WARNING: This chapter contains overwhelming amounts of feels. Kay, well, not quite overwhelming. We're not that far into the story yet. This chapter also contains intense pain for one of the characters, so... you've been warned. It's nothing gory though, so don't freak out too much.
Games
Ch 5: The Rules
"_I release my powers into my budder chamber. I do this willingly and consciously._" I say, mumbling the part I changed (I did the spell differently so my power would be transferred to my buddery glass chamber thing instead of wherever the GameMaster keeps the powers) so no one notices that I changed it.
Then yellow light is drawn out of my eyes and toward the door of the building. Black splotches dance across my vision, and I sink to the floor as the pain overtakes my body. It feels as if someone is dragging a knife across my limbs while carving patterns into my face and torso. And my eyes burn. You know how your eyes will start to hurt if you stay up all night or forget to blink for a while? Well, take that pain and then multiply it by 100, and that's how much my eyes are burning.
"Sky!" Ty shouts worriedly, dropping to his knees next to me and hugging me close to him. He glances at the GameMaster. "What'd you do to him?" he growls.
"Calm down, he's fine. It's just going to take him a few minutes to get used to the loss of power," the GameMaster explains. I let out a shaky breath as I try to regain my composure. "Now that that small glitch in the system has been taken care of, I will inform you of rule number two: When in the Living Quarters and the Yard, we are all mature beings. We will not murder each other, seriously injure each other, or act idiotically."
By the time he's finished speaking, I've managed to sit up straight. Ty glances worriedly at me, but I brush him off with a reassuring smile. I'm okay now.
"The creation and use of new words is categorized as an idiotic act." The GameMaster stretches out his hand toward me and chants something in a whisper, and ten seconds later, I'm shaking as I try to recover from the jolt of electricity that just ran through my body.
Ty is next to me again, and now so is Jason, and they're both clinging onto my arms and sending worried glances at each other and me. "What the heck?" Jason asks, turning to face the GameMaster.
"He violated rule number two earlier today by using the made-up word 'budder' to address gold."
"Technically, budder is indeed a word," Seto corrects the GameMaster. That's probably not a good idea, Seto. "Spelled B-U-D-D-E-R, it's actually a type of drug."
"But Skybrine meant it as the made-up word used to replace the word 'gold.' Therefore, it is still a violation of rule two," the GameMaster tells us. Right.
"But-" I begin.
"Rule number three: No one argues with or rebels against me, the GameMaster." He flicks his wrist toward me, and then flames are jumping up around me as I screech in pain. Jason and Ty jump away from the fire, and then the flames quickly die down. Surprisingly, I seem to be unharmed, but my entire body still burns with the scorching heat of the fire. My breathing is heavy and ragged as I lie flat on the floor, closing my eyes for a few seconds to try to regain my bearings. "I warned you at the beginning of the meeting," the GameMaster says in an 'I-told-you-so' voice, "and so did your friend there."
"Rule number four," the GameMaster begins. At this point, Jason and Ty are both standing in front of me protectively, and Mitch and Jerome are inching toward us. "I was originally planning on telling this one only to Seto and Skybrine, but Skybrine kind of ruined that. Rule number four is 'If your memory is still intact, do not inform the other players that theirs are not.' Thanks a lot for telling Ty about the memory wipes, Skybrine."
The GameMaster whispers something while glaring at me, and then it feels like ice is creeping through my veins. I shiver and back up slightly as if the pain would subside if I was farther from the GameMaster. Sadly, the pain doesn't stop at all, and I'm left hugging myself for warmth as the piercing, paralyzing cold creeps up my body. As soon as it reaches my nose, it disappears, and then I just sit here, rocking back and forth and hugging my knees.
"Dude! Why do you keep focusing these things on Sky?" Ty asks angrily.
The GameMaster shrugs, smiling slightly. "It's not my fault he keeps breaking the rules."
"He didn't even know the rules before he broke them!"
"Are you arguing with me?"
Ty looks like he's about to say 'yes' and go total battle mode on this guy, but then I elbow him in the stomach just like he did to me, and he sets his jaw and resorts to glaring at the GameMaster.
The GameMaster nods approvingly. "Good. Now, rule number five." Mitch and Jerome stand in front of me while Jason and Ty stand on either side of me. Quentin and Ian are slowly side-stepping toward us, and Seto's full attention is focused on the GameMaster. Seto's a wizard, he probably knows that standing in front of me won't protect me in the slightest.
"Guys, I'm fine," I say quietly, trying to stand up.
The GameMaster huffs. "Skybrine! Do you never learn? One of the biggest rules while in the company of any person of authority, and rule number five: When I am speaking, no one else is!" I wince, tensing as I prepare myself for whatever method of torture he chooses to use next, but nothing happens.
"Uh..."
And then I'm crying out as I collapse on the ground again. Invisible needles prick every bit of my body, and I scratch at my skin even though there's nothing there. Ty's eyes widen, and he tries to hold my hands still so I won't scratch my skin so much that it bleeds. He succeeds, but barely. By the time the spell wears off, my skins is bright red in the places where I was itching it, and I am exhausted.
"Stop!" Ty shouts. "Can't you at least tell us all the rules before you punish him for breaking them?"
The GameMaster glares at him. "Rule number three: No rebelling against or arguing with the GameMaster." He starts to cast some sort of spell on Ty, but I jump to my feet. Ow. Ow, wowowow.
"Wait! He's not arguing with you, he's just politely suggesting something that could potentially make your show better!" I say, pulling Ty closer to me. Ty shakes slightly with fear.
The GameMaster turns his gaze to me. "It sounded like arguing to me."
"It wasn't, I promise you it wasn't!" I insist.
"Rule number three," the GameMaster says. "Do not argue with me." Then he's waving his hand towards me, and I'm convulsing in pain again. It pretty much feels like someone inserted a bunch of tiny blades into my bloodstream. It's like being stabbed, but from the inside.
Ty pulls me down to the ground, wrapping his arms around me protectively and letting me rest my head against his shoulder as I recover. He doesn't say anything.
The GameMaster narrows his eyes at us. "You two are awfully protective of each other, aren't you?"
Ty groans. "Please tell me that's not against one of the rules."
"No," the GameMaster assures us, grinning cruelly, "but it'll make for a really good show."
Oh, Notch.
"Rule number six: Everyone is required to attend all Challenges unless told otherwise." Good, I think that's one rule I haven't broken. Yet. "Rule number seven: All rules are void during Challenges, of which there are only eight. Rules still apply during mini-challenges." That's cool, I guess. "And rule number eight: I reserve the right to create rules at any given time." Oh, wow, that's fair.
"Return to the Living Quarters, get some rest. You'll need it. The first Challenge starts tomorrow. The winner of each Challenge gets three points, and we'll add up the points at the end of the show. Sleep well!" The GameMaster disappears in a puff of smoke.
Wow.
I carefully haul myself to my feet, bringing Ty with me and then leaning on him for support. Notch, I am drained. "Thanks," I say quietly to Ty.
"Ditto," he responds.
"You okay there?" Seto asks me, jogging over to us. "All limbs intact, still mentally capable of standard math?"
"Uh..."
"What's eleven plus seven?"
"... Eleventy-seven?"
Seto nods, whereas everyone else looks at me with varying levels of concern. "Yeah, he's perfectly fine."
Ty doesn't seem to believe Seto. He puts his arm around my waist with the excuse of helping me walk, and then he leads me toward my buddery room.
WOOHOO! Drama!
WAIT GUYS DON'T LEAVE YET I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO TELL YOU
I'm gonna post this on all my books because it's the most important thing you'll ever hear/read, like, ever.
Here it is:
Defenestration (noun): the act of throwing someone or something out of a window
It's a legit word, guys, go look it up. XD
K, baii! Have a perfect day, Rulers!