Creeping Shadow (The Rise of Isaac, Book One) (24 page)

He paused before continuing. "In a moment, I would like you all to make an orderly queue towards the pod station where you will receive a pack containing supplies. You must then proceed to take a pod to the next station along. When you arrive you will walk, team by team, towards the start line where you will await the commencing of the race. Good luck to you all," Abbicus finished.

A smattering of applause came from around the room and Oliver noticed that most people looked nervous. He spotted Larkin with a pang of annoyance who was casually adjusting his hair as if he were having a relaxing day out.

Quinn appeared at their table and they got up to join her. Rogan led the way to the back of the queue and they shuffled towards the pod station. Oliver was glad Larkin's team was much further ahead than them, not wanting to be faced with snarky remarks at that moment in time.

They took a backpack from a line of people who had t-shirts labelling them as Race Assistants in bright letters. The woman that passed Oliver his pack glared at him but he was too nervous to care. He glanced into the bag and saw a bottle of water and some energy bars but had to throw it over his shoulder and move forward before he could look through it properly.

He climbed into a pod after Rogan and they shuffled up until they were all inside.

"Everyone okay?" Rogan asked, smiling again.

A mumbled response came from their group as they looked around anxiously. The pod headed off down the tunnel so the windows revealed only darkness beyond.

Quinn retrieved two gloves from her bag that looked like they were made of black silicon. She pulled them on and flexed her fingers, eyeing them as if checking to see how flattering they were. Rogan imitated her a moment later, pulling on his own.

"So you can't use magic with them on?" Oliver gestured to the gloves.

Rogan nodded. "Yeah. They were originally designed for prisons so mage criminals could be restrained. They started using them in the race after a mage was caught cheating her way through it by secretly healing herself of exhaustion."

They followed the Ninagoon team up the steep steps, their bright purple jumpsuits glaring back at them.

The sunshine poured down on them and a crisp wind blew their hair backwards. Oliver blinked as his eyes watered. They rounded to the left, following the curve of the mountain. A roaring cheer filled his ears as they turned and the valley dropped away towards an incredible sight.

The stands were packed with thousands of people all looking down upon the dark and ominous mouth of the cave. Gravity tugged at Oliver's feet as they descended and Anna gripped his sleeve for support.

All fifty teams walked separately at intervals and he spotted the dark red of Larkin's team far ahead. They were nearing the starting line which had been painted in gold in front of the cave.

The flat, towering wall above the cave was now used to project the survision. Close-up shots of each team were broadcast as their names were announced by Ray Falls. She stood next to Truvian Gold high up on a podium near the survision. The crowd screamed every time a team name was announced.

"The Koops," Ray said and the crowd went wild. "Followed by the Visikins." The crowd cheered again.

Oliver gulped, the thought of getting booed filled his head again. They were closing in on the crowd now and the hill dropped down into a gully that swept between the stands and into the cave. They had to crane their heads upwards to see anyone. The crowd noise was louder down in the crevice as it reverberated off of the walls.

"The Ninagoons."

A shot of their faces burst up on the screen as they waved and the crowd whooped and cheered.

"The Pandalins," Ray Falls finally said.

Oliver craned his neck back to see their faces being broadcast to the world. Oliver looked as nervous as he felt. He realised the others were waving and threw his arm in the air to join them. He listened for the boos but, if there were any, he couldn't hear them.

Relief flooded his chest. It was over in seconds and Ray Falls was announcing the next team. "The Thrakes."

Oliver felt a rush of adrenalin as they took their place along the huge, gold line that marked the beginning of the race. Rogan was at the front, followed by Quinn, him, then May and Anna. They had to stand one behind the other so there was enough room for each team along the line.

Two of the Ninagoon girls were whispering and glancing at Rogan whilst fluttering their eyelashes madly. Rogan smiled at them which sent them into fits of giggles. Quinn leant into him and planted a kiss on his cheek like she was marking her property.

The rest of the teams lined up along the start line and the crowd was hushed into silence by Truvian Gold.

"The race will be starting in precisely two minutes." He threw an arm dramatically towards the screen and a timer flashed up in the right hand corner as a sweeping shot of the teams was aired. Oliver realised he couldn't see a camera anywhere. "How are they filming us?" he asked and Quinn shot him a glance as if he were completely stupid.

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"It's nanocameras. You can't see them," she said and he almost smiled but frowned instead as she turned away muttering, "
Earthies
."

He returned his attention to Truvian Gold's voice. "Good luck to all the teams. And remember to check those watches because you've got exactly two hours to reach the finish line to qualify for tomorrow's race."

Oliver noticed everyone around him looking at their wrists. He fumbled in his bag quickly to find his watch and strapped it on, catching sight of May rolling her eyes at him.

The clock read thirty seconds on the survision.

"On your mark," Ray Falls said.

The crowd was counting down from twenty. "Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen. Sixteen."

"Get set," Truvian Gold said.

Oliver glanced at Rogan who gave him a thumbs up then turned back to face the cave, readying himself. Oliver felt his legs shaking with the anticipation of running.

"Nine. Eight. Seven, Six. Five." The noise was deafening.

Rogan was bouncing from foot to foot.

Oliver braced himself, forcing himself to focus. They had to do this.

"THREE. TWO. ONE."

"GO!" Truvian Gold and Ray Falls screamed together.

22

Below

O
liver ran forward at full pelt. He shot between two of the massive pillars of rock in the cave mouth. The darkness overwhelmed him. He held his hand out to reach for Quinn in the darkness but couldn't find her.

He veered left and light finally filled his eyes as they entered the firebat cave. Teams were already darting down the exit on the other side of the room but Oliver slowed. May and Anna bumped into him.

"Rogan?" he called.

People were barging into them so they kept moving towards the exit. He saw Rogan a few feet ahead of them, gripping Quinn's arm tightly.

"Hold onto each other!" Rogan called to them and he felt May clasp the material at his back.

He forced his way through a team in front of him and joined Rogan and Quinn. Quinn looked relieved to see them for the first time ever.

Oliver gripped the material on Rogan's back and he did the same to Quinn. They wound their way like a snake through the teams that were spread out in a disarray. They had soon gained ground ahead of many of them and ran down the long tunnel at full throttle.

At the end was a fork and Quinn veered to the right as several teams headed to the left. They followed her onwards until they reached several large, wooden doors that had been carved roughly to fit the shape of the cave's natural passages.

"We have to choose one. Half of them are occupied already!" Quinn shouted.

Every door they passed said
Occupied
in bright, red letters on a panel by the handles. They followed the corridor to the end of the doors and finally found one that said
Vacant
. They didn't hesitate. They went straight through as a team behind them charged towards their door.

Anna slammed the door shut and twisted a knob on the other side to lock it.

The room in front of them was daunting. There was a large chasm between them and the exit, bordered by two sand-coloured walls that were peppered with blackened, sooty holes.

A six foot long platform jutted horizontally out of the wall to their left, suspended above the dark abyss. The platform was just wide enough for them to stand on side by side; they were separated from it by a short gap.

"It's a challenge. There'll be a clue here somewhere," Anna said.

"Here!" May called, pointing to a plaque beside the door. She read it aloud. "A platform for all. Then minus one. Three on third, then two, then one."

"What's it mean?" Oliver asked, looking at the others. His mind could barely process the words from the adrenalin running through his veins.

Rogan looked at the platform in front of them thoughtfully. Quinn walked over confidently and stepped straight onto it.

"NO!" Rogan shouted as a huge flame burst out of the round hole on the wall, the height of Quinn's head.

Rogan yanked her back off of it just in time. She fell onto her bum and screeched in shock. The rest of them rushed over.

"Are you alright?" Oliver asked, unable to help being concerned. Some of her hair was smoking so he patted it down with his sleeve.

Quinn swatted him away. "
I'm fine
."

"You can't just go ploughing ahead without discussing it with us," Anna snapped furiously. "If you go and get your head fried then we all have to drop out of the race, too."

"I know. Alright. For Vale's sake. Help me up, Rogan," Quinn growled.

Rogan pulled her up. "At least we know you can't step on that thing." He stifled a laugh and she threw him daggers.

"No not
alone
but I bet we can all step on it together," May said and they looked around at her. "The clue says
a platform for all
that's the only platform in here so it must be talking about that."

"I think you're right," said Rogan after a moments' thought. "We better all step on it at the same time then. Everyone agreed?"

They all nodded, Quinn included. They lined up in front of the platform, their toes hanging over the ledge.

"On my count, then," Rogan said.

"Wait. Maybe we should duck down as we step on. Just in case?" Oliver suggesting, eyeing the smoking hole in the wall.

"Good idea," Rogan said. They all bent over so that the hole would be just above them. "One, two, three."

They stepped forward in unison. Oliver squeezed his eyes shut as his feet landed on the platform.

Nothing happened.

They all sighed in relief and stood up straight. A grinding, grumbling noise sounded as another platform emerged from the wall to their right. They would have to jump to reach it and the chasm beneath them looked formidable. There was no fire hole above it which would, hopefully, make it easier.

"Okay, any suggestions?" Rogan asked. "What's the next bit of the clue?"

"It says, a platform for all. Then minus one. Three on third, then two, then one. So, only four of us can stand on the next platform?" May suggested.

"But that would leave one of us on this platform to get burnt!" Anna said, looking alarmed.

"I'm not staying," Quinn said abruptly, shuffling to the end of the platform.

"Shut up, Quinn. No one's getting burnt," Rogan said.

"What's the rest of the clue?" Oliver asked.

"Three on third, then two, then one," May repeated.

"Okay, so assuming there are going to be five platforms total it goes: five, four, three, two, one as in the amount of people who can safely stand on each platform, right?" Oliver said.

They nodded and no one spoke for a minute as they tried to figure out how they would manage to get across.

"How about four of us go onto the next platform and the one that stays here ducks down whilst the fire blasts out?" Anna suggested.

"Then what?" Quinn said, shaking her head so her hair fluttered about.

"I haven't thought that far," Anna said, glancing at her sideways.

"There's no fire blaster on the next platform so why don't we all jump onto it?" May suggested.

"Something else might happen. We can't risk it," Rogan said.

"How about four of us jump onto that platform and we find out what happens? It's the only way," Oliver said impatiently.

"You're crazy," Quinn breathed.

"We have to move, one way or another," Rogan said. "But, who's going to stay here?"

"I don't mind staying," Oliver said, unsure how strongly he actually felt that way but was conscious of wasting time.

"Okay, you duck down and the rest of us get ready to move. On my count," Rogan said.

Oliver knelt down on the floor and shuffled to one side, giving the others more room to manoeuvre.

"Three, two, one," Rogan said and everyone but Oliver jumped to their right onto the next platform.

The fire burst out above Oliver and he tucked his head down instinctively. The scorching flames didn't let up. He shuffled to the far edge and peeked up to see how they were doing, sweat collecting on his brow.

A third platform was grinding its way forward from the wall on the left with a fire hole at both feet and head height. There was no chance the wrong amount of people could be on it without getting burnt.

"Oh, Vale," Oliver heard Anna say.

"We
have
to have three on that platform, no more and no less otherwise someone's dead," Rogan said.

"Okay, three of us jump forward and Oliver jumps onto this platform?" Anna suggested.

"That's what I was thinking. I think it's our only option," Rogan said. "You hear that, Oliver? Three of us are gonna jump then you need to get on this one, quick."

"Got it. The sooner the better," Oliver shouted, his back starting to heat up intensely.

"I'm gonna stay here. You three jump on my count and Oliver you jump towards me," Rogan said. No one argued. "Three, two, one."

Oliver jumped as best he could from a crouched position across to the platform. He got to his feet and saw Quinn, Anna and May on the next platform, ahead and to the left. They were now halfway across the chasm which stretched endlessly beneath them into the darkness.

Nothing happened for a moment. Rogan grinned at him triumphantly then the floor beneath their feet trembled. The grinding noise returned as their platform began to recede into the wall.

"Oh, no," Rogan said, shuffling up to the edge furthest from the wall.

Oliver followed, precariously balancing on the trembling stone.

"Just jump onto our one!" May shouted with a note of panic.

"No. The fire will be set off," Oliver said, fighting against his instincts to jump.

They had less and less space by the second. Oliver glanced down into the abyss beneath them and his stomach lurched. He looked up and saw that another platform had emerged across from the girls' and an idea struck him.

"I have a plan. Two of you need to jump to that next platform but at the
exact
same time we have to jump onto your one," he said.

"Okay, no time to argue, let's go," Rogan said, with only half a meter left between them and the wall; the gap between them and the next platform was getting further and further to jump.

"Three-two-one," Rogan said, much faster than he had previously, and they leapt into the air.

Oliver landed and balanced with his feet firmly in place, then Rogan collided with him and he went flying toward the ledge. His insides seemed to float inside him as he fell forward.

Rogan gripped the back of his collar and Anna grabbed his arm, pulling him back. His hands shook as he steadied himself and took a slow breath. He caught his friends' eyes and they laughed nervously. Across the room, May and Quinn were gazing at him from the next platform with alarmed expressions.

"That was close," Rogan said.

A final platform had emerged across from Quinn and May which would allow them to jump to the exit.

"Now what?" Anna said, her forehead crinkling in concentration.

"If Quinn and May's platform is the same as the last one then it will start going back into the wall if the wrong amount of people are on it," Rogan said thoughtfully.

"So why doesn't May jump to the final platform, then we all join Quinn and go one by one to the final platform then the exit?" Oliver said.

"We'll have to go really fast," Anna said, chewing her bottom lip. "We better jump at the same time May does so we get the longest amount of time possible on the receding ledge."

"Okay, ready? Three, two, one," Rogan said and he, Oliver and Anna leapt forward.

At the same time, May jumped on to the final platform that had a fire hole at head and foot height.

As soon as Oliver's feet hit the ground the platform started receding, fast. Worse than this, all the platforms around them were receding, including the one May was standing on.

"GO!" Oliver roared.

May jumped to the exit and, simultaneously, Anna jumped to the final platform as May vacated it.

"Jump," Rogan said, shoving Quinn in the back.

Anna dove towards May who was safely off of the platforms by the exit. Quinn leapt to the last platform, landing roughly on her knees. She sprang to her feet, and jumped to the exit as Rogan shoved Oliver forward.

The platforms were already halfway back into the walls.

Oliver jumped. Every muscle in his body strained. His arms were outstretched. His stomach crashed into the side of the final ledge and he scrambled to pull himself up, his heart thudding in his ears.

Winded, he ran and jumped as hard as he could, crashing to the ground next to Quinn by the exit. He rolled over as Rogan landed ungracefully next to him.

They lay on the floor for a moment and Rogan started laughing. Oliver dropped his head back onto the stone and joined in as relief flooded his body.