[To Be Named] - Chapter 12

[To Be Named] - by Ho-Oh16
A QuizUp fantasy adventure story.

Chapter 12.

   "Plan of action?" I asked Shadow.
   "Attack."
   "Wait, seriously? No fancy plan or strategies? You just want to attack it?"
   "Yep."
   "Uh...OK...let's do this, I guess."
   I was about to run towards our assailant when five large dogs came out from in between the trees.
   "Oh...well that's not good." I remarked.
   "It's fine."
   "Of course it's not! We have one idiot trying to use my bow and now five dogs that probably want to tear us limb from limb. That's not "fine". That's death."
   "Only if you let them kill you." Shadow replied.
   "Thanks for the warning." I sighed. "Is there a plan of action now, at least?"
   "Sure. Kill them all and then run."
   "Perfect."
   "What are you waiting for?" called the voice. It still didn't sound human - not quite.
   "Ladies first!" I shouted back.
   "Chloe, did you just assume its gender?" another voice said from the earpiece.
   "Shadow, do me a favour and let me stick my middle finger up at your eye." I huffed.
*Honestly, you try to taunt something...*
   "Or we could just fight." Shadow suggested. "It's probably a better idea right now."
   "Well please, after you. After all, I only have a dagger. You have a scythe which, might I add, you can turn into a sword."
   "Indeed I do." Shadow replied. He spun his scythe in his hand and got ready to attack.
   The hounds stood in a line in front of their master. They growled and spat, snarled and bit at the air. It was an intimidation act, but Shadow didn't even flinch.

   "What if they have rabies?"
   "Why would you even say that, Dragon?" Anton asked.
   "What? It's a genuine question..."
   "Never mind that. What do you make of this?" Rashaun asked, diverting the others' attention from the dogs and to the silhouette. It was still standing in front of the camera, wherever it may be.
   "That's interesting... have they been there long?"
   "I'm not sure. I noticed it when whoever was talking to us before, was initially talking to the others. They just walked in front of the camera." Rashaun replied. "They haven't really moved."
   "I wonder if that's the voice..." Dragon implied.
   "No, if he wasn't meant to speak, they wouldn't provide him with a feed for the trial." Anton responded. "I think there's more to it than that."
   "What if it's Greg?"
   "You mean the one who announces the trials?"
   "Yeah. What if that's him?"
   "OK, so he's showing us this feed because?" Anton pressed.
   "I don't know. I don't analyse why people do what they do." Rashaun replied.
   "Wait wait wait... the camera...did it just move?" DD interrupted. "I could've sworn it just-"
   "And again..." observed Anton. He began to keep his focus on the silhouette.
   "You don't suppose that maybe this camera is connected to another lens, do you?" Rashaun suggested. Just as he did, the feed disconnected, displaying a familiar message in its place.
   "I'm beginning to think so." Anton responded. "It can't belong to Shadow or Chloe, so that just leaves one question..."
   "Whose is it?"

   I didn't like what I hearing through the earpiece. Another person we didn't know? Perhaps the person behind this? And someone else who was definitely in a bad situation? It all felt off. Like it was meant to be seen.
   I blamed my paranoia for my thoughts. Besides, there were other pressing matters we needed to focus on. Like the pack of wolves and the thing that commanded them. Yay.
   "Why are we still waiting?" I whispered, nervously gripping onto the hilt of my pathetically small blade.
   "Well, you very generously let it have the first move." Shadow replied.
Gotta love the sarcasm.
   "And?"
   "And what? That thing is going to attack first. It provides us with an idea of how it attacks."
   "...which is exactly why I suggested it..." I stated.
   "Of course."
   The mystery monster's human form was fascinating, to say the least. I can't really say it was human. It looked a human, but it didn't. Like it was just a ghost.
   At this point, I began to wonder if it took the form of things it had seen, but then I shook the idea off. After all, we'd never seen it before, so it wouldn't have seen Ozy.
*Would it...?*
   Five large and angry dogs. Two people.
   "This is hardly a fair fight." Shadow claimed.
   "Oh really?" replied the thing. The thing that I needed to name. And soon.
   "Yes, really. These are no match for me." Shadow announced.
   "Shadow, wait! You'll make it worse!" I whispered harshly.
   "But you don't know these beasts like I do. Have fun with your play date. I'm sure I'll be missed." It replied with a chuckle, before backing away into the cover of the trees.
   Without warning, a signal was given to the hounds that made them all a lot more angry. So much so, in fact, that all five of them decided to attack at once.
   Panicking, I readied my dagger.
   "He still has my bow! I cant believe he didn't even give it back!"
   "I guess they want their pets to have a chance."
   "BUT YOU STILL HAVE YOUR WEAPON!"
   "And therefore, they're just stupid, aren't they?" he replied, as the first hound leapt towards us.
   Shadow swung his scythe at the beast and in an instant, it dropped to the floor lifeless.
   Its fellow canines took a moment to stare at their dead comrade before turning their focus back to Shadow.
   "Great. Now they're really annoyed!"
   "Don't worry. I'll distract them, you find your bow." Shadow ordered. He had now wounded a second hound, having changed his scythe into a sword.
   "Wait, but-"
   "I killed them all before, and I can do it again." he reminded me.
   Deciding not to argue with him, I slowly slipped away into the thick jungle foliage and out of sight.

   "Wait...Why are they separating again?" Anton questioned.
   "Because Shadow is able to fight. Remember, he did it before. Plus, Chloe isn't particularly skilled with a dagger." Rashaun replied calmly. "This way, she's away from the danger."
   "But she isn't..." Dragon interjected. She brought both of their attentions to my monitor. "Look at where she's going..."
   Unexpectedly, a familiar message appeared across all three screens. Once more, the connection had been lost.
   "...ah."

*Stupid people with their games and stupid ideas...Do I want to be here, wandering around in a jungle? No. Did I ask to be here, wandering around in a jungle? Of course not.*
   "So why the heck am I here?" I mumbled to myself.
   I pushed branches out of my way so I could try and head towards where 'it' had gone. Something that I still needed to name.
   Despite what you'd have thought, it wasn't actually hot. It felt like an ordinary day, but just with extra-green surroundings. It was definitely unusual. I wondered how they managed to sustain the greenery without any direct sunlight or warmth. Kept me busy while I walked.
   "Are you lost?" hissed the voice of my target. It chuckled from its hiding spot.
*I wonder if you still look a person...+
   "How about a game?"
*Game? What are we, six-year-olds?*
   "How about hide and seek?"
*How about no.*
   "Answer me..." it demanded.
*No thanks. I want to li-*
   A twig snapped beneath my foot.
*You absolute Miltank...*
   "How about you hide, and I seek?"
*Orrrrrrrr....neither.*
   "One. Two. Three..."
   It continued to count, and I continued to panic. Figuring that it wasn't a good idea to stay in one spot, I tried to quietly move around the trees, praying I was in its blindspot.
   "Eighteen. Nineteen. Twenty. Ready or not here I come."
What even is this? I can't believe I'm now playing hide and seek with a-
   "NO!" I yelled, falling to my knees. I thought my arm was getting better, but I must have been wrong. I was struck with another electrical attack, and once more it directed its way to my chest.
*Honestly, now is a really bad time to do this to me, arm. Now all I need is for that thing to find me. Then I'm really done for...*
   "Peek-a-boo..." whispered a voice behind me.

   "What is with this stupid technology?!" exclaimed Rashaun.
   "It's been five minutes. I'm sure it'll come back on soon." Anton said, trying to reassure him. "Besides, I've said it before and I'll say it again: they're strong. They'll be fine."
   Both Anton and Rashaun had stepped away from the desk, leaving Dragon as the main observer. As soon as the screens flashed back to life, she hastily called them over and tried to work out where a Shadow and I each were.
   Anton watched as the last of the hounds fell to the ground. Shadow had successfully exterminated all five of the large wild dogs and was now cleaning off his scythe once more.
   My perspective wasn't showing anything interesting at all. I was just staring at the leaves, plants and vines that blanketed the floor in front of me. Needless to say, I wasn't moving.
   "Has the connection gone?"
   "Maybe it's just being laggy...?"
   "No, I think something's wrong..."
   Anton grabbed the microphone and spoke.
   "Shadow, it's that time again. I suggest you get a move on, brother."
   "I hate not being one group. The more we separate, the worse things get." Rashaun uttered quietly.
   "There's not a lot we can do...it's out of our control..." Anton voiced, watching Shadow set off once more into the unknown.
   "We just have to keep hopeful and strong." Dragon finished.

   I slowly stood up and walked into an slightly more open area, refusing to look behind me.
   "You're really bad at this game. You know that, right?"
   "It...it isn't something I normally play..." I muttered.
   "Hiding isn't difficult. But that doesn't matter now." it stated. "I found you."
*Quick...think of something... anything...*
   "And because I found you, I won the game."
*Oh really? I honestly thought that meant you lost!*
   "And what does that mean?" I asked, preparing myself.
   "That you lose."
   "That's a lie!" I said.
   Rapidly, I spun around and attempted to plunge my dagger into the seeker's chest.
   "And that's very rude, isn't it?" it tutted. It had grabbed my wrist before I was able to inflict any form of injury, and its grip was tightening. "You're a very sore loser."
   "Or perhaps, you're just a very sore winner!" I replied, trying to fight my hand free.
   "Either way, I don't appreciate your attitude."
   "What can I say? You have something of mine...I just want it back.". Of course, I was referring to my bow. I had been away from it for much longer than I'd liked, and I felt somewhat lost without it. I wasn't worried about the arrows or quiver. Just the bow.
   "You mean this?" questioned the attacker. It was now holding my bow in its other hand.
   "Yep. So I'd appreciate it if you just gave it back, so I can be on my way."
   "Nonsense. This is a trial. It's never going to be as easy as that."
   Once more, it tightened its grip and I could feel myself getting ready to drop my dagger.
*Name...you still need a name...*
   "Let me know when you give up." it ordered.
   "Of course." was my reply. I closed my eyes and thought about the important things for a moment.
*The Disguiser? No, that's overbearingly dull. Hunter? Mmm...I dunno...very generic and cliche... Oh, wait.. Seeker. Perfectly compliments his childish behaviour. Neato.*
   "Aha! I'm calling you Seeker now!"
   "What?"
   "Your name." I answered. "Not that it'll matter for much longer. You won't be needing it before long."
   "Is that so?". For the final time, Seeker's grip on my wrist tightened and my dagger fell to the floor. He began to change form again, and now looked like his previous form - tall and slender, but I knew he was palpable. "I'm not sure I see how."
   "I didn't mean me." I smirked, kicking Seeker backwards. My wrist was finally released as he stumbled backwards, and so I hurried to grab my dagger. I knew that Seeker still had more power and strength than me, but if I could stall him for long enough...
   "That was pathetic. If you want to stop me, it'll take more than that." he reported.
   "How about that?" I asked, looking over his shoulder.
   Without the slightest look of worry on his face, a overconfident Seeker turned around.
   "Hello." greeted Shadow as he tried to swing his scythe towards Seeker's head.
   "You're just as rude as she is.". This time, he had grabbed Shadow's scythe - the blade was only a couple of centimetres away from its target.
   "Thanks." Shadow replied.
   "I'm ruder." I announced. I tapped Seeker on the shoulder, prompting him to turn his head towards me.
   "What do you want?"
   "I just wanted to say," I replied, reading my dagger, "that it was knife to meet you!"
   "Wowwww..." I heard Rashaun sigh through the microphone.
*I learnt from the...best......*
   I took a deep breath and let Shadow finish the job. With one fatal swoop, Seeker was down for the count.
   "Here you go." Shadow said, passing me my bow.
   "Thanks..." I remarked. I placed it over my head and let it sit across my back. "That feels so much better."
   "If both of you have finished, it's time to go back to that door. If you remember wher-"
   We didn't need Anton to finish his sentence. Before long we had found ourselves back at the necessary place. I stared at the bodies of the hounds that littered the area.
   "OK, so if you head right and just keep going, it shoulder be there." Dragon told us. "It may be hidden, but it looks promising."
   I gave it a thumbs up and Shadow and I began to hike towards our destination.

   "How long will it take them?" Rashaun asked DD.
   "No more than ten minutes." she replied before yawning. "It's so late..."
    "If you want, just take a break. If we need your help, we'll let you know." suggested Anton.
   "No no, I'm staying. I want to be here for the whole thing."
   "If you insist."
   There wasn't a lot to observe on the monitors. Just trees, trees, and more trees.
   "I wonder where they are..." Rashaun thought aloud.
   "How do you mean?"
   "Think about it. Where have you seen enough space on this supposedly floating chunk of earth for a jungle? Or a maze? Hm? It doesn't add up."
   "That's a good point...but what are you suggesting, then?" DD added.
   "Greg said that they'd be presented with a new environment." Rashaun reminded the others. "What if he didn't just mean the jungle?"
   "Wait...are you suggesting that they're not even-"
   "They're not here?!" Dragon yelled.
   I stopped in my tracks.
*What do they mean, 'we aren't there'?*
   "That's exactly what I'm suggesting." Rashaun announced. "Of course I don't like the idea, but it's the only explanation."

   "Don't worry about that for now. We need to focus of getting out of here." Shadow said, having also stopped in order to wait for me.
   "Yeah...but I want answers. I want to know where we are if we aren't at the house." I voiced, proceeding to walk at a slightly faster pace.
   "The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll know."
   After a short while of walking, pushing and stumbling through the thick jungle wilderness, a wall of vines presented itself.
   "Behind the vines, perhaps?" DD suggested through the mic, letting out another yawn.
   "Stop yawning...it's contagious!" mumbled Anton, no doubt yawning in the process.
   "Cut down the vines. It should be there." finished Rashaun.
   "Well then." I sighed. "I hope they're right."
   Shadow sliced at the green tendrils and they fell to the floor in an impressive heap. Much to our relief, a door was there. A way out. Finally.
   "REMEMBER ME?!" roared a voice from behind. I frantically turned around to see a severely injured creature stumble out of the bushes.
   "Shadow, get that door open...QUICKLY!"
   It began to dash towards us as    Shadow attempted to open the sealed door.
   "I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!" it screamed.
   "Just a few more seconds..." Shadow mumbled to himself.
   "Hurry up!" I yelled. I took my bow in my hand and reached for an arrow that wasn't there.
   "READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" it bellowed. Now it was bounding towards us, changing shape into a large bear as it ran.
   "Wait, is that-"
   "Yes it is." Shadow interrupted.
   "I thought you killed him!"
   "Evidently not. Just let me open this door and we'll be fine."
   "They're gonna make it..." declared Dragon.
   "No, they won't...it's too fast!"
   "No! Shadow can do it. I'm sure of it..."
   "WE AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT!" I yelled, bracing myself for impact.
   Shadow finally opened the door and pulled me through before the remnants of Seeker could act out its revenge.
   "OH MY WOrd that was close...."
   "You're welcome." Shadow responded, checking that the door was once again firmly shut.
   A violent bellow sounded from the other side of the door.
   "Ok...so...where are we now?" I asked, wanting a believable answer.
   "Hello once again. I hope you enjoyed that trial. I have to admit, I got a bit worried towards the end there."
   "Really? That surprises me..." I muttered.
   "How so?"
   "Well you already let one of us die, so why not two more? I'm sure you'd get through the grief just fine."
   "If you want to join your friend, that's absolutely fine by me. At the flick of a switch, I can have you wiped from the face of the earth. The choice is yours."
   That shut me up.
   "Just answer the question. Where are we?"
   "You're in a small white room."
   "No, where are we really? And where are the others?" Shadow demanded to know.
   An extended silence caused more tension and suspense than we liked, and I was ready to confront Greg again. However, he decided to push once more button.
   The opposing wall opened up and someone stood waiting. Their face wasn't visible but I couldn't help but wonder...
   "Walk with me."