I noticed that the color of my hair hasn't gone back to its original color.
Realizing that there might be a possibility that it would remain permanent, I tried to recall what I put on the dye mixture as I'm planning to ask Ghost to find a natural way to restore my original hair color.
Although, it seems that the pack loves my current hair color as they gave me several hair accessories to put on my hair in which I'm forced to wear one everyday or they will sulk.
I missed my simple hairstyles back then but I don't mind my new hairstyles as the pack, especially Lion are the ones who styled my hair daily.
They have some sort of an obsession with my hair as there are times that they would have an intense discussion among themselves whenever someone tried a new hairstyle on me that almost ended up in a brawl in which I threatened them that I would cut my hair short, making them behave.
I'm sure someone must be wondering why I'm thinking about my hair. Well, I'm trying to distract my thoughts when I learned that the Chieftain Monarch is using me as some sort of a damsel in distress during each combat challenge in the event.
I don't want to be a damsel in distress but I also don't want to ruin the Chieftain Monarch's mood as he seemed kind of cheerful today. But his cheerful mood spells trouble for the participants.
....
There's a huge screen of some sort in the sky where everyone can see what is happening during the challenge as the spectators are staying in an open arena while the participants are staying in another location.
Of course, the spectators exceeded the capacity of the arena as this event is the first of its kind.
They are used to violent events when it comes to using the arena as what happened during the time when Sly and I tried to rescue Ghost.
While I was ushered by the guards as we are on our way to the Chieftain Monarch, I heard all sorts of ridiculous rumors like I'm a deity in which I'm tempted to correct them.
To be fair, earlier that day when I was about to leave the palace, the attendants made me change my clothes into some sort of an elaborate and dainty attire, along with my bubble gum colored hair which is one of its kind in this world and my makeup skills did made me look like some sort of an exquisite looking celestial being though someone from the pack mentioned some time ago that gods or goddesses doesn't exist here and they don't worship anyone.
It doesn't help that my appearance as a human already intrigued a lot of the creatures.
I do hope I'm not inspiring them into making some sort of a religion as I definitely do not have powers in which I had a hard time convincing some of the foreign warriors as they didn't know what actually happened during the time when we got rid of the pests.
All they could see is that I'm some sort of a heavenly being that flew through the air and used my powers to eliminate the evil forces.
But that's highly exaggerated! Also, I didn't kill a single pest at all!
To make things more complicated, I was holding my Buddhist staff back then.
So yeah, I did look like some sort of a deity to them.
Sigh.
....
The Chieftain Monarch's cheerful mood also spelled trouble towards me as he told me what will happen.
He will place a bait deep in the lake in which the participants will try to find and retrieve it.
Sounds simple, right?
Except for the fact that I'm the bait.
....
I felt myself being teleported at the bottom of the lake in which thankfully, I was placed inside a bubble with air.
Though to my horror, the Chieftain Monarch told me that the bubble will pop after a certain amount of time has passed.
There's a magical cuff on my wrist in which a small screen appeared on top of it in which I can see what is happening during the current combat challenge.
I can see the horrified looks of the pack as they must have saw me waiting to be rescued.
Though Lion seems to look confident, I noticed that his hands are clenched.
In this current combat challenge, they are grouped into several teams. Thankfully, the pack managed to stay together as I can't imagine the chaos that will happen if they are separated into different teams.
Though chaos will surely happen as the Chieftain Monarch announced that Lion's group will be the one doing the rescuing while other groups will prevent them from rescuing me.
All of the participants aren't allowed to use any magic or other abilities, making this some sort of a challenge to them, relying on their teamwork.
....
While I am waiting for them to rescue me, I looked at the magical cuff that is placed on my wrist. Somehow, it reminded me of some of our gadgets back on earth, as well as the giant screen back in the arena that looks quite familiar that a sudden realization made my blood turned cold.
Where did they learn how to make this stuff?
Unless...
The one who made that is either one of the high council members who looked into my mind or the ones who helped him made it are some of the supposed to be escaped members of the high council.
Either of them made me feel sick.
Everything is getting complicated. It's as if someone is playing us here.
I wasn't free all along.
Someone is still watching and observing my actions.
I seemed to recall during the time back at the snowy mountains when I felt someone watching me sleep.
A sudden sound interrupted my thoughts when I saw Sly banging on the bubble.
He signaled me to wait as he pointed up in which I saw the rest of the pack trying to fight off the rest of the participants who tried to prevent them from rescuing me.
Lion seemed like he is on fire as he managed to knocked out several of the participants who surrounded them.
Alpha used Orm's tail as some sort of a whip in which Ghost assisted him in carrying it.
Sly tried to break the bubble to no avail in which he looked around, trying to find something that he can use to break the bubble.
He signaled me that he will be back as it seems that he is running out of air.
As the remaining participants and the pack went towards the surface, that's when I heard the bubble starting to break.
How convenient.
To make it worse, the water starts to become murkier making things harder for me to see my surroundings as the bubble finally broke.
I held my breath as I tried to swim towards the surface that I have difficulty on doing as my supposed to be weight less attire started to feel heavy as it got wet.
If I want to live, I should not rely solely on being rescued. I should make an effort too.
I'm tempted to remove my clothing when I remembered that everyone at the arena is watching us live.
So I tried swimming towards the surface when I suddenly felt someone trying to carry me.
To my great relief, it is Lion. I immediately embraced him in which his hold towards me begin to tightened as he tried to swim fast towards the surface.
It's times like these that I'm glad to be some sort of a damsel in distress as I felt a sudden thrill and excitement to be rescued by him.
....
The next combat challenge that they have is at a mountain where I was hidden in a secret location where the same groups in the previous challenge will try to find me. The Chieftain Monarch randomly assigned the leaders this time in which the leaders will be the one who can rescue me while the rest of the members can only assist them. Alpha is the leader this time in which they immediately made some sort of plan.
Alpha is a good choice as he is the best in tracking.
I was hidden in a small cave that is behind the waterfalls.
Smart.
The waterfalls will conceal my presence and also keep me safe from any harm as I am being tied up and my mouth is covered by a cloth, preventing me from calling for help.
Which isn't necessary as I am enjoying this kind of scenario as I have to see if the trainings that we had in the past few days is effective somehow.
The sound of the waterfalls will muffle any sounds coming from me in which I think isn't of great importance as my mouth is already covered with a cloth.
I felt serene so I tried meditating inside my mind to pass the time.
I soon felt cramps in my extremities that started to become numb as I can't stretch them as I was tied up too tightly.
This isn't good as this may complicate things.
It seems they don't know the effects of long term numbness.
As expected, I soon became dizzy and felt like I'm about to faint.
I made myself lie down on the ground to prevent my head from getting an injury in case I might suddenly collapsed.
I decided to close my eyes to conserve my energy as I tried listening to any sounds of movement.
....
I was about to doze off when I heard sounds of footsteps coming inside the cave. But to my disappointment, the footsteps belonged from another group. So I continued to act like I was sleeping deeply.
I can't understand on what they are talking about but somehow, I can finally stretch my extremities.
Someone carried me gently in their arms as we went out of the cave.
....
We are back in the arena as the spectators began to roar in excitement.
The one who rescued me had a smug look in his face as his companions yelled in triumph.
He looked at me smugly in which I am mesmerized by his gorgeous looks.
He has a human like face and body but has a tail that looks enchantingly beautiful like the tail of a unicorn.
Wait.
A unicorn?
He does have a small horn in the middle of his forehead.
I can't help but felt attracted to him despite my efforts on trying to think about Lion.
His eyes looked like he was pleased at seeing me enjoying his looks.
He does look drop-dead gorgeous, I have to admit.
Still, I'm starting to get annoyed as he insisted on carrying me as if I am a glass that would easily break if he would put me down.
I can hear several footsteps running towards our direction in which I saw Lion and the rest of the pack approaching us with furious looks in their faces.
Soon, the two groups positioned themselves in attack stances as Mister Unicorn has no plans in letting me go, making the pack snarl and growl in anger.
The spectators began to excitedly goad them into fighting in which I'm beginning to feel afraid as I can't fight back since my extremities felt a bit painful as a result of being tied up too tightly.
They began to yell in excitement as the sound of snarls and growls increased in intensity from both sides, telling them to fight.
I began praying all sorts of prayers as I wanted to be rescued from this situation.
Fortunately, the Chieftain Monarch cleared his throat in which everyone fell silent.
I felt myself floating in the air, going towards the direction of the Chieftain Monarch.
Finally, I landed on a chair in which a group of healers tried to heal me.
Soon, I can finally move normally in which some attendants began fixing my appearance.
Thinking that the situation is finally under control, I confidently sat on the chair beside the Chieftain Monarch in which he grinned at me.
The Chieftain Monarch then announced that there's been a slight change of plans in which they would engage in some sort of a mock war.
The remaining participants were divided among the two groups.
Mister Unicorn is the assigned general from the other group while Lion is the general of his group.
Soon, several large crystals began to appear around them and a huge magic circle began to activate.
There is only one rule, which is no killing much to the disappointment of the spectators.
There can only be one general remaining.
They can only fight using what they learned during their training.
With a signal coming from the Chieftain Monarch, they began to fight.
....
I felt proud of the pack as they are the stars of the show. They took out several of their opponents with glee. Ghost is on another level as he seemed like he's some sort of a brawling god.
Lion, with an irresistible smirk on his face that made the female spectators swoon with excitement, easily defeated Mister Unicorn as he sent several consecutive attacks to Mister Unicorn's body.
With a finishing blow, Mister Unicorn fell to the ground unconscious.
And with that, it signaled the end of the mock war.
The remaining conscious members of the winning group were called towards the podium in which an official announced their names.
As they were called one by one, the spectators roared with excitement. But when the pack's names were called, the female spectators screamed with excitement.
The excitement of the female spectators is on another level when Lion's name is called.
Of course I would happily join them but as I'm sitting beside the Chieftain Monarch, I simply smiled, being proud of him and the rest of the pack.
They did a great job and as their somewhat temporary trainer, I salute them.