SURVIVAL 15: LEVEL 1 STAGE 3 – DRACODILE

We saw the gold team gasping and running towards us. They saw us on the platform with Third holding the said treasure. I noticed the disappointed faces of the some members of the gold team.

"S-Second," Forzen began to speak. She wiped away her tears then spoke again. "Twentieth is no more...She accidentally fell when part of the maze collapsed. She wasn’t able to hold on to something. We heard her shout, then... she was gone," Sixzen explained.

Fifth almost fell too, but he managed to hold on. Fifzen was bitten by a bee, but it wasn't bad. Sectwen and Aeizen were slightly burned due to the invisible barrier.

Author appeared at the center of the platform.

"Congratulations, silver team, the winner for Wealth Level: Stage 3, land category! That treasure costs 70 points, which means the silver team got 70 points. For the gold team, there are still two categories. Twentieth, a member of the gold team, died because she fell into one of the traps.”

Twentieth’s death was not even honored.

"Be ready. Air category will begin momentarily." And it disappeared again.

We were surprised when the maze, its walls, and cubicles collapsed into the ground. Everyone got up from sitting on the platform because it also collapsed. Seconds later, the entire maze is gone. It is now a landscape.

My crumpled and dirty silver tracksuit got clean and uncluttered magically.

"Players come over," it’s Author. Everyone assembled. "Silver team's leader, bring out the necklace."

Third took the treasure from the pocket of his tracksuit and showed it to Author. In an instant, it turned to sand.

"The necklace from the land category is now gone, but your scores will be recorded. You will now focus on the air category.” I sighed. Another game, huh? How stressful this must be. “As you can see, these are the dangerous beasts, called dracodiles.”

Everyone looked at the front and saw four monsters.

"A rare breed combination of dragon and crocodile that can only be seen here on the nth planet only.”

I was amazed again.

There are two gold-colored and two silver-colored. Its head and body are very similar to a crocodile but with wings and long claws that of a dragon.

"The two gold dracodiles for the gold team and two silver dracodiles for the silver team. You will divide your team into two to ride those beasts. You must tame them to ride and fly. Once you ride it, learn how to control it. Those monsters wore a necklace on their perilous foot with long and sharp poisonous nails. The goal is to seize your opponent’s necklaces that their monsters are wearing. Each necklace renders 50 points, a total of 100 points for a team.”

I saw one of its legs with a gold pendant necklace hanging.

"The first team that can seize the two necklaces from the opponent’s beasts wins. Air category will start in 10, 9,”

I approached my team which also didn't seem to know what to do.

"5, 4, 3,”

"We can do this," Third muttered to us.

"2, 1, go!”

They dracodiles are still asleep, and the opening of its large nostrils is evident as it breathe. Their silver skin is conspicuous and looks thick and hard. The wings are glowing. The sharp nails are scary. They are about 4 meters long and 1.5 meters wide, not including whether they will spread their wings. It has a long and heavy-looking crocodile tail.

We were about 3 to 5 meters away from the two dracodiles. Third talked about what we should do first. "Let us first observe their movements.”

“We should wake ‘em up first,” Aeith suggested.

*tug*

Then I realized that Seventh had thrown a large stone into the eye of a dracodile. The dracodile he stoned blinked slowly and finally woke up. It stood up and shook its whole body. It spread its wings and then growled so loud. Its sharp teeth show how frightening this beast is. Another dracodile woke up and did what the other one did.

I turned a look to the other group and ... T-They are already riding their dracodiles!

This is the gold team member riding their respective dracodiles:

Gold dracodile 1 – Forzen (14th), Sixzen (16th), Fifzen (15th), Sevenzen (17th)

Gold dracodile 2 – Aeizen (18th), Sectwen (22nd), Ninezen (19th), Thirtwen (23rd)

"We're on board too!" Ninth declared.

It took us 15-20minutes before they found out how to tame it. Everyone was alarmed so we boarded immediately.

Silver dracodile 1 – Second (2nd), Fourth (4th), First (1st), Third (3rd)

Silver dracodile 2 – Sixth (6th), Aeith (8th), Fifth (5th), Seventh (7th), Ninth (9th)

This is our corresponding position:

(dracodile's head) Third-Fourth-Me-First (dracodile's tail)

(dracodile's head) Fifth-Sixth-Aeith-Seventh-Ninth (dracodile's tail)

"How will they fly?" Fifth shouted.

"Can you beat its ass, like what they do on a horse?" – Seventh

"It is a part crocodile, so the skin is thick. Our hands will numb before they feel the pain." – Aeith

“We might be even dead before we’ll fly.” - Ninth

"Their eyes!" I shouted for everyone to hear.

Third stomped both of his feet and kicked its eyes with full force. The beasts wandered slightly and growled. It slowly opened its wings as its eyes blinked. The other silver team’s dracodile flapped its wings. They flew ahead of us.

Minutes after, our dracodile has flown, too. Third clung tightly to the monster's head, and we, his passengers, clung to the member who was in front of us and held onto their waist.

"Scared?” First asked.

"Mm," I nodded. "You can scream, it's better than you keep it on your own.”

"Whaaaa!" I shouted.

"Yeah!" shouted First as well but he’s having fun.

We landed on the ground just a few meters away, but the monster continued to fly down.

"Third! What's happening?!" Fourth shouted.

50 meters ... 43 meters ... 38 meters ... 30 meters ... 25 meters ... 16 meters ...

I closed my eyes.

"We're back," First whispered.

We did not land on the ground but we were only two meters away from the ground. Third outbalanced his control to the dracodile we were riding. I saw my other teammates flying safely and happily, as well as the gold team.