The crowd cheered when the player got up from the healers section, but he was way too out of it to continue with the game. His teammates had to go on without him. The game continued on without the injured player, and more people entered the arena, all dressed in leather uniforms. They all started using their powers against each other. It looked nothing like the game I just saw. They shifted their attention towards the crowd and up towards us.
"WWhat is going on? Is it part of the game?” I asked, concerned, and Merilla, who was sleeping silently, got up as soon as she felt my worry and came to sit next to my side.
“ No, it is not part of the game.” Zaden said concerned with his gaze fixated on the new players in the arena.
Suddenly, the crowd went completely silent as all the players in the arena turned towards us, charging towards the crowd. Fire balls came crushing down on the protective barrier that was put up to protect the crowd.
Fear crept through me like a ghost going through an invisible wall, and my body froze to the seat. The blood in my vanes turned cold and it felt like I fell into icy waters. The eyes of the players in the arena turned into an ashy grey, and they all assembled into formation like army soldiers getting ready for battle. All at once they started throwing balls of fire, earth, wind and water at the barrier.
“ What the hell is going on?” Mike was the first who asked. We all flinched as the elemental balls hit the invisible wall. Every time a ball made contact with the shield; an explosion of sparks went off, but the magic that sustained the barrier was no match for all the elementals powers combined. Combined powers and the last few balls got through, landing at Seth’s feet. With wide eyes, Seth and Mike stomped the fire balls out quickly with their boots. Turning my gaze back from the smoldering, melting pile, I looked in horror as they readied themselves for the second attack. The crowd began to panic, realizing that the protective barrier was gone. Everyone rushed towards the exit.
“ We need to get her to the exit!” Deon said, looking in Zaden’s direction. Zaden reached for my arm, pulling me up from the chair and down from the VIP section towards the only exit this mountain has. Once we got down to the normal seating area of the crowd. We barely got a few paces in; we couldn’t move as the crowd pressed in around us. Deon yelled something, but I couldn’t hear a thing with whaling sounds of the crowd trying to squeeze through the exit at once. The guys formed a circle around me, to keep me safe from the crowd.
*Merilla!*
“ Where is Merila?” I look through the crowd hysterically, but it is hard to see her through the thick crowd. I go down on my hands and knees and spot her far off crumbled up in a little ball as the crowed stubbled over her.
“ Merilla!” I shout, but she kept laying still. The worst went through my head.
“ Merilla” I call out once more, but she still did not move. I could feel my heart clenching, as I push through the protective circle the guys kept me in.
“ Your Highness, no! It is too dangerous.” I ignored Deon’s cries as I pushed my way through the crowd towards Merilla’s small crumpled up body. Once I got to her side, I gaped at the horrific sight in front of me. Her once snow-white coat was now covered in blood. I fell to my knees at her side, picking up her lifeless little body in in my arms, holding her close to my chest. I didn’t care if my lush white dress got soaked in velvety blood.
“ Noooo!!!” I cried out as the tears cascaded down my face. I placed my ear to her still body, trying to listen for a heartbeat, but I heard nothing over the stampeding sound of people rushing for the exit.
“ No!, No. This cannot be. Merilla, please don’t leave me. You are all that I have left.” I buried my face into Merilla’s coat.
“ Who will keep me company during the day, and wake me up in the morning? I have only known you for a little while, but I already have come to love you as a sister.” Tears continued to roll over my face. I gave up and just sat with her lifeless body in my arms as fire balls came crashing down beside me.
“ Meara!” One of the guys shouted, and I did not bother looking up to see who it was, when next moment I felt this firm hands wrap around my waist, yanking me back so hard that Merilla’s body fell out of my arms onto the ground. My entire body felt numb to the core. I couldn’t move as the firm hands dragged me off.
“ Meara snap out of it. Our lives are in danger.” I heard a familiar voice. I did not need to turn around to know who’s voice it was.
“ Merilla, we… Can’t leave… Her.” I tried to say between sobs.
“ Seth fetch Merilla’s body.” Deon commanded.
BOOM! BOOM!
Loud explosions go off and we collide hard with the ground. I was pinned down by Deon’s body shielding me.
“ Get the shield back up! “ Deon yelled inches from my ears, and a bunch of people gathered, throwing their hands up in to the air and started chanting some foreign language I did not understand. Deon and I was face to face. Our noses almost touching. We were so close I could see the muscles on his jaw tighten in strain.
“ Just stay down your Highness. If we move now, we might get hit in open fire.”
“ What is happening?” I managed to ask.
“ I don’t know, but for some reason, they are aiming at us.” Something caught the corner of my eye and I turn my head to notice elementals with zombie like faces with their shadowing eyes approaching us. The sight is horrific now that we can see them up close.
“ Get the fucking shield up!” Deon yelled in frustration as the possessed elementals got closer. Zaden, Mike and Seth are firing back at the grey-eyed elementals as best as they can, but they were no match. The possessed elementals are too many. The people who are trying to get the shield up are unsuccessful, and Deon cussed softly, and his muscles clenched again.
“ I am going to try and divert their attention, and when I do, I want you to get up and run for the exit and get off from the mountain and hide.” He growled at me, rising slightly, he started gathering fire in his one hand, that quickly spreads to his entire arm. Fire burnt my skin since Deon was too close to me. I drew a breath, trying not to scream. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes.
“ Get ready!” He yelled, and I turn over from my back, getting ready to flee for the exit. Zaden and the other guys is giving it everything they have.
“ Now your Highness!” Deon shout as he sprung up, and the flames consumed his entire body. I look at him in awestruck.
“ Meara run!” Zaden called out, not bothering to use the royalty name anymore. I snapped out of it and head for the exit as they hold of the possessed ones. I ran down those steps like my life depends on it, which it did. Who knew how much time I had before Deon and the others couldn’t hold them back anymore.
I had no idea where I was going, the end of the stairs down the mountain came faster then I would have thought it would, and the end of the field where all the carriages were parked. I carried on running in whichever direction I could find. I carried on running until I had no idea where I was. I was crying so much, just thinking about Merilla, the only being who would ever love me and accept me for whom I am, a life long partner according to the books from the castle library.
It had started to rain, and I did not notice until the clothes started to cling to my skin as more rain poured from the dark sky. It made everything in front of me hazy, and I struggled to see. Still, it didn’t stop me from moving on. My mind couldn’t stop thinking about Merilla. Flashes of the blood, so much blood, flashed through my mind, until I couldn’t think of anything more. The last thing I remembered was finding the woods. My heart pounded so fast, and my legs moved as if they knew my life depended on it. The feeling was hard to describe, because I have never ran for my life before.
I kept running for who knows how long until I couldn’t go any further. I fell to my knees from exhaustion, causing the sludge to splash over my once silvery white dress. The satchel with the book was still mysteriously handing on my side through everything that just happened, and I am thankful that it was made of leather, otherwise the book would have been destroyed.
It was still pouring heavily with rain around me, and everywhere I looked, it was dark forest and puddles of muddy water. I am lost, with no way of knowing how to return back home. I should be afraid of being utterly alone in the wilderness, but I am not. All I feel is numbness and heartache. Merilla, who I had grown attached to was gone. Why didn’t I just pick her up and carry her in my arms when the stampede started?
“ Look what we have here guys.” Someone said, his voice not sounding familiar, but it didn’t matter. I looked around and to my shock, it was five guys dressed in leather with the same ashy grey eyes who attacked us at the arena. Their eyes glistened a strange hue in the dark, making it easier to see them in the hazy view caused by the rain and darkness.
“ What do you want?” I asked in a not so friendly tone. My body tenses, and my magic prickles just under my skin, ready to be summoned when I need it.
“ We, my dear, are looking for fresh meat.” My breath shatters, replaced by a terrified gasp. A primal energy seeps into my bones, chilling despite the heat boiling from within. My magic prickles at my fingertips. The five men surrounds me like a pack of wolves about to attack their pray. As they cage me in, I lift myself up from the ground, mud dripping down from me. When they gave another step closer, I ignite my blue flame that was patiently waiting from underneath my skin. They all gaped looking at my hand.