34. Chapter 34
34
T he arrow plunged deep into the eye of one of the wolves, eliciting a bone-chilling yelp and stopping its pursuit. Another roar blasted through the crater, startling me and breaking my focus. I tumbled to the ground, sliding against the sharp, jagged rocks. My ripped gloves offered little protection as my bloody fingers scrabbled for purchase on a dead tree trunk, its bark slicing into my hand. Desperately, I dangled from the cliff's edge, screaming in pain as the agony radiated up my arm.
The energy within me sizzled away my panic, flooding me with adrenaline and giving me the strength to hoist myself onto a lower ledge, splitting my nails against the hard soil.
I found my footing, hastily pulling out another arrow, when I saw a red-haired boy plummet down the opposite rocky slope, followed by a shorter raven-haired girl. Their screams, piercing and desperate, mirrored the agony I had just endured. I tore my attention away from their cries and spotted Astor. He leaped across another slanted rockslide closer to the center, only to catch one of the rocks and tumble down it. He looked up in terror as the large gray wolf followed, yelping as it scraped against the sharp rocks.
I nocked the arrow, tracking the wolf's movements with trembling hands, and released it. The bowstring snapped, echoing off the crater's walls as the arrow soared through the air, embedding itself deep into the wolf's shoulder. The beast tumbled forward, crashing straight onto Astor.
" Astor !" I bellowed, panic flooding my voice. I sprinted towards him, leaping over the first dead wolf, and watched Astor scramble for footing while the beast snarled, slashing and biting. Astor's desperate cries propelled my feet faster, leaping off each switchback until I reached his level closer to the crater's center. The sight of the wolf's fangs, inches from Astor's face, sent a surge of terror through me.
I nocked another arrow and let it fly into the wolf's back leg as I sprinted faster toward him. The wolf howled in agony, falling farther down the slope until it plunged off a cliff, smacking the center in a sickening crunch. Astor swiftly grabbed a low-hanging tree branch. Blood streamed down his arm, staining the rocks below as the cold light swallowed the darkness of the crater.
"Hold on!" I screamed, sprinting faster towards him. My lungs felt like they were about to burst, and my legs begged to give out as exhaustion began to overtake me. I slung the bow over my back and leaped across the next slanted rockway, scraping my legs against its jagged surface. I reached the other side, frantically leaping down each switchback until I finally reached him, his eyes brimming with tears as he grasped my bloodied hand. His body slammed into the sharp rocks, spilling more blood before I managed to pull him over.
Astor shook uncontrollably, blood bubbling from deep teeth marks on his arm and a long gash that ran down his thigh and one on his stomach. Tears spilled from his eyes as I sat paralyzed, staring at the blood pooling on the dirt path beneath us. The sharp scent of copper filled the air, sending my heart into a deep despair.
Quickly, I grabbed a sharp rock, using it to cut jagged strips from my suit, wrapping them around his leg, arm, and stomach. The blood soaked through almost instantly, but it was all I could do to try and staunch the flow. My hands trembled as I pressed against his stomach.
He hissed in pain. "What was that thing?" he cried out, slumping into me, his voice filled with pain and terror.
None of this should be happening.
None of it.
I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out. I didn't know if it was a Spellcaster, but it had to be that monster written in that book.
I sucked in a coppery breath, glancing out to see the two other contestants running down the switchbacks into the exit at its center, long blades and daggers in their hands.
"We're almost there," I rasped, my throat dry and scratchy. "We need to keep moving," I urged, looking back up to the dark slit of the canyon we had entered through, praying no more skeletons or wolves would appear, especially with the scent of blood in the air.
"I don't know if I can—"
" You must, Astor!"
I tried to lift him, but he grunted in pain as more blood spilled from his open wounds. Our breaths came out hot against the cold morning air as my mind raced through every possibility.
Leaving him would make him an easy target for predators and death itself. Taking him would slow us down and put us both at greater risk. Finding something to help move him would take time we didn't have, and there was no guarantee I'd return to the crater in time.
I glance at my trembling and blood-soaked hands, knowing he had minutes before—
NO!
I tore off more pieces of my suit, fashioning crude bandages to slow the bleeding. From the sight of the spewing blood, I feared the wolf's claws had hit an artery.
"Astor, please," I begged, praying this wasn't real. "We have to move," I pleaded, my voice cracking with fear and exhaustion.
He shook, his breath sputtering.
I stood up, holding Astor under his arm. "This is going to hurt," I warned.
I tugged him upright, causing him to cry out and leave a trail of blood in our wake. My heart sank as I looked down into the crater's center, seeing how far away we still were, but I kept pulling, each step more agonizing than the last. Tears stung my eyes with each pull, sending an exasperated cry from Astor. My arms burned as I pulled harder. We managed to pass two switchbacks when a roar froze us in our tracks; screams followed after.
This was it.
This was the end.
More screams bellowed beyond the crater as a roar stifled the contestant's cry.
I stopped, panting, unable to move forward. Nothing good waited for me at the end, only the wrinkled, old arms of Lord Winslow. The thought of him made me sick, mingling with the coppery smell of Astor's blood and causing me to dry heave. My stomach churned up acid, burning my already raw throat. I slumped down, holding Astor in my arms, completely depleted of energy, thoughts, and hope.
"Go," Astor whispered, his voice hoarse and stale. "Eliah, go." His lips had turned purple, his skin pale and clammy. He was losing too much blood too quickly.
" I can't leave you, " I whispered back, tears streaming down my face. The thought of abandoning him was unbearable.
I looked down at Astor's swelling leg, swiftly ripping off more of my suit to wrap around his calf. He made no sound as I pulled it tight. His trembling hand grabbed mine, coated with dirt and grime.
"I'll be okay," he heaved barely above a whisper.
"Astor, you'll die."
"Then win it…for…my family."
Tears welled in my eyes, falling onto his dirty forehead. My heart ached at the sight of his frail, slumped figure. I held tightly to his hand.
"No," I grunted. " No! "
I stood back up, pulling him along, not accepting this fate as rocks tumbled down the rocky slope from the canyon we came out of. Stark blonde hair appeared, tumbling down with a cry.
My heart skipped. "Osric," I whispered.
He fell steeply, the cliff only inches from his feet, before he took hold of one of the path's roots and pulled himself up. I kept pulling Astor's limp body, watching Osric scour the weapons pile, grabbing a hatchet and a long sword, and stowing several things too far to see in his boot. He began running down the switchbacks with a pronounced limp, stopping a few times to grunt in pain before continuing.
"Osric!" I yelled, my voice raw and weak. "Osric!" He looked up at the echo of his name, his eyes meeting mine as I dragged Astor. "Please!"
He stopped in place, limping towards the edge of one of the paths. He looked back up to the slit he came through and then back at me, his features ablaze with fury.
" Die with him, you wench !" he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the crater. Each reverberation grew louder, burrowing deeper into my anguished heart and igniting my anger. He continued running until he made his way down to its center.
Desperation clawed at me as I watched Osric disappear. I turned back to Astor, his breath shallow, his skin pale.
"We have to keep moving," I whispered, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face. I pulled him with every ounce of strength I had left, but his body had become heavier, and the cold air bit into my exposed arms and scraped-up legs. I stopped, inhaling a deep, freezing breath, seeing his blood smeared on the ground, a crimson trail marking our slow progress.
"Astor?" I breathed out, my mouth as dry as the desert. " Astor! "
I shook his limp body before laying him on the ground to examine his wounds. The second wrap was soaked through and caked with mud. My heart dropped as I felt for his unresponsive pulse.
" Astor! Wake up! " I shook his shoulders, unwilling to let this be his end. " Fight it !" Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision. "NO," I sobbed into his chest.
"Eliah, move."
I whipped my head around at the familiar harsh voice, hoping for a miracle, but I saw no one there and was utterly confused by his voice.
No, that's not possible.
My heart raced as more screams and shouts echoed from the crater's exit, followed by a thundering rumble that quaked my heart into motion.
I picked up Astor, tugging—
"Move !" Demanded the warm phantom voice against the slight breeze.
I swallowed, turning around again to find the voice. "No," I whispered back into the open air. "I can't leave him here. I can't leave him like this!"
I can't.
I slumped to the ground, my heart heavy with despair. Anger, sadness, confusion, and numbness swirled inside me.
"Astor, please," I wept in desperation. " Please fight it. " I palmed my dirty face, scrubbing it over before crying out, my anger engulfing my being. My cry bounced off the crater walls, quaking the ground and surrounding area. Bits of rocks tumbled into the center as the rage blasted from my heart.
I gazed down at Astor's lifeless face, his chest no longer rising, and a crimson pool expanded beneath him.
"MOVE, ELIAH! NOW!"
The voice thundered in my head, causing me to falter and cover my ears before several bony Skinners emerged from two of the canyon openings as another jarring roar bellowed into the murky sky.
"I'm sorry," I murmured, pressing a tender kiss to Astor's brow before leaping down to the lower path, continuing faster down the labyrinth.
The Skinners quickly advanced, their tattered black cloaks billowing behind them as I leaped from the last narrow path towards the dark exit. It was a pitch-black hole, only large enough for one person to pass through, and it appeared to have been somehow drilled into the earth. Another roar echoed from within the cavity, sending chills down my spine. I looked up at the dark figures tumbling down the switchbacks and took a deep breath before plunging into the cold, dark hole.