Several sharp branches, stinging cheeks, and a set of tangled limbs among the trees later, Vale came to a stop twenty feet from the ground, hook snaking a branch above, Reign wrapped around her, trembling with fear. "L-let me... k-know w-when we are... o-n s-solid g-g-ground. I don't think I can... o-o-open my eyes without s-s-sc-creaming or throwing up until then," Reign murmured her face pressed against Vale's shoulders.

Vale couldn't help but laugh. The scene was utterly ridiculous. The world had fallen into chaos and Vale was left hanging in a tree, thousands of miles away from the place she needed to destroy, with a girl who had called her hair ghastly the night before. "I promise," Vale finally managed after a moment of chaotic giggles.

After several painful moments of Vale stretching her mechanics to the limit, they lowered to the ground. Reign dropped to the ground, clutching at it with tear-filled relief. Stretching her arm, Vale swore. I need to take it easy. Memories of the metal ripping from her shoulder, leaving her vulnerable to her own electrical attacks filled her mind.

A rumble shook the ground. Loud cracks of wood splintered to Vale's left, sending her rolling behind a tree, yanking Reign with her. She held up a finger, silencing Reign before she could start screaming again. The forest was quiet. A quiet that was deafening. No birds, insects, or animal noises. Not even the sound of the wind rustling in the trees.

On instinct, Vale signed to Reign, telling her to stay down and out of sight. Reign surprised her by nodding, understanding her request. Sprinting towards the sound, Vale moved silently in a crouched position.

She was moving so fast that she nearly slammed into what had made the sound. A tall glistening spear was rammed into the ground. The large mechanical beast was two feet wide and ten feet tall, a large screen was bolted to the base. Vale stared at the screen, watching her own reflection staring back at her with a curious expression. "Reign," she called. "Come look at this."

Once Reign was standing next to her, the screen lit up, showcasing an unwelcome face. "Greetings." Kebar smiled unkindly. "I see both of you are still alive."

"What is this?" Vale replied before she remembered to add any fake pleasantries to it. Kebar raised a brow, and after several moments of forced effort, Vale dropped into a curtsy, hating it with every fiber of her being. "Your highness Devinus."

"For communication," he said as if it was obvious. "So I can watch the next test more closely."

Vale stood up straight, unable to keep the anger from her tone. "Didn't have a good enough seat for the crash viewing?" Reign squeaked next to her, staring at Vale with wide eyes, in shock. Vale continued, ignoring Kebar's narrowed eyes. "How many made it to the ground in one piece?"

"There are one hundred left. Most uninjured." Vale nearly collapsed, but she channeled her anger, using it as a grounding point, and steadied herself. Reign however burst into tears, crouching on the ground.

"Why?" she asked, confused. "We don't deserve this."

Kebar laughed. "Oh, silly child. You all deserve far worse. Do you really think that you can show up at my house and only to be rewarded with a gift without being tested first?" He tsked as he stared down at Reign. "Being a Devinus requires a backbone. A willingness to do what is necessary. The ability to kill, to hunt, to destroy."

He smiled at both of them with a sense of pride that made Vale feel disgusted. "Even when you both failed the first test, you lied and stayed. I sent a punishment but you did what was necessary to defend yourselves."

Kebar's eyes darkened. "But then you go and waste your chance at thinning the numbers by suggesting teamwork. The ones that break down and cry deserve to die."

Vale took a breath to steady herself. Punching that screen won't accomplish anything. Save your rage for his actual face.

"What is our next test... your highness." The title came off sounding more like a swear than an honorific.

"AH YES!" Kebar brought his hands together, his fingers pressing into each other. "The reason for why I have reached out to all surviving contestants." He laughed, taking a pause for dramatic effect. "The Hunt." Vale waited, holding her breath, praying that it would be something far different than the name implied.

"There are still far too many of you left... The game is to dwindle down the numbers by any means necessary. You are not able to leave this jungle until you do. The longer it takes, the more dangers you shall encounter."

Vale swallowed, ignoring the pain that worked its way into her chest. "How many-?"

"Twenty," Kebar said, cutting her off. "Twenty is all I will allow into the next round." He smiled widely. "But that shouldn't be a problem for you. You have done quite a bit of destroying with that horrendous looking arm of yours Lightning Bringer."

"Perhaps my grandson shall get his wish. It is just a matter of how you play this next game. I don't like it when people avoid the game. It may result in a few extra challenges for you." The screen went dead, leaving Vale staring at her reflection in the screen, feeling suddenly terrified. 

Vale didn't feel like the face of the rebellion, or a brave warrior that had destroyed hundreds of AI's with her bare hands. She just felt like a silly girl with a knife who had fallen into a trap. One that required her to use a weapon that only she had, to destroy the futures of eighty girls somewhere in the jungle around her. 

"What do we do?" Reign whispered. Her bright blue eyes blinked away her newest set of tears. 

Vale helped Reign to her feet, not offering up a reply. "Vale?" 

Vale glanced back at the screen and walked a few feet away. Reign followed. "Vale, we have to decide what do to." 

I don't want to kill anyone. She had to decide her next move. The others will have already gotten the news. But are any of them capable of killing? What will happen if no one follows his rules. She thought of his threat of adding extra challenges. Does he truly care how we die so long as we do? Does he really intend to reward people for their bloodlust? 

"Vale," Reign said loudly. "We can't just walk around without a plan. What should we do? Should we hide?" 

"I don't know." 

"Should we... make weapons?" 

Vale turned and stared at Reign for a long moment. Fox had surprised her. Vale believed that Fox had voted for her that first night, but no one had. Most likely Kebar had intervened to see how she would handle the betrayal later. Fox had seemed oddly calm during each test. Something that Vale should have picked up on. A cold, calculating thing that had impressed her instead of making her wary. 

Reign on the other hand seemed completely unprepared. She had been forced to come and would have left of her own accord if Kebar had allowed that option. Vale had decided to save Reign because it had been the right thing to do, but now things had changed. Can I trust her?

"Do you intend to kill anyone?"

Reign's face paled. "I..." her words died. After a long, thoughtful pause, Reign shook her head. "I don't want to." The look of pain that flashed through Reign's eyes made her think of Dash. His reluctance to hurt anyone. 

I can work with that. "Good. Because no matter what Kebar says, that is our goal. We will probably come across other people with different ideas, but we need to do everything we can to survive without going on a killing spree no matter what crazy loony idea that guy has planned." 

She thought of the haunted expressions that Sky and Dash had when they thought of the person they had killed. Vale still didn't know what had happened, but their faces, hollow and full of distant acing pain was enough to keep the idea of killing even in self-defense as an unwelcome thought. I don't want to resort to that over a stupid game. 

"Do you still have the food I gave you?" 

Reign nodded and padded her pockets. "It's mostly squashed, but it's still edible." 

"Good, between that and mine, we are covered on food for now. We need to find water and a hideout to make a plan. We don't have enough cover here." 

Sky's warning filled her mind... 

You need to stay hidden. To run and hide when the game starts-.

I can fight, Vale had protested.

Don't! Sky replied, his eyes flashed with determination. This test will break you if you do.

He had set his jaw firmly. If you don't want to have blood on your hands when the test starts, run. Head to the north and climb in between the boulders set near a tree covered in knots, west of the riverbed.

"I don't understand." Panic began to set in.

If you... when you win, find me here tomorrow night. 

Vale blinked the memory away. I don't think I'll be able to meet you tonight. I'm not even sure I can survive this... not if I have to hurt anyone. 

"Where should we go?" Reign asked. 

Vale looked up towards the sky, spotting the sun peeking in through the trees. "North."