THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: REPLAY II

They moved as quietly as possible, and Sagiri was the only one who was panting. Even so, they slowed down to accommodate him, maintaining the formation. Up northwest, they moved into a position where many pillars were broken, and the terrain was irregular. The blinding mist was also the thickest there.

”Take positions.” Three interchanged triangle positions with Sagiri at the centre. He was in a meditative position while the others were in their best alert position. When your senses of smell and vision are taken away, you have to heighten your sixth sense and hearing. Hearing, however, wasn’t much helpful because everyone moved silently. Silence prevailed, and for a long moment the arena was silent. Apart from the occasional sounds of contact and elimination announcements, the arena was otherwise quiet, but Sagiri could perceive the tense feelings of everyone. Everyone was so tense and rigid, concentrating to the fullest, that when Sagiri changed positions, getting on one knee and touching his hands to the ground, everyone turned to him. There was finally movement. Calculated movement. Ten teams had already been eliminated, meaning the remaining fifteen were stronger teams or maybe lucky.

”What is it?” Kaka whispered. He was in the innermost triangle and closest to Sagiri. The defensive triangles were not spread out like the day before. They were just a foot apart from each other.

”There is movement in,” Sagiri said, his eyes threatening to go black as the power inside him swirled.

”In all directions, there are three of them moving in spear formation from the north of us, east, and south. It is the Tamelku twins team and two other teams. It’s a temporary pact.”

”They want to fight as three teams together to eliminate all teams so they could take positions one to three. It was a good strategy. I am offended that I didn’t think of that first,” Kiuga sneered

”How far out are they?” He asked, already trusting his insight completely.

”Two hundred, one hundred, and three hundred vaara respectively,” Sagiri said.

”Who is the fastest?” Kiuga whispered.

”The east one?”

”Who is the fastest?”

”The north.”

”I assume the Tamelku freaks are the ones south moving not too fast or too slow so they can backstab the other two if need arises,” Kiuga said, and Sagiri hummed in agreement.

”Kaka, lead the tight circular formation around the queen. You are with Zolinka, Ulekai, N’varu Neni, don’t chase and don’t break the circle, no matter what. use the pillars to make up for the numbers we don’t have. We can’t fight all three teams in these conditions, and they have two of the Tamelku clan. We are going to force them to interfere with each other and fight among themselves. The two teams don’t have a Tamelku, so we are going to calculate a in between and act like we are attacking them, then pull out and leave them to fight to come aid you. Even so, we might take long, and you might be forced to fight the tamelku freaks on your own for a while,” he tapped the two from the first time it seemed they complemented his skills. They dispersed, moving northeast of their position with Kiuga in the lead. Again, Sagiri had to commend him for being a strategist.

The four surrounded Sagiri while the remaining two moved outwards to break momentum when they made contact with the Tamelku twins’ team. Sagiri maintained his position tracking for every movement, even their movements. They were going for the fastest team and acting that they were from the slowest team, but making sure to calculate the distance properly, not to move in too fast and raise suspicion, or move in too late and allow the enemy to close in on their queen. They moved east at full speed before moving north to attack them in the disguise of the east. It was a hit and run to confuse, but hard enough to plant the weeds of doubt between the teams so they could attack fast. They lay low on top of the broken pillars. Sagiri was now understanding why Kiuga picked them. It was not random. Zazarie and Bukata were good at giving false illusions. When they felt the east moving and the north approaching. Zazarie moved on the ground, creating an illusion of many people moving, while Bukata moved in zigzags in the air between posts, creating an illusion of people approaching fast by air. Kiuga used this opening to move silently between the chaos to strike the approaching team when the time was right. Zazarie and Bukata kept up their act a bit longer before hitting them hard, before they retreated quickly but far enough to be undetectable but close enough to hear the two teams fall into dispute before they pulled back entirely to aid their team.

”Spinning wheel,” Kaka announced lowly when the other team surrounded them, leaving only one to protect their queen. They were overconfident, and as the situation was, even with Kaka, they were overpowered since Sagiri could not fight, and the other team only had good fighters.

”They are surrounding us from every side, two on each side!” Sagiri said, perceiving their formation. He had been perceiving the whole arena nonstop, and he was at the end of his rope.

”Team six eliminated!” a voice announced. Only nine teams were still standing. Team 25, 13, 1, 2, 21, 11,16, 8, and 17.

”Pull back Kaka announced! Two moving wheels,” he announced, and the two pulled back, forming the outer circle with Ulekai leaving Zolinka N’varu Neni and Kaka in the inner circle. There was a moment of silence before the eight moved in, attacking with so much force they pushed the first circle in.

”Hold tight!” Zolinka yelled, but it was futile. Some broke through them and came for the other three,

”Kaka two coming for you, one on air and the other on the ground!” Sagiri said, and Kaka locked in immediately using his heightened senses and incorporating it with Sagiri’s instructions. His attacks were precise, and the two could not make it past him.

”Zolinka, one coming straight at you, he is a silent mover!” Sagiri said to Zolinka, who was a little disoriented. He attacked blindly but hit the opponent, pushing him a few steps back.

”I thought you said there was no one with good sensory skills on their team?” The one who had been pushed back had not expected his stealth movements to be noticed.

”There wasn’t. Perhaps it’s their queen.” Another answered.

”He is still bad at combat even so, sensory can only take him so far.”

”Kaka, two more coming for you, the Tamelku.” It was a good strategy to take out Kaka. Kaka was good, but against four, it was too much with the limited visibility. They managed to push him back. A painful feeling hit Sagiri on the chest, and he retched, spitting a mouthful of blood. N’varu had been standing still behind him all the while watching him with amazement and another feeling.

”Are you okay?!” he asked with worry laced in his voice. Sagiri was feeling boneless, and his vision blurred.

”N’varu Neni, one broke past Kaka, he is coming for me,” he said, and N’varu moved protectively and skillfully, not missing any attack thrown at him. He spat another mouthful of blood. The power inside him stirred within him as if trying to act on its own in his weakened state. His eyes went completely black, and the ground under him shook slightly. His eyes were hidden by his uniform hoodie so no one could see how they had changed colour, but the earth under him had felt him.

”To your left...”

”Two coming for you...”

He kept giving instructions over and over again. It was all he needed to do to contribute something to his teammates, who were already fighting and giving their all. He also had a desire to win inside him and to stop being at the bottom of the chain. He hated being at the bottom. He spat another mouthful, and his vision swayed, but he remained stooped forward.

”Team 21 eliminated!”

”Team 16 eliminated.”

Two teams got eliminated while they were still fighting team 1.

”The three teammates are returning. Retreat!” one of the tamelku yelled, and the whole team fell back as Kiuga, Zazarie, and Bukata arrived to aid them.

”You can stop now!” N’varu instructed, coming to hold Sagiri up. Kiuga took in the surroundings, seeing their queen retching blood on both his hands and knees. When their skin made contact, the feeling from yesterday hit Sagiri hard. It was n’varu Neni. He was the one who had stirred the feeling of familiarity within him. He was good enough to hide his presence, yet the power within him did not warn him or call him an enemy. He carried a feeling of nostalgia, and while he had watched him, the feeling of nostalgia. Even when he said you can stop now, it sounded like a command more than a request.

”It was you,” Sagiri said, barely a whisper before he fell forward, passing out.