Game of Life

Chapter 5

"What the hell guys!" Darren snarled at us when we returned to camp with our battered group. "Don't just go running after something by yourselves!"

"And what did you expect us to do Darren?" I snapped, clutching my injured arm to my chest, it still hurt like a bitch. "We killed it, didn't we?"

He opened his mouth to speak, closed it and shook his head slowly. "And how many died because you guys couldn't wait for the rest of us?"

I chewed on my lip. "Twelve. Maybe more I don't know, it dissolved the bodies."

"Twelve dead, and what the hell happened to you?" He grabbed my arm, making me gasp with pain. "What is this?"

I snatched my arm back, scowling. "It's nothing, it'll heal."

"Get it looked at," he snapped.

"I will, calm down."

"Lay off Darren, not her fault you guys were too slow to be any use." Eric finally spoke up, laying a hand on Darren's back.

Darren whirled on him, swatting his hand away. "When all the light users run off and it's pitch black it's a little hard to follow!" he snapped.

"Oh please there was maybe 40 of us? There was light and fire users still here, they're just being pathetic cowards."

Darren clenched his fists, he didn't have a response to that and I pushed myself between them. "Relax, both of you. Fighting won't get us anywhere."

"Well it would if the others would actually step up!" Eric spat.

"Maybe we should just split up then." Darren spoke so quietly I could barely hear him.

"Are you kidding m-" I was cut off by a large weight on my back.

"That's a great idea!" I squealed at the voice, stumbling backwards. Severin leaned close to my ear, whispering, "Hi Calla," before sliding off.

I put my hand over my chest. "Fucking scared the shit out of me." Severin grinned at my mumbling and pat my head, I scowled at the mocking attempt at comfort.

Shrinking away from him I moved to Darren's side, shaking with fear. The demon laid his arm out flat and a light shimmering appeared, splitting the clearing down the middle. Severin flicked his wrist and screams rose up from the gathered students as one by one all the others got deposited on one side of the wall. From what I could tell the groups looked completely random.

"Each side has the same amount of each elemental user," Severin purred. "Each side will get a beastie." He held his hands out and I could see the crackling elements, lightning in one hand, fire in the other. "Number four and five, beat them and you will have finally passed the halfway point. Hasn't this game been exciting so far? I love it." He broke out in a fit of giggles. "Oh I almost forgot!" He stopped laughing abruptly and waved his hand around his head.

I glanced up as the sky started to get brighter and realised what Severin was doing. Almost like someone was fast forwarding through a TV show, the night ended, the moon quickly sinking down while the sun rose. He stopped when the sun was halfway up and clapped his hands with glee.

I glanced at the shimmering wall beside me, realising with a start that Severin had separated me from Eric. Goddamnit, guess I'm stuck with Darren.

Severin threw the elements away and they slowly took form on each side of the wall. I reached a hand out to touch the barrier and Severin grabbed my wrist. "I wouldn't do that if I was you, Calla." He placed his hand flat right beside it and I could see the crackle of electricity. I flinched away, never thinking I'd be grateful to a demon. The gratefulness didn't last long though as the elements finally finished forming into their beasts.

I glanced at Eric's group's first, they had gotten the lightning beast and it formed into a tiger. Unlike the other beasts so far, it looked like it was entirely made of lighting, with stripes of blue and white on its back that were constantly shifting as it stood, waiting for orders to attack. Canines shaped like lightning bolts protruded from its lips and its long tail lashed with each breath.

I was almost in awe of the creature, it was beautiful. I shook myself, that thing would kill me in an instant. Slowly I turned to ours, the fire beast, it resembled a wolf, a ten feet tall slavering mass of teeth and claws. Looking at it closer I realised that the tiger really was unique. Like the beasts before, this one had a solid body. With a pointed muzzle full of razor sharp teeth, four massive paws and a bushy tail, it was definitely made of skin and bones.

I shuddered, the fire magic surrounding it was terrifying, I could only guess at how hot it was as the grass around where it stood melted, leaving piles of liquid blackness.

"Have fun! Oh and by the way, the wall won't come down until you've beaten both beasts. Good luck my little ones, I'll be watching." With a quick wink he poofed out of existence, the only signs of him having been there in the first place were the vicious monsters, snarling and preparing to attack.