The days passed slowly yet efficiently. They began on a usually dreary morning, a run with Chaol and a couple of hours in the training room. They ended with a rich dinner in the hall and then perhaps a late night talk with Sam.
Two more Tests had been passed; both Sam and Celaena completed them with ease.
As Celaena entered the hall that dreary morning, she was met with a surprising surge of anxiety that she hadn't experienced in the past two Tests.
"Todays Test is a race against time and the other competitors, opposed to the recent ones you have participated in, which required less active competitiveness," A/N ~active competitiveness? what the frick is 'active competitveness'? ok you do you boo ;) sorry don't mind me just infesting your brain with my bullshit *clears throat* ok back to the story~ Brullo explained as soon as all the competitors had arrived. "You will need to be tactical and strategic in this round." He paused for a moment, eyeing all the competitors. "Some of you may get injured. Some of you may die. Understood?"
Blank faces gazed back at him.
Brullo grinned. "Perfect."
****
Celaena looked down and swallowed nervously. She wasn't afraid of heights, she just much preferred to be grounded.
The tributes had to scale a brick wall of the castle in search of a golden flag. Whoever was the first to claim the flag won the Test. The last competitor to reach the turret, where the flag lay, was exiled from the competition.
They got to choose one item to use, and Celaena chose black tar, rubbing it all over her hands, hoping it would give her some advantage of clinging to the bricks, but, as she looked down from balancing precariously on the ledge of a balcony, she regretted not choosing the rope.
Sam was a few metres behind her, struggling to stay in front of a competitor who was on his tail. He had the rope wrapped around his waist, and he swung the rope in the direction of the flag, hooking around one of the gargoyles that perched around the castles exterior like soldiers.
"Why are we doing this?" Celaena mumbled under her breath, trying to find her footing. "Capture the flag? What are we, children?"
Though she wouldn't admit it, Celaena found it challenging. It was bad enough she was coming close to last, it was even worse that she had to endure Cain's endlessly mockery from where he was, getting closer to the flag by the second.
As Celaena cautiously moved along the ledge, the sound of a gasp and the familiar thud of a body rung through her ears.
She slowly turned her head to see Ned Clement's body lying in a mangled heap at the stone floor. She gulped and looked back at Sam, who raised his eyes to meet her.
He tilted his head whilst looking at his lover, as if questioning her.
She frowned in response, trying to figure out what was happening in his mind.
Sam looked away quickly.
He's not himself today, Celaena pondered while stopping briefly to assess the other competitors. He's been quiet, much more than usual.
She hated not knowing if he was okay.
Stop thinking about this, Celaena, she silently told herself. Focus on your lovers well-being later. Now, focus on this bloody competition and getting that blasted flag.
She breathed in deeply and rose from her crouching position, getting ready to continue making her way along to the windowsill and to the drainpipe-
YOU ARE READING
After Everything
Fantasy"it was like a dance. a dance of silver and blades and speed. they danced around one another, moving in time, as if it had been rehearsed a hundred times before. they fought like old lovers, as if they knew the others next moves like it was written...
