link to the contest
Link to the official first story.
Link to the announcement of the winner of the placement for the 2nd story.
Link to the official second story.
Disclaimer:
All characters written here, so as the story itself is a work of fiction. Not in any way reflecting real life situation. Purely fiction.'
Progression without Progressing.
It has been more than an hour since they arrived at the location Mervin Agustin designated as a place with Arc the warrior.
TP and Demotry has been sitting below the trees enjoying the shade not far from Mervin Agustin and Witty the Witch of Zell.
"Gutom na ako." TP grumbled.
"Shit!, ako rin." Demotry howled.
Mervin Agustin is sitting near Witty the Witch of Zell, who has been surveying the area making use of her Weather Magic to levitate and rotate around its position like a lighthouse. She has red on her eyes and the nerves on her eyes seem to be building up, this is because she had never blinked ever since she started this.
"Oi!! Witty maghahanap muna kami ng makakain sa kakahuyan banda roon!" TP shouted.
He waited for her response as she saw her spin like a spinning top but nothing happened. He noticed Mervin Agustin's gaze is fixed on Witty the Witch of Zell, to which he find weird as Mervin Agustin seems to be drooling from the end of his lips.
"No response huh." TP sighed.
TP looks at Demotry and he stared right back, for a moment it seemed Demotry didn't want to join TP's hunt for food, but soon enough Demotry rolled to a stand and dusted off the dirt from his clothes that are tight for his size. "Fine!, Lez go!"
TP smiles and starts walking only hit something with his bald head.
"OOF!" TP bumped his head hard and held his head in pain.
"LOOK!" Demotry points at what TP bumped into.
TP read what was written in the Signpost and hurriedly shouted "Witty!, Witty!, nakita na namin si Arc!"
finally Witty the Witch of Zell stopped spinning and took a step towards TP's direction.
But when her foot landed on the ground she fell as she is experiencing the sensation that the world is spinning.
"Blargh!" the Witty the Witch of Zell vomited.
"Witty Okay ka lang?" Mervin Agustin walk towards to help her and held out a hand.
Witty was furious, Her eyes were burning in pain, her head spinning, and she just vomited.
"Mukha ba akong OK!?" Witty Spat back to Mervin Agustin, brushed away his helping hand. but before she could say another word, she vomited again.
Mervin Agustin sat beside the prone Witty the Witch of Zell and rubbed her back with his hand, at this point she didn't care anymore. a grin appears on Mervin Agustin's face.
moments later Witty the Witch of Zell with Mervin Agustin arrived to where TP and Demotry are and was greeted by a strong but pleasant aroma. she saw TP and Demotry were grilling mushrooms while they were eating. while she is hungry she had no appetite due to vomiting earlier.
"Anyare?, Tara Kaen!" TP beckons Witty the Witch of Zell and Mervin Agustin to eat, pointing at the ready to eat grilled mushroom near the firepit.
"Busog pa ako." Witty the Witch of Zell said as she didn't dare look at the food. she then remembered what TP shouted earlier, "Ano nga pala yung tunkol kay Arc?"
TP scratched his bald head and took a moment to chew and swallow the mushroom he just bit before answering. Demotry gave Mervin Agustin one of the skewered mushrooms.
TP points into the Signboard "There oh."
Witty the Witch of Zell's eyes trailed to which TP was pointing and saw the signboard.
the signboard shape is that of a rectangle with its dented pillar pierced to the ground, the dent is due to the fact that TP had smack into it earlier with his head.
displayed in the signboard is a drawing and a message, the color used convinced anyone who looked at it that blood was used to make it.
the drawing depicts a stickman entering a castle and the message below it writes "Too bad, but Arc is in another castle.".
this made Witch of Zell's hair raise. for this was a personal message specially made for her. when they were young. Witty and Arc used to play a videogame called Super Plumber Boys on the Pamilya Game System.
it was a game where you play as a plumber traversing a level using movement, jumping, and accessing sewers to save a princess. and at the end of each series of levels is a castle level which include defeating a boss. and upon defeating it would hopefully save the princess only to be greeted by a mushroom man that tells you that the princess is on another castle. prompting to another series of levels.
"Here." Demotry offered Witty the Witch of Zell a skewer of mushrooms. Witty took the skewer but still had no appetite and just stared at the fire pit.
as night falls, The quiet atmosphere is being drowned out by a chorus of singing cicadas.
Demotry stood up flexing his filled belly and looks up to the sky. "It's getting dark, we should prepare to camp and rest." he took a stroll.
TP noticed how distraught Witty the Witch of Zell and out of curiosity decided to asked a question.
"So...," TP said softly to Witty the Witch of Zell. "Sino ba si Arc?"
Witty the Witch of Zell stoke the fire pit contemplating on how to answer.
"Someone that I used to know." Witty the Witch of Zell answered while her eyes fixed to the fire pit.
TP felt stumped as the answer Witty the Witch of Zell provided just gives rise to more questions.
Demotry returned to the firepit and after looking at the confused TP, elaborated about Arc.
"Arc is a warrior, a very strong one." Demotry said, "Arc would be a great asset for us in saving Jazz Hero."
"Or an obstacle." Witty the Witch of Zell interjected.
Demotry can only nod in agreement as he knows that Arc already terminated quite a lot of competitors in the Battle Royale they are in.
Demotry sat beside a nearby tree, leaned on it and closed his eyes to rest.
TP, while still clueless followed suit to rest,
Witty the Witch of Zell felt tired as well but turns her attention to Mervin Agustin na may kinukutkot na kahoy.
Mervin Agustin noticed Witty the Witch of Zell and said "Tulog ka na bae. ako na bahala."
Witty the Witch of Zell felt something was off at what Mervin Agustin just said, but brushed it off, and soon enough she fell asleep.
as Mervin Agustin confirmed that the three are resting, a toothy grin starts to form on his face.