Special thanks to tscott21! Your reviews really helped me through an especially tough writer's block. I appreciate it so much!
Author's note: It's back! Lotta research for this chapter.
(It's Chapter 14/15 - Aelin POV)
Aelin was in a deep sleep when the speaker blared, "Good morning, today is your 4th round! It seems like the weather is clearing up, which is great because this time we will be going deep into the woods. Report to class in 30 minutes."
What the hell? Aelin checked her phone, 3 AM. Was it even legal to wake students at this hour?
Aelin groaned and rubbed her eyes. Beside her bed was Lysandra's - whose designator was still asleep. Screw that. Aelin did the same.
A few minutes later Aedion walked in and splashed a bucket of water on them both.
He left limping.
The halls were vacant. It was strange. Different. The lights were off in the entire school, Aelin's homeroom being the only room whose lights were turned on.
Everyone was still rubbing their eyes and yawning when the teacher began,
"The objective of your 4th challenge is being able to survive in dangerous situations. Deep inside our woods is a jungle-like environment. Each of you will get a bag of supplies and nothing else. You can make teams, just make sure to sign your group on the paper up front. Or you can work independently. How will this help you in real life? Well, if you choose to be athletic in the sense of those in 'survivor' then this challenge could teach you a thing or two."
The class buzzed with excitement. Aelin couldn't help but smile either as she pictured a shirtless Rowan swinging on vines like Tarzan.
"Somewhere in the jungle is a cave, that cave is a mother bat's home. Inside it contains a medal. You and your team - if you choose to work in one - must get to the end of the jungle and to the cave before the other teams and before the mother bat returns to nurse its young. And just as a warning, bats do bite. Understood?"
Aelin nodded as snapped out of her daze. An early start wasn't going to bring her down. She looked outside her window, it was still very dark out. She hoped the bag had a flashlight.
Aelin could barely see 5 feet ahead of her. Rowan and Aedion took the lead because of their freaky accurate hearing. Lysandra and Aelin stayed a few feet back, much to the latter's judgment. They'd each got a tan backpack, which didn't contain much. Which was good because it didn't slow them down, but it wouldn't work in their favor if something went wrong.
A piercing scream shattered the careful silence. Aelin whipped her head, the sound was to the left. What the hell happened?
Ianthe trampled through the jungle. Stupid, challenges. Stupid, forest. The mud was ruining her stilettos. Her designer dress in tatters from when she walked through a thorn bush, thinking it would be a detour. She could barely walk without gripping to some tree. Her bleached hair got caught in god-knows-what countless times. She even scratched her leg when she tried to sit. This was an injustice! How could life do this to her? What had she done wrong? Ianthe wanted to cry. But that would ruin her mascara, then again she probably looked that Aelin girl already. This was the worst day ever!
Ianthe gripped a tree, a wet one. Strange. She tripped over a root and quickly grasped for a branch. The branch wrapped around her arm. Still wet. The more Ianthe thought about it the more peculiar it seemed. Slowly, quite afraid, Ianthe led her gaze to the thing wrapped around her arm.
Her eyes widened. It wasn't a branch at all it was a snake. Covered in yellow, orange, and black scales, coiled up against her arm, was a tongue sticking out at her, teasing her. Her mouth parted and a scream escaped her lips. As if that was its calling, the snake bit her. The last thing Ianthe remembered was that creature slithering away and the world spinning before her head hit the rocks.
They continued their trek, still silent. Aelin hadn't seen Aedion keep his mouth shut for this long since he got hit in the head with a pole. They didn't have to wait long before something interesting occurred.
They came across a carcass.
A deer laid there, its neck slaughtered, its eyes open and lifeless. But there was more, Aelin could sense it.
For standing right in front of them was a black bear.
The boys halted and the girls caught up. They didn't dare to breathe loudly. Even the breeze seemed to stop. The bear's beady black eyes took in what might potentially be a threat. Aelin swallowed, the bear's gaze snapped to her, standing on two legs it let out a groan, baring its long and sharp canines. They could tear her limbs into shreds. She reminded herself that black bears didn't usually attack. She just needed to stay calm. Carefully, Aelin tiptoed towards it, avoiding the carcass. Rowan gave her a look. Aelin glared back at him. Aedion was pale as snow and Lysandra's face was unreadable. Calmly and civilized, letting it know they were human, "Hey, we're just here for a walk, we aren't going to hurt you, if you'd kindly move out of of the way, that would be convenient." She didn't know if it understood, but she didn't really have much of an option. It didn't work, of course, it wouldn't. The bear fell on its four legs and began prowling to Rowan, Aedion, and Lysandra. Aelin's eyes widened, she realized it didn't want to attack, it just wanted to get through. Rowan, as if reading her mind, jerked Aedion aside, Lysandra did the same. They watched it prowl away. When the bear was out of sight, they all let loose a breath.
A golden light began to pour through cracks between semi-bare trees. They continued their trek when Aelin heard Aedion coo. Aelin's eyebrows furrowed and she caught up with his pace from where she had been put. A long-tailed weasel was perched on a rotting log. It's body too long for its adorable face. It looked like a cat/mouse hybrid. Strangely cute. That is until it pounced at a bird flying nearby. Catching it and biting it, hard. And just like that, a life was gone. The dead bird was much bigger than the weasel. Aelin supposed that anything however small could defeat something much bigger.
Aelin didn't find it reassuring.
After what seemed like forever, they came across a cave.
It was a strange cave. Like a bowl - the opening was at the top and the only way in was to climb the rocky wall. Lysandra sighed through her nose, "Can't anything go our way for once?"
Aelin smirked. Agreed.
They claimed their own section and began climbing. Aelin reached the top first. Ha, Rowan wasn't the best at climbing.
It's not a competition fireheart.
Of course, this is! That's what the title says anyway.
Now it was only a matter of getting in the cave. Aelin leaned against the wall's edge hoping she wouldn't fall, she pulled a rope hanging from a belt at her side and tied it to a jagged rock at the edge and slid down. Her friends did the same.
They tiptoed along the side of the cave. Aelin analyzed her surroundings, the mother bat was nowhere that Aelin could see. She didn't even see the babies. Were they even in the right cave?
They walked into the deepest part of the cave. In the middle laid the medal. For a moment they were still - gazing at it with awe, for it was majestical. It sat on a rock and sunlight reflected off its gold surface. Aelin blinked and stepped forward, delicately wrapping the silky green ribbon around her fingers.
A screech pierced the awe. Aelin swore. The mother bat had arrived home and they had just intruded.
Aelin's eyes widened. They whipped their heads. They were cornered. They broke into a sprint
Bats do bite.
Can't anything go our way for once?
Anything, however, small could defeat something much bigger.
They were going to get out of this.
They ran for their ropes and began climbing.
Just a little more. A few more seconds and they'd be free. A tear. Something ripped. Aelin looked around but it was too late. For Aedion's rope had snapped and he collided with the ground.
Rowan slid down. His brother was still conscious. He hauled him over his shoulder and climbed.
Then they ran like hell.
The sunlight did help far more than their discarded flashlights. Panting and grunting, the finish line was in sight. It took them several hours to cross the jungle and the woods, yet in a matter of minutes, they had crossed the same distance.
Crossing the line was victorious and troublesome. Sure they were the first team but…
Was everyone okay?
Aelin's team made it out first. Close by Dorian's team. Everyone else trailed after at no frequent interval.
They made it out. They'd done it. No one was at risk. It was so strange that clutching Rowan's hand was the only thing that made it real.
They were safe.
"Congratulations to Aelin's team. You've just earned yourselves more points.
Only two students are in the infirmary. Sadly, one your classmates, Ianthe, was bitten by a highly poisonous snake and won't be able to compete any longer."
Yes! No more of her! Aelin turned back at Rowan -
And we didn't even need to do anything.
Dang, it. I was planning something.
Who says we can't use it?
Cruel fireheart. Cruel.
"Another one of your classmates, Aedion, took a pretty bad fall. Though surprisingly he seems to be doing fine."
Aelin let loose a breath. For once, the odds were in her favor.
The bell rang and they dispatched.
"Where are you going?" Rowan asked.
"I want to check up on Aedion for a minute, I'll come in a bit. You can go. I know you're hungry."
Rowan nodded, wished the best, and jogged off. He couldn't be with her all the time.
Aelin rolled her eyes. Buzzard.
Aelin was in the infirmary, about to leave. Aedion was fine but somewhat annoyed that she broke up his and Lys's make out session. But she couldn't blame him when he suffered through her and Rowan. Just as she was about to get up, someone ran in. Evangeline.
"It's Rowan, he's coughing up blood."
Author's note: Yup. I don't update and I leave you with another cliffhanger. That says enough about me.
I'm rather proud of this chapter. I did a good amount of research and yes there are bats that aren't nocturnal.
What do you think?
Ianthe getting hurt was amazing.
My poor baby hawk is gonna be in some trouble. Things are starting to come together. YAY!
Review!