SURVIVAL 16: TRICK

The two gold dracodiles and one silver dracodiles are being maneuvered up in the sky. Not long after, we followed our group’s second dracodile. Our team’s dracodiles flew together when the gold team caught up. The dracodiles clashed as the gold and silver team flew above. Fifzen is the controller of gold dracodile 1 and Ninezen is the controller of gold dracodile 2. Fifth is the controller of our other silver dracodile.

“Not so fast,” Fifzen initiated. I’m not sure what Fifzen meant by that. Are they going to commence an attack on us? The eyes of each controller became sharp.

The dracodiles moved aggressively and advanced. Their heads collided. It groaned and wandered off.

"Hiyaaa!" Ninezen raised his right hand while holding his left hand on the dracodile's firm and rugged skin. Ninezen’s group shouted as if they were going to attack us.

Other members of the gold team also shouted. I also looked at my teammates. I saw their keen gaze on the incoming gold team. Don’t tell me.

‘’Third, what’s the plan?” I asked him.

"'Yaaah!"

"Go get ‘em!"

“Don’t let them win!”

My groupmates also clamored. Third did something so our dracodile that it suddenly forged ahead. I almost fell, but First caught my waist. I clung tightly to Fourth. Our safety depended on Third.

"I'll manage to control this monster since I already know the technique on how to do it. The three of you will steal that necklace." Third ordered us. "We'll attack first..." I looked to the right where Third pointed out his finger. "That one!”

The first one we will shoot the necklace with is the gold dracodile 1 that Fifzen maneuvers. I saw Fifth attempts to get the necklace on the dracodile that Ninezen oversees control. Gold dracodile 1 is just flying in the air and its riders enjoy it, they seem to have forgotten that they are already fighting.

"Yow, Third!" Fifzen greeted and waved at us.

Third ignored him. He didn't answer and didn't react either. He stopped our dracodile and faced Fifzen’s group. "Hehe, you're too serious, bud.”

Then they rushed at us. We dodged the attack, but they came closer to us. They went below us in an instant that I didn’t notice their fast movement.

“Third!” I alerted him. It made a sudden movement as he controlled our dracodile to make a turn.

"Tch!" Sevenzen grunted. He almost got ours because we paid attention more to their dracodile than them. Luckily, he was not able to reach it and Third turned left right away.

Not long after, Third ordered us to attack and pause the defense.

"Second," Third calls out to me. He indicates that he wants me to grab the necklace.

I lifted myself slightly from the dracodile’s back where we were sitting, and First supported me. Among the four of us, my position is the most perfect one to grab the necklace from the gold team.

The target is approaching us. We flew down to its feet, and Fifzen looked surprised. We plan to trick the gold team and its dracodile until their controller faints. We will fly down but we will not pick up the necklace first. Then all of a sudden, we will fly down, and then I will grab their necklace. Third is in charge of maneuvering while First and Fourth will support me.

10, 9, 8,

I can do this! I bit my lower lip. This will be intense, yet I have given the chance to do this for my team.

7, 6, 5,

“Now!” Third commanded. I stand up. Fourth hugged my waist tightly and clung to my legs. I raised my hands. The target has already passed above.

4, 3,

"Stop it! You're gonna fall!" I heard Third’s voice.

2, 1

I grabbed it and... Yes!... Wait, I felt hot. Uh-oh

"Second!”

I went out of balance earlier. I was falling. Our dracodile suffered damage, that’s why it twitched in painwhile avoiding the fire.

"Ahhh!!!" I squalled out loud.

Before I completely landed on the ground, I saw a dracodile approaching me.

***

"Hey! Second, hey!”

I opened my eyes. Ninezen? I am lying down, and my head rests on his lap. Aeizen, Sectwen, and Thirtwen are also here.

"Second, are you okay? How do you feel?" Thirtwen questioned me.

"Good thing we caught you," Sectwen commented.

"Yeah, just on time," Aeizen added.

I sat up straight. "W-Where are they?"

"There," Ninezen pointed at my group, who had just landed. First, Third, and Fourth ran closer to us.

I got up and shook myself. "Thank you.” If it wasn’t for them, I’d be dead.

They smiled at me, and Aeizen, Sectwen, and Thirtwen got on board.

I handed Third the gold necklace. My sacrifice was for something.

“Good job." He smirked.

We stopped running in front of our silver dracodile to ride when…

"Our silver necklace is missing!" Fourth shrieks.

"Sh*t! We're tricked. D*mn!" Third cursed angrily. His fist clenched and he frowned. "Fifth, what happened?" He questioned Fifth.

Fifth frowned as if he were troubled. "We landed when the gold team said that you guys are in danger, but you guys weren’t even there, so when we are about to go back to fly…T-They got ours.”

We’re doomed.

*bell rings*

"Congratulations, gold team. You are the winner for Wealth Level: Stage 3, air category! And now your scores: the silver team got 70 points from the land category while the gold team got 100 points from the air category.”

They are 30 points ahead of us.

In a flash, the four dracodiles, they disappeared like melting chocolate but in gold and silver colors. The necklaces have also turned to sand.

Author continues. "The necklace from the air category is now gone for another restart. You will now focus on the water category.”

"How can we play again if the two of us in our team died?!" Fifzen asked furiously.

"Just as I thought," First mumbled to himself, grabbing my attention. My eyes ask what he means. "Right from the start, the gold team is trying to trick us. It started when the dracodile led by Fifzen ambushed us with repetitive attacks. It was to provoke us and made us to lure them into snatching their necklace. They planned that someone from the silver team would fall from the accident, so they would come to rescue that member from the opponent’s team, like what Ninezen did. Then they will covertly steal ours while we leave our beast. This method is easier than having a battle on air. After stealing ours, Ninezen’s group flew away and stole our second necklace by tricking Fifth and the others, probably by saying 'Second caught in an accident, which is partly true, but they used it as an opportunity. While preoccupied with what happened, they stole our second necklace.”

First continues. “But the conflict rose when they didn't learn how to control the beasts properly. I observed how Third manipulates the dracodile. He leans forward, backward, and sideward to control it, while the gold team controlled it in a forceful way, which made their monster aggressive, which led to an accident and the death of the two.”

I am in awe of the revelation I found out.

“Well, that was all hypothetical.” He smiled while scratching his nape.

"Be ready. Water category will begin momentarily." Then Author disappeared again.

A few minutes later, we were all shocked at what happened next.