Page 30 of The Chosen Fae

“No. As you said, she likes being a lone wolf.”

“So do I.”

“So you don’t want to join the rest of us?”

“No.”

“You’ll regret it.” Then Pari took her plate and moved over to where Vesper and a couple of other guys were sitting. She shook her head at her teammates.

They gave Stone irritated looks, all but Vesper, who smiled, like he thought Stone would get his comeuppance by not joining them.

9

The next day in the common area, Lolita excitedly hurried over to speak with Rune and Stone. “Look at my fancy new boots!” She turned her foot this way and that to show them off. “I received those from my sponsor, Queen Alicia of the Golden Fae, for winning the Escape Room challenge.”

“A queen. How wonderful. I love your boots,” Rune said, admiring them.

Stone smiled. “They look great on you.”

“I love your new boots too,” Lolita said. “I got a golden dagger for the Pirarucu Challenge.” Lolita showed it off.

“Oh, I received a soft hoodie for the Pirarucu Challenge,” Rune said.

Stone smiled. “Ena got me a matching one.”

Lolita laughed. “They know you’re going to be mated wolves.”

Then the Game Master showed up and told the gathered competitors about their next mission.

“The next game will take place in No Man’s Land. The goal is to safely reach the Hawk Fae Kingdom without getting yourself killed. Sandworms live in the sand, and when you reach the other side of the desert, you’ll face wraiths. You’ll be scattered across the hostile territory and must make your way across. If you are in danger of being killed, you will push this button on your pack, and you’ll be rescued by a dragon shifter. They’ll be standing by. You’ll earn a penalty if you have to be rescued, but it won’t automatically send you home. Your goal is to reach the Hawk Fae Kingdom, where you’ll wash up and eat, and then you’ll stay overnight at the Phantom Fae castle.”

“Can we fight the creatures?” Vesper asked, showing off his new sword.

Rune wondered how he got a replacement so quickly. A sponsor?

“Yes. That’s why you have your weapons for this challenge. They’re not easy to beat. Though you can run as a wolf, if you prefer and if you think you can get across faster that way. Like with the other challenges, you can’t use your fae powers. When you cross the sand, the iron ore rock is deep in the soil, which will prevent anyone from fae traveling across that stretch of desert. Even us,” the Game Master said.

“Is there anything else you can tell us about the creatures?” Pari asked.

“They hear sound. So you need to get across without them hearing you. They’re large, serpent-like sandworms with large teeth. They come out of the sand and arch up if they’re after dragons flying overhead. If you’re on the sand, they’ll stay low and slide across it to get you. They eat their prey, pulling them into the sand. It’s a silent trial where you want to always be quiet, as if you were a wolf hunting a bird. If you can get across without making any noise, more power to you.”

Everyone looked a little uneasy. Rune was used to prowling, stalking, walking as quietly and quickly as a wolf. She wasn’t sure she could do so as the fae. She’d have her sword, but she wasn’t sure it would help fight against large sandworms.

Still, she could switch between forms if needed.

“Once you reach the other side, you have to deal with wraiths. They float about in the woods, ready to take your lives. You can fight them with weapons, but they will fly away and swoop back down in a never-ending mission to take you out.”

So lots of fighting. Rune just hoped they could do this without having to request a pullout from the area. Especially if she made it to the forest and got past the desert all right.

“Okay, we’ll be transporting you to the Phantom Fae Kingdom that borders No Man’s Land, and it will take a few hours. You’ll stay at the castle of the Phantom Fae this evening. And then tomorrow morning, you can cross the desert.”

“Would it be safer to go at night?” Lolita asked.

“No. They hear sound. They live under the sand. Nighttime and daytime crossings make no difference to them.”

“Will our swords work against them?” Vesper asked.

“Better than throwing stars,” the Game Master said.