Down End Road
Chapter 41

A horrendous slam sounded behind us, as our team intercepted our opponents. The distance grew between us and them, but the nightmarish sounds of battle only got louder and louder.

The throbbing pain... everywhere, pulsed in sync with my worry. Alex! Alex! Alex! Alex! Alex! Danger! Alex! Danger! Alex! Alex in Danger! My mind chanted. A string like tug on my heart made me want to falter, to turn back and help him, but if I did that I would be more of a burden and less than helpful.

My breathing sped up when the distinct pounding of feet boomed behind us. I tugged on Ally's hand and yelled a waring to look out.

Hands on my waist pushed me down. My jaw crashed into the ground, a small crater indented in the soft earth. I heard a sickening crack and saw stars in my blinded vision. My ribs ached with a slicing sharp pain. My laboured pants stung with every inhale. I coughed and my chest ached even more. I probably broke a rib.

Blood streamed from the other side of my cheek. A new gushing slash now marred my face. I felt my legs scramble to get up. I heard Ally grunt as I assumed she got up beside me and took a hold of my hand.

And to think this is a game overseen by adults! My mind bellowed. I felt smaller pair of hands rip me and Ally apart, her muffled grunts and insults spewed toward our attackers. I felt a strong, but hesitant hand grip my forearm.

"Everyone says you destroyed Kayden." Jackson began. "Unfortunately I couldn't witness your epic slam down with my eyes blinded by these goggles. Talk about annoying." Jackson taunted his other hand squeezed my shoulder.

"Tell me about it," I joked. I raised my hand and slapped him as hard as I could. My other hand gripped the front of his breastplate.

My gifts surged through my veins. I felt my head feel clear and full with tactics. I felt strength run through my muscles and my feet became lighter and bouncier. I sighed in ecstasy.

My hand formed a fist as I used the same path as before to swing a hit to his face. I heard skin slap skin. The satisfying impact rattled my bones.

I heard him grunt and before I could comprehend it, Jackson lifted my over is head and dropped me on the ground. I heard another crack as another rib presumably broke. I righted my broken jaw with a crunch.

I felt another fist to my face and decided that was the last time I was getting hit today. I swung my dull blade blindly down to his thigh and heard a thwack. I grimaced. My brain was in full survival mode now.

Too endangered to apologise I swung again, blindly aiming for his torso. I felt something block my sword. "Myra, Myra. Go!!!" I smiled and leapt at Alex. I hugged him tightly before running over to where I thought Ally was. I felt a poke behind me and swung my blade round.

"Myra!" I stopped my sword mid-air and apologised profusely.

"Sorry thought you were someone else." I confessed tiredly. She gripped my hand again, before we set off. Our group -though injured- ran like the wind. I whooped and was guided to the manor. The comforting weight of two metal feathers weighed my thigh pocket down.

I felt tile beneath my feet before we slammed to a stop. I crashed into a hard body and apologised. My body most likely, turned in the wrong direction. Several chuckles sounded from the group. I heaved a deep breath, my adrenaline rush -that kept most of the fiery pain away- wore off.

The groan of heavy doors alerted us to approaching figures. I extracted the two metal feathers from my pocket. I limped over to the person, Ally's hand in mine. I heard a gasp and whipped my head around, ready to fight off all threats.

"Myra what happened to you!?" Cassandra's maternal tone said. "All of you," she cried. I heard two gruff grumbles and decided to wait to explain everything.

This was underwhelming, seeing as I did fight for my life at some point just to get a trinket! A pressure squeezed my head before the goggles suctioned to my face, slid off. I was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. I raised my uninjured arm to my face and rubbed at my eyes.

"We need a medic stat!" I heard Harris shout to a boy. I looked around and appraised everything, glad to finally be able to see.

"Did we win?" I asked Denise.

"Even though the order of Jay arrived first, you did win, seeing as they only brought their treasure. Well done." She congratulated a proud glint in her eyes.

I beamed at my team mates. I limped over to Alex. He smiled at me, grimacing when he saw all the scrapes I had gained. "You need to get cleaned up." He fussed, brushing his finger gingerly over my scrapes. I smiled at his worrying.

He opened his mouth to say something, his mouth poised to speak, when a loud announcement came from the stairs. I grimaced when I thought of the stairs.

"Group Photo of the crowning champions!" A man with suspenders beamed. We lined up in a row, our beaming smiles trying not to twist into grimaces at the injuries we had obtained.

We were dismissed and I heard a series of whoops. I felt hands on my legs and back before I was hoisted in the air. I yelled and squirmed in their grasp. "Put me down you big Oafs." I commanded gruffly.

"This is what you get when you win the games, especially when your our champion." Jason laughed. A laugh bubbled up my throat.

I looked over to Genevieve and Heidi. Heidi gave me a small smile and Genevieve nodded at me in congrats. I smiled at them and nodded back. Ally awaited me at the top of the stairs. I was put gently back on my feet. The boys still cheered and bounced around.

My every breath ached and stung. My head ached. My cheeks throbbed. My thigh pulsed with a relentless acid-like pain. I felt bruised from the tips of my toes to the tops of ears. Even my hair ached. I swung my arm around Ally for support and congratulated her.

I heard a stampede behind me. Too exhausted to turn back, I disappeared into the manor.