CHAPTER 16: HUNGER GAMES
Sebastian’s POV
My eyes frantically searched for her, but failed to spot the delicate beauty.
“... and the last fifteen women standing will go to the next round.” My sister announced as the master of ceremonies, stating all the rules for the first round. Where was she?
Dark, moisture-heavy clouds started to loom over the sky while the huge circular amphitheater was buzzing with large crowds of different creatures from all over the supernatural kingdom.
Thousands of royal warriors took their position around the enclosed circular space and over the parapet, ready to pierce any adversary’s skull with their lightning-fast spear skills.
The arena was powered by the forces of nature and the roaring power of my dark arts. I thought back to my darkest time and the most beautiful memory and let the power flow through me and into the arena. The concrete stage in the very center molded into a furious white waterfall while beautiful trees and flowers popped around it with fresh, dewy green lawns stretching across the expanse of the gigantic arena. The dark arts harnessed my memory when I met my beautiful mate at death’s doorstep.
The ground was a sight for sore eyes.
Birds and animals chirped and danced to nature’s tunes as light, soothing music clubbed with the sweet pitter-patter of the light drizzling rain. The sweet sounds nourished our ears and souls.
49 females clad in their kingdom colours chose their offence and defense weapons made of sharp, futuristic, high quality steel and gold, and left only a bare wooden staff with a blunt head for the last participant. However, she was nowhere to be seen!
My heart sank at the sight of the last untouched weapon. Everyone claimed the best of the best while my heart’s true desire was left with a blunt, wooden weapon.
‘But she is not even here!’ Titan whimpered in my head, hurt at the very idea that this event would be futile if our mate did not show up at all. She would be automatically disqualified.
“AND NOW I OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE LUNA TRIALS!” My sister screamed and horns blared.
A hundred drums beat in remarkable sync while the wolves howled. The participants took position in the arena, choosing the best hiding spots.
My heart thumped wildly to the drums’ beats, my heart almost in my mouth as the head lycan warrior climbed the stairs and lifted the huge hammer to hit the gargantuan, golden plate. No one could enter once the hammer made contact with the plate.
Titan almost screamed in relief behind the sheer curtain in the royal quarters when a white-clad, masked female warrior suddenly cartwheeled into the arena out of nowhere amidst shocked gasps. She grabbed the wooden weapon with both the legs in the air and fell directly into the white waterfall just when a huge bang resounded in the amphitheater as the golden plate resounded across the lycan kingdom.
A smile stretched across my lips and if possible, my heart. I only caught a fleeting glimpse of her but I could never forget those deep, black kohled eyes.
The arena was locked for entry and exit permanently. It would only open when exactly 15 living and breathing beings were left. Even I couldn’t undo my spell if I wanted to. Anyone who tried to enter the grounds would be burnt to death just by the mere touch of the invisible boundary. 35 bodies would unfortunately go back to their kingdoms today. I grimaced at the thought, but I knew the dead would be remembered for their heroic bravery to contest the highly prestigious Luna Trials in this lifetime.
“A lycan queen has to be the fiercest of all,” my sister commented over the mic. “The first round is testament to that belief. The warrior who kills the maximum number of participants will be awarded the highest marks. Believe me, every point matters in this tournament, ladies and on that note, I can already see a suicidal woman leap into the waterfall foolishly,” she added, and the crowd laughed. However, silence descended while I smirked when I saw the huge TV screens still show zero deaths.
It seemed that the other warriors had also noticed that the huge, towering plate of death had not been hit yet. Every hit indicated the demise of a warrior and could be heard throughout the kingdom. The sly warriors of ally kingdoms circled stealthily together with their advanced weapons around the waterfall while hiding behind trees, finding the central spot to be the easiest to launch their attack.
The arena’s size could easily eclipse a small pack or two, and amidst nature’s paradise, I saw my dangerous beauty in her full bloom as long veins and creepers swung across the expanse of the waterfall.
I couldn’t help but burst with pride as I watched the warriors looked confused as the waterfall suddenly turned into a center of chaos with multiple veins and creepers criss-crossing and wildly swinging.
My emotions ran high and fuelled further power into the arena and suddenly the waterfall was sucking everything inside itself while an earthquake jolted the grounds, causing huge rocky boulders to come crashing down on the hidden warriors. The boulders along with the warriors battered to pieces in the roaring river near the waterfall’s gushing mouth.
Two warriors fell into the hydro-pit and desperate, strangled noises could be heard from two different ends!
“I don’t understand what is happening, but if the two warriors die at the same time, we would award bonus points,” my sister declared and that is when two plates wrung at the same time, indicating the demise of the first two participants.
Everyone was on their toes by now. No one could believe what they had just witnessed.
“Wow, looks like the mysterious suicidal woman did the unbelievable after all. Luna qualities much?” My sister commented in awe while the spectators silently agreed. “Someone seems hell bent on winning my brother,” Hannah chuckled while Titan and I quietly celebrated.
Suddenly, everyone put their hands on their ears when thunder clapped with sizzling rage and lightning struck the forest, causing a wildfire to spread from dead wood.
Coward participants cowering behind huge trunks ran for their lives while the stealthy, hidden ones slashed their opponents to death before hijacking the safety spots near the waterfall.
“Where is mate?” Titan worriedly asked as the golden plate of death rang nonstop.
I looked up at the huge screens and my heart leapt as I watched the leaderboard. The numbers quickly changed by the second and positions dynamically changed as top scorers lost lives and the underdogs displayed their true strength. However, only the top position remained static with bonuses hitting with every kill. Maya.
“She is close. Too close. I can feel her. Somewhere very near,” I replied with a frown. How could I not see or hear her? Especially when cameras were everywhere! When did she leap out of the waterfall?
Closing my eyes, I relaxed my mind and let the center between my eyes create the energy to sense my mate.
Feeling the power of the arena in my arms, I calmed myself down as much as possible. As my energy went down, so did the arena’s and the stormy weather was ;replaced with a bright, sunny day where flora and fauna danced under the pleasantness of the dazzling sun.
“Ah! Gotcha,” I smirked and found my mate perched on top of the tallest tree near the waterfall. However, my smile fell when I noticed that the tree was on fire from below. She could fall and die !
Releasing a shower of arrows in every direction, she leapt down the burning tree and hid behind a branch, her chest heaving heavily.
Nature seemed to be in a good mood in the arena but appearances were deceptive.
The swans suddenly turned into spiked weapons of metal and their feathers turned into sharp arrows that zinged in all directions, piercing through anything that came in their way until they burnt at the arena’s border in bright colors of fireworks.
The alluring fruits and flowers turned poisonous while the clouds started to rumble and thunder, turning angrier by the minute again. I looked at nature’s mood swings with an open mouth. Warriors dropped dead like flies —swift, silent, and without mercy.
"Looks like you have more mood swings than I do, brother dear," Hannah said with a chuckle, her voice ringing through the mic. A burst of laughter rippled through the audience. "The arena’s practically vibrating with your emotions. I bet the participants—and the spectators—are just as confused as I am! You're killing us!" She added, grinning.
The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. A few even let out wolf-whistles. These barbarians reveled in the mention of death—especially when it came with a show.
When Zane wholeheartedly nodded his head, agreeing with Hannah, Titan rolled his eyes. ‘I can hear the Beta’s stupidity rattling around from here. Stop nodding your head, Zane. It is embarrassing.’
Zane went red but wisely chose not to give a scathing reply to my lycan in front of everyone while I focused on the arena. Even for me, the arena seemed to have gone haywire and I was worried. For her.
Maya’s eyes were trained in my direction as if she was harnessing energy from me. I frowned and so did Zane. Could she see us?
“Does she have x-ray eyes?” Zane whispered.
“I don’t think so. She seems to be centering herself for something. For what, I don’t know,” I replied, my heart thundering in anticipation. What was she up to?
Maya stood over a huge rock on one leg and folded hands over her head. Her wooden staff lay across her back, strapped securely. Just a push or the mere force of the wind could tip over the willowy figure to the dangerous, roaring black river.
My soul almost left the body when I saw five female warriors go for the kill at once. A defenseless, willowy woman.
Suddenly, Maya’s eyes shifted away from me and rolled to the corners, as if sensing my emotions. She swung the wooden staff fluidly and quickly at precise angles that hit the five warriors at once, sending them crashing inside the river. Bonus multiplier points shot up her score. However, it was not the tournament’s round that she won. What she truly won was the public’s hearts and took away mine.
It felt like there was a rope attached to my chest and it kept pulling me towards her. I had definitely fallen for her.
‘I don’t need a blood test to know that she is my type,’ Titan commented and Zane gagged.
‘Romance killer,’ Zane replied.
‘And itching to become beta killer,” Titan replied. The two bickered with each other while Maya took cover, taking a defensive stance. Good strategy. She didn’t need to take unnecessary risks now. The second top performer was someone named Rose Callahan, and a distant second on the scoreboard.
Suddenly, my eyes nearly popped out when I saw three naughty crawlers toddle their way into the arena! Hands firmly planted to the ground, the triplets crawled towards their mother, giggling and squeaking, “Muh-muh.”
That is exactly when the fierce mother of three leaped in the air and delivered the final and fatal blow on the stunned she-wolf’s head with the wooden staff and the triplets entered the grounds without burning to death as the 35th plate thundered out loud.
Everyone sighed in relief while Titan nearly died of heart attack. Shifting over the highest rock, the lycan howled, signalling the end of the day and the first round of the nerve wreaking Luna Trials, as pride and relief coursed through our veins.
The highlight of the day was when Maya peeked through the triplets’ backs and shyly mouthed in my direction, “Love you.”