly suffocating in her hand, withering and wilting unlike their own ever-potent flower.

"Let's go." Evora nodded, peace in her eyes, because although she knew Elsinor was quite annoyed, she also knew they did need her help. She felt well and content.

It was a strange occurrence, walking on a mat of carefully magicked vines and leaves, across the very tops of the trees. It took a lot of magic too: by halfway towards the base of the mountain, Evora felt herself grow weary and tired, but Elsinor pushed her on, shadows around them as they manoeuvered through gradually thinner trees, until Evora was so tired that vines could scarcely be twisted in inches, much less the several feet that that were now required to traverse.

Elsinor, quiet as always, took the lead then, their movements now far more swift than the time earlier, and when safely on the ground with Evora moving ever slower, they put a hand up to stop her. "Now that I have accepted your help, you need to rest. I'll go up by myself, and I'll scope things out in the shadows, pun completely intended. No protest now, I'll try and keep the shadows on you, but even the most powerful person like I won't know how far my powers will travel. I'll try to send a shadow, or be back myself in a jiffy. Don't miss me too much."

And with that, they were gone, without a single word and without listening to the protest of Evora. She was left stranded, left shivering in the foliage as she felt herself slowly regain her power. Fallen leaves twisted and turned in idle wait. It seemed like far too long a time when the first rumble came, deafening from the mountain, and an even longer time for her to realize Elsinor may not have made it out quickly enough. Evora had to make a decision as the minutes passed by: whether to stay in wait for Elsinor, or to find safety as clouds of ash began spewing in torrents past the treeline.

Minutes passed, perhaps even hours, and though the mountain never showed its destructive force past its rocky edge, Evora felt utterly useless, a pawn to Elsinor who now may well be dead. A rustle came, branches and twigs snapping under a heavy foot and Evora hoped the shadows would help protect her, but she prepared a handful of ground and earth in case the intruder was not friendly and had spotted her. It was not to worry though, because through the thicket came a sputtering, coughing, Elsinor, face blackened from char and ash.

"Elsinor! Are you alright? Oh, of course you aren't alright, oh goodness, here, let me help you with that thing, let me get you settled. Oh, what happened up there? I'm so sorry I didn't argue and go with you. Did you see anyone? Is the fire and ash coming down here? Well, I mean, it can't've come down here yet, the timing surely means it would've been down here by now, engulfing us in this stuff you're covered in. Okay, here, let's get you cleaned up. Oh I feel so horrible!" Without a breath she rambled on, brushing off some of the ash that coated their clothing and face, grabbing the backpack not there before, and the bag slung over their shoulder. She sat Elsinor down, mumbling incoherent spells, trying to vie for water from lichen or moss but it was of little use. "We're going to need to find a stream. I put you in so much danger, wanting to go! I'm so sorry, here, here's a flower, here's several, tomorrow will be a better day, no more one person does it all, I swear! Tomorrow I won't be leaving your side!"

Elsinor let out a half-hearted groan, giving a small smile to Evora as she fretted about, wringing her hands through her hair as she questioned what to do. Yes, people had died, they would tell her (the one with the silver eyes, to be precise), and yes, they were right in saying it was a trap, and no, the fire stopped at the base and they had used the shadows to cool the fire enough to walk quickly on. Evora bit her lip as she tried to keep her head calm and collected. Flowers bloomed around her from stress, her focus out of whack. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow would be a better day, if only they could get there in safety first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Althia, daughter of Galena

At dawn, I woke suddenly, lying in the bed of plants I'd created for myself. Something was off, but the island was deathly silent, the air still. Not even the creatures I knew were out there stirred - it was too early for anything but whatever had woken me.

I sat up, my heart pounding, and brushed my hair back, wishing I had something other than my clothes and my necklace to tie it up. The Gamemakers had really left us with the barest essentials.

Another feeling rushed through me, like every cell in my body was buzzing, and I almost jolted back to the ground. It felt like I'd just used up all my magic, and gotten a reserve from the older mages - like pure magic was being pushed through me.

Of course, it was. It was the Trials - why hadn't I thought of that first? Magic was being sent out, and I was determined to find out why.

The jungle was silent, still green as I walked, but I knew that somewhere, seventeen other tributes were gone. Six had died in the night - from what I could tell by the bodies on the beach - and I didn't want to be the next one.

The jungle was still dark, but I could see shafts of light leaking through the gaps in leaves, lighting a path through the forest. It didn't seem to be something a human had traveled, but there was a clear distinction between the wild vines and the flattened grasses that I was trodding even further flat.

I had no clue where I was heading, but the magic that floated around me wasn't steering me wrong - as far as I could tell. The island seemed safe enough in the soft light of day, and I was feeling secure - until I heard something behind me.

I froze, and before I knew what was happening, I was off the path, crouching behind a ferny plant and watching as another tribute trudged along the path. I swallowed hard when I noticed the branch they held threateningly, and was glad for the twists and turns of the path that hid me from them.

Once they were out of sight, and the jungle was silent again, I stood and stepped warily on the path again, waiting for another thing that endangered me. For a moment, I'd forgotten I was in the Trials, and that every wrong step could end my life - even with my necklace thumping against my chest with every step.

Still, at least I knew I was on the right track. If someone else was headed. . . wherever I was going, I wouldn't be alone.

But then, I wouldn't be alone.

The thought made me shiver, and I kept walking to keep myself from worrying.

Soon enough, the path gave way to a clearing, and I stared up at the rocky brown volcano that rose above the treetops, barely letting myself believe that I'd forgotten. Where else would the Gamemakers send us?

I knew that whatever was at the top, I didn't want to miss, and I started clambering up, my hands nearly slipping on sharp, rough rocks that studded the surface, reaching a ledge that was about halfway up in a few minutes. I could already see others at the top, but it didn't seem like anyone was doing anything.

I clambered up the steeper rocks, my right hand slicing itself open on a sharp edge as I neared the summit, where at least fifteen others stood, staring at a bubbling crater - the volcano.

"Stop!" someone cried, as I approached the volcano, and I froze, teetering on the edge of another step.

"What?" I breathed, scared of the answer.

"There's a barrier," a girl next to me muttered. "Can't you feel it? There's strong magic around that volcano."

"Someone's gotta break it." I wasn't about to, though, and I stepped back.

"Idiots," someone murmured, and I nearly shrieked as a body flew past the circle of magic around the crater. I could feel the rush of power as they fell, screaming, into the lava, and the tributes broke loose.

Everyone started climbing down into the volcano, where I could see, now, things lay on the ledges that hovered above the bubbling magma, and, with a sigh, I started into the lava.

It took me five minutes to clamber to the highest thing I saw, even though it wasn't even that far down.

There seemed to be more supplies further down, but I was fine with stopping at a short ledge, and grabbing the satchel that seemed full to me, clambering back up easily until I hit the rim of the crater, which lay over.

As I reached up with my right hand and grabbed a rockhold, I felt a sharp sting in where my palm was already sliced open. Wincing, I repositioned my feet, but there was still a moment, where I hung, suspended by only one hand, above the heat of the magma.

With a grunt, I swung my arm over the ledge and pulled myself up, barely having any time to breathe before someone shrieked again.

"It's going to explode!"

And I wasn't going to be there when it did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sierra, daughter of Maldiva

I awoke in a series of pulses the world sends out to me, or preferably game makers.

I fell asleep at just early eventide yesterday, In a tree deep into the magical woods of this bloody island. In Lirima, I would spend afternoons perching atop of a tree, whistling about. Peace evident.

But right now the days couldn't even be more morbid. My head stinging with pain, Mind failing to function properly. It was a good thing I slept early last night, other magi waking up from this pulse would be really drowsy right now, as they have been watching for intruders, but I am a Lirimani. Concealed atop of the tree, capable of hiding for days.

Now's not the time for hiding. Now's the time to finally do work, do something beneficial and positive for the first time in this games. Pessimistic Sierra has been out for too long. Optimistic Sierra should be out by now.

I slid down the tree, grabbing a few mint leaves on the way down. My mouth waters instantly, so I chew on them as a fast as my mouth watered.

Explosions of flavor burst out of my tongue. Instead of tasting cold, minty flavoring, I taste a less cold minty taste, as the magical field somehow affected the tang of the leaves, and it utterly reminds me of the rosemary seasoning Mom prepares at home.

I sense the pulse again a little stronger this time. Altitude affects magical pulses, as the magic reservoir is just below my feet. I cringe a little bit at the intensity but quickly recover.

The pulse hits again, and I sense it from the north. I debate my safety, knowing that this could be a big risk if the rest of the surviving magi were rounded up in one place, but seriously, we are all starving and cold out here, couldn't a little protection be good? I may not know yet what is up for grabs, but it's worth a try. Besides, I'd just scavage for dropped items, but when I do get desperate, I'd take big risks. I'd rather die a fast death than rather die due to dysentery.

Without even thinking, I rocket my feet North, hoping that I'd be the first one to reach the alleged 'feast' the game makers send out.

~~~

The closer I reach the place, the stronger the pulses. The pulses were four times as intense than they were before, and they were starting to get a little uncomfortable.

However, the pulses suddenly were put to a stop when I was nearing a volcano. That's it. They must have littered supplies at the perimeter of the volcano. I run faster, expecting to have supplies messily placed around the terrain, but there was not even a single cracker laying on the ground when I got there.

I wonder, Is it at the crater?

A group of magi suddenly shot out of the mop of green fifty yards to my left, and they were heading up the slope of the volcano.

The volcano being about four hundred fifty yards tall and has about a 35-degree increment would take a lot of time to climb, but should be worth it if the supplies are up top. I run to the right, sketching out a plan to run perpendicular to them so we have a lower chance of meeting.

I near the slope, taking larger steps as my feet suddenly had a change of pace due to the diagonal incline of the volcano. I run faster and harder, hoping to overtake the other group and be the first one to get the supplies.

Fatigue intended to attack at the worst time three-fourths on the way there, as I began to slow down, needing a five second rest to catch my breath again. I count, One, two, three, four, five.

I run again, hoping I have no time to lose. As I ran, I look back. Most of my fellow magi were just about to get in the terrain of the volcano, other athletic magi were about a fourth way up now. I look back, focusing on y main objective. The crater is at clear view now, I'm about to reach it in fifteen seconds.

I ran faster than I have never run before until I slide my feet before I fully fall down the volcano.

Only one thing was missing: The supplies.

Dang it! It's a waste of time! All I have was a fifteen-foot wide crater and nothing else! I was about to turn back until I saw the group of magi run up on the other side of the volcano. All of them were catching their breath, but one mage suddenly looked down the crater.

"Guys! Supplies are down there!" She screamed. There was a chorus of panic within the group and I myself also looked down the crater. "There are pathways! Let's go! Let's just kill later." And then they barreled down.

I also run down, took the pathway perpendicular to which pathway they took, and also hunted for supplies.

The supplies were packed neatly in the chests. The pathways curled into a maze-like design, which lead to other chests as well. I happen to open all of the chests I pass by, getting baskets of bread and fish in return. I venture deeper into the maze-like volcano, hoping to find combat weapons. I encounter a split path, one that goes up and the other goes down. I run to the lower part, hoping no trap will be there to kill her.

the first chess I see was now a darker brown, could this possibly a weapon? Nobody can tell. I valiantly open it.

The weapon was utterly beautiful. The chest displayed a golden bow, and a shiny silver arrows crafted perfectly. But as soon as I picked my bow up, the ground starts to rumble. That can't be good. I run as fast as I can, mirroring the ways I've come to, using the open chests as marks on my way up.

I suddenly tripped, as I've come out of the tunnels I ran into, I'm in the bridges across the volcano again (with no elevated sides to protect me at all), And I almost came barreling down into the lava. Anahid, who was just running across the bridge bumps me, and I almost lost my balance again, missing death by just the skin of the teeth. I clutch my bow securely in my hand, placing an arrow at the bow string. Hot magma rising below. I don't care. I've been an underdog in this games so far. I had to strafe just so I can't be killed by Uryel-death bringer. Anahid almost killed me. I can't let this happen. I aim my bow at her, not even thinking as I let go of the string.

Perfect shot at the back. Sorry not sorry, It's the games.

I run up the volcano just before it erupts fully, thanking myself for all the effort just this dawn.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Branwen, daughter of Yrlissa

Normally, a person could find something positive say about volcanoes. Maybe words like captivating, brilliant, bright, or exciting could be used as descriptions. I, however, could under no circumstances find a reason that someone would be happy to see a volcano.

They are hot, the air is dry. Volcanoes tend to form like a mountain, straight up, which makes the climb, especially since the surface is hard and easily scratches things. And to top it all off, no plants grow on volcanoes. I had no desire to go up there. I was perfectly content to stay warm in the embrace of a willow tree. There I could dream of my family, without the tears that came with thinking of them.

But a signal drew me to it, seducing me with the promise of power and supplies and magical artifacts. I needed all of those things, which is why I had decided to get there quickly, before the other magi.

Unfortunately, my plan did not succeed as the minute I arrived, so did at least five others. To my relief, they didn't start attacking, instead, picking their way up the treacherous slope.

About half way up, a voice from behind me caught my attention. "Lady Branwen!"

I turned to see Atlanta a little ways down, waving at me. "Will you wait for me?"

I nodded back at her. "Sure, but only if you stop calling me 'Lady'."

Atlanta let out a high laugh and continued her trek. When she caught up with me, she was breathless. Her stomach let out a low growl. "I think that is a message, I need food."

I smiled at her humor but I didn't feel the same. Forgetting to eat was sort of something that I was used to, but I didn't know how long I could last energy wise. "Yeah, we should try to find some food."

Two minutes before we reached the top, the first tribute entered the mouth of the volcano. We were next. The minute I stepped foot inside, I had a bad feeling. I paused taking in the scene. The supplies started small, backpacks and such, and ended with weapons and magical items.

This had to be too easy; there was no reason to kill each other right now, as we didn't need blood to wash our hands. There was enough supplies to go around at least five times over. It just didn't seem right.

"La—Branwen? Are you alright?" Atlanta tugged at my arm in an effort to catch my attention.

"Yeah," I took a deep breath, and felt the vibrations of the earth. The frequency was changing, something was about to happen. "Come on, we need to be quick."

Elegance and grace are not among my talents, so the second I moved again, I fell flat on my face. And then I slid down, scraping my face and my arms as I went. I could hear Atlanta stumbling down behind me, calling my name as though that would stop my decent.

When the tumbling stopped, I looked up at Atlanta. "Are you okay?" Her expression and voice were full of worry.

I slowly sat up, groaning with the effort. Blood ran freely down my arms and face, blurring my vision. "I'm alive." That part was true, but okay? No, I was not okay. I just slid down a rocky volcano! Every part of me hurt. The vibrations were becoming more frequent. "We've got to hurry. Something bad is about to happen."

Because of my clumsiness, we had made it to the bottom of the volcano in a short amount of time. The air was dry and hot here, to the point where it was almost unbearable. Weapons of all variety lay haphazardly around the molten material. I grabbed a dagger, stuffing it into the pocket of my cloak. I stood up, perhaps a bit too quickly. As my vision ceased swimming, I took a look at the pools of lava. Boats of various shapes and sizes could be seen, filled with something worth getting.

I grabbed a spear as Atlanta went about collecting other supplies. Hooking it on the nearest boat, I pulled it in. Inside was a branch, but not just any ordinary branch. I would have taken the time to inspect it had the volcano not started shaking with the force of an earthquake.

"We need to go, Lady Branwen!" Atlanta turned and started running towards the rim of the volcano, just like every other mage who had made their way into it.

The trek up there was just as painful as the journey down, as every part of my body ached from the fall down. Magi screamed as they lost their footing and tumbled down the mountain. Screams for help could be heard every way I turned. I wanted to help them, but I had a premonition that the shaking was evidence of an eruption. Despite my guilt at leaving them behind, I didn't want to burned alive. I wanted to see my family again.

I paused only momentarily to grab a bag from near the top of the volcano. We finally had finally reached the top when I looked behind me, seeing one mage struggling up the side. "Come on! You have to hurry!"

He/she, whoever they were started moving faster.

"Come down from the edge!" Atlanta called. "We have to get out of the way!"

"I will be right there!" I couldn't leave them behind. "You're almost up!" I encouraged. I couldn't use my powers to help them. "Come on!" I moved back a few yards, confident they were going to be okay.

But then the volcano erupted, throwing me from its ledge and into the cold embrace of darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucia of Argi

If last morning was interesting, then today was going to be flat out insane.

We were woken up at the crack of dawn, had a breakfast of oatmeal and milk shoved down our throats, and were told to follow our senses, which just so happened to lead us towards an active volcano. Just my luck.

Upon survey of the volcano, I could see that items were scattered all about, starting with simple things like the Hairbrush of Forma- a type of hairbrush which made your hair sleek and shiny- and off in the distance was the unmistakeable lilac gleam of The Bow of Aevitas- a bow with endless arrows- and who knows what else would lie in the center.

Almost as immediately as I recognised the famous bow, magi were off and running trying to grab every magical item that they could. No one was killing each other, because they all knew that there was more than enough waiting for them in the center.

With everyone else I ran, but instead of grabbing everything, I kept my eye out for vials of blood that I knew would be there. Hopefully dragon, unicorn, and chimaera would all be there. At the least, any vial of blood will do.

Finally, I reach the mouth of the volcano and peer over the edge into the lava. Upon a stone boat floating in a pool of lava, I see a pile of tiny glass bottles, filled with a variety of different blood.

Carefully watching my feet and hands, I slowly climb down the edge of the volcano. The heat swelters around, almost as if I were in an oven, but still I climb down. Finally I reach the lip of the boat and hesitantly put one of my feet in; the boat wobbles under my weight, but holds still. Still clutching the wall, I place my other foot inside, and use one arm to grab a handful of vials.

The multi-colored bloods shine in the light of the magma: dragon, giant, dwarf, empousa and gorgon.

I try to pull the boat closer to the wall so I could climb up, but the rock I was holding broke and I began floating away.

The lava began to rise, accompanied with a slight shaking. Between the rocking of the boat and the rising lava, I was beginning to panic. Did I really need to come down here just for a couple vials of blood?

Yes, Lucia, you did. It is that important.

I look around helplessly for any solution to get myself out of this stupid situation I just got myself into.

"Grab my hand!" A tanned hand reached out over the edge of the ledge, followed by a handsome face. Probably upon seeing my expression and hesitation, he frowned.

"Just grab the damn hand! Unless of course, you want to die, then feel free to ignore the handsome man trying to save you life." He reached his hand down further.

I looked back down at the stone boat, steadily sinking beneath my weight, looked back up, and grabbed the outstretched hand. I was pretty sure the 'don't go with strangers rule' didn't apply to a life-or-death situation. He tried to pull me up with just one arm, but needed my second hand.

I tried to sign, no can do, buddy. I've got a few precious vials of blood here. But, seeing as I only had one hand, and that hand was holding the vials of blood, it came out more like, nope man-child, I have twenty three cats in my purse, but it wasn't as if he understood it either way.

He obviously got the jist of what I was trying to say, because he rolled his eyes with excessive sarcasm.

"Just drop the damned vials! You can get more later, or from someone. Just. Drop. The. Damn. Vials," His grip on my wrist was slipping, and I had to choose between her life and some very important irreplaceable vials. Of course, I dropped the vials and swung my other hand up to his outstretched arm, and was pulled up.

His arms wrapped around me, making sure I wouldn't fall down, and my eyes were trained on the shattered pieces of glass and blood where I had just stood. The lava, still steadily rising, almost covered the boat, and I knew that if it weren't for this man, I'd be dead.

Behind the boat where I was, another stranded mage called for help, her hydromancy doing nothing to combat the lava. Something silver fell into the lava, and her attempts to stop the rising fire halted. I couldn't help but stare as she burst into flames, screaming and crying, then fall down dead.

I looked up at him and smiled. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was cut off by a loud rumble that caused us to fall to the ground. His smile morphed into a frown of shock, and he pulled himself off the ground, dragging me up with him. We ran, sometimes dropping down to pick up items left behind, but for the most part we sprinted as fast as we could away from the oncoming explosion.

The grumbling noise grew louder, until it was practically deafening, and we were knocked over by the sound wave. The heat grew stronger, and the air became hard to breathe. Ash fluttered over our heads like solemn little butterflies, coming to tell us we were dead, and my vision slowly faded to the sound of ringing and the feeling of a growing heat.

I woke up coughing the ash out of my lungs and wiping grime out of my eyes. I sat up, and looked around. The world was blanketed in a thin layer of black and the air was painted a hazy grey. I blinked, but the monochrome filter didn't leave my vision. I tried to stand up, but the ground seemed to give way beneath my feet, and I toppled over, right onto the boy who had saved me.

His tanned face was ashen, and his earring no longer shone with a faint light, for it too was covered in ash. He let out a groan when I landed on him, so I quickly rolled off and tried to help him up.

When he saw me, he smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Rubbing his ears, he tried again. When that failed, he mouthed out the words in the most exaggerated way possible.

Are you okay?

I nodded, and signed,

Yes, I'm fine. You?

He obviously didn't understand, again, so I just gave a thumbs-up, and pointed at him.

Yes. By the way, I'm Dhruva al Thea.

I smile.

Lucia of Argi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fabionna of Elita

What you need awaits in the mouth of the mountain of fire...

Yet remember... Danger is always close by...

I shudder myself awake. A message, a message in my dreams... The sun is just rising to a clear blue sky. A beautiful day, yet I know a challenge awaits me today.

Fire...

The bane of my existence... That will burn me alive, turn all I have power over to coal. To smithereens...

Should I go? Is it worth it? No... I have to go, if I back down from this, everyone will see me as a wimp. I have to stay strong... If I wish to survive, I need to go.

Am I really going to do this? Ok... Fabionna, you got this. You're going to see a lot of people there, so you have to stay strong, no panicking. Get in, grab what you can and need, then leave. Fast and easy, and no burning...

I quickly will the forest to elevate me to the edge of the volcano, since the sides of the volcano are all covered in dense vegetation. I'm hoping some of it will grow into the core as well, that might be my only chance.

Standing on the edge of this fiery mountain, I don't see anyone else yet. My phytomancy is really coming in handy, but not for long... Yet I look down into the cavern and oh lord, it's extremely steep. Just as I start carefully picking my way down the treacherous slope, a man from Craorag, with his jet black hair up in a ponytail whizzes up onto the ledge and rushes down. With a deafening crack that echoes through the large chamber, the volcano claimed it's first of many casualties. I can only hope that I will not be one of them.

I continue down the edge of the volcano, almost losing my foothold a few times. Many others have started their careful trek down to the main chamber. Getting a few steps on flat ground, I quickly come to realise that there is a cave system that we have to get through. Turning this way and that, I quickly get lost in the maze of rock and stone. I feel like I'm just going round and round in circles. Slowly, people begin to trickle into the maze, and my head start is completely wasted.

This is impossible! How are we supposed to... Oh! There is a little marking on the edge if each split end. Wait... This is Vasileian sign language in symbols!

Left...

Forward...

Forward...

Right...

As I continue following these symbols, I lose the other competitors. No one seems to have caught on with the symbols yet.

Reaching a stone wall, I gaze at it. It seems like a dead end... I let out an exasperated sigh, all that work for nothing? I look more closely... Yes! There's a button camouflaged in the wall! I quickly push it, not even thinking about what could happen when I did. The stone wall shatters in front of my eyes, into thin air. I look back, all the cavern walls did the same thing, revealing a large stone chamber. I turn back to the front, and behind the stone wall that shattered was a ring of fire surrounding a stone platform. Within the circular stone platform is a pool of pure, burning hot lava. A pulse emits from the volcano...

Ten minutes...

So we have ten minutes... I flurry of footsteps echo through the large emptied chamber, and I'm the first one to carefully make my way across the first ring of lava on the small stones floating on top of the molten rock.

Left foot...

Right foot...

Left foot...

Jump!

I stumble onto the first stone platform. Here, I quickly grab a medicine satchel, and tie it onto my belt. I find a decent sized rucksack and pull it onto my back, hopefully it has some things that I need. Many people are starting to reach the platform, I dodge a sneaky shove from a fellow competitor, and start eying the pool of lava in the middle of our platform. On little stone boats lay the items with magical properties. I swiftly pick up a enchanted dagger, and have my eyes on a case of magical herbs and roots. These are used in many different types of magic, so I hope no one else picks it up. A fellow competitor bends down near the case, I sharply inhale and cross my fingers. Instead the girl picks up a magical bow. That reminds me, range... I quickly grab a bow and a quiver of arrows, non-magical, but it will do. The stone boat with the case of ingredients floats slowly to me. I bend down and quickly grab the case, and throw it into my satchel.

Five minutes...

The lava starts to bubble, and shouts of panic are heard. I run across the ring of lava, the rock steps burning my sandal clad feet. I rush thorough the stone chamber, the shouts of fighting emitting from the lava chamber... I got out of there just in time...

I climb up the treacherous cliff, slipping multiple times, gaining a few bruises on the way. Finally reaching the edge and I rush into the forest. Ten steps in, the volcano erupts, and screams fill the air...

Screams... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alegria of Eerie

I wake up to one loud beat, resonating around the area without losing its clarity. It's like listening to someone's heart. I raise my hand gently to my chest and feel my heart thumping along, excited again after just a few minutes of rest. I need to move; this isn't anything ordinary. We tributes should know what's dangerous from what's safe.

It came from the volcano. Just now I feel its blistering heat cripple along my bare arms, but it's gone instantly. That's enough evidence, and along with how the thing just stands out among the gentle greens and light blues of the crafted nature, I could clearly sense it's somehow associated with stored power.

Quietly I step down from a rather large mahogany tree — generous shelter I've gladly found about myself — and then fall on the dirt when there's just a few metres away. And then I break into a run. I think I'm closest to the volcano, and I bet that with more ferocity in my steps, I could be there before the others. And then I'll witness whatever's in there.

I hope I'm ready.

It's just a splash of surprises these past few days. I've never really liked surprises. Mama, you out of all people should know that.

I stop with a huff. Exhaling out raspy breaths, I wipe the sweat off my face and crane my neck up to the height of the volcano. The top of it is glistening, beautifully, against the cloud of ash and darkness concealing the crater. Metals, gems, amethysts . . . who'd know what's there?

A gust of air nips at the back of my neck and on my arms. Who would know what's there? I shake my head and decide not to think more, thinking how someone might already be treading the jagged path ahead.

If I get there early, hopefully I would miss out another bloodbath.

My steps are still very fast, though, as I start to go up. Slowly, the cold withers away and is replaced with a rather painful warmth. I'm nearing the crater — that's a good thing, right?

And then, just as I see my first glimpse of a broadsword, and after tripping on the lowly-raised stone barrier surrounding the top, that one beat rings out again. This time it came like a punch to the chest, though.

A warning. What's supposed to happen?

I wait for something tragic, but it's then that I realize how I've just let a minute flow by. A minute. Someone might get here by now.

I rush still to the crater, and then gasp when I see artefact after artefact on top of stone boats, just floating along the lava boiling inside it. For a moment I see wisps of green and silver fill my every senses, and my heart thumps again. I need to get something.

At least one weapon. One would do.

I throw a large rock to a small stone island near two boats, wanting to see if it will sink. It didn't. I run around, since it's pretty far from my point then.

Then I jump.

I slip a little, and I miss a beat of my heart. I've never realized how people get their hearts too runny after being surprised, but maybe they just do that to compensate for that one lost thump.

I hope it never happens again. I didn't move until I've completely calmed myself down.

I breathe before I start to reach for the one boat nearest me. Still after bending past the extent of my body, my fingers just touch the rim of the boat. It annoys me but I don't stop. I take a small step forward, careful to just avoid the very edge of it.

It's very hot to the point where I almost couldn't open my eyes. I breathe again. Come on. Just a little more . . .

There. I pull it quickly and rummage the contents the instant it hits the edge of the island.

I emit a sigh after seeing what I've been hoping to retrieve from these things: an amethyst ring with metallic tendrils along the surface. It sparkles, not like a chest of diamonds, but just like a single star from a dark sky.

If I could quickly transfer some of my energy to this ring, I could at least heighten my abilities.

I have to get out of here now.

I jump and grab some form of ledge, then start heaving myself up. I don't stop for anything.

But I've sensed someone from the back. My feet lead me forward but my head turns just as a string of events happen all at once.

I've been alive enough to see a blade come slicing through my cheek.

There's just enough time to see someone leaping to the same point I've jumped into.

My senses are still active enough to feel the erupting power from beneath the earth.

I'm never prepared enough, though.

In the end I'm still surprised. Now everyone knows that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anahid of Jaidev

The Island of the Guardians had marked quite a lot of firsts for me. Using my Necromancy to kill, almost dying from a falling coconut, and awaking to the hum of a wave of blazing light were among them. With the latter in mind, imagine opening your eyes at the stroke of dawn to blistering energy so powerful your eyes lose their moisture. Imagine feeling your skin shimmer and being enveloped in tendrils of darkness wrapping around you like a cloak.

Many, many firsts. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from the Guardians; they love to make an entrance. The tsunami of energy galvanized my mind, and I was brimming with confidence. This was definitely a new experience.

For some reason, I couldn't stop grinning. I was unstoppable. The Guardians warned us to think ponderously over our newest prospect, conquering the volcano, but I didn't need any planning. Patience wasn't one of my virtues. Time was my enemy, and I was going to be the first one to the top of that mountain.

By the time I had traversed halfway up the volcano, I was already feeling as if I was going to pass out. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead, and my legs ached from the increasing incline. A dense jungle grew on the loose soil, winding its way up towards the summit, but it's dense foliage did little to block out the sun. Despite my dark complexion, I could feel a burn on my cheeks.

Actually, now that I thought about it, shouldn't the air be colder, not warmer?

"Oh, my." This was the second time I had spoken in my entire life. One might think I might have something of more meaning to say, considering I've had sixteen years to think and listen, but those are the two words that escape my lips when looking upon the inside of the volcano.

Jaidev didn't have mountains of any sort. Our lands were made up of rolling hills and fertile grasslands dotted with a cluster of trees here and there. Lava was a new one. My eyes couldn't stop gazing at its fiery glow. Below, other competitors were carefully making their way down the rocky slope, casting more spells on themselves and others than I could possibly know.

It's funny how your instincts are typically legitimate, yet we constantly choose not to listen to them. Mine were screaming at me to turn back, but I didn't hike all the way up here for nothing. The Guardians wanted a show and they were going to get one.

Two steps down the trodden path and a blur of green light whizzed past me, hitting a girl in the face. I cringed as her skin sprouted carnivorous plants that began to bite and snarl at her. I was tempted to go help her, but I couldn't become distracted. I needed to keep my eyes on the prize, which, in this case, was a leather backpack about two hundred meters down the slope.

My skin was practically fried by the time I reached the backpack and made it back up. Humidity stuck to my hair and skin like glue, dragging me down as I attempted to climb back down the slope. Slowly, the lava was beginning to slip down the mountainside, bubbling and frothing like a savage beast. This was bad. This was really bad. To my knowledge, I was one of a few competitors still on the volcano and if so, knew one thing about volcanoes is that they explode.

And this one was no exception.

It all happened so quickly. Heated gusts of air smashed into my back and I began to tumble downwards. I squealed, ferns and plants violently slapping at my face as I continued to descend. Finally, before I could even register what had just happened, my vision turned black. My head was throbbing, but I couldn't figure out why. I raised a hand to my forehead. My stomach wrenched as my fingers prodded at a massive bump.

To say the least, today was not a successful one.

Life is full of firsts. And, sometimes, firsts should also be lasts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enzo of Siyamak

When Enzo was seven, he fell out of a tree and broke his arm. Arden laughed, of course, until he realized Enzo was in severe pain. Arden ran for their parents while Enzo laid on the ground with his vision spotty and eyes blurred by tears. He couldn't scream, screaming would break his oath, and so he bit his cheek hard enough to draw blood. It was the most severe pain Enzo had ever felt. Until now.

Oddly enough Enzo's first thought after the initial terror and pain of the fall wore off was one of relief. Thank the heavens he was already close to the bottom of the volcano when the rock under his feet gave way. Thank the heavens he hadn't landed in to boiling lava. Thank the heavens he was, somehow, still alive on this his second day on the island.

He was hesitant to move for fear that he'd rebroken a limb. He may have. There certainly was enough blood in his mouth. But the more he laid there, the more he realized the pain was not in his body at all. Sure he was stunned, but the horrible pain he felt was concentrated only in his mouth. More than that, he felt as though he were drowning every time he breathed. He forced himself to sit up and gagged, more blood than he expected splattered the dirt.

This wasn't good. The blood continued to pour every time he opened his mouth, and the pain there didn't subside. This wasn't good at all. Hesitantly, Enzo reached a shaking finger into his mouth. He winced and gagged again when he felt the impossibly deep gash in his tongue. He'd practically bitten it off.

He wasn't sure whether or not it was possible to bleed out from a mouth wound, but he didn't want to find out. Regardless, he knew the wound wouldn't close on its own, and he would have to do something about it quickly. He ripped a strip of fabric from the bottom of his robe and stuffed it into his mouth, using it to hold pressure on the wound.

He had to find a way back out of the volcano. He clutched small draw-string sack in his hands, he had no clue what was in it, but it was all he'd managed to grab before falling the rest of the way into the volcano. He wasn't sure how much time he had left, but he knew for a fact that the volcano would be erupting at any minute.

He paced the rocky outcropping in a panic, running through all the different options in his mind while projecting a psychic field around himself that made him invisible to the other tributes. Well, not invisible per se, just ignored. They looked past him without their minds processing that they saw a person. He would prefer not being attacked when he was already at risk of dying from multiple threats.

Enzo stopped pacing and sat back down when a wave of nausea hit him. He pulled the fabric from his mouth. The pale gray fabric was dyed a deep scarlet and dripping. He tossed it aside.

A sharp pain split across his skull. Enzo was growing weaker by the second. He had to keep his psychic barrier up, or he would die. He had to find a way out of the volcano, or he would die. He had to seal his wound or he would die.

Just then, there was a horrified scream and a sickening crunch as someone fell from above and hit the rocks to his right. Her last panicked thoughts shot through his mind in the seconds This girl, Elysia, a Craorag, hadn't had as lucky a fall as he did. He flinched and looked away as another wave of sickness hit him, this time at the sight of the girl's mangled body rather than pain.

In the light of the lava, something metallic flashed in Elysia's hand. A dagger. Enzo suddenly had an idea. It was an awful idea that made his stomach roll, but it was an idea nonetheless. Without giving himself a time to reconsider, Enzo grabbed the dagger and moved as close to the lava has he dared. He held the blade of the dagger directly above it until the metal heated to a molten shade of orange.

His entire body shook. Was he really going to do this? Unfortunately, he could think of no other way. He had to stop the bleeding. He had to cauterize the wound. Enzo took a deep, shaking, bloody breath before opening his mouth wide and pressing the flat side of the knife down on his tongue. The sizzling sound and smell of burning flesh were almost enough to make him faint, along with the pain of the burning, he very nearly dropped right there.

He had moments to collect himself, before the volcano started shaking more violently than ever.

Not yet. Please, not yet!

Enzo looked around, there were only a few scattered competitors left in the volcano, and they were quickly hurrying out. Enzo hurried into one of the rock boats that floated atop the lava. They must have been infused with some sort of geomancy, because the boat was cool to the touch. He had no idea if this would work, but he'd had the oddest sort of luck today, so maybe it would.

He laid down in the boat and closed his eyes, clutching his satchel tightly as tears streamed down his face and his breaths came in shallow, terrified gasps like that of some small animal. The volcano erupted, and the lave pushed to boat upward with a terrible amount of force. He didn't open his eyes until he saw the glow of sunlight through his lids.

The boat stayed atop the lava all the way down the side of the volcano into the once grassy area below, where it slid slowly to a halt. Enzo remained in the boat for a while longer, waiting for his heart to stop pounding so sharply.

He tried no to think about the fact that he would never taste anything again. That even if he hadn't taken his vow of silence, speech would never be an option. He was alive, that was what mattered. Despite everything, he would live another day. But that was his only guarantee.