The Shadow Games

Chapter Three

Nina followed Steven through the maze of corridors to a meeting room. It had bare wood floors and burgundy silk window curtains. And in the same chairs as last time sat the other twelve contestants. Nina felt scared. Hers was the only enhancement you could see, except for number one, who kept stretching his arm like rubber to scratch his foot. 

Her palms were clammy and a trickle of fear rolled down to the pit of her stomach. She was an easy to kill target. Her enhancement was already known to them, so it wasn't very useful. 

Her wings fluttered as she sat down. 

Her sudden euphoria about being able to control her power faded quickly.

"Great, everyone's here." Steven said. "Let's begin." And floor fell out from beneath them. 

Nina could hear several people screaming, herself included. She spread out her wings and slowed her fall. She would have to learn to fly better, she knew.

Nina landed on a pedestal four feet above the ground. She was the last in a line of thirteen. She had no idea where she was. Was this the outside? It very well could be. 

It had a wild look to it. It was all a silvery green color, like varnished metal. She guessed this was the arena. Hanging not fifteen feet in front of her was a sword. All down the line, everyone had something hanging in front of them. A spear, a lance, a club. 

They were hanging off the ghostly limbs of the trees. Each child glued their eyes to some dangling object and stared. Nina searched. She should either try the bow and arrow or the sword. She would defiantly get to the sword first. And if she could use a dagger to hack through undergrowth, how hard could a sword be? 

A horn sounded and she was flying like a bullet, hurling herself towards the sword. She pulled it clean off its rope, ignoring the protest in her hands the rough hilt was causing. 

She had a weapon of choice. A slim chance of winning. 

But still, she had a great enhancement, that she would have to hone over the next few days.

She forced herself to focus on flying. The wings seemed to be instinct, but where she was going was not. She quickly flew up into the canopy where the person with the arrows had less of a chance of hitting her. The clearing she was in just fifteen seconds before was now a carpet of red shimmery blood. Two children were already dead, and the spear was already red. They were down to ten days. Then one of the skinny girls fell, a dagger sticking out of her back. Nine days. 

Nina's head was spinning. If she hadn't left, she would be dead right now. Then an arrow whizzed past, five inches away from her ear. She spun around. She searched in the leaves, and there was the rich girl, number seven, her bow notched with an arrow. Her hair was held back in a pony, and she had the quiver of arrows over her shoulder, and she had a tiny little smirk plastered on her face. Again. "Wha-how did you get up here?" Nina asked.  

Zoe just smirked harder. "I can climb, dimwit. It's really easy to climb. I just grabbed the quiver and followed you up. Because you're really some of my only competition. If I take you, I win. Does that make sense?" Nina stared at her. "If I win, I am rich and famous. If I lose, well, I don't get that wonderful prize that I've wanted all my life. So I'm simply going to win." she spat at Nina. Zoe stepped closer and closer.  

"Aren't you already rich?" Nina asked.

"Not rich enough." snarled Zoe as she came closer.

Nina thrust her sword forward and swung it wildly back and forth. "Do Not-" she screamed, "come any closer. Or I will personally use this wicked thing on you." They both froze. They heard the shrill whisper of a harsh wind and saw the leaves all turn straight. And then Zoe was falling through the trees, relentlessly, to the ground which looked so far below.

"H-" she breathed. The wind tore the scream from her mouth. Then rain started pelting down on Nina. It lashed and whipped her face and her arms.

Nina felt like some beast standing there. Here was this girl being mercilessly destroyed by nature. Not a member of these games. And Zoe knew something. You could tell by her smirk. She knew what the prize at stake was. And she would give it's secret away, but by no means give it up. Nina had to discover this secret.

it might be important. The only thing between life and death.

She had to save her.

She did the only logical thing. She dove out of the tree.

She flew like a rock. She could hear the air rushing past her ears and the furius flaps of her wings. Her heart was pounding too hard. Harder, she thought. She pushed herself, and there she was, gripping Zoe's hand. The wind was still whistling past her.

She slowly tugged Zoe over to a tree.

She dumped her on a sturdy limb and flew down to retrieve her sword and her Zoe's arrows and bow off the ground. Inches from them, she flew back, startled. They were gone, floating past her head and into the canopy. She hurled after them.

She felt so strong and powerful. A feeling no human should ever feel. But she was no mere human. She was a Shadow Game contestant.

She grabbed the sword and bow. She landed lightly on the branch above Zoe.

"I know you can levitate objects. That's how you were first to the bow and were able to come up behind me. And I know you have a secret. Tell me what you know," she said, bringing her sword closer to Zoe's neck, "and I'll give you back your bow. Don't," she said with malice in her voice, "and I will snap you and your bow in half."

Zoe's eyes widened in surprise, and then with fear.

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