Split in Three by Jessica Hemsworth (best value ebook reader txt) 📕

stay, but NO more chances okay?!" Leia turned around and ran back. then, they had to choose their parteners. Courtney was about to ask Leia when she got a tap on her shoulder. "Courtney, um, would you mind, if it's alright with you, to be my partener? Leia looked at courtney and nodded her head, as if to say 'go ahead, they asked you first.'  Courtney turned around and to her surprise, there stood Andrew. Leia smiled as Courtney stuttered her reply. "Um, sure, i guess, ish, Ok" "Is it a yes or a no?" asked Andrew, blushing heavily. Leia replyed for her. "It's a yes." Courtney looked at her strangely, then smiled. Leia gave her a thumbs up. The twins had already paired up, so Leia couldn't ask them. She thought about asking one of her other classmates, when she heard Nyla whispering to Justin, "She won't find anyone who will be willing to be that mass of uglynesses partner." Justin replyed in a normal tone with a hint of playfulness,"I'm not so sure about that, Nyla. See?" Nyla watched as Justin walked over and said, "Leia, is that your name? It doesn't matter, all I wanted to ask is this, will you pair up with me?" In that moment, Nyla looked like she was about to explode. Bang

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" Nyla screamed while pointing at Leia and Justin.  "I guess that would be fine." Leia stated, completely oblivious, "Should we get started?" Nyla threw a hateful glare and some mild colourful language at Leia. As soon as Nyla was out of earshot, the questions began.

"Where are we supposed to go? What are we supposed to do? How do we know if someone won?" Leia asked with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'll answer those in a sec, first I have to ask just one little favour. Can you teach me to ignore and be completely oblivious to the world around me?"

"Oh, that? That's a natural talent." 

"Oh, that's too bad. Anyways we are supposed to avoid traps, accidents and death at all costs. You may pick a weapon to defend, and defend only. In order to win, you need to survive long enough to get our citys sacred item."

"What item is that? I didn't even know we had a sacred item here in Ilani."

"This may sound lame, but it's a sacred......AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Leia looked around before hearing a faint and distant voice calling her. "I'm down here! Look out don't fall in too!" Leia snapped her head around and stared at him.

"Are you ok? You just fell into a sinkhole. Maybe that's the one they were warning us about. Now, what's the sacred object?" Leia reached out her hand and pulled him up.

"It's a sacred griffon."

"You must be kidding me, a griffon?!"

He gave her a stare that told the whole story, he wasn't joking. Sighing Leia pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. She quickly scribbled a note and put up her hand. Softly, she whispered a sentence.

"Come here this instant you pesky giffon."

As if by magic, Tlynal dropped out of the sky. Landing gently on her arm, he picked up the note in his long curved beak. Leia nodded as Tlynal glided up into the sky, off to deliver the note to Courtney and Andrew. She closed her eyes, thinking. Should she get Tlynal to fly around and find the sacred griffon? No, that might be classified as cheating. Look on her own? That would be too hard and take too long. Maybe she should go with her first idea. she opened her eyes again to see Justins jaw dropping so hard it was (literally) hitting the moss covered stump he was sitting on. A questioning look came to her eyes.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong, or is your jaw not working anymore?"

"Something's definintely wrong. Why did you let it get away?!"

"Who?"

"The griffon! That was what we were looking for!"

"WHAAAAT!? So you mean to tell me that Tlynal is what we're looking for?!"

"Yup, well, you called it by holding a note in the air. Let's see if that works!"

He wrote a note and held it high. After ten minutes, Leia got a smug expression on her face. After another five she started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?! My arm is seriously hurting!"

"Silly, that's never going to work. Let me take care of this."

Doubtful, he slowly lowered his arm and passed her the note. Just as she was about to take it, however, they heard a pair of familiar voices behind them.

"We got" "Your note!" chimed two almost identical voices. Turning around, Leia saw it was Alexandra and Gabrielle. Confused, Leia asked for an explanation. 

"Courtney and Andrew were busy" "So they sent us instead!" the twins explained, "Anyways, did you" "Pick up your weapons yet?"

"Not yet, we were on our way. Do you two want to travel with us?"

The twins looked at each other in the eye,"Of course!"they chimed, in perfect harmony.

Following the twins, the group made it safely to the weapons booth. Justin chose a long knife and Leia, being a pacifist, chose a blunt staff.

When asked, she explained her choice.

“Why did you pick that little girl?” asked the man who was at the weapons stand, “No one ever chooses that?

“I hate hurting people, so I chose something that would only knock them out, not kill them.”

Just then, Leia asked for the slip of paper. As soon as she got it, the two of them walked into the woods, out of sight. Leia made sure that she was out of earshot before summoning Tlynal again. Within seconds, the golden griffon dropped out of the sky. Leia grinned and looked at Justin. “That's how it's done.” She explained to Tlynal that he didn't need to bring the blank piece of paper to Courtney, just stay with her. As soon as Tlynal agreed, they set off for the checkpoint. Again and again Justin warned her about the reason for the testing. They both shuddered at the fact that some of their friends, and maybe even them might not return. Halfway to the checkpoint, they had to walk along a very steep cliff. Being a gentleman, Justin walked along the edge. Tlynal cooed in restlessness. Something was wrong. Cautiously, Leia edged closer to the edge of the cliff to see if something was amiss there. As she looked, Justin grabbed her hand.

“Nothing's wrong here. What in Pliania is Tlynal upset about?”

As she turned around, she realized that the thing was behind her. The next few moments seemed to take forever. She turned around to say something to Justin, the rock underneath her gave way, she grasped for his hand but missed. Falling, she cried out in fear. Noticing this, Justin grabbed her along with Tlynal and heaved her back to safety. Just as she stood up, there was a loud bang and a stabbing pain in her side.

 

 

 

 

Crystals

As she collapsed in pain, she put her hand to cover the spot. It came back red and sticky with blood. Taking a fallen feather, she wrote SOS on the blank slip of paper with the only ink she had, her own blood. Grimacing, she held up the note. Tlynal snatched the note and flew off. After a few minutes, they could see some people in the distance. Leia struggled to stand up to greet them, seeing as it was Courtney, Andrew and the twins, she breated a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to tell them about what had taken place, she screamed, and fell down, clutching her shoulder in pain. The other five hurried to where she was lying, face down on the hot, dusty ground. Wincing in agony, she could barely speak, but she did. "Take the crystals, and save me. Hurry, or I will dissapear forever, along with the crystals. I will die.", hearing this, Courtney started repeating over and over, "Why?". Leia started to mumble some gibberish, that soon took form as words. Love, Light and Life, heed my ancient call to the heavens, separate my consiousness, my soul and my very being. Save me from the reaper's scythe, let me live once more, Love to my best friend, Light to the pure and Life to the one who makes you feel like you're truly living. Love, Light and Life, heed my ancient call to the heavens, separate my consiousness, my soul and my very being. Save me from the reaper's scythe, let me live once more, Love to my best friend, Light to the pure and Life to the one who makes you feel like you're truly living. 

 

With that, a pure white crystal, a bright pink crystal and a glowing green crystal floated out of her body, seeing this she breathed one last sigh, and faded away into nothing. The white crystal slowly floated towards Gabrielle, while Courtney received the pink one and Alexandra got the green one. As soon as the three of them held the crystals in their hands, they knew their task, the final job from Leia, her final act of gratitude. Andrew gave Courtney a gentle hug to comfort her but it was all in vain, Courtney was sobbing her eyes out, crying for her best friend. The three girls instantly vowed to keep the crystals safe, and the boys vowed solemnly to assist them and keep them safe. Even Tlynal bowed his head out of respect for the dead. It was only when the rustle of grass disturbed the silence, did they realise that someone had been watching the whole scene. 

A New Journey

All five of them turned around to see what had made that sound. Standing there, inder the midday sun, was none other than Nyla. With an evil looking smirk on her face, she looked at the group. "Pity she died