The rest of the journey to the Cloud Dorms was uneventful. Dawn reluctantly made her way across the path, and the rest of the competitors started to relax. Isa remained on her guard, knowing that one small misstep could lead to her doom.
She found herself thinking about the way Faze had gone to save the girl, trusting that she would pull both of them back onto the path. Why had he done that? Why put so much trust in someone you hardly knew? She would never understand.
Or maybe it was because Faze had been doomed from the start. With that brace on his leg, he would be too slow, not able to jump all the hurdles in the Cup. It would make him clumsy and less agile. And the sad thing was that he had seemed like someone that would have made a good member for the team.
Isa smoothed down her ponytail and stepped up into the giant marble hall. The Cloud Dorms really were magnificent. Arches were set into the walls, leading the way to several different halls. The floor was a polished wood, a relief after the narrow path with the clouds on both sides of it. At least here it was very hard to fall.
A single list was posted at each arch, and Isa quickly searched for her name. The rush of children trying to find their list was astonishing, but she could understand their hurry. The more time that they had with their team, the more time they would have to practice.
Each team was comprised of three people: the team leader, the techy, and the strategist. The team leader was the one who led the group and made the ultimate decisions, the techy helped the group make gear to protect themselves and weapons to defend, and the strategist developed the best possible plans for succeeding.
Isa was one of the last people to find their names on one of the arches. She scanned the list, unsure of how she should react. She was with Faze and Lydia. The self-sacrificing boy and the acquaintance who had mostly just ignored her.
"Team leader." She rubbed her hand over the list. "And I hardly know them. Why would they ever listen to me?"
YOU ARE READING
To Fall is to Die
FantasyEvery year, several teenagers come together to compete in the Cup challenge, an obstacle course in the clouds. While each of their stories are different, all of them are after the same things: fame and fortune. But the origins of the Cup seem to be...
