Ultimate Temptation

~Chapter 9~

I easily avoided the trip wires and laid down traps after my first incident, making sure to keep my footfalls as silent as possible by stepping on soft mush and earth. All my senses were on high alert, my ears pricking to every sound and my sharp eyes working overtime to pick out every little thing in my path.

So far, I had avoided contact with any of my classmates, and I planned to keep it that way till the end of the physical test.

Find a flag…keep hidden…find a clean drinkable water source…and a cave to hide in till daybreak.

That is my plan.

There was no way to tell the time with the broad leaves covering my view of the sky, but I had definitely walked for hours, with the way my legs were beginning to ache, and my throat felt parched. Deciding it's time for a break, I sat down in between the roots of a Giant Sequoia tree and looked up at the sky once more to try to see the position of the sun when I finally saw one. A flag.

It was partially hidden between the branches of the tree opposite me. I rose to my feet, suddenly revitalized with energy, and squinted at it gently fluttering in the warm breeze.

“Descentio" I whispered, and the flag slowly fluttered down. Immediately, I picked it up and stuffed it into one of the pouches at my waist.

Re-directing my steps, I head to the large lake where we get our clean water from when a thought crossed through my mind.

It was the general lake, every contestant will be headed there for water if they aren't there already. Moreover, I didn't have a partner and will be an easy target.

"Caveatis Porcinae,” I whispered the camouflaging spell to make me blend in with my environment to avoid detection. There was no invisibility spell in the magic community so the closest was a cloaking or camouflaging spell, but cloaking is only deception of the eyes, so any sound can be heard if you're not careful.

The two empty water bottles we were handed in the tent bounced lightly as I walked, and I quickly readjusted them, so they'll stop making noise as the hit each other. To survive till the next day, I needed them both filled.

The lake looked like it always did, beautiful and serene, with the blue-green water sparkling where the sun rays hit it and gently flowing in ripples. There was no sign of anyone in sight, but I still didn't let go of my spell.

Slowly, I made my way towards the lake, avoiding loose stones with care and keeping an eye on my surroundings. Finding a hidden spot behind a large shrub, I crouch low and begin filling up my bottles, trying my best to make as little noise as possible.

A branch snapped behind me as I dipped in the second bottle. My head whipped back and I scanned the trees for the cause of the noise, silently cursing my luck.

I heard them before I saw them.

“We haven't seen a single flag since. My legs and back is killing me from the strain of climbing this high place,” Drew wailed, collapsing on a flat rock a few steps from where I was.

“Stop whining like a child and come fill up your bottles. Aren't you thirsty?” Kai asked, crouching close to where I was, barely a few inches apart.

He dipped his bottle into the lake and turned to check Drew.

“Get your lazy as over here and fill your bottles,” Kai shouted, looking irritated. He stood up with his filled bottles and was about heading back when he came closer and peered into the water.

“What the… Drew, there's a bottle here,” He said, pointing at the bottle I held, moving even closer.

I sat frozen, not daring to even breath as he stretched his hand towards my bottle and plucked it from my fingers.

“The weird thing is it didn't sink to the bottom and was just there floating in one spot. It is the same type of bottle given to us,” He muttered, looking right at the surroundings before focusing on me.

“There's nothing weird with a bottle, Kai. Your eyes are probably playing tricks on you, it was probably stuck. Moreover, everyone uses the same type of bottle on the island.

I don't blink as he squints before his eyes find another place to focus on.

“If you say so,” He stands and drops the bottle with a shrug, then heads back to Drew. “Go fill your bottle and let's get out of here. It's too exposed.”

Drew quickly fills up his bottle, and they pack up and leave. I fell on the grass immediately after, it felt like I had been totally sapped of energy.

That was a close one!

Picking my water bottle, I secure it to my waist and jog back to the cover of the trees just as the effect of the camouflaging spells fades off.

“Aha!” Kai shouts, leaping out from behind a tree. My hand flew to my chest in shock. “I knew it! See? I told you someone was there”.

“Look who we have here. Aris, the hybrid pet of the principal,” Drew say, popping out from behind another tree.

Recovering from my shock, I paste on a smile.

“Nice to see you too. Now that we're done with pleasantries, I'll be on my way”.

“Hold on a second. Do you have a flag?” Kai asks, and I inwardly roll my eyes. Like I'll tell him that.

“Do I look like I have one? No” I say, walking backwards. “Lumina caeca," I shout, throwing an orb of white light at them, which temporarily blinded them. Kai shouts something, but it's drowned by wails from Drew.

I run as far as my legs could carry me, jumping over several fallen trees and crashed through the dense thicket.

There was a little cave I had discovered on my many trips up Kilf, it was barely detectable and well hidden behind a veil of under woods. I make my way towards it.

It wasn't hard locating the cave, the inside was musty and a little damp but it was safe.

Or so I thought.

Something shifted in the shadows, making me almost scream. I slowly back out the cave and say a quick spell for light, and I inwardly groan.

It was another bear and it looked just as displeased to see me. It rose and watching me warily. I hold up my hand to show I was no threat and immediately backtracked.

“Not you again”

I halt in shock.

Wait, what? I was definitely hearing things.

"Filthy human"

“D-did you say something?” Even to myself, I sounded crazy. I didn't just talk to a bear.

I was met with silence and shake my head to clear my thoughts. I had definitely imagined it. I was almost out of the cave when I hear it again.

"Good riddance,"

I was definitely not crazy.

"Excuse me?" I say with indignation. "Do you have a problem with me"

"A problem? Yes, I do. My throat still hurts from your punch"

I gasped in shock. This was the same bear I had met few days ago. But how could I even understand it. I remembered my mom telling me she could speak to some animals, mostly domesticated ones but I can speak to a bear?

"I apologize"

The bear fell on it's haunches and it's mouth hung open.

"You can understand me?" It stammered finally realizing we communicated.

"Yes. I-I'm just as surprised as you are"

Suddenly, I felt light-headed, my legs suddenly turned jellylike and I collapsed at the cave's entrance. Black dots appeared at the edge of my vision and I weakly raised my hand, feeling a tug I hadn't noticed before, since I was busy to see a leech attached to my elbow.

The words Kai shouted when I temporarily blinded him came to my mind.

'Sangui pluvia', a spell which throws leeches at your opponent. The leeches feed on energy and weakens the opponent.

I tear the leech off my elbow, wincing as a part of my flesh was torn in the process. I remove another from my neck before my head lolled sideways.

The bear cautiously creeping closer is the last thing I see before my vision swims out of focus and only one thought is left in my head as I black out.

At least my death will be painless.