MIND GAMES: Guild Tryouts

Chapter 13

—The next day, Jay, Axel, and Ivy meet up at their usual meeting place, next to the Apocylade. Axel was still giving his all at pulling it out of its rocky tomb, and Jay waited for his turn at it. Ivy was training her Aspect more in the Wilds nearby.

"Ack!!" Axel says as his fingers slip on the Apocylade's handle, falling on himself.

"Does it feel close?" Jay asks sarcastically, "Maybe you'll loosen it up for me!"

"Yea, right..." Axel smiles as he regains his breath.

Jay and his friends had no idea when the next part of the tryouts was scheduled today, so they waited around until they absolutely had to show up at the arena. Stan or another organizer would surely give them a heads-up beforehand. After Axel jumps off of the Apocylade's boulder, Jay steps up and tries to pull it out as well.

Although he tried with all of his might, he too was unable to pull the legendary blade out of its mantle. Jay lets go before his hands start to cramp.

"Does it feel close, Maguire?" Axel asks.

"Shut up..." Jay smiles as he stands up straight.

Looking to his left, he spots Ivy walking to their direction with her hands over her face. She looked embarrassed.

"Hey Ivy! Are you ok?" Jay calls out.

Ivy looks up to Jay and waves to him, signaling she was okay. As she gets closer Axel walks closer to the two.

"You looked sad, shrimp!!" Axel laughs.

"It's nothing serious!" Ivy says, "I just lost one of my arrows, is all..." Ivy mumbles in heartache.

"Oh." Axel says abruptly.

Jay and his friends continue to wait patiently for a text message or a call from someone. As they waited, Jay felt something odd. He looked around cautiously into the Wilds nearby, scattered with dense bushes and relatively short trees. Compared to the trees where the tryouts have been taking place so far—next to the recently built arena—these trees could not compete in size.

Jay continued to peek through the leaves and around rocks as he stood as still and as calm as possible. Ivy catches on and knows why Jay is surveying his surroundings.

"Someone's watching us," Ivy whispers to him.

"Yea, I sensed it too," Jay says.

"How'd you know that?" Ivy whispers in disbelief.

"U-uh, I don't know. Just had a feeling." Jay says.

"Whatever, I'm telling Axel. We should get out of here as fast as—"

"What are *you* doing here?!" Axel yells in a shocked tone.

Jay and Ivy turned to Axel, who was shifted to the Wilds in front of him. Looking in the same direction, Jay and Ivy gasp in surprise as they lock eyes with the player watching them.

"H-helmet?!" Ivy mutters.

"What?" Jay mutters as well.

"Hello." Helmet says, holding up his hand to signal a friendly greeting.

Helmet approaches the group, who are all still confused why he's here. Helmet tasks a couple more steps before stopping in front of them. However, he wasn't focused on anyone here and instead looked past them, pointing in that same direction.

"So you guys are trying to pull an unobtainable sword?" Helmet says.

"W-what?! It's for *sure* obtainable!!" Axel says back.