The Biringan Chronicles

Chapter 8: A Hint of Awakening

As the teams ventured deeper into the dense and mystical forest, the race for the Elder Tree became intense. Among the five competing teams, El, Thai, Raven, and Tabitha formed the Red team, with Raven clutching their team's flag tightly. Their rivalry with Lucian, Geralt, Kara, and Fletcher from the Brown team added an extra layer of competition to the hunt.

Thailos, always strategic and observant, warned his team about potential dangers. "Watch out for traps," he cautioned. "I saw the Yellow team with bags filled with traps. The Duwende are great inventors, and they can easily install them."

The squad continued to hurry through the forest, their senses sharp and their wits about them. "I think we should set up camp here," Tabitha suggested. The sacred Elder Tree still lay 150 kilometers away, and the forest was teeming with other creatures that could delay their progress. Tabitha's suggestion made sense with the possibility of traps ahead and the need to conserve their energy.

Tabitha skillfully cast a void spell, creating a concealed campsite shielding their presence from other teams. With this basic void spell, they could safely set up a fire for cooking without the smoke giving away their location.

Thailos, impressed by Tabitha's magic, couldn't help but compliment her. "I never knew you could create such a huge void," he remarked.

Tabitha responded playfully, her confidence shining through. "It's easy, wise man."

Meanwhile, Raven carefully placed the team's flag at the center of the campsite and joined El in gathering firewood. As they worked together, a moment of quiet passed between them.

El eventually broke the silence. "Hey, I'll leave the barrier for a while. I'll go find some mushrooms for food," he suggested.

Raven nodded and followed him, the two venturing into the mystical forest to forage for food.

As El and Raven gathered food and firewood, El's keen eyes spotted members of other teams collecting various roots and cotton fruit nearby. Raven, noting their outnumbered position, whispered, "We're outnumbered. Let's head the other way."

They began to walk away cautiously, but their attempt to escape was thwarted when they stumbled upon Lucian, who was waiting for them, wearing a sly grin. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" El tried to backtrack and shouted, "We're here!" alerting the teams collecting roots nearby.

The other teams were alarmed by El's call and left their task, joining Lucian. He grabbed Raven's hand, and they attempted to flee. Lucian, enjoying the situation, taunted them, "You think we're on different teams? Fool! I paid them to join the hunt and have you outnumbered."

He continued to explain, filled with smug satisfaction, "You see, there are eight of us and only two of you. You're trapped!"

In the heat of the moment, tensions flared and emotions ran high. "Coward!" Raven's words echoed through the air, piercing the silence that had once enveloped the group. The provocation was too much for Lucian to bear, his anger rising to the surface. Without a second thought, he lashed out, delivering a powerful kick to El's chest, sending him crashing.

But Lucian's rage did not stop there. Fueled by his fury, he turned his attention to Raven, his hand connecting with her cheek in a resounding slap. The shock of his actions rippled through the onlookers, their gasps filling the space between heartbeats. "How dare you!" Lucian's voice trembled with indignation. 

The other guys swiftly moved in, taking hold of El and restraining him from retaliating. El struggled against their grip, his eyes blazing with defiance and desperation. But it was futile; he was trapped, helpless against the overwhelming strength of his adversaries. Lucian, encouraged by his dominance, taunted El with a chilling declaration. "I can beat you right now if I want to," he sneered, his voice laced with menace and superiority.