At the start of the race everyone get in their position, Amy in the front, Eirian in middle and Biscuit at the back. Eirian pull the cart along with all ten sack inside. They choose to travel on the main road because Blake can fly which give him an advantage in covering more ground. If they were going to be spot anyway might as well travel on the main road where it is easier and faster. All of them only bring a shield which they place on top of their cart to protect the sack. For Eirian he has magic while Amy and Biscuit can’t or don’t know of to properly wield weapon.
Amy in charge of their team this time so Eirian try not to argue with her and follow all her order whether he agree with her or not.
While they take the first break Eirian also pop Mind-fizz to help him focus more. With the candy effect Eirian feel like he can spot any movement in the wood even with a bee flying by. This make Eirian confident that they won’t get ambush out of nowhere.
It’s only took a few hour before he spot Blake in the sky, the raven land on the nearby tree and wave at them.
The three didn’t make a move to see what Blake will do but he just stand there in silent for solid five minute. Eirian look around and he can’t see anyone else nearby.
“Come down and fight” Amy shouted.
Blake keep his silent so Amy kick her leg “Tellus” and a ground pierce up to knock the tree where Blake is standing down.
Blake simply lift up and fly away.
“What the hell is he doing” Amy look around before told everyone to continue walking but be careful of their surrounding.
Their speed is slow down by a bit but they are making good progress with no sign of enemy team.
Few hour pass by before they spot Rusul on the road. The goat smile and say hello to them. “Don’t mind me please keep going.” he then walk off the road so the three can pull a cart past him.
“What your plan here?” Amy confront Rusul.
“You’ll have to ask Blake.” Rusul step on the road again and position himself behind Biscuit.
As everyone look at Rusul who walk up behind them Eirian noticed a shadow in the sky with a bucket.
“Biscuit watch out” Eirian shout when Blake threw a liquid out aim at Biscuit.
Biscuit panic and pull her hand up to protect herself while Eirian shout aquam to stop the water just before it hit Biscuit.
“What is this? A normal water?” Eirian confuse when he pull the water close to see what Blake throw at Biscuit.
“Is this his attack?” Biscuit sound a little shake at the surprise attack.
“No” said Eirian “he is testing your skill.”
“His real attack will come soon then, Tellus” Amy look at Rusul and stomp her leg, part of the ground lift up to capture Rusul so he open his canteen and turn a water inside into ice and smash a pillar of dirt that try to capture him before running away.
“Come back here” Amy give chase.
Seeing Amy step away from the cart Blake swoop down toward the sack with knife and espiro.
“Amy!” Biscuit call out to her friend while Eirian cast aquam shooting a ball of water back at Blake caused him to crash into a nearby tree.
“congelo” with the water Eirian has left he shoot an ice spike into the tree trunk cutting it down. Blake struggle to get up and fly off before the tree fall.
He land soon after at the next tree.
“Able to use all magic, Amiel really is cheating” Blake sound like he’s enjoying himself.
“Why don’t you just come at us all at once and get this over with?” Amy try to provoke him to attack but she knew the reason already.
“Oh no no that wouldn’t do at all. I’m still have a lot of tactic I would like to try on you guy so hang on a bit more.” Blake nod at Rusul who has now run back but still stay out of Amy and Eirian magic range.
Blake fly away and the three of them can only look at Rusul who wave at them as he keep following their group from far behind.
Amy not dare to chase him again since she still don’t know where Levana is. If she gone too far from the cart and Blake come back with her Eirian alone might not be enough to protect their cart.
At least Biscuit now have a bottle of water Amy hope this time she can at least cast some magic to protect herself.
For hours as they push their cart along Rusul stay behind and keep singing to annoy them.
“Can you please shut up, Jacto”
“No can’t do. Whoop almost hit me there.” a rock pass Rusul head by.
“Arg!” Amy stomp and create a giant wall of rock from the ground to block Rusul “quick let us get away”
The three run as fast as they could but Rusul just took his time to walk around the wall which isn’t that long to begin with. For a moment he lost them but he knew that as long as he keep walking he will find them soon enough. The cart that carry ten sack of sand can only be pull ahead by one man for so long.
“A-my I need a break" eventually Eirian pant and so everyone has to stop for a break.
“Fine let’s swap place. You front, I’ll pull the cart this time. Biscuit if that guy show up again just freeze him to death.” Amy said while they rest.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll try.”
The three of them continue walking for a moment before stopped, this time Levana stand alone on the road so Amy put the cart down and step to the front.
“Tellus”
“Tellus”
Both ant push the ground up into a pillar which crash and spit into dust. Both then follow with jacto and more tellus to block the rock while keep their distant.
Eirian spot Blake hiding in the tree so he breath fire out on his hand to make fireball and throw at the tree.
Blake fly up in time but the tree is now catching fire. He flap his wing and espiro all the leaves toward Eirian and the cart, the tree make a cracking sound before stumble with the wind. This tree was already partially uproot by Levana since Blake plan to use to tree to crash the cart, being set on fire is just a bonus.
Eirian realize his mistake quickly make water shield to stop the burning leaves from hitting the sack but at the same time Biscuit create a wall of ice that overlap with Eirian move. “Biscuit no!”
The two magic get in each other way just as the tree about to land on the cart so Eirian use congelo to transform water into ice pillar which pierces through Biscuit’s wall of ice; part of the ice crack when hit but the tree stop before slide off to the side into the road.
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“Ooo ice magic” said Blake before dive down and kick the still ice pillar with all his weight from the side. The pillar broke in half.
“Ahh” Biscuit cried in panic as the ice shatter all around them.
“Not as thick as I thought” Blake said while flying up.
“accendo” with a wave of hand Eirian shine a beam of dazzling light aim at Blake eye.
Blinded Blake lose control and crash into a tree again.
“This is more difficult than I thought.” Blake laugh “Levana retreat.”
Levana turn back and use tellus to jump push herself up in the air, Blake catch her midair and both fly away.
“They are so annoying!” Amy and Eirian start to pant, casting so many magic is draining for anyone.
“Maybe more song would help?” Rusul show up at the back but still stand far away.
“Go away!”
“Can’t do”
The three of them push on with little time to brake now that the sun is setting.
Rusul continue to sing and talk even when they take a break dissuaded Eirian from talking with Biscuit about what happened and he’s also too tired. If Amy about to get up and chase he would run away for a bit but didn’t take long before come back for more chanting.
Finally at the tree line few hour before reaching their goal Blake and Levana show up again. The sun has now set and the area is getting darker and darker to see. Both side of the road here is stack with tree so it would be hard to push the cart off the road and go around them.
“So this is where you made a last stand at last” said Amy.
“We have a wonderful time taking a break while waiting for you, hope you’re not too tired.”
“More than enough to kick your ass” Amy step to the front again and leave the cart to Eirian.
“Good” Blake nod.
In instant Levana stomp the ground at the same time Rusul cast ice magic.
The ground under Eirian and the cart raise up high cause Eirian to lose balance while in the back Biscuit create a wall of ice to block Rusul attack, the wall make a crack sound with each time Rusul throw an ice spike at it.
Amy try to stomp the ground to lower Eirian back but Levana quickly throw rock at her making Amy create a wall to protect herself first. In the mean time Blake fly up and swoop past the cart with his claw causing it to fall to side, all shields bounce off from Blake claw but only one sack got cut, the black sand pour to the ground while several other sack simply fell off the cart.
Eirian who manage to get up use tellus to lower his ground back to road level and accendo at Blake again. This time Blake is prepare and immediately turn away and fly off so Eirian’s beam of light can’t hit his head.
Seeing Blake fly up Eirian turn his light toward Levana eye which blind her giving Amy opening to hit her with a rock and knock her down.
In the back Biscuit wall of ice shatter, Eirian want to turn his light to blind Rusul but the light fade from his hand before he could aim at Rusul. Luckily Amy react in time and knock Rusul back down with a rock.
“Let’s go” Amy ordered.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A several sound of glass shatter on the road in front of them just as Levana manage to get up and stomp her feet; with single stomp the road turn upside down with several pit hole open up, a trap that they prepare in advance.
From the shattered glass smoke quickly creep over the path ahead.
“spiro” Eirian struggle to speak “sorry I think I spent.” he can no longer cast anymore maagic.
“Push the cart I’ll take front and make bridge if need be.”
After the stomp Levana collapse unable to move further. Blake who threw the bottle Rusul prepared swoop down with all the power of espiro he can muster to push the three of them into several hole they have dug ahead.
With first sweep Biscuit got push and fall into one of the hole.
“Biscuit!”
“Keep going don’t stop” Amy shouted as she bring the wall up to protect Eirian from Rusul ice spike. The goat now got up and try to chase them and with the rate of smoke that coming out soon they won’t be able to see the road and get surrounded.
“But Biscuit”
“We need to get the cart out of here if our cart fall into the hole it over”
Eirian know Amy is right the sun already set and they are running out of time. If they stay here and fight to save Biscuit their cart could fall into the pit and that would spell the end even if they beat Blake.
“That an order”
“Dammit” Eirian push the cart ahead. Amy create a wall to stop Rusul from following them follow by a stomp to feel the earth ahead.
“Wait please don’t leave me” Biscuit shout from the dark pit she trapped in but can only head the foot step of her friend further and further away until eventually there is no sound but the howling of the night wind.
“We almost out of pit trap tellus” Amy punch and the ground move to cover the hole so Eirian can push the cart over the pit.
Blake now stop using espiro since he is too tired from casting so many times but so is Amy and Eirian.
With the final big pit before their cart is safe Blake throw himself at the cart hoping to bring it into the hole with him but Amy react by jump at Blake just before he hit Eirian. Both fall into the pit together.
“Keep running” Amy shouted while try to hold Blake down.
Amy and Blake struggle for a while but since Blake is bigger he use his claw to grab Amy and hold her down. She respond by biting his leg while cause him to scream in pain.
Trying to fly up he realize the pit is not wide enough for him to lift off “Alright stop stop. We’re struck down here now.”
“Speak for yourself I can climb up anytime.”
“Then I won’t let you go.” Blake make sure to hold Amy down in the way she can’t bite him again.
After a while Rusul catch up and shout from the top of the pit to asked for Blake instruction.
“Use your magic to get me out of here I can still catch up to Eirian.”
“Oh no you don’t, Tellus!” with her magic the top of the pit close and both now trap under the sealed hole in pitch darkness.
“Oh how wonderful.” said Blake who realize they are going to be here for a while.
“Hello? Anyone? Please someone help me” Biscuit start to cry in fear now that everyone abandon her. She try to create water so she can pull herself up out of the pit but no matter how hard she try no water come out. She pray to Amalthaea but to no avail.
“Why am I so useless” she sit alone in the dark for what feel like an hour before she hear a foot step above.
“Calamity?” the geep look up to see the gray wolf under a faint moonlight.
He look around before jump down to Biscuit “What happen?”
“I fall and...Amy and Eirian have to rush ahead because we’re running out of time and I’ll only slow them down.”
Calamity look around in the hole she in as if try to gauge of long she trap down here “Let’s get you out of here.”
Biscuit freeze and Calamity pick her up into his arm and jump both of them out with his strength.
“Thank you” said Biscuit to the wolf as she stand free under the moonlight.
Not long after Eirian reach the goal and the city guard light up a flare to let everyone know this race is finish. The city guard who keep watch nearby fly down and offer Calamity and Biscuit guide back to camp.
Another guard also come out to help Amy and Blake out of the hole.
Back at the training camp everyone talk a bit about the result on their team before miss Hellen announce the score.
“Amy team got rank 1 with 9 full sack. Blake got 6 and a half. Marco got 3. and Brant 2.”
“What Marco team only 3? What happen?”
“They got us off guard” said Marco who has no trace of wound on his body but still very displease.
“Credit to Deacon” said Sarah “he noticed that the team member don’t need to stay in their role so he suggest we let one defend team rush to join attack team before we ambush, while 3 of us are fighting the last one destroy their sack from behind.”
“You got me alright but there won’t be a next time.” Marco take solace in the fact that his team wasn’t rank last thank to his teammate who found the enemy who walk around the edge of their area and only carry three sack to sneak pass them. One got caught while the other was spot right at the goal and his team managed to snatch one sack away before he reach the goal.
Blake approach Amy and Eirian “Congratulation Amy, you did better than I expected.”
“Of course I did.”
“It’s seem I underestimate you, knowing how the ant focus on collective I was under the impression that you won’t abandon anyone of your own.” Blake look at Biscuit “My plan was to trap one of you in the pit so you won’t leave until all your team is saves. It’s was a miscalculation on my part.”
“The hive is all. Team victory come first before any single ant.”
“I see.” Blake nod and look at Josh “I heard you fought well do you like my gift?”
“I trapped in that net for hours.”
“I always told you to practice flying more.”
“humph”
“Biscuit” Eirian call out to her “We’re sorry we leave you behind. Are you alright?”
“Yes I’m sorry I have to make that decision but the situation call for it I hope you understand it is for the team”
Biscuit who now stand next to Calamity nod without showing any anger “I understand. Pleas don’t worry about it.”
Calamity watch over her without saying anything.
Everyone talk about what happen on their side for a while before head back to sleep in a tent. Tomorrow they are back at the city in time to see miss Hellen announcement in front of a reporters.
“From our investigation we have prove that the bomber came from city of the damn. The citizen can now rest easy now that the perpetrator is dead and we’re investigating the city itself for the possible source of bomb material in corporation with both government of Avion and New Terra. We believed the perpetrator act alone and would like to assure everyone that the city is safe and with all of us coming together in this crisis we’ll be stronger than ever before.”
“Miss Hellen what about the rumor about what bomber wrote on the wall about Alana?”
“I don’t know where this rumor come from But I give you my word that there is no trace or evident of any vandalism, graffiti of any kind at the crime scene.”