Academt Of Five Peaks

Chapter 23- War games

Chapter Twenty-three

‘Is everyone ready?’ A Hunter, named Dylan, called from the front.

‘The students shouted their reply, all nodding their heads vigorously with wide grins.

‘Okay, the first pair is…’ Dylan reached into a bowl, rummaging around the small scraps of paper until he pulled out two. Unfolding them he glanced across the writing, a small smile playing on his lips. ‘…Patrick and Eve.’

A loud ooooh emanated from the crowd as the two candidates stepped forward. Present in the hall were all the newly made Hunters who’d arrived at the same time as Elle’s group, approximately thirty in all. It was a sparring circle, a fun activity for them to try out their skills in a controlled environment. Elle’s group had decided to only fight one another, and this was their first one.

‘I’m going to get you,’ Eve tried her street cred as she stepped into the circle with a click of a finger.

‘You’re not going to touch me,’ Patrick shook his head with a smile as he moved to her.

‘Okay, for the rules,’ Dylan interrupted the cheer from the crowd. ‘No actual killing or serious injury where one of you will complain to parents, I don’t particularly want that on my conscience. No fighting other then with your powers, for example no weapon use. You are to stay within the ring, five meters diameter, and if you step out you forfeit. Any player can forfeit at any time or I can it off. As soon as I call time you are to stop; no matter what you must step away and not engage in any more fighting. Got that everyone?’

‘Yes,’ the crowd chorused, eager to get to the fight.

Elle sat beside Josh, holding his hand in excitement. She was nervous for her turn but couldn’t help feel the blood lust along with everyone else.

‘Good. Do not forget the objects I’ve provided that will help with each creature,’ he showed a row of instruments in the centre of the circle. They were there to aid a Hunter, a different one for each creature. ‘Prepare to fight!’ Dylan moved out of the circle, directing Eve and Patrick to their side.

‘On my count you may begin,’ Dylan was grinning widely. ‘Three…’

Patrick crouched down, hunching his shoulder as he placed a palm flat on the floor. Eve stood straight, staring down her opponent with determination.

‘Two…’

Patrick gave a growl, to which Eve replied with a throw of her head and a laugh.

‘ONE!’

They changed almost simultaneously, so fast Elle jumped at their ability. Eve’s eyes turned a fiery green, her body throbbing from some hidden light that shone from within. She smiled, the smile she got when she was looking at herself in the mirror, a curious and mischievous look. Patrick leapt towards the table in the center, snagging the skin-walker object Dylan had placed there. It was a belt, one that contained a row of pelts and skins.

‘Why does he need that? Doesn’t he already have the skins on his shoulder?’ Elle asked Josh.

‘He probably wants a specific animal,’ Josh answered with a shrug.

As he said it Patrick began to transform. His bones shrank, his limbs disappearing as fur grew and skin stretched in a thin layer from his arm to his torso. He was a bat.

Eve didn’t step up to the table, instead she just pointed at a small pot that had been placed there. It was full of soil and one seed had been dropped inside, nothing else. She raised a hand, the tips of her fingers burning tiny green flames. The pot plant began to quiver, to crack in half as the soil was lifted out of the container. With her hand Eve raised the soil, a ball of dirt and grit hovering above the ground.