Rebellion: Prince of Dawn

Chapter 7.4: Earth, Wind, And Fire

---

ILIAS PAYNE

All fifty-two teams were put into different carriages and transported to a mountain an hour and a half away from the Capital. The line of carriages made their way to a nearby plateau connected to the mountain where a floating island happened to be passing by.

The island, except for the fact that it was floating, was a typical temperate forest. Trees both evergreen and deciduous covered the grass floor. Hills and mountains gave the island features so it wasn't all flat. When moments of silence happened, the sound of water crashing could be heard. That mixed with a light spray and running water falling from the island's edges meant there was a waterfall and a large lake within.

We followed the proctors onto the floating island where they kept us waiting until the island was a good league away from the plateau.

Leroy and a few other familiar faces that once tricked us into thinking they were participants went around handing each party a small cage.

Ivan kept his hands interlocked behind his back and raised the earth under him to mimic a platform. "The floating island we're on spans just under two thousand acres. This place also happens to be a protected labyrinth, so don't go around trying to destroy the heart or you will be prosecuted—not that you can find it. Since this is a labyrinth, some creatures and monsters are attracted to it. That includes a small bird called a royal peggy." Using his chameleon tail, Ivan held up a cage with the presumed bird inside. "Peggies are small, have a metallic colour, and have spots that look like molten lava."

The lead proctor gave the cage to Leroy, who went around and made sure every participant knew what a peggy looked like.

"This island moves at a set speed and course. This means that every seven days, it will find its way back to the plateau we came from. Phase one ends when that happens. There are two requirements for you to pass. First, you must have a peggy inside a cage. Second, at the end of the phase, all your party members must be present in this very spot. Alive. Other than that, you are free to do as you like. Any questions?"

Everyone kept quiet, glancing around to see if anyone did. There wasn't a single raised hand.

"Good." Ivan grinned. "Let the first phase commence!"

One by one, each participant crashed to the ground. First, it was people I barely knew. Then it began happening to people I did. Billie Jean, Jay Geils, Zwergin, Chris, Asher, Erina, Thaddeus, Roswaal. Each fell as if being knocked out before I too was swept in a wave of drowsiness

The next thing I knew I was somewhere within the island's forest being woken up by Thaddeus and Erina.

"Good, you're awake," Erina said, helping me up. "The food we had for breakfast was drugged. I'm guessing they placed each party in a random spot on the island while we were all passed out. I'm guessing it was to prevent us from trying to kill each other right away."

I rubbed my head. "Did anything happen that I should know while I was out?"

She shook her head. "We haven't sensed anything odd yet. We scouted the area nearby, but that's all."

Thaddeus tapped me and Erina. "Hey, isn't that a peggy?"

On the branch of a nearby tree, a metallic-coloured bird with molten lava spots chirped happily.

"It is!" he cheered. "Let's catch it."

"Do you really think they'll make it that easy?" I asked. "It's going to be near impossible to catch that thing."