.Elementals.

-54-

I was slightly surprised that Em was the one announcing the trial, I guess the queen wants each of her mages to do a presentation of a trial so I guess I'll be next after this.

"As you see you've been each given a special necklace." It was more like a choker with a rainbow gem stone in it. "It has an old spell embedded into it used each time this specific trial comes up, the huntsman trial! Each of you will be assigned a person that volunteered for the trial, you'll be scattered across the forest and will need to keep them and the gem given to them safe for three days as hunters come after you to take it. Fatal force is legal as the hunters are criminals, if they succeed in killing you then they'll be freed from their life sentencing so don't think you can convince them. You can also go after the gem of other participants protege. The trial is to test how well you'd be able to deal with a case of needing to evacuate the queen and then survive while being hunted down. You are eliminated if you die, you loose your or the protege's gem, the protege is hurt in a sever way or dies."

The bars are being set high.

"The spell will soon be awakened, be ready!"

I already knew who'd I would end up watching over as there was no way in talking her out of this.

A green flash of light obscured my vision as with a powerful flick of Belladonna's magic the magic in the gems buzzed alive and teleported us.

I rolled my eyes at Audrey who I still can't believe convinced her mother in letting her into this deadly game but I guess neither feared much with me around.

I grabbed her arm and yanked her against me as we kind of were free falling out of the sky.

I threw my arm out under us, the trees branches pulling out of the way and the leaves reaching up.

It still was uncomfortable to be slapped in the back by leaves but it did slow out fall to a stop.

"I told you not to participate." I said with a smile as the leaves set us down on our feet.

"I was bored using that big magic mirror to spy on how your trials were doing plus I do know how to defend myself."

"As long as it isn't magic, you can't summon that void so I am still your best defense."

"Oh shush your mouth and accept I wasn't going to let you spend three whole days with someone else."

"What? Jealous?"

"Matter of fact, yes."

"Oh, well that's straight forwards."

I looked down at her, most of the outfit was the same as always just like mine, having like five times the same outfit since I was a mage an expected to dress like this always.

She had a short sword, much less of a showoff then mine.

"Don't go thinking I will let you run off and fight when the purpose of this is to keep the person with us safe." She just shrugged with a mischievous smile.

"Well, onward my dear mage, you call the shots."

"I regret getting to know you."

"Hey!"

As the sun set it marked start of the first day, the sunrise of the fourth would mark the end of the trial. 

Walking around we came across a shallow cave, only a few meters deep but good enough for the night.

A small fire burnt in the middle as we sat against the back wall to see if anything would come.

"You finally made a new one." I looked down at her as she poked the bead on the end of my braid. "It has the same symbol as the one you gave me." She said, comparing the two.

"I knew you'd keep an eye on it so between the time with Ethan and the trial I got it done."

"Good good." She was leaning against my left side. "So what we doing?"

"It wouldn't be safe if I was to never sleep these three days so we'll need to take turns to guard but the fire can't stay on, only embers, flames can be seen from really far."

"Alright I can do that.... What you plan on doing?"

"Just try to get by with no trouble, not hunting the others or bothering them, in times like this concentrating on ourselves is the best for our odds."

"Alright... So any news from the book? Understand anything?"

"I've come to make a good enough alphabet to translate most but if there are accents and letters that don't exist today it is a mess but I've been translating it down, word by word so I didn't really pay attention to what the text could mean as a whole, I'll read and fill in the blanks when I am done."

"You are doing a whole book Mystery."

"Yeah but when you got the symbols down you just copy and copy mindlessly, it is faster then you think Audrey."

"You think it will have answers to something?"

"To something? Yes. To what we need? I don't know we just have to hope, now sleep I take first watch."

"Fine, goodnight Mystery."

"Night Audrey."