The Elementalists

25.

We were led into the stadium via a side entrance. There was already a crowd gathered outside, dressed in the colors of their elements, with flags, posters, and painted face. Every now and then they'd send up spurts of fire or water, flashing lights, or small dust devils. Their own small displays of their elements for us.

I could see only a few in the bud seemed to enjoy the show . There was a tenseness in the air. The people I was gathered with on the bus would be facing me on the ground in a while. It was a bit early considering the matches were scheduled to start at eleven. There would be an opening ceremony where they would be showing the fighters off. Wafi was right, I should’ve talked to Christopher about all this ages.

Every element was given their own room. Which meant I was stuck with four people who didn't like me, and one of whom I'd insulted quite publicly. Best to stick to myself.

It wasn't a big room. There were two couches and a few armchairs around a coffee table. Another table set by the wall had refreshments on it, breakfast while we waited, or if you're a nervous eater like me. Energy drinks by the bottle, lemon juice in a cooler, straight up bowls of glucose drink powder if you're into looking like you just snorted some cocaine before stepping into the area. Fire element did not mess around.

I picked up a few sandwiches, some chocolates and a cup of coffee before settling down. The others stared at me in horror as I dug in. It was about an hour later when I was contemplating on eating another few sandwiches when we were called out.

I shimmied out of my skirt, dumping it by my bag as I hurried out behind my teammates. We rushed through a door marked 'AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY' behind a harried looking stagehand who looked like she was pretty authorised.

It was super dark in there. I could hear the hum of conversation on top of me. My stomach twisted as I realised we were under the stadium. Maybe I shouldn't have eaten that much. People bustled around us, there was barely enough light to see and maneuver around them. It was hard to keep the stagehand in sight but Martin's pasty complexion wasn't hard to spot. He seemed to glow in the dark. We were stopped all of a sudden. I felt a strong hand wrap around my bicep which started to tug me in an unknown direction. I stumbled after them and was pushed into what I could only describe as an enclosure.

But it was in the shape of a circle, about the height of my waist and with no room to maneuver. They clicked a lock shut as I stepped in and ran my hands over the top of the bars. I couldn't make out much but it was a huge space. I was nowhere near my teammates. I couldn't hear or see them but the people who were moving around me were getting more frenzied.

All of a sudden, there fell a hush. My ears rang a bit at the sudden absence of sound as I heard the booming of a voice above us. The announcer... announcers - a man and a woman. One cheery, light and fluttery, the other deep, booming and strong. They were giving an introduction, talking about traditions, talking about the previous winners and the chief guests. When they started talking about introducing us, my hands tightened on the railing as my heart picked up the pace. It felt as though everyone could hear my heartbeat, the anxiety and the apprehension that was taking over me.

No. No.

Calm down.

You can do this. You got thi-

My train of thought was cut off amidst a cacophony of surprised cries around me as the ring jerked and started rising. I looked up to see a hole in the ceiling, a meter wide circle sliding open. Sunlight flooded in and then I could see where we really were for the few short moments we were still under ground.

It was a cavernous space, with an inverted dome. There were other platforms rising with equally confused looking competitors gripping the railings, looking up, down and about. There were people on the floor, watching us ascend, their faces safely obscured by the distance between us.