Chapter 10

Xender had been absent for quite some time, and with the return of the bus carrying the rest of the first-year students from the other houses, Tahir and Ramad grew increasingly concerned. They had no clue where Xender had disappeared to.

"Hey guys," Alicia's voice broke through their thoughts.

"What?!" Ramad jumped in surprise.

"Oh, hey Alicia," Tahir greeted her.

"Is everything alright?" Alicia inquired, noticing their anxious demeanor.

"Yes, why... why do you ask?" Ramad replied nervously.

She sighed, then cut to the chase, "Where's Xender?"

"He ventured into the forest a while ago, and he hasn't returned," Ramad admitted, lowering his voice.

"What?!" Alicia exclaimed. "Why would he do that? He does know what forest we're in, doesn't he?" she added, incredulous.

Tahir shrugged. "He said it himself."

Alicia sighed again. "Let's go," she said, taking the lead.

"Where?" Ramad questioned, hesitant.

"To find him, of course," Alicia replied.

"But... but everyone is here. We can't just leave," Ramad protested.

"Well, you were the ones who let him go, weren't you?" Alicia retorted.

"So, what? He's now our responsibility?" Ramad argued.

"What do you think?" Alicia shot back.

"Alright, I believe he hasn't gone that far. If we leave now, we might find him quickly," Tahir intervened, trying to diffuse the tension.

"What, you want to go too?" Ramad questioned him.

"Well, of course," Tahir affirmed.

"Alright, let's go. But if anything happens, I swear to God..." Ramad began, but Alicia cut him off.

"Quit acting like a baby," she chided before striding into the forest, with Tahir and Ramad trailing behind her.

Venturing deeper into the forest in search of Xender, the trio kept a distance from the campsite to avoid alerting others to their mission. They called out Xender's name repeatedly as they pressed on through the dense undergrowth.

As fatigue set in, Ramad suggested taking a break. "I'm tired now," he announced, his voice weary.

"But we have to keep calling. He might hear us," Alicia insisted, her tone tinged with urgency.

Tahir, however, interrupted her. "Listen," he urged, his senses heightened.

"What is it?" Ramad asked, puzzled.

"Shh," Tahir hushed them both, his attention focused.

From a distance, a faint sound reached their ears. At first, it was indistinct, but then it became clearer—a voice calling out. Alicia's name echoed through the trees, drawing them in its direction. It was a call, reaching out to them, beckoning them forward.

As Ramad lifted his head, a collective gasp escaped the trio as they beheld Xender suspended in a wooden cage high above them.

"Is that...?" Tahir began, his voice trailing off in disbelief.

"Xender," Alicia finished, her tone a mixture of shock and concern.

Surveying the situation, Ramad voiced the obvious question. "What's he doing up there?"

"He's having some good time," Alicia retorted sarcastically, her frustration evident.

"Well, I'm not an expert on having good times, but that's a shitty way to do so," Ramad shot back, his sarcasm mirroring Alicia's.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Tahir couldn't help but chuckle at their banter.

Alicia wasted no time in suggesting a course of action. "We have to get him down from there."

"How? We need to get some of the professors to do that," Ramad suggested.

Alicia's reaction was swift. "What?! That's the dumbest thing we could do," she exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Tahir interjected, seeking clarification.

"Do you know the penalty of leaving an ongoing class? Let alone we ventured into the forest unsupervised?" Alicia explained.

Ramad's incredulity was palpable. "You knew about the penalties? And you let us come in here?"

"If you two didn't let that idiot up there go, we wouldn't be in this mess," Alicia retorted, her frustration evident.

Tahir intervened, attempting to defuse the tension. "Pointing fingers won't help us here. We have to get Xender down."

Ramad sighed, resigned to the situation. "Fine. What's the plan?"

Tahir's mind raced as he searched for a solution. Aware of Ramad's elemental magic abilities, he realized they might hold the key to rescuing Xender. However, Alicia's magical talents remained a mystery to him.

"What's your type of magic?" Tahir inquired, turning to Alicia for answers.

Alicia glanced at Tahir, her expression serious. "I'm a Morphic Shaper," she explained.

Tahir's brows furrowed in confusion. "What does that mean?" he asked, waiting for her to clarify.

"It means I can manipulate the physical form of objects," Alicia elaborated.

"Oh, that's useful," Tahir acknowledged. "Alright, now that we have you two, I believe we can get him down in no time," he added confidently.

"Heeeelp!" shouted Xender from above, his voice tinged with panic.

"If you don't shut that pie hole of yours, Xender, I'll—" Alicia began, her irritation evident.

"Wait, someone is coming," Tahir interjected, his attention drawn to a distant rumble that grew closer, shaking their surroundings.

As the rumbling sound grew louder and closer, it reverberated through the forest, sending vibrations through the ground beneath their feet. The trees around them swayed slightly, their leaves rustling in the breeze stirred up by the approaching noise. The rumble had a deep, ominous quality to it, causing an uneasy feeling to settle in the pit of their stomachs. Branches creaked and cracked as the force of the sound intensified, creating an atmosphere of tension and anticipation.

As the giant approached, its enormous legs stomping through the dense foliage, the ground trembled with each step, sending ripples of fear through Tahir, Ramad, and Alicia. Their eyes widened as they watched the colossal figure draw nearer, its sheer size overwhelming.

"What in the hell is that?" Ramad exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.

"Is that a...?" Tahir began, his words trailing off in disbelief.

"Giant," Alicia finished the sentence, her voice heavy with dread.

"Oh boy, it's going for Xender," Ramad concluded, his concern growing.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, Tahir took charge, his mind racing with possibilities. He turned to Ramad, seeking his expertise on the matter.

"What can you tell me about giants?" Tahir asked, his voice urgent.

Ramad, trying to gather his thoughts amidst the chaos, responded, "Well, erm... they are big."

"Of course they are big, that's the biggest thing about them," Alicia interjected, frustration evident in her tone.

"Yes, and then?" Tahir pressed, urging Ramad to provide more information.

"And then? Oh, they are slow," Ramad replied, recalling what he knew about giants.

"Good, so we need to act fast," Tahir said, determination firm in his voice. "But first, we have to lure it away from Xender."

"Right," Alicia agreed, her mind already formulating a plan.

"So, Ramad, you and I will distract it while Alicia climbs to the top and cuts Xender down," Tahir explained, laying out their strategy.

"Okay. I'll shoot it with a ball of flame, and then we make a run for it," Ramad suggested, ready to put their plan into action.

"Alright, you guys go," Alicia said, her voice steady despite the urgency of the situation.

With their roles assigned and their plan in place, Tahir, Ramad, and Alicia braced themselves to confront the giant and rescue their friend.