More Than Just A Game

Chapter 14

Jack's P.O.V

I held up my hand and focused on creating a small blue ball of light to illuminate the place. I glanced at Mark and gave him a smirk. In return, he rolled his eyes.

"No need for that, Jack." he scoffed

"Okay," I shrugged nonchalantly, getting rid of the ball

I let him pass me first, being quiet as a mouse in the darkness. Then I stealthily followed him close behind. Not a moment too soon, I jumped on his back and screamed as high-pitched as I can.

"AHH!" Mark exclaimed, scrambling back "Jack! Help!"

I stifled a laugh as I went a few feet away from Mark, before creating the ball of light and running towards him, acting as I don't know the recent event.

"Mark! What happened?" I ask, suppressing a smirk as I help him up

"Something jumped on my back and screamed at my ear!" he stressed "Don't you hear that?"

I continued playing stupid "No, all I hear is deafening silence. You must be hallucinating, Mark."

"Whatever it is, it was as big and loud as...you."

Then and there, I just let it out and howled with laughter, ignoring Mark's passive-aggressive stare at me as I try to catch my breath.

"C'mon, they must already be at the end." Mark growled

Soon, we arrived at a room. Pillars were in ruins and the walls were slowly falling apart, then again, this is an abandoned temple, it's normal for it to be partially destroyed by weather and such.

"Jack, watch out!"

I took full notice of a big cat with stripes of a tiger, a mane of a lion, and a tail that ends with a cobra head. Did I also mention that it has razor sharp teeth?! It lunged at me, but I barely rolled away from its big paws, earning a minor scratch on my arm.

"What is that?!" I panicked

"I don't know, but it sure doesn't look friendly!" Mark shouted back

The monster crouched low, growling and snarling whilst the cobra hissed at us like a predator facing prey. Mark narrowed his eyes and rand at the monster, machetes at hand.

"Wait, Mark! No!" I gasped

But he already tried to jump on lion's back, and with one flick of the monster's paw sent Mark flying to the wall with a thud, his health dropped to 70%.

"Are you alright?!" I asked, rushing over to him

"Yeah, I'm fine." he answered, getting back up "Just a little shook, that's all."

As the monster took a swipe at us, we dodged it and I stood up immediately, raising my staff before striking the ground. The cracks instantaneously lit up in a hue of blue, making the monster jump and look around curiously and scared. 

That gave Mark enough time to sneak up on it and chop the cobra head off with one machete and plunge the other one deep in its skull. It gave one last blood-curdling roar that practically shook the whole temple, before turning into dust. A hidden passageway opened on the other side of the room, much to our relief.

"Finally" Mark and I said in unison, running out of the place

We exited the temple just in time to see the others rush out of their passageway; dusty and bruised. I looked at our health bars; I have 95%, Tyler has 89%, Felix has 96%, 94% for Ethan, and 70% for Mark.

"Don't ever make me go back there ever again." Felix muttered, clutching his scepter tightly

"Oh what merciful angel did you guys see inside?" I ask, obvious hints of sarcasm laced in my voice "We got a beautiful Liger with a tail of a cobra."

"Hell hounds." Ethan and Tyler answered

"Annoying sprites." Felix spat "They wouldn't stop singing, not until that loud roar sounded."

After Felix muttered some words, all of us were fully healed. Daniel gazed at his now unharmed arm curiously like a cat looking over a new ball of yarn.

"When'd you learn that?" Jack questioned "I thought you only heal one person at a time?"

"It pays to be in the royal sorcerer's workshop." Felix responded

"Enough talk about that old show off. It's already night time and this is the time where the Shadow Clan comes out to play," Daniel snapped "Camping with a bonfire will increase our chances of survival. So if you want to live long to see whatever you want to see in Rockfloor Plateau, follow me."

We all looked at Daniel with a shocked expression, except Jack, who's eyeing daggers at the huntsman. What's wrong with him?