Wiggin Academy and the Forbidden Curse

The squad tracked through the thick forest trail, the crickets were crying and sometimes the hiss of a snake would startle them.

“So, where do we go now?” asked Mako as she ignored the pounding headache hammering away at temples of her forehead.

“If the water orb was near water, then we can assume the fire orb should be near fire,” said Aiden.

Penelope questioned, “do you think there’ll be a creature guarding that orb as well?”

“Most likely,” said Aiden.

“Probably not as cool as Behemoth though,” remarked Penelope chirpily.

Aiden sighed. “Typical,” he snorted. “Always competing with fire users.”

Penelope snickered before they all froze when they heard a rushing sound whoosh past them and vanish behind the dark murky trees using the thick blackish green leaves as cover. “What was that?” Penelope croaked quietly.

“Oh, now you’re scared,” said Aiden.

Penelope growled, but the creature’s cry was louder.

The squad stumbled forward on their feet when a loud thud fell behind them, the three slowly turned, and there they stood wide-eyed gaping at the sight in front of them.

A long black slimy figure stood in front of them with no eyes and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth that had oozing black slime dripping from his thin lips. Its’ hands held black orbs which were glowing a fiery red and leaving dripping trails of molten lava on the grass, killing it instantly. It didn’t take long for the kids to figure out that this creature wasn’t going to be as easy-going as Behemoth was.

Mako steadied her swaying feet but she couldn’t ignore the sharp pain travelling in front of her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Penelope asked quietly as she spotted Mako flutter like a leaf.

“I’m fine,” she struggled to answer. “What should we do?” asked Mako with a sore voice.

“Should we talk to it?” asked Penelope harmlessly.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Aiden. “He’s an Ambient.”

The squad’s feet began to take small measured steps back.

“Penelope, Aiden,” whispered Mako.

“Yeah,” they both answered.

Mako glanced at them. “Run.”

Squad 9 broke into a dead run down the forest hill and towards the nearest cave.

Mako could feel the blood rushing to her head and her hands were shaking terribly. She quickly glanced down at them and noticed the thick veins that are supposed to full of blood were now carrying heavy black smoke, she glanced back and noticed the creature sniffing the air like it could smell her dangerous reaction.

“What’s a damn Ambient?” Penelope asked furiously and out of breath.

Aiden lowered their bodies. “It’s a creature of lava,” he whispered. “They are made out of the fragments of some ancient fire magic and volcanic ash from Mount Phoenix.”

“Great,” said Penelope sarcastically. “Is there anything good connected to you fire users!”

Aiden puzzled for a moment. “But usually ambient’s are calmer, this one’s acting like it’s on a hunt,” he examined. “Something set it off.”

“We need to find that orb and get out of here,” advised Mako with an unbearable burn in her arms.

Aiden glanced from behind the wall and spotted the figure lingering outside the cave’s entrance, but that wasn’t the only thing he noticed. “I think I found it,” he alleged.

“Where?” Penelope eager to know leaned over him and gaped at the sight.

“What is it?” Mako forced herself and leaned forward; she spotted the glistening fire orb hanging loosely on the piece of cloth strapped around his scrawny unhealthy waist. “Behemoth was so much better,” Mako admitted reluctantly.

And this time Aiden agreed.

“You don’t think he’ll actually hurt us, do you?” asked Penelope with a paled expression.

“Let’s not doubt it,” said Aiden regretfully. “Ambient’s are tricky beasts.”

“Is there any way we can beat them?” asked Mako, before the burning heat carried towards her heart. This wasn’t good, she thought.

Aiden rubbed his forehead. “Combat,” he said simply. “We have to fight him.”

Mako’s skin paled and her sluggish body slumped down the jagged cave wall.

“Mako,” cried Penelope as she anchored her friend. “Aiden, her skin is on fire.”

Mako’s heart trembled as the fiery heat consumed her soul, the black smoke alchemy shot up her hands and electrified through her fingertips, the smoke hovered over her open palms and her vision blurred, but when she heard the dark creatures howl, her eyes blanked and she felt her brave feet walk out of the cave without any resistance, she could hear her friend’s gasps, but she soon forgot that when she saw her vulnerable target.

The creature’s sharp screech thundered through Mako’s body that was ripping apart from the inside out. The Ambient ran towards her but she couldn’t feel anything except the ground rumbling under her feet and the sky turning dark like a storm was about to swallow the world.

“Mako,” a voice cried out. “Mako, get up.”

“Mom,” Mako could hear her own voice echo in the darkness swarming around her.

“She’s coming back,” another voice spoke, but this time it didn’t sound like her mom. Oh, it was her friends.

She felt her head pounding but the sharp stinging pain around her hands numbed. “What happened?”

“You killed the Ambient,” said Aiden bluntly.

Mako’s eyes shot open. “What,” her throat was still raw, she slumped back on the cave wall she was brought into again, her eyes widened when she saw a dark centipede crawling up her boot, she quickly flicked it off.

“What happened to you?” Aiden asked.

Mako’s mind flashed her images of what she has just done, she skillfully had dodged the creature and had used the thick toxic smoke to strangle the Ambient to death, but she hadn’t stopped there, she dismembered his entire body. “I don’t know,” she answered. “One minute I was in the cave with you guys, and the next I woke up here.”

Aiden’s dark perplexed eyes didn’t leave Mako, they stayed cool and collected but full of uncertainty, well that made two of them.

“Huh, whatever at least you got the orb, so let’s go,” said Penelope. “We still have one more to find.”

Mako silently strolled behind her friends as they looked for the final orb, her orb. The image of the Ambient flashed through her mind and appeared in front of her, and her stomach churned at the twisted sight.