Page 47 of Infala: The Bonding Games
“It is. All of those features were carefully crafted to create a dazzling expanse of wildly varying and deadly micro-climates.”
“Let me guess. It’s all for the gamblers’ entertainment.”
“More or less, you are correct.”
Ziana shook her head, took a deep breath, then rolled her shoulders and stood tall. “They’re not going to slow our roll, Dorrin. The others will do what they do, but the elite teams? They were embarrassed yesterday, and that means they’re going to go out hard and fast to make sure we don’t do it again. And we can use that to our advantage. Follow the best of them and let them deal with whatever dangers are on the way, then race for the exit after they’ve worn themselves out.”
Again, Dorrin had that look on his face.
“What? Why not?” she demanded.
“Itisa good strategy,” he said, “but we will all be deposited at different starting locations, negating the ability to ride the coattails of another team. And the time constraints of the cavern event negates the option to simply race for the exit.”
“Why?”
“Because the exit, even if discovered quickly, will not open until the following morning. We will have to tough it out until then. Even if we reach all of the checkpoints in quick succession. And before you ask, no, camping out at the exit is not an option. It is always riddled with traps that replenish and rotate at random to prevent such a thing. And just beyond that perimeter beasts always find comfortable places to make their homes.”
“By design, of course.”
“Of course.”
“So, even camping out close to the exit is a no-go,” she grumbled as she processed the new information.
“I have never seen it to be any other way.”
Ziana’s burst of confidence took a decided hit, her spirits dimming with the revelation despite going into the day’s event riding the winds of the prior day’s success. She may have found a way to game the system the other day, but for this one they’d have to tough it out the long and shitty way just like everyone else.
The preparations were simple. Each team was loaded into their own tiny transport vessel with no windows and flown to the caverns. From there, they would be taken in through a lone rooftop access point that could not be reached from below even by the most skilled climbers. Their craft would then set down at their designated starting location to wait. When the challenge began, they would be released from their sealed starting point somewhere within the caverns. Where was anyone’s guess. The only thing that was guaranteed was they would not exit directlyonto a trap or deadly terrain feature. But beyond that anything could happen.
Dorrin sat quietly, almost in a meditative state as they waited for the game to begin. They’d landed some time ago, but until every team was in their starting position, they would have to remain in place. And without windows Ziana was dying of curiosity. Curiosity and a healthy dose of worry.
“Do not fear,” Dorrin said, turning his calm gaze her way. “It is bad for ratings if teams are eliminated straight away.”
“But wouldn’t that be exciting?”
“Perhaps. But with the amount bet on the event the elites would not want to alienate the gamblers by taking out their preferred team without at least a chance at a fair fight.”
“I thought you said it was never fair.”
He chuckled. “You know what I meant. Of course it is not fair. The elites will have advantages, mostly in the form of advance warnings.”
“How? I thought they’d be scrutinized and on camera.”
“They will be. We all will. But unlike the outdoor events that are set up just before the games, this had a planning committee and teams of workers. As a result, they have known the general locations of the keys for some time, if not the precise placement of them. Oh, they will go through the motions, pretending to search to make it look good for the gamblers, but rest assured, it is an act. And one we will take full advantage of.”
“How?”
A little grin creased his lips. “With a little teamwork. We will move for high ground, if we aren’t already starting on it, and identify the elite teams we can see. From there we will monitor their direction, each of us keeping one or more’s path in sight while we pursue our own track. They are not the best at hiding their movements, so once we discern their direction and account for a little weaving about on their part to disguise that they knowwhere they are going, we will utilize that knowledge to shorten our own search. It will still take time, but we have a full day. And, if all goes as I plan, we will complete that aspect of the task in good time, allowing us to determine the best place to camp for the night while staying as close as possible to a fast route to the exit for when they sound the opening gong in the morning to announce it is open.”
“It’s a gong?”
“Yes, it is a bit old-fashioned, but the spectators enjoy it, and it is tradition. In any case, when the gong sounds, we will have to move fast.”
“You know I’ll be ready.”
“I do. But first things first. First, we have a series of keys to retrieve. And we will know how many when the game be?—”
The door to the craft popped open, the game starting without warning.
