[To Be Named] - Chapter 11

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

Chapter 11.

   "What do you mean?"
   "There's no way...you can't...". I continued to keep my eye covered. I  didn't want anyone to see this. Not yet.
   "We don't have time for discussions. We have to lea-"
   "No!" I yelled. I grabbed my dagger and keep it in front of me as a warning. "Not until you tell me how."
   "How what?! You don't understand! We need to go before they find us!"
   "No, it's you that doesn't understand...we saw you...you...". I got quieter as I spoke.
   "What? What did I do? Why can't I be here?!"
   "You got shot! That is why you can't be here! It's not physically possible!"
   "Wait, what? When?"
   "YOU DIED! WHAT MORE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW, OZY?!" I yelled. Luckily for me, the others couldn't hear what was being said. I didn't want to provide any false hope.
   A howl, similar to the one I had heard before, echoed through the trees surrounding us. As a lefty, I knew that I would struggle using my dagger in my right hand, but I needed to keep him out of sight.
   "Look. I'm not sure what the heck is going on, but we need to keep moving! It isn't safe to remain in one place for this long."
   I was about to ask why, when a large black dog leapt out of the tall ferns to my left. As it growled, I turned to it and asked a very important question.
   "Do you happen to have your katana with you, Ozy?". I was trying to be calm, but on the inside, my stomach was doing barrel rolls.
   "Uh...now that you mention it...I don't..."
   "That's just brilliant." I sighed.
   The hound drew closer, and I knew I'd need to use my other hand to fight it.
   "Stay out of my line of sight." I ordered.
   "Why?"
   "Just do as I say!" I snapped. "It's for the best and I will explain in a bit. Just. Stay. Hidden."
   Slowly, I moved my hand to my side and put the dagger into my left palm.
   *Give it another second...*
   "Wait... IS THAT A WOLF?!" I heard DD yell through the microphone.
I cautiously nodded in response, not wanting to anger the hound.
   "Is Shadow with you?"
   "No, he isn't, but I think he's close." replied Anton, still monitoring his screen. Now he spoke directly to his remaining brother. "Shadow, if you look left there ought to be a path. Take it and you should find Chloe."
   Rashaun, Anton and DD all watched as Shadow hurried down the narrow jungle trail.
   "From now on, if we ask questions, they need to be simple 'yes or no' questions." Rashaun voiced. "That way, we can understand the answer."
   "So a simple 'blink once for yes, twice for no' response is all that's needed? Sounds like a plan." DD remarked.
   "Did both of you get that?" Anton asked into the microphone. Simultaneously, Shadow and I blinked, signalling that we understood. "I'll take that as a yes."
   Back to the big, scary, bitey, demonic, snarling dog that clearly wants to eat us...
   "One wolf...shouldn't be too problematic." I said.
   "That's the issue...there's more than one." Ozy told me, trying to be helpful.
   "You have got to be kidding me."
   Unfortunately, for once, Ozy wasn't joking. As if they'd been waiting for this new information to be brought to my attention, four more wolves joined the club.
   "I told you we should run."
   "Ughhh...". My gaze passed from beast to beast. They all looked menacingly hungry, and the wolf I had deduced as being the alpha looked blood-thirstily starving. It was slightly bigger than the rest of its pack, and it had bright blue eyes.
   *Just like the dragon...*
   "Shadow, hurry up!" Anton yelled.
   "Wait...he mustn't see you...you need to hide!" I called to Ozy. I had my reasons. Whether he understood them or not was another question.
   Deciding not to argue, Ozy took refuge behind a nearby tree, leaving the 'fight' as one-on-five. Yay. In addition to this well-balanced fight, my arm was beginning to ache again.
   "Chloe, Shadow will be there in a moment. Just wai-"
   Rashaun didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. Shadow had appeared and was very kindly dealing with the hounds. I'll spare the details, as they are somewhat gory and quite violent.    However, what I can say is that, using his scythe, he furiously fought the beasts. When only the alpha remained, he glared at it, and it glared back.
   For a moment, I thought there was some sort of mutual respect between them. The alpha slowly walked towards Shadow, not presenting itself as a threat. It almost looked apologetic. Pitiful. It was a very beautiful creature.
   At least, it was until Shadow decided to turn his scythe into a sword and stabbed the dog through its back.
   "Oh...that's just...ew..." DD remarked inside of my ear.
   "I told you that running towards the noise was stupidity." Shadow said as he wiped his sword clean, turning it back into a scythe.
   "Never mind that. There's something I need to show you." I said, praying that anyone watching couldn't lip-read.
   "Oh?"
   "You just have to promise to keep your eye either closed or covered. The others can't see this. Please." I insisted.
   Shadow accepted, and I called for the 'one who shouldn't be alive'.
   There was more protest from DD and company when both Shadow and I had carefully covered out contact lenses, but we had to block it out.
   "Uh...hi. I bet this is really comp-"
Before Ozy could finish his sentence, Shadow had already pinned him up against a tree.
   "Who are you?" he scowled. "I suggest you answer quickly. I have a scythe, and I'm not afraid to use it."
   "WOAHHHH, HANG ON!" Ozy cried. "Shadow, it's me!"
   He didn't reply.
   "OK, I don't know what is happening. I'll tell you now that I haven't been here for long. Perhaps a day." Ozy continued.
   "A day? Sorry to interrupt you, but...uh...we saw you get shot only an hour ago, perhaps a bit longer. You were in the mansion with Rashaun, you turned around, and then someone shot you."
   "But that can't be right! I distinctly remember having a pillow fight - which was great fun, we ought to do that again by the way - and then separating to look for more copies of ourselves."
   "That's right, but what about after that? The training room, the bonfire, the shadow beasts? Anything?". I was pressing for the answers that I so desperately needed.
   "Well that's just it. I don't remember. I went back into my room to begin my search, and before I knew it, I was in a different room. Remember the one from after the maze? It was like that."
   "So that means-"
   "It was a clone."
   I let out a sigh of relief at the sound of this new information and was ready to speak again, when I was rudely interrupted by my arm.
   "OWWW! NONONO, BAD TIMING! BAD TIMING!" I yelled. I could feel it. Another surge was coming, and I was worried it would be bigger than the last one.
   "Arm?"
   "No. It's my damN FOOT THAT IS CAUSING ME TO SQUEEZE MY ARM IN ORDER TO CONTAIN THE PAIN!" I shouted at Shadow.
   "Is there anything we can do?" Ozy asked.
   "Not unless you know how to entirely reverse the effect of being wounded by an elemental dragon and how to stop an internal electrical current, I'm afraid." I reported.
   "Surely we need to notify the others?". Ozy was trying to be helpful - I could tell - but it wasn't working at the moment.
   "Can't. They can talk to us but we can't speak back. They can only see what we can, which is why we've covered our eyes." I responded through gritted teeth.
   "Not for much longer." Shadow remarked, making me wonder what he meant.
   Then it clicked.
   "No, wait!" I ordered.
   Without acknowledging what I'd said, Shadow looked directly at Ozy.
   "No...it can't be..." DD stumbled.
   "But...he died! We all saw it!" exclaimed Rashaun.
   "Ozy...?"
   "Great. Now we're either going to have screaming, crying or yelling in our ear. Nice one, Shadow." I sighed, throwing my hand to my side in frustration. "They can't hear us, so this situation is currently inexplicable."
   "But now they know."
   "Know what? That he's alive? Or that he isn't real?" I snapped. The pain in my arm had subsided, much to my relief. Perhaps it was getting better.
   But there was a reason I hadn't presented the rest of the group with Ozy. Until I knew who he was, how he got here and when, I felt it was best to protect the others. Especially Anton. I didn't want him to feel like his brother was alright if I wasn't sure that it was actually Ozy.
   "Wait, there's...there's something happening on my screen." DD stated, sounding a bit anxious. She tapped on the smaller live feed, causing it to maximise its size and fit the screen.
   "Who's that?" Rashaun queried.
   Anton wasn't quite ready to speak. It had been an emotionally strenuous day, so I wasn't expecting a reaction.
   "OW!" I winced. My ear was now throbbing - it was the same ear that my earpiece was in. I tried to take it out, but couldn't. "Wait, no, come on!"
   "What's happening?!" Rashaun demanded to know.
   Shadow shook his head is response and soon enough, he was faced by the same problem.
   "Oh...that's new." he said, as calmly as possible.
   How is he so cool with thi-
   "Hello. I believe that we are yet to meet each other in person. Of course, that will change soon enough. And just so you know, you can't remove your devices until the end of the trial."
   "Who...who are you?" I asked. Ozy was looking confused but I couldn't pay him any attention right now - there was someone talking to me through my earpiece. I wanted know why.
   "Don't you remember me?" the voice asked.
   "No, I don't." was my reply. I quickly mulled over what psychos I'd met, and only two came to mind. Then I realised.
   "Have you got it yet?"
   "You?! GET THE HECK OUT OF MY HEAD!" I yelled.
   "Why should I do that? After all, I'm
not in your head. I'm in the earpiece, and right now, Shadow can hear me too. Besides, it's no different to all those times I've spoken to you before."
   "What does he mean by that?" Shadow asked me, as if he didn't already know.
   "Go on. You might as well tell them."
   "...JUST GO AWAY. I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! YOU'LL JUST MESS WITH US AND WE'LL ALL END UP DEAD!"
   Behind the monitors in the room, a very confused DD was watching the entire episode trying to lip-read. Rashaun was there too, but he was staring at DD's screen and the silhouette that now stood there.
   "Allow me to remind you what this trial is about. Communication and trust are essential for your success, correct? Currently, we are communicating. Now all that's left is for you to trust me.". That just flipped a whole other switch in my brain.
   "Trust? Trust?!". I could've sworn I heard a sigh. "I did trust you! And where did that leave me? In case you were wondering, my arm is NOT OK."
   "I was sparing you the worry. But I'm not here to argue over the past. If I told you that your friend there wasn't actually your friend, would you believe me?"
   "No...don't do this to me...I...I can't say..." I replied, looking at Ozy.
   "What are you trying to suggest?" Shadow questioned.
   "I'm not suggesting anything. I am telling you. And I'm telling you that he isn't really a member of your family."
   "Will someone else please tell me what's going on?!" Ozy demanded.
   "I'm not meant to be talking to you. I was never meant to. By speaking to you I am risking my own safety, so don't let it be in vain."
   I continued to look at Ozy. He had to be the real one.
   "You trusted me once. Trust me again."
   "STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO! I AM NOT A KID!"
   "We've heard enough." Shadow told the voice. "I think it's time you left."
   "You know…you'll thank me for this later." he responded. After that he stopped talking, and much to my relief.
   "Wait…what are you trying to say?". I could hear DD now.
   Wait…is he…?
   "So is he dead, or is he alive?!" Anton yelled. I figured that the microphone was still on. And now they were being told that what they were seeing was a lie. Brilliant.
   I tried to grab the group's attention by waving and clapping and all sorts in front of Shadow.
   "This isn't good. If he convinces them, I'm not sure what we're going to do." I stated.
   "Hello?! I am still here, you know!"
   I turned back to Ozy. Things just got very interesting.

   "What did you say to Chloe and Shadow?" Rashaun questioned.
   "Exactly the same as I am telling you. The thing they are with isn't who they think it is. They won't listen, so I'm turning to you."
   "But who are you?" asked Dragon.
   "You should already know my voice. In fact, both Anton and Chloe know it too."
   Having realised what he was talking about, Anton spoke up.
   "So you're the one who was talking to us?"
   "I am. The other three didn't know of my existence until just now, of course, but if anything needs settling between you, save it for later. Right now, there are things out there that were bred to hunt. You may not know me well, or even at all, but I want to see the remaining five of you get through this alive."
   "Why? Why do you want to help us?" Anton continued. "You're one of them - the people beind all of this."
   "Perhaps you ought to stop focusing on me, and focus on the ones in danger." the voice reminded.
   "Where are they going?" DD asked, glancing at her screen.
   "Nowhere good. On your screen should be an image. That is what's masquerading as your friend."
   "What the heck is that?" Anton interrogated. "I swear, if someone else dies because of that, I will-"
   "Anton, save it! We have to warn them!" DD urged.
   On her screen, Dragon and the others were now looking at a new monster. It was a humanoid. Whatever it's technical name was, it was tall, slender and not something you'd want to be friends with.  Similarly to the shadow beasts before, it didn't look tangible. Fighting shadows was hardly a doable task, but nevertheless, a warning was necessary.
   As soon as Rashaun was about to speak into the microphone, a message flashed across the three screens: 'connection has been lost'.

   "So, where are we going exactly?" I asked Ozy.
   "I think there's a place we can hide until things calm down out here." he replied. "It shouldn't be much further."
   "Why do we need to hide? We have weapons for a reason." Shadow said. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation.
   "Shadow, you're literally the only one with a weapon that you can use effectively. I'm not a close-range fighter." I reminded him.
   I was beginning to think about the location of my bow. It was my prized possession and quite frankly, it had gotten me out of many situations unscathed. It was vital. It was a part of me.
   "Here." Ozy announced.
   He presented us with a large cave opening.
   "Nope. No way." I said. "It might surprise you to know that I don't have night-vision."
   "But it's safe, and that's what matters. Come on, we shouldn't stand around in the open."
   "There's something not right." Shadow stated. "What makes you so sure that this place is safe?"
   "...there isn't time to argue. Just hurry up and follow me." Ozy replied, starting to head into the cave.
   "I have a really bad feeling about this." I whispered to Shadow. "What if he isn't Ozy?"
   "Then we kill whatever he actually is." he answered. He followed Ozy, keeping his scythe ready in his hand.
   *"Trust me" even though I lied to you. "Trust me" because I have helped you before. "Trust me".*
   "Chloe, come on!" Ozy called. I was wondering if I should even call him that.
   I decided to wait another minute before following suit. I still wasn't completely convinced about this place, but my trail of thought reached a dead end.
   A sound ricocheted out of the cave. It resembled the sound of metal dropping to the floor, and was followed by a monstrous cry.
   "Where is my bow when I need it?" I huffed to myself.
   "It's in here." claimed a voice from the darkness. It didn't sound entirely human, but at least its English was understandable.
   Two stick arms appeared from the cave, followed by the rest of a twig giant. I had to look upwards to see its face and took a few steps back.
   "What the-"
   "BAD BAD BAD. THAT THING IS VERY BAD. CHLOE AND SHADOW, YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE!" DD yelled once more.
   *Good timing.*
   Little did I know that I was staring at Ozy. Or rather, something that was trying to be Ozy.
   I tried to look for Shadow and eventually, he came sprinting out of the cave. He swung his scythe at the towering monster, but it was to no avail.
   "More shadow beasts. Time to go." Shadow explained, running past me and back into the trees.
   "Wait up!" I called. I chased after him, and the shadow chased after both of us.
   "I tried to tell you." spoke the voice that wanted me to trust it.
   "I KNOW!" I shouted back at it. I picked up my running speed and caught up to Shadow.
   "So how long has he been talking to you for?" he asked. I assumed he was referring to the 'friend' who'd been talking to me telepathically.
   "Uh...it started not too long after we arrived, I think.". I didn't really want to focus on that, so I changed the subject. "You know, some guidance from above would be really appreciated right now..."
   "WAIT! GO BACK!" DD yelled again.
   "Dragon, what are you doing?" I heard Anton ask.
   "There's a door! On the map! If they turned right and carried on for a bit, they may be able to get out!" she answered.
   Shadow and I stopped in our tracks.
   "What do you make of it?" I asked him, taking a quick breather.
   "Sounds like our best option."
   "Deadly monster, mysterious door, deadly monster, mysterious door...wait..."
   "What?" Shadow asked me.
   "My bow...it's back at the cave!" I exclaimed. I needed to go back and get it, but before I could elaborate, an arrow flew past my face, narrowly missing.
   "If you want it, come and get it."
   I stared at our assailant. It was back in human form, but no longer paraded as Ozy.
   "I said if you want it, come and get it." it repeated.
   *Challenge accepted.*