Summer.
Ash smiled, a chaotic happiness dancing in his purple eyes. “It always is.”
Once everyone was across the beam Chris used one last strike to crush the steps and put a hole in the ground. He ran across the beam, smoke coming from his burnt hair and clothes.
“Good job,” said Ash, patting him on the back. “You're getting stronger.”
As they approached the next obstacle Summer was confused. It was a dense forest with wicked looking trees. A lot were burned or warped; their tortured limbs reaching for the sky.
“What is this?” asked Summer as she watched a few people from another team rush in.
“A forest full of traps that the earth wielders make,” said a dark wielder. “They rearm themselves after being set off.”
Summer's eyes grew wide as she heard a screech and then a loud crash.
“No time to think or you'll never do it,” said Ash. “Just run and be careful.”
They stayed close to each other as the team pressed forward through the dense woods. The pace they kept was quick but, cautious.
Another loud scream to their right had most of them jumping. Summer grabbed onto Ash’s shirt sleeve as she looked around.
“What kind of traps are these?”
“Nets, ropes, things that shoot at you, and fire.”
She swallowed hard and continued to hold on to him. Either Ash didn't notice or he didn't care because he didn't say a word.
They had been walking for what seemed like forever when one of their teammates shot up into the air and was dangling from the tree like some kind of bait. Their ankle was tangled in a thick, dark rope.
Without thinking, summer shot a small flame toward the rope. The person fell and was caught at the last second by another wielder. Everyone looked at Summer in shock and something that she thought looked like the smallest bit of respect.
They kept moving forward as a handful of their teammates got caught in different traps. Most were nets or foot traps that would violently throw them in the air. It was always terrifying to see them go up but, there was never an injury. It wasn't until the very end where the worst traps were.
Summer, Ash, and three others were walking together as a small wire was tripped. The cord tightened and the five of them found their ankles locked. A whistling ahead of them had all of them looking up.
“Rock Spears!” screamed a wielder.
Summer shoved Ash down just as a large shard of rock pierced her shoulder. She clenched her teeth and sucked in air.
“You idiot!” exclaimed Ash. He cut all their ankle locks off with his dark power and steadied Summer. “Why did you do that?”
“It was going to hit you in the face.”
He let out a frustrated growl and called over one of the light wielders.
“I'm not very good,” said the young girl.
Ash looked at her, his eyes blazing. “Sorry.”
“Sorry for...damn!” screeched Summer.
Ash had yanked the piece out and the light wielder did the best she could. It wasn't perfect but, at least the bleeding had stopped.
“Last part!” bellowed Ash as he helped Summer out of the trees.
Ahead of them were six platforms that were short enough for them to jump on. A council member was standing next to each one.
“They haven't done this for a while,” said Clayton.
“Only once since I've been here,” nodded Carl in agreement.
“What do we do?” she asked, wincing slightly as she touched her shoulder.
“They put a wall of their power up in the center of each platform,” answered Carl.
“And you have to get through it,” said Clayton. “You can try anything you want except attacking the council.”
Carl snickered. “Or you could try that and let us all see what happens.”
“We do this as a team or we fail,” said Ash.
Just as he said that, one of the newest wielders on another team stepped back and jumped through the light wielders wall. He screamed and fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Summer gulped loudly. “Okay, as a team.”
They walked up to the first one
Ash smiled, a chaotic happiness dancing in his purple eyes. “It always is.”
Once everyone was across the beam Chris used one last strike to crush the steps and put a hole in the ground. He ran across the beam, smoke coming from his burnt hair and clothes.
“Good job,” said Ash, patting him on the back. “You're getting stronger.”
As they approached the next obstacle Summer was confused. It was a dense forest with wicked looking trees. A lot were burned or warped; their tortured limbs reaching for the sky.
“What is this?” asked Summer as she watched a few people from another team rush in.
“A forest full of traps that the earth wielders make,” said a dark wielder. “They rearm themselves after being set off.”
Summer's eyes grew wide as she heard a screech and then a loud crash.
“No time to think or you'll never do it,” said Ash. “Just run and be careful.”
They stayed close to each other as the team pressed forward through the dense woods. The pace they kept was quick but, cautious.
Another loud scream to their right had most of them jumping. Summer grabbed onto Ash’s shirt sleeve as she looked around.
“What kind of traps are these?”
“Nets, ropes, things that shoot at you, and fire.”
She swallowed hard and continued to hold on to him. Either Ash didn't notice or he didn't care because he didn't say a word.
They had been walking for what seemed like forever when one of their teammates shot up into the air and was dangling from the tree like some kind of bait. Their ankle was tangled in a thick, dark rope.
Without thinking, summer shot a small flame toward the rope. The person fell and was caught at the last second by another wielder. Everyone looked at Summer in shock and something that she thought looked like the smallest bit of respect.
They kept moving forward as a handful of their teammates got caught in different traps. Most were nets or foot traps that would violently throw them in the air. It was always terrifying to see them go up but, there was never an injury. It wasn't until the very end where the worst traps were.
Summer, Ash, and three others were walking together as a small wire was tripped. The cord tightened and the five of them found their ankles locked. A whistling ahead of them had all of them looking up.
“Rock Spears!” screamed a wielder.
Summer shoved Ash down just as a large shard of rock pierced her shoulder. She clenched her teeth and sucked in air.
“You idiot!” exclaimed Ash. He cut all their ankle locks off with his dark power and steadied Summer. “Why did you do that?”
“It was going to hit you in the face.”
He let out a frustrated growl and called over one of the light wielders.
“I'm not very good,” said the young girl.
Ash looked at her, his eyes blazing. “Sorry.”
“Sorry for...damn!” screeched Summer.
Ash had yanked the piece out and the light wielder did the best she could. It wasn't perfect but, at least the bleeding had stopped.
“Last part!” bellowed Ash as he helped Summer out of the trees.
Ahead of them were six platforms that were short enough for them to jump on. A council member was standing next to each one.
“They haven't done this for a while,” said Clayton.
“Only once since I've been here,” nodded Carl in agreement.
“What do we do?” she asked, wincing slightly as she touched her shoulder.
“They put a wall of their power up in the center of each platform,” answered Carl.
“And you have to get through it,” said Clayton. “You can try anything you want except attacking the council.”
Carl snickered. “Or you could try that and let us all see what happens.”
“We do this as a team or we fail,” said Ash.
Just as he said that, one of the newest wielders on another team stepped back and jumped through the light wielders wall. He screamed and fell to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Summer gulped loudly. “Okay, as a team.”
They walked up to the first one
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