Sora Brontarion
I frantically ran around the isle for my brother, looking for the slightest indication of his presence. I couldn't sense his cosmic energy signature; he always concealed it, especially when sleeping.
I was running out of time and ideas. I turned back toward the team.
I couldn't believe my lightning reading had been wrong.
When I made it back to the team, my head hung low; I could tell they were just as annoyed. Our failure was because of one member. It didn't seem fair, but I guess that was the lesson we were to learn here. Unfair things happen in the world, and this wouldn't be the last time either.
I prepared to head back to the teleportation terminal.
"Does the sky look weird to anyone else?" Voen asked, using his hand like a visor.
"Now that you mention it, it does look strange." Mira chimed in.
I had to agree with them. The clouds moved in unnatural ways, as if they were forced against their will by an outside force.
Then a cloud dropped, fast like a boulder being thrown off a cliff.
"I don't think they're supposed to do that," Voen said, stepping away from the shadow the cloud cast.
"You're fine, Voen, it's harmless."
"How are you so sure?"
'Because it's Jace."
As if gracing us with his presence, Jace appeared in the middle of the group, standing upright atop a fluffy bed of clouds.
"Why do you guys look like that?" Jace asked.
"We were going to be disqualified because of you," Cyrus said, pointing a finger at Jace.
"Vo, Sora, you guys didn't get my message? I told you I wasn't going to use the teleportation terminal?"
I looked at Voen, his face saying the same thing I was thinking. "Jace, we didn't receive a message from you."
"You sure? I could've sworn I did."
"So, what were you doing up there anyway?" Voen asked.
"Just some investigation."
"Care to explain further?" Cyrus asked.
"Not to you."
I sent a small jolt of lightning towards both Jace and Cyrus. I wasn't going to deal with their bickering today.
With our team now assembled, we all made our way to the course. We soon found out there were multiple sections of the course we would be stationed at.
We were going head-to-head with another team. I just hoped we paired against a team more dysfunctional than ours.
Soon, the proctor for our race came over with a group of students in tow, my cousin Pavani among them.
Kelda served as the group's arbiter. Her demeanor was cold, and her gaze alone could stop someone in their tracks.
Outside of Bogdan and Stravos, Kelda was the one I worried about the most. She was difficult to read– emotion rarely slipped through, which made her unpredictable.
Their team ranked in the top five. We had our work cut out for us.
Standing between both teams, the proctor announced the pairs for the three-legged race. He announced Kelda's team first. They all seemed happy with the pairing.
The proctor went on to explain that there was more to the race. At the start, each team would receive a message from the proctors and pass it along to the next runner. Simple in theory, but at Xhatal Academy, nothing was ever simple, especially with abilities allowed during the race.
"Alright, team number twenty-one. The first pairings will be Jace Brontarion and Cyrus Bennu." Everyone let out a deep sigh, knowing this was going to be a disaster.
"The second pairing is Mira Arvaith and Nerena Corvantis," which left Voen and me as a pairing.
After teaming up with Voen during the Totem games, I felt I could at least handle the task– but the other groups worried me. Nerena seemed uneasy, a rare emotion, but I knew it stemmed from the dispute during the last test. I just hoped they could put it aside for this one.
I clasped my hands together and made a silent prayer to my high pantheon, needing this game to go as smoothly as possible. "Now that the pairings are selected, you may be off to your stations."
Jace and Cyrus were to start the race, while Voen and I were to finish.
At our stations, astral tech lay on the ground. Cuffs that were connected with a small chain of cosmic energy. Reluctantly, I connected Voen's to mine. When it came to speed, I was one of the fastest at the academy. I just hoped Voen would keep in stride with me.
The astral tech projections that were hovering in the sky periodically switched from station to station. When the projection reached the first leg of the course, I could see my brother and Cyrus bickering– while the other team stood ready, focused and prepared.
"What are the chances we win?" Voen asked, as he looked at what awaited us for our part of the race.
Our section was littered with large, twenty-foot walls we had to vault, each topped with a blade that would slowly descend upon us.
"We got this, just follow my lead," Voen nodded slowly, as he wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts.
The projected monitors focused on the starting line again, where Cyrus and my brother continued to bicker.
"Ready…. Set…. Go," the proctor said over the loudspeaker, and a large boom roared through the air. Our opponents sprinted off the line and moved as if they were one.
Cyrus, on the other hand, took a swing at Jace.