Septem - The Golden Militem

Septem - The Golden Militem

(Seven - The Golden Warrior)

I struggled to push against the earth encasing my body but it was futile. I couldn’t move anything from my neck down and it only felt like it was getting tighter around my body. My friends weren’t in great shape either. Blaze was now bleeding immensely forehead; blood trickling down his face to drip onto the floor and even though he constantly groaned every now and again, I could see that he was getting weaker. If Peri doesn’t get to heal him soon...I don’t want to even think about what could possibly happen.

“Release them,” I said to Gemma. “I’m the one you want right? Release them and I will stay as your prisoner.”

“Have you lost your mind Tai?” Vee asked looking at me incredulously. “What’s the point of us coming all this way if we don’t leave without you?”

“Well if you don’t get out of here now, then Blaze will die!” I shot back at her.

“D-Don’t worry a-about me,” Blaze said raggedly. “I’m fine.”

“You’re dripping blood onto the ground Blaze!” Peri said as tears filled her green eyes. “You’re not fine!”

“Please let me heal him!” She cried to Gemma. “I swear I won’t try to escape or attack you or anything, just please let me heal him!”

Gemma’s hard green eyes glanced over each of us slowly, as if she was analyzing each of our expressions before she made her decision. “I will allow you to go free, but only you three!” She said looking at Peri, Blaze and Vee.

“She stays with me,” She said tugging harshly on my hair. “And if you try to infiltrate my prison again, I will not hesitate to have you all executed.”

“SHE’S NOT EVEN A THREAT WHY DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP HER?” Vee shouted at Gemma.

“Unless you can distinguish to me what gift she belongs to, you can have her back,” Gemma seethed. “But until then, she remains indistinguishable and a threat to my community!”

“WELL YOU CAN’T JUST KILL HER!”

“Who said anything about killing?” She raised an eyebrow. “She’ll be used for experimentation.”

“W-What?” I stuttered. “I’m not just some science project you can experiment on, I’m a person!”

“A person who cannot be affiliated with a gift!” Gemma said.

“I don’t even have a gift, I don’t have any special powers,” I pointed out. “I’m not exceptionally strong or fast or intelligent. I’m just an average girl. If there’s anyone you want to hold hostage it would be one of those three who are actually gifted! Not that I want you to hold my friends captive.”

“Yeah take me instead!” Vee piped up. “Or even better, take Blaze!”

“E-Excuse me you l-little b-br-brat?” He croaked.

“ENOUGH!” Gemma shouted annoyed. “The girl stays with us and if you try to break her out again, you will be executed along with her!”

“POISON IVY!” Peri suddenly shouted as her eyes lit up to a florescent green.

“Did you hit your head to hard?” Vee asked raising an eyebrow at her.

“I’ve been smelling this peculiar scent since we got down here but I couldn’t really place it until now,” Peri said. “This place is infested with poison ivy and it feels like it’s spreading fast.”

“What’s your point?” Gemma folded her arms.

“How long has it been in here?” Peri asked frantically.

“Why should I tell a brat like you tha-”

“PLEASE, YOUR LIFE COULD BE AT STAKE!” She shouted.

Gemma was taken back by Peri’s loud tone and cleared her throat before speaking. “A few days, people got infected but they managed to fight of the infection within a few hours, except for one person.”

“This poison ivy I sense is very powerful, it’s like poison to a human heart,” Peri explained. “If that person isn’t given the proper medical treatment, they could die.”

Gemma’s eyes widened in shock and she took a few steps back. Whoever it was that is infected must be important to her.

“I can heal them!” Peri exclaimed. “If you release my friends and I.”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Gemma shouted as I felt the earth that encased me wrapped around me even tighter. “I’m sure that I can find another plant gifted that can heal in a matter of wee-”

“If the infection’s already in his body then he only has an average of three days before death!”

Gemma tightened her fist and punched the wall behind her before the rocks encasing us began to slowly crumble away. But the earth on my feet remained in place and I looked up at Gemma in confusion.

“A battle,” She said to Peri.

“What?”

“If you can defeat me in a battle and heal my comrade, then I will release you,” She said. “All of you!”

Is she out of her mind! Peri doesn’t even know any offensive techniques and to make it even worse, Gemma’s the ‘frickin warden of this godforsaken prison, of course that must mean she’s a beast!

Peri bit her lip and contemplated for a few seconds before she firmly nodded her head at Gemma. “I’ll do it!”

“PERI NO!” Blaze shouted but he grabbed his ribs in pain.

“BLAZE!” She ran to help him but Gemma blocked her path.

“Nuh uh!” She said. “You battle me first then you can heal him.”

“YOU’RE INSANE HE COULD DIE!” Vee shouted as tears streamed down her face.

“Don’t do this Peri she’ll demolish you,” I said gently grabbing her shoulders. “You’re a healer not a fighter. I can’t let you do this.”

“And I can’t let them keep you here,” She said as she shrugged out of my grip and walked towards Gemma.

“Even if I lose, do you promise not to kill me or my friends?” Peri asked.

Gemma gave her a stiff nod and I let my shoulders sag in defeat. What’s going to happen to little Peri?

...

“The rules are simple,” Gemma stated. “The first one to have the other unable to render anymore attacks is the winner. Any objections?”

Peri stiffly shook her head no and Gemma steadied her stance for battle. We all were now outside in the middle of this blazing canyon. Many of the people from the community were all gathered around in a circle to watch the duel take place. Blaze was also not in the best shape either. He couldn’t even talk properly now without blood gurgling out of his mouth. A few of the soldiers lifted him out here but that only further worsened his condition. Vee and I were doing all we can to keep him alive but only a master healer could possibly save him now.

“Please Peri don’t do this!” I said to her one last time as I was drag backwards by a soldier.

She slowly turned to shake me with her frail trembling legs. She was shaking like a leaf and you could practically smell the pure fear radiating off of her. But even so, she was still smiling cheerily. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine!”

“PERI!” Vee shouted as tears trailed down her face.

“P-Per-Periwinkle,” Blaze croaked as he slowly outstretched his arm.

Peri looked at him as he gave her a thumbs up. “Use it please, this is a serious situation.”

She appeared shocked and reluctant for a few moments before she nodded and faced Gemma with a new found confidence.

A gong was sounded and Gemma immediately lashed out. Boulders of all sorts were sent hurdling towards Peri, which she barely managed to avoid. Gemma somersaulted into the air and when she landed, the earth crumbled which made it impossible for Peri to effectively dodge her assaults. Using this to her advantage, she summoned a golem and sends to flying towards Peri at an incredible speed.

“PERI!” I shouted as I watched the boulder collide with her, and dust obscured my vision.

“Peri,” Vee whimpered as she sobbed.

But as the dust cleared away, a noticed something green moving on the ground. What the hell is that? Soon enough, I realized that it was a vine! Peri had created an immense vine that crushed the boulder into dust. Gemma was shocked and so were Vee and I. I thought Peri didn’t know any offensive techniques.

“B-But I thought-” I stuttered but Blaze interrupted me.

“Sh-Sh-She can use them,” He said breathlessly. “But she’s a pa-pacifist.”

I see, so that’s what he meant when he told her to “use it”. But if she’s a pacifist, that may mean that she’s able to use offensive techniques, but just how skilled is she at using it?

Gemma mercilessly began attacking again but this time, Peri created a thick large vine that hoisted her high into the air. Gemma was unable to reach her so she began punching, kicking, and throwing boulders at the vine and it was slowly weakening.

“Come on Peri, you can do this,” I muttered as I tugged nervously on my hair.

The vine was now starting to fall towards the ground and Peri slipped off. But as she passed Gemma on her way to the ground, she blew something yellow onto her nose and she began sneezing uncontrollably. Oh boy.

“What is this? -ACHOO- What have you -ACHOO- done?” Gemma said as her face began turning red.

“Just used a little mother nature on you,” Peri smirked as she blew even more pollen into Gemma’s face.

“CURSE YOU -ACHOO- YOU WITCH -ACHOO-” Gemma seethed as she tried to blast Peri with her boulder but because of her sneezing and her eyes becoming teary, her aiming was far of.

“I’ll heal you, if you declare me the winner,” Peri said folding her arms.

“NEVER -ACHOO-” She sneezed as she tried to blast another boulder but miserably failed.

“Well if you don’t get healed in the next ten minutes, your throat will swell up so much and you won’t be able to breath, and thus, you’ll die.” She smirked. “So what’s it going to be?”

Damn, who knew Peri could be so vindictive?

Gemma grit her teeth together before she let out a frustrated cry. “Fine, you’re the winner whatever, now heal me!”

Peri let out a huge sigh of relief before she ran towards her and healed her of her misery. After a few seconds, Gemma held out her hand and Peri shook it to seal the duel as finished, with Peri as the winner. I can’t believe she did it!

“YOU DID IT!” Vee screamed as she flew towards Peri and gave her a bone crushing hug. “I KNEW YOU COULD!”

“Congrats!” I exclaimed as I joined in on the hug.

“Thank you guys,” She grinned at us.

People around us were shocked and whispering amongst each other. Apparently, this was the first time that they’ve seen their “almighty” warden be beaten.

“Per-” A soft croak was heard before it was followed by a hard puff of air. We all whipped around to see Blaze lying face down on the ground with his arm outstretched in our direction. 

.

.

.

DEAR GOD WE FORGOT ABOUT BLAZE!

“BLAZE!” Peri cried as she rushed towards him and flipped him over. His blood stained face was now pale and his hair seems to have even lose it’s color.

She rested her tiny hands on him and they glowed like I’ve never seen them before. The light emitting from it was blinding and Peri’s breathing was becoming more ragged as the seconds passed on. After a minute, Peri fell back onto the ground, completely knocked out and Blaze’s eyes shot open; His complexion and hair returning to it’s former glow.

“PERI!” I went to pull her tiny form into my arms but Blaze beat me to it as he effortlessly picked her up.

“It’s ok, she just fainted,” He said. “She’ll be fine.”

Vee and I let out sighs of relief. We nearly just lost Blaze and I don’t think neither of our hearts could take it if we lost Peri.

“Are you feeling completely ok?” I asked him still concerned, I mean he was just lying on the ground near to death just a few minutes ago.

“I’m fine, she used all of her energy to heal me completely.”

“And you’re sure that she’ll be ok?” Vee asked hovering over us.

“She’ll be fine Vee, she’ll wake up soon.”

Gemma slowly walked up to us. At first her face was stone cold but then, it morphed into a small smile. “She has successfully defeated me in battle. It would be my honor if you all were stay as guests in our canyon for the night.”

Hmm, we did have nowhere to stay and also, Peri promised to heal her comrade. Since Peri fairly won the battle, the hostility towards us has seemed to diminished. “Alright,”

The people around us cheered loudly and one man even brought some sort of earth crown and placed it on Peri’s head. “ALL HAIL THE GOLDEN WARRIOR!”

“ALL HAIL THE GOLDEN WARRIOR!” They all repeated. Golden Warrior? It’s probably because of her golden hair.

“Come,” Gemma gestured us. “They guest house will be prepared for your stay!”

The crowd continued to cheer and praise Peri even though she was out cold. I was surprised that she hadn’t awakened from all the noise.

I was also surprised at how hospital the earth gifted were to us now. Not only did we have a guest house, but they even threw a party for our arrival! But the guest of honor, Peri, was still out cold so they couldn’t have a “full” celebration.

“What a day!” Vee sighed as she fell back onto her bed.

“I know,” I said braiding my hair. “I got kidnapped, then you guys were kidnapped, then Peri took on a warden and won all by herself, and now we’re friends with our former kidnappers!”

“Not to mention that Blaze nearly died!”

“This was without a doubt, the craziest day of my life,” I said as I lied down on my bed. Sigh, you don’t see things like that happening in reality!