“Doctor Cartmen, what did you mean the last time I was here? Right before I was checked out, you said that people will help me when I don’t feel safe…”
Glacier monitors him for any change in demeanour. The doctor’s hand pauses, and his eyelids squeeze tightly together. His spine stiffens and his jaw ticks. Glacier’s concern blooms as she worries she has asked him a question she shouldn’t have.
The doctor suddenly turns, and quickly strides across the room to the door.
Thinking that he is going to leave, Glacier is surprised when he quietly closes the door and makes his way back across the room to where she is seated on the cot.
“Miss Wardgrave, I need you to understand something important,” Cartmen starts, as he runs a thick hand through his wild hair. “You cannot breathe a word of what I said - what I say, to anyone. It is for your safety and knowledge alone that I am telling you this.”
Glacier, now completely confused, remains quiet as she waits for his next words. The frazzled doctor runs a now sweaty hand down his face before straightening his coat. He watches Glacier intensely, his gaze unwavering.
“There is only one person you can trust in Alluvium.” That was not what Glacier was expecting.
Her eyebrows furrow with confusion, “What? Who? I don’t under—”
The doctor interrupts her, gripping her upper arms with sudden, unpredicted strength.
“There is always an endgame for everyone. There is only one person who is on your side, who you can trust.” His words unsettles her. Glacier shakes her head, not understanding.
I don’t have anyone. I can’t trust anyone.
“What you are telling me isn’t making any sense…”
The doctor releases an aggravated breath, covering his face with his hands, “All I can say is that he is like you.”
Brink.
Glacier watches Cartmen closely, looking for any sign that he isn’t just crazy. “Doctor, what aren’t you telling me? Is there something that I should know?”
By now, Glacier’s brain is running in loops of confusion.
What the hell is going on?
Cartmen lowers his face and cools his expression. He walks over to the bench cabinet across the room and collects a needle and disinfectant.
He returns to the cot and grabs her arm gently, cleaning the fold in her arm where her veins lay prominent. Glacier begins to panic as Cartmen raises the needle to her skin, and pricks her. She releases a small gasp from the small pain, and watches at the doctor fills the needle with her blood.
“You don’t need to worry about a thing, Miss Sparrow. I will have the blood tests back by the end of the day, and I will give you a call with the results.” He gently removes the needle before taping a cotton ball over the small needle mark.
Miss Sparrow? Who is he talking about? And why on earth did I need a blood sample?
“Sparrow—?” The doctor is already walking about with the vile of blood before waltzing out the door.
What on earth just happened?
~
Ever since her check up with the doctor, Glacier hasn’t been able to get the encounter out of her mind. Not even as she readies herself for bed. Her head is swarming with the memories of the last few days.
Mr Michaels. Discovering my element. Dad dying. Castor kidnapped. Fielder. Brink. Care’s death. Glacier’s first battle. Alue’s death. Winter gala. Sasis. Mink’s song. Bran. Doctor Cartmen.
Now dressed in a nightgown similar to the one she wore her first night in the hotel, she climbs into the large bed. Her wrist aches as she jolts from side to side to slide under the covers. When she is settled in the large bed, her mind reels with tiredness.
The Harvest starts tomorrow. Just stay focused – don’t think about Fielder. Don’t think about Brink. Don’t think about anything apart from winning.
I need to win.
SEVENTEEN
THE HARVEST
PART I
Glacier discovers the next morning that during the Harvest, they have to wear a different uniform if they had won their Seeding battle.
Instead of the blue tank top and black pants, she wears a wrist-long sleeved blue shirt with 2 golden sashes sewn from her left shoulder to her right hip, with navy blue trousers and heavy boots. Her beauticians tame her hair into a beautifully twirled chignon, with thin tresses to frame her face. With her wrist now strapped in a tight black brace, she finds moving the limb an impossible feat.
She unintentionally stomps her way down to the lobby, and into Lien’s company. Once she enters the Hover, she catches his odd smile.
“What is that look for?”
He simply shakes his head before he starts the drive towards the Terrain Stadium. There is quiet chatter between the two of them throughout the short journey, but nothing about her battle is mentioned, much to her relief.
Despite the building fear inside of her, Glacier remains impassive and unfazed.
Two people. I’ve only got to fight two people…
At the same time…
When they reach the stadium a guard is ready at the door of the Hover awaiting her arrival. The man is surprised when he opens the back door and doesn’t find Glacier. She instead opens the passenger’s door where she sits, and exits the vehicle. The guard closes both doors and escorts Glacier into the stadium. Walking with her head held high, she marches through the open gates towards the staircase to the side of the building that leads up to the team rooms.
As she climbs the stairs to the top, the cheers of the audience grow louder. She turns around and finds her face projected onto four screens, one on each wall of the stadium. The same floating camera that was used in the introductions hovers behind her, streaming her video to the screens. A small smile lights her face as she realizes that the crowd is cheering for her. She gives a small wave to the camera before continuing up the stairs and through the door.
Everything from then on passes in a blur. On the elevator ride down, Glacier’s palms become clammy and her heartbeat accelerates.
You can do this. Just control it. Don’t let it consume you.
Her teammates say nothing as the platform finally reaches the ground, and they all head towards the arena. The crowd bangs hand on the tunnel walls, like they are hoping to break the barrier. Their excitement is overwhelming as they rill up for the Harvest battles. Glacier keeps her head down and her mind calm.
Control it. Win the battle.
When they finally reach the cube in the arena, they all sit with their hands held tightly in their laps. Glacier discreetly looks down the line of her teammates, and finds that both Tric and Keena are the only two wearing the same uniform from the Seeding battles.
Sasis walks above them, Hampton and Karn flanking him either side. They stop at the centre of the glass ceiling above the arena, and they all turn their back to one another and look directly to their region’s cubical. Karn stares directly at Glacier, his gaze unwavering as Sasis speaks.
“Good morning my children. We are here as audience to the coming Harvest battles taking place with the winners of the Seeding.
“As usual, the nine winners have been split into three battles, with two competitors from their region competing against one from a different element. These contestants have been organized into groups that would best serve their purpose of extending to their fullest ability. Who we believe to be the strongest of the contestants have been allocated against a duo of a different region. The names of our strongest contestants are…”
Sasis looks around the crowd as he pauses. Glacier’s heart hammers in her chest as she knows she will be called.
“Our Elemental Diamond, Glacier Wardgrave,” the crowd chants with cheer at the sound of her name whilst her stomach plummets to the floor, “Aleena Staren, and Brink. Each of these contestants will be competing against another element duo.” Sasis takes another pause, before continuing,
“Our first selection is Glacier Wardgra
ve from the Hydra team.” Her heart suddenly stops for a moment.
Why me?
Neena rubs Glacier’s arm in an attempt to soothe her, as her breathing becomes erratic.
“Don’t think about it too much. Just go out there and do your best.” Her words are kind and reassuring, but it doesn’t quell the irregular rhythm of Glacier’s heart. She takes a deep breath before standing and walking to the opening of the cubical, and out into the arena.
Is it a good idea that I go first? I might freeze over the arena again…
Standing at the centre of the arena, the memory of Isaac dropping her rock platform from beneath her comes to mind. The memory of falling causes a thin sheen of sweat to layer on her skin. Glacier takes a few calming breaths before clenching her jaw as she cradles her sprained wrist closer to her chest.
You have to win, Glacier.
Sasis then continues, “Battling our precious Diamond, we have our very own—”
Oh dear…
“—Bronze Hyde and Gamble Kidman, from the Terra team.”
The cheers become violently loud, shaking the glass that separates the audience from the arena below the stands. Gamble jogs into the ring, wearing a dark green tank top with the same two golden stripes leading from his shoulder to his hip.
He claps his hands together loudly, a proud smile on his face. Gamble gazes up through the glass, relishing in the attention his region presents. Bronze follows behind humbly, slightly skipping into the circle outlined with flickering flames and still water. Bronze has a nervous smile on her lips, and her eyes are locked on Glacier.
The three of them stand in the shape of a triangle, facing each other with arms tight at their sides. Glacier watches as Bronze and Gamble share a look before watching her carefully.
Quickly gazing up around the first seats of the stands, she immediately spots Thomes sitting with a small device held in his hand, discreetly resting against his knee. His lips form a tight smirk, and his eyes dance with interest.
Glacier’s palms begin to sweat as she ever so slightly turns her head from side to side. Thomes seems amused by her gesture. He merely purses his lips and shrugs his shoulders as if to say, ‘Fine, have it your way.’ Glacier breathes a sigh of relief, as her worries are washed away.
I can control this.
Her musings are cut short at the sound of the horn bouncing around the walls of the arena.
Glacier’s mind races with strategies of how to win without Thomes using the device embedded in her back. She jumps back from where she once stood, anticipating Gamble’s first move.
As expected, a large pillar of rock emerges from the ground in front of her suddenly, causing Glacier’s chest to heave with relief. She hides behind the rock for a moment, her wrist brace scratching against her shift as she tries to figure out her next move.
Think! Think! How do I get it to work?
Glacier spots a loose rock lying disregarded on the ground by her foot. She bends to pick it up, weighing it in her hands as she tries to decide whether or not to use it. But her decision is made for her when Gamble suddenly appears on the other side of the large rock pillar. Surprised, Glacier launches the palm-size rock in his direction, hitting his cheekbone.
Not anticipating her attack, Gamble bends over to cradle his face in both hands. Using his folded stance, Glacier moves to push him. Glacier doesn’t notice Bronze appear behind her, nervous to launch an attack on the unpredictable elemental.
It isn’t until the wind whips at Glacier’s face that she realizes that she is soaring through the air, hurtling towards the ground. With the arena floors fast approaching, Glacier braces herself for a harsh impact. Landing on her sore wrist, Glacier cries out in pain. Her forehead and nose scrape across the dirt floor, tearing her skin. She lies still for a moment, until she hears someone yell out to her.
“Get up Glace! Get up!” The voice calls out to her as every bone in her body screams for her to lay still. “Get up!” Fielder’s voice is unmistakable. Her mind races with pain, exhaustion and fear.
I don’t want to do this anymore. I just want to go home…
Stop it! Castor needs you to win, Glacier! Pull your head in, and win this!
With unearthed determination, Glacier scrambles to her feet. Wincing pain slashes through her wrist as well as across her nose, causing her to clench her teeth tightly.
Ignore it and win.
She looks over to where the Pyre team’s cubical is stationed, finding Fielder braced against the inside of the glass. His eyebrows are creased with worry, and his eyes are nervous. His shirt is the same as the others who won their Seeding battles, apparent from his main colour. She smiles briefly in his direction, before turning back to her opponents.
Gamble has recovered from her throw, and now wears an angry sneer on his face with a small trail of blood leading from the top of his cheekbone to his jaw, and down his neck. Bronze stands close to Gamble, watching the both of them with cautious eyes. Her stance is ready for a fight, but her expression says otherwise.
Glacier takes a deep breath and closes her eyes as she tries to concentrate on using her element. Even though she hasn’t tried it before, she envisions ice surrounding her like a protective barrier.
She raises her hand with her palm out as she imagines the usual large shards of ice that bloom whenever she is electrocuted, suddenly prodding from the floors like enormous crystal spikes. She visualizes the shiny transparency of the stakes, and how they frost from the room temperature. The image is powerful and clear in her mind, so closely real. But when she opens her eyes, Gamble is standing less than a breath away from her.
No ice in sight.
Fighting to not flinch away, Glacier watches with surprise, as he doesn’t bring his hand to touch her.
Instead, Gamble flicks his hand in her direction.
Suddenly defensive, Glacier raises her arms to protect her head. Her unharmed wrist is then crushed by a large rock, propelling her across the arena. Landing unceremoniously on her side, she smacks her head on the ground harshly. Through the pain, Glacier feels fuzzy.
Her ears ring loudly, and her skull throbs. The usually deafening sound of the audience is now dulled to a blurry murmur, barely audible. Glacier can hear a voice slightly louder, the same one once again calling out to her.
“Glacier, tap out! Tap out!” His voice is thick with worry, but Glacier can barely understand the word.
Glacier is lost as she tries to regain her grounding, and think on her next move. She knows she has to make her decision quickly, otherwise Gamble and Bronze will continue to throw her around until she taps out.
“Glacier, get up!” This voice sounds different; it’s dark, masculine, and angry. Slowly, the sounds around her come back, and she can hear her laboured breaths.
She hears a soft female voice call out, “Gamble, get back.”
And then there is Fielder’s voice again, “Tap out, Glace!”
I can't.
If she has any chance of winning, it isn’t like this. Left without any other option, Glacier tenses her body as she screams out.
“Thomes!”
The white blanket is sudden, muting the pain throbbing throughout her body instantly. Glacier tries to concentrate on the memory of it - how it feels and how she can try to replicate it in future attempts - but the soothing cloth is ripped away too quickly for her to understand how it works. Another scream escapes her as the device in her back sends powerful voltages through her muscle, causing tremors in her bones. As Glacier tries to concentrate on every response she feels, for the first time she feels a niggling at the back of her mind. Like she has only started to scratch the surface of something powerful.
A sound similar to the snapping of bones echoes through the air as Glacier thrashes from side to side, trying to control the constant spasms. The device continues to pulse against her flesh, blistering the surrounding skin. Her head pounds with tension, and a thick haze hovers over
her eyes. The screaming continues, along with the crackling sounds. Then there are different screams. Excited ones.
Glacier’s body sags in relief as the currents suddenly stop. Her body twitches uncontrollably as she recovers from the potent vibrations of electricity that seconds ago had been pulsating through her entire being. Tears dampen her red-hot cheeks, her eyelids squeezing together tightly. She tries to take a few calming breaths to ease her racing heart, but through her tears, she develops the hiccups.
“Gamble! Are you OK?”
Despite Glacier’s utter exhaustion, her head weakly rises from its spot on the floor, and her eyes catch a glimpse of an arena covered in large, thick blocks of pointed spikes. The icicles have clear tips and are frosted from the bottom to almost half way up the shards. They are very closely grouped, without much space separating them.
Between the large splinters, Glacier notices Bronze standing further back, with her wrists pinned between the ice shards on either side of her. The earth elemental struggles against the cold ice, her face reddening as she attempts to shake free.
Gamble is a lot closer to Glacier than Bronze is, stuck in a similar position, except his right bicep is pierced by a large shard of ice, with blood gushing down the watery pole. The scene instantly reminds Glacier of Mr Michaels propelled in the air by a large shard of ice stabbed through his chest. Sweat starts to gather on Gamble’s forehead as he continues to lose lots of blood from the wound.
“Does it look like I'm ok? I have a flippin’ ice shard stuck in my arm!” His tone is harsh, his lips quivering with anger.
Glacier tries to sit up, but her arms fall out from beneath her, and she topples back to the arena floor. It is then that she notices the thin layer of snow that is slowly falling around her. It seems to be simply appearing, like the moisture in the air is suddenly freezing.
Glacier forgets the thick blood trailing down the ice shard lodged in Gamble’s arm. Forgets the zinging in her ears. She focuses on a snowflake gliding down through the air, landing on the bow of her top lip.
The Frozen Beginning (Elemental Diamond Book 1) Page 20
