The battle was over, but his knuckles still ached from the force of the blows. His hair was still damp with sweat. He looked down at his battered and bent sword.
"Damn" he muttered as he beheld the sight of the sorry blade. "Stupid beast, you broke my sword"
The five students chuckled as they walked towards Zeke, three boys at the back walking a little slower, their steps uneven, faces still flushed with exhaustion and adrenaline from watching the insane fight. The shield-bearing boy's eyes gleamed with something between awe and nervous hope.
"Thanks... for saving us back there," the girl with the faintly glowing wand said, her voice soft but steady.
Zeke gave a half-smile. "Don't mention it."
The boy with the shield stepped forward, reverence in his eyes. "I'm darius, the mage over there is Mira, the one to her right is her cousin Jer and the two cowards at the back are Jason and Martin."
"Nice to meet you guys." Zeke nodded. "Ezekial, or Zeke "
"Right, Zeke, ermm I know it's a lot to ask, but... can we maybe, follow you from now on? Once we rest up we will be alot of help, Mira is a healer, I can tank hits for you and the others are all good fighters too."
Zeke didn't answer right away, honestly this guy, darius, only had to ask the question, not give a whole speech, infact Zeke was thinking about rejecting him just for the fact that he seemed like he talked alot.
His eyes flicked from face to face, assessing the group.
A small group. Two had minor injuries, scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Mira, the girl with the wand, gave him a nervous smile when she met his gaze, actually now that he thought about it her name is kinda of strange.
"Is Mira your full name?" Zeke looked at her curiously.
"Ah no it's not, my full name is Velmira, like the city." Mira replied, a little hesitant, but this guy did just save her after all so she had to be polite.
Darius randomly cut into the conversation excitedly. "Dude you would never guess but she is actually the daughter of the city lord haha, pretty funny right, the city is called Velmira and he called his daughter Velmira."
Zeke looked at Mira in suprise, before brushing it off. "Anyways," he said at last. "You can follow me but don't slow me down."
Relief washed over their faces. Darius let out a breath he'd been holding. Mira also smiled, although it was forced, "Did he just brush me off like that? He just heard I was the city lords daughter but didn't react, hmph...".
"Let me help with that," she said, gesturing toward Zeke's wounds. He watched as her wand traced an intricate pattern in the air, a soft glow radiating from the tip. The gentle light of the healing spell wrapped around Zeke's wounds like a layer of clothing, knitting flesh and soothing pain faster than natural recovery.
The pain dulled, then faded entirely.
Zeke blinked. "...Thanks."
Mira gave a small nod, before turning away. "You're welcome."
Zeke and the group rested for an hour before deciding it was time to go.
He chose a random direction and ran off, leaving behind an echo.
"Alright... Let's go, I have people to find, Keep up because I won't go slow for you, not even you princess of the city."
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Rian was lucky, atleast more so than Zeke, when he teleported in he found a good group relatively fast. All of them strong, level-headed. Though in Rian's opinion maybe they were too level-headed.
They moved through the forest with practiced formation. Rian, being, well Rian, tried to make a few jokes early on. The first one got a small chuckle. The second? A cough. The third just met silence.
Rian stood slightly behind the group once he realised the murmurs and laughter of his companions were a little forced, still though, he was just happy to have a strong group. Their strong arms and confident stances betrayed no sign of real fear but their lack of humor in response to his jokes gnawed at him.
Eventually, they stopped and set up camp. A small fire crackled between their ring of logs and stones. The trial's first day was ending.
Just as he reached for a ration bar, the trees snapped.
A group of ragged students crashed through the brush, breathless and filthy. One of them a tall boy with wild brown hair and a wild look in his eyes froze when he saw him.
"Kaito?" Rian stood.
The boy's face lit up. "Rian! Oh man, you're alive."
Rian clapped his back in a hug. "Barely. You look like you've been through hell."
"I have, are the others here?"Kaito didn't laugh. His eyes flicked around. "Have you seen my sister?"
"No, I haven't seen Zeke or Tala." Rian's grin faded. He shook his head. "But she might be with Zeke."
Something in Kaito's face darkened, He sat down beside Rian, and let out a heavy sigh as his shoulders dropped down.
They spoke quietly after that. Swapped stories about what they have been through, Rian told a joke here and there and finally got the laughter he craved. Between Rian's group and Kaito's, they had seventeen people total. A fair few. "We should be okay if we run into a hollow or two," he thought.
Just before the group were about to go off and prepare to sleep a deep growl echoed through the area. Less than a second later a thunderous crash echoed through the trees, one, two, three tree trunks were destroyed one by one as something massive barreled toward them. The fire flickered. The students jumped up, weapons ready.
A moment later, they saw the culprits.
A wave of Hollow burst from the trees like the tide at night. A hulking blur of darkness and motion, continously getting closer and closer.
The first scream sliced through the night as a sharp claw caught one of the students at the front in the back, a claw going straight through his body, blood blossoming bright against dark fabric of his clothing.
Soon after, another student fell with a grunt, tripped by roots and dragged under by unseen hands before anyone could reach him.
Screams filled the air as students fell one after the other.
The damp forest floor dyed red with the blood of the students.
Screams rang out as more people fell to the beasts.
Firelight flashed off blades and claws. Rian surged forward, slicing a path through the smaller hollowed, trying to reach Kaito who stood facing the biggest hollow Rian has seen so far, he was roaring like a wild animal, blade flashing wildly.
Rian struggled to breakthrough the tide of monsters that was dividing him and Kaito, when suddenly he saw another hollow pop up from behind Kaito, moving its claw at a speed so fast all that could be seen was a blur, "Shit!! Kaito, move!"
But he warned him too late.
A scythe-shaped limb swept in from the Hollow's side, Kaito's dominant hand got sliced off like butter, the blood drained from his face making him look sickly pale. Blood sprayed like mist out of the stump of his arm. His blade hit the ground with a metallic thud. Kaito froze, staring in shock as his hand fell beside it.
A scream tore from his throat. His eyes swept back and forth between his fallen hand and his arm.
His scream, drowned in the noise of another one close by. A girl, one from Kaito's group was dragged backward and silenced mid-cry as a clawed hand pierced her gut. Rian fought like a demon. The scent of blood, the shouts, the burning wood it was chaos. Nine other students left. Just nine.
He dodged a swipe, slashed at a limb, barely registered the fresh corpse at his feet.
"It's going to kill us all."
Then-
"Hey, you crazy bastards- why are you letting yourselves be killed."
The voice rang through the clearing like a war drum. Rian's blade halted mid-swing.
He grinned, fierce and breathless. "Zeke…"
And burst of hope grew inside him as he fought harder.
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