Ronku

Bayer swayed in the wind. 

'I hate it.' 

His portal was not opening. His energy supplies were over. He hadn't eaten a thing in the last three days. 

'Ma-' his voice cracked. He stared into the hot sky with dusty eyes and tottered forward. 'Ma I want to go home.' 

If only he could have reached the prize sooner. Maybe he would have won. Maybe he would've gained enough points to get him a bottle of water till the next round of warriors came. But nothing ever went his way. Back in his hometown, he was bullied for his scar. On the battle field, it was because he didn't have enough. When he was little, his younger brother would throw tantrums and get all of his possessions. At school, his peers would walk over him and make him work for them. In Ronku, his best friend had knocked him unconcious and taken away the only thing that could've saved him. The prize. 

It had a charm bound to it, and would grant the winner a wish of their choice. 

'I want-'

Bayer squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed hard. 

He could never go home.

'Ma-'

A dry feeling took over his chest. It chipped away at him. The wind blew harder. His fingers were turning to dust. His bones were falling into clumps of dirt. Bayer panicked. 

He couldn't go now. He had to stay a little longer. He had heard that whoever stayed in Ronku the longest would be granted a greater wish. 

But Ronku, the most threatening games in all lands was infamous for killing its contestants away or chasing them back in such a way that there was never a sole person who remained in the game. They all either quit together, or died together. 

After entering the field, they had all gone their separate ways so Bayer had no way of knowing whether he was the last or not. All he had dane was hoped to survive till then. 

But now his body was withering.

'What-' he hiccupped. 'What is happening?'

HIs hands fell. His face melted. Soon his body fell like loose sand into the caked earth.

Bayer got up to his mother ringing the bell for food. He had survived to be the last player of Ronku. He had gotten home.