Elementalists (completed)

Chapter 13

Once we reached the finish line they immediately took us to our rooms, where we collapsed in an exhausted heap. We didn't get our time or place for the race.

When I woke up next, I woke up excited. We got dressed and a man escorted us to the same room we got our results before. I smile the whole time.

Once all the other teams arrive the leaders step up and smile at us. We quiet instantly.

"Well, yesterday was certainly an interesting day!" Ms. Salju comments into the microphone as soon as she steps up to it.

I grin and look at my team. We all share a knowing smile. But we made it. We did it!

"But two teams must leave, as you well know." She continues sadly, "and I have the results right here." She waves a piece of paper at us and I feel nerves start to make my hands shake. I don't want to go home. Not yet.

"In first place with two hours and forty-seven minutes is...."

I hold my breath, my eyes squeezed shut.

"The Snow Ferrets!"

I let out my breath in surprise to find everyone watching us in surprise. I'm surprised too. Two hours and forty-seven minutes? It felt like at least four hours!

After a couple minutes everyone starts clapping for us. Well, except the Black Serpents of course. They just glare at us, but we don't gloat like they did.

We know we won, they know we won, and I don't want to stoop to their level and gloat.

"In second with three and a half hours is......the Water Horses!"

We clap politely. The leaving teams are the Crystal Wolves and the Hungry Sharks.

The Black Serpents came in third. They had four hours.

Ha. Take that.

We are taken back to our rooms after we politely say goodbye to the Hungry Sharks and the Crystal Wolves. As I walk, I think about the remaining teams. There's us, the Black Serpents, the Water Horses, and the Iron Wasps. Four of the seven.

Wow....this game is going by fast.

We get back to the room and play around with our elements for a while before having an early night. But no one can sleep, so, instead we talk about the next round.

"What do you think it's going to be like?" Kin asks us, staring at the ceiling.

"What?" Nero asks.

"The next round." She explains, "Strategy."

For a couple minutes we lay in silence, alone with our thoughts.

"Last time it was a game." Anemos informs us.

"Yeah....do you think it will be this year?" Kin wonders aloud.

"Probably, it's always a game." Terro says, joining the conversation. I don't join. I'm just content to listen to their voices.

It's good to not feel alone.

"What game do you think it'll be?" Neve asks, also joining. I smile in the dark. She had become much more relaxed around us. She isn't the timid girl she once was. Well, not around us at least.

"I bet it's going to be a giant game of chess!" Nero tells us.

I can almost see Ignis rolling her eyes as I hear Neve giggle.

"I think it's going to be more than that.....maybe an intense game of hide and seek!" Kin suggests.

"Or tag." Ignis adds.