The Energy Crusades

by Valerie Noble

  The Weapons Room was housed in the largest building on campus, the only one to boast six stories. The exterior was brick and rows of dark windows marked each floor. Ajax held his hand up at the entrance, and waited for his wrist to be scanned. His information was deciphered, and the doors opened for us. We found ourselves in a corridor before another set of doors, a hallway stretching out to our right.

  The corridor we entered was known as the escape. The walls were unadorned, and the floors bare concrete. A wooden bench ran the length of the wall directly to our right. This was the place to prepare before entering the Weapons Room. It was also the place you could escape to if you wanted to bail out on an exercise. Not all of the exercises provided an escape, but if they did, the door was available. However, escaping from an exercise before it ended meant you had failed, something no one wanted to do, so the corridor was rarely used. I had never asked for an escape, but truthfully, I did not have extensive Weapons training at the Tennis Academy.

  We paused in front of the second set of doors, which were made of a rich, dark wood. Enormous iron hinges framed the outer edges, but otherwise there was no hardware and it was only their immense size that made them formidable.

  Ajax paused before them. "Once we go in, we're not coming out for several hours. First I'll take you to the room of orbs and you can see if one calls you. You need to start training with an orb as soon as possible. If one doesn't call you, we'll work on how to open your mind to it. Do you understand what I mean?"

  I nodded. An orb was a weapon. It was a round object, a bit larger than a tennis ball but clear, like glass, hard to the touch, and said to be unbreakable. Each orb possessed capabilities unique to its owner, or master as some might say. They could do basic things, like provide heat or light, and they could even provide essential elements, like oxygen if necessary. Those types of skills were common among orbs. What distinguished each one was the way it could be trained to the specifications of its possessor. Since no two people were alike, no two orbs behaved in the same way.

  We entered through the next set of doors, crossing the threshold into a room almost the size of the entire building. It was an exceptionally large rectangular space, enclosed by four plain white walls, a gleaming wood floor, and the ceiling, all the way above our heads, six stories high. On the wall opposite the massive doors, dark windows three floors up were the only real break to the monotonous white walls. Behind the dark glass was the control room, where the Teachers manipulated the exercises while monitoring the Students.

  Beneath the control room a small doorway opened to the Hall of Orbs. The long, narrow room had shelves lining the entire length of the walls. The shelves were divided into square cubbyholes, and each of these held an orb. I stepped into the room and felt a rush of energy surround my body, as powerful as a gust of warm air. My eyes were immediately drawn to an orb on my left, a few feet over my head. Before I could even register a conscious thought about what I was doing, my left arm reached up and I held my hand out toward the orb. It flew off the shelf and landed with perfect precision in the palm of my hand.

  "Kaia!" Ajax looked astonished. "So fast? How did you do that?"

  "I don't know. I felt a rush of energy when I entered the room." The orb felt wonderful in my hands, as if it was made just for me.

  "That's really advanced, Kaia. Have you trained with another orb before?"

  "No, never," I shook my head. "I thought you could only possess one."

  "Yes, that's true, but you can use someone else's. You can try to manipulate its power to your own liking." He stared down at me for several moments, a newfound respect in his eyes. "I've only seen two other people call an orb with the same kind of speed." He still looked amazed. It made me feel proud.

  "Who?" I asked, thinking of Tiergan.

  "Me and Cadmus."

  "Hmmm," I wondered. "What does it mean?"

  "It means you have excellent control over your mind, which is probably one of the reasons you're such a great Athlete."

  I didn't know how to react to his compliment so I asked, "Could my brother do it?"

  Ajax shook his head at me, and there was almost a smile on his lips. "Always comparing yourself to your brother, Kai. No, he wasn't as fast, but he was faster than most."

  When we were children, Ajax often called me Kai, making it my childhood nickname. His intention in using the name while denying we'd ever been friends was unclear, and I didn't like it. Whether he meant to recall our childhood or had simply used it as a convenient shortening of my name I couldn't be sure, and I shook the useless thoughts from my head.

  "What now, Ajax?" I asked, ready to move on. What did it matter? Once we finished in the Weapons Room, we would renew our anger and resentment anyway, nickname or no nickname.

  We exited the Hall of Orbs and returned to the main room. Ajax worked with me on controlling my orb. I spent some time perfecting its basic abilities, asking for heat, then light, until I mastered those skills. I practiced throwing it ahead of me and calling it back. Ajax moved about the room, as I sharpened my command of distance and accuracy while he provided a target to focus on. Wherever he moved, I threw my orb to him, training it to stop before it reached him. It would hover in the air around him, and if he reached out his hand to touch it, I would call it back before his hand could ever grasp it. We practiced this over and over, and as I got better, I would play little games with him, letting the orb hit him, then hide behind him, and then jump out of his hand. I could even make it circle his body, keeping him in place before I called it back.

  "How does the orb make you feel?" Ajax finally asked. It felt like we had been practicing for hours. I thought about his question before answering, struggling for the words to express the way I felt. It was impossible.

  "Mostly I feel strength. Like I can do anything." It was the closest I could come to describing what was going on inside of me with the orb in my hand.

  He nodded. "That's excellent. Strength is exactly what you need to complete your training."

  "What do you feel with yours?" I wanted to know.

  "I feel strength too," he answered, but then changed the subject. "Okay, Kaia, you did very well but we have to move on now. We're going to do a footpath."

  My stomach clenched. Footpaths were difficult exercises. The Weapons Room would change into some kind of outdoor terrain and present a footpath to follow. These paths had to be followed precisely, as missing a step often meant falling. You had to place your feet correctly, without missing a foothold, and there were many different ones available to trip you up.

  Ajax studied my face as I digested the information. "Have you worked on them before?" he asked.

  "Yes, a few." They were not my favorite, and Ajax sensed my hesitation.

  "But you never worked on one with me. Trust me, okay? I can lead you up. I know they can be difficult, and this one will probably be the most difficult one you have ever encountered. The Teachers will want to test you and see how much you can handle. Remember that. Remember they are testing you and keep your mind clear." I nodded at him. He placed his orb in the pocket of his energy suit and I did the same. "You can use the orb if you need it, but it will be difficult to get to. You'll need both your hands and feet to stay on the path."

  "Okay, Ajax." I tried to sound more confident than I felt.

  "Okay. Let's eat something first and then we'll give the signal when we're ready."

  A cart had been placed in the room while we'd trained with my orb. It had been left near the door we'd entered, only from this side of the room the massive doors were not visible. There was just a small, narrow door with the word ESCAPE written above it. When we completed our training for the day, the word would change to read EXIT, but it was vital not to open the door before the second word appeared, unless you wanted to ask for an escape. Such minor details were imperative to weapons training and could mean the difference between failure and success.

  On the cart sat two energy bars and two glasses of a juice-like
concoction. They would provide the energy and nourishment our bodies needed to face the footpath. We leaned against the wall and consumed our food in silence. I willed myself to think positively about the path, pushing the fear from my heart. As I ate, the nutrients worked in my body as they were meant to, and I felt refreshed and energized.

  "Are you ready?" Ajax studied me carefully.

  "Yes," I answered, with all the determination I could muster, "I'm ready."

  "Remember to follow me. Talk to me if you're struggling."

  I nodded, and he gathered our supplies. On the bottom of the cart were two packs for our backs. He handed one to me and I put it on. It would contain whatever the Teachers thought we might need to complete the exercise. Ajax walked to the middle of the room, looked up at the control booth and held up his hand, signaling we were ready to begin. We stood side by side as the room began to change. As the world shifted and bumped into place, the room rocked like an earthquake, and I grasped his arm to keep my balance.

  Before our eyes, a new world appeared. We found ourselves at the foot of a rocky path, its immense slope rising steeply into the cloudless blue sky above us. The rocks were the color of rust, orange and dusty, and the heat blanketed our bodies. There wasn't a whisper of a breeze in the thick, oppressive air and all around us red rocks rose into the sky. Ahead of us were rocky mountains; behind us were rocky mountains, and the only way to go was up, up, up.

  Our solar glasses darkened in response to the bright sun. The foot and hand holds carved into the rocks were obvious, but the path rose steeply without an end in sight. I swallowed, and tried not to let the image of falling enter my thoughts or the feeling of vertigo envelope me. If one of us did fall, some type of rescue would appear, saving us from serious injury, but it would also mean we had failed. Falling wasn't an option and I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and mentally prepared for the challenge in front of me.

  "Don't look up," Ajax urged. "Just put one foot in front of the other."

  I opened my eyes and focused on his. Ajax's eyes were hidden behind his glasses and I couldn't tell if they were blue or gray. "One point at a time," I answered, repeating the familiar phrase Tiergan and I used to encourage each other with during a tennis match. We helped each other to only focus on the point at hand, never worrying about future points. Letting your mind jump too far ahead was often a costly mistake. Ajax smiled, understanding the reference. When we trained, he took his role as my mentor seriously, and did not wish for me to fail. When we trained, we let our resentments fall away.

  "One point at a time," he agreed, and then began to ascend.

  I concentrated on matching where Ajax placed his hands and feet, pulling my body up the rocks as the sun beat down on my face. It was slow going and took a long time to haul my body a short distance up the slope. The quiet pressed against me until all I could hear was the hot sound of my breath and the movement of Ajax above me. It felt like mere minutes had passed before I was sweating profusely and struggling to keep my concentration. Sweat poured into my eyes and clouded my solar glasses, making it even more difficult to find and grasp the holds. Droplets of perspiration dripped down from Ajax's body, and if he stopped to shake the hair out of his eyes, the moisture from it would fall onto me until I couldn't discern his sweat from my own.

  My legs began to burn with fatigue from the constant climb, but I knew I could overcome it. I was accustomed to pushing my body to physical extremes, and shaky, exhausted legs were common on the tennis court. Placing my feet correctly proved easier than finding the right indentions with my hands, which grew slick with sweat the longer we climbed. At times, I couldn't decide whether to wipe my glasses or dry my hands, and as my vision became more clouded, I could no longer see Ajax's feet above me, and had to rely on my own senses more heavily. Our bodies were soaked in the red dust of the mountain, and I finally had to keep my eyes closed entirely, in order to keep the dust from blinding me.

  My throat began to ache from the dry, dusty air. I felt the holds with my feet carefully until I sensed the correct one, and then found a place for my hands to lift me up. With my eyes closed and the heat pressing around me, I felt totally alone on the rocks. I could hear Ajax's movements above me, but I could no longer depend on his steps to guide me.

  Just when I thought I would choke from all the dust, the rain began, lightly at first, which felt glorious on my skin. While my eyes were closed, I hadn't noticed the clouds approaching. The water washed the dust from my face, allowing me to see the dark, ominous weather closing in around us. With it came a little breeze and some cooler air. I paused on the rocks and held my face out, letting the drops of rain clear the dust and sweat away. Finally, I was able to look up and find Ajax. He was right above me, struggling to clean his face as best he could. I'd managed to keep pace with him, even without my eyesight. It was enough of an accomplishment to boost my energy. Ajax looked down momentarily, but I gave a little nod and he continued up.

  The rain, which had been refreshing at first, began to hammer us relentlessly. We could hold out our tongues to drink a few drops, but it was a small comfort. Dust became mud and it slid down around us, dragging all sorts of rocks and debris with it. As the rain pounded down, the mud fell more violently, and I was pelted with rocks. One of the larger ones hit me in the arm, tearing the skin and leaving a gash in my suit. It began to gush with blood. I pushed the pain from my mind and kept as close an eye on Ajax's feet as possible, holding my concentration the best I could while we continued the climb.

  I was keeping up, despite the avalanche of mud flowing all around us, but I made the mistake of lifting my head too far. A sharp rock struck me savagely across the cheek, opening a large gash just under my left eye. The pain of it took my breath away, and I lost my train of thought. My foot slipped and I grasped at a hold with my left hand. Ajax felt me falter and stopped in his tracks, leaning down to offer me a hand. Close to panic, I scrambled to reach him, calming down slightly when we connected. He held my arm tightly in his as I struggled to regain my foot holds, the taste of blood hot in my mouth.

  "Don't let go, Ajax," I called, forcing my voice to remain calm.

  "I won't, Kaia," he called back, but he sounded worried. I wondered if he was injured as well. "Focus now," his voice soothed me, and my heart started to calm its frantic rhythm as I concentrated on his voice. "Close your eyes and clear your mind." I did as he instructed, holding his arm as tightly as I could. When my breathing was under control, I loosened my grip to find his bare hand. Immediately, the strength from his body flowed into mine as our hands entwined. The longer I held on, the better I felt, and his steady grip served as an anchor to my flailing senses. Instead of focusing on the pain in my cheek and arm, I focused on the warmth of his hand against mine. My panic subsided and I tried to let go of Ajax, ready to continue, but he held tight, keeping his hand in mine a moment longer. I opened my eyes to find his, nodding as a signal I could continue on the path. His face was a blur in the rain but I hoped his vantage point allowed him a better view of me. He squeezed my hand one last time and then let go.

  We continued on the path as slowly as ever. I couldn't guess how many hours had passed, but it must have been many because I started to feel like I needed to replenish my fluids. It took all of my focus to pull my body up through the rain and mud. My clothing was soaked through to my skin and heavy with mud. The extra weight pushed against me, and the material clung to my body uncomfortably. Still, I felt pings here and there from falling rock, but I did not make the mistake of lifting my head again, lest another piece of earth strike my face. It was bad enough when the rocks hit my hands, causing an urge to let go.

  Eventually the rain slowed and the world lightened with the emerging sun. The storm passed over our heads, and the onslaught of mud and rocks began to slow. It was safe to lift my head, but my body was shutting down and I kept my chin to my chest. Cramps began to take hold in my legs. I worried about lifting my head, fearing I would see the path rise endlessl
y above me, and all hope would leave me and I would fall. I needed to believe the summit was near in order to coax my body up one more hold.

  As the rain became a light drizzle, blood began to pour from my cheek and I could taste the metallic flavor in my mouth. My stomach heaved. The higher I climbed the more ravaged my hands became until I forced my thumbs through my sleeves, hoping for some relief.

  When the rain stopped, I felt the sun again, hot on my body. There was nowhere for me to go but up and I labored on. Although the heat from the sun became more intense, my body started to feel chilled. Goosebumps sprang up all over my arms and spread to the rest of my body. The nausea boiled in my stomach as I started to dehydrate and I had to stop and rest my head on the rocks in front of me, taking several deep breaths and trying to talk myself out of the horrible cold spreading throughout my body. I wondered if I could reach into my pack and grab some nourishment, but I couldn't decide what to do. As my focus slipped away, I was too afraid to lift my head for fear my head would spin and the dizziness would cause me to fall.

  "Kaia!" Ajax called from somewhere up above me, but I couldn't look up, sure I would throw up all over the rocks. "Kaia!" He called again, more forcefully. "Look up!" His voice was both commanding and soothing. I found the will to lift my head in his direction, and found he was less than a meter above me, and about to heave his body onto flat ground. We had reached the summit. Only a few more pulls and I would make it too. In an effort to calm my nerves, I reached into my pocket and grasped my orb. It was cool to the touch and seemed to vibrate with energy. I willed it to fill me with the strength to continue and instantly felt its energy spring into my fingertips and travel up my arm. Energy spread like a warm fire throughout my weary body, relieving the sick feeling and providing the will to continue the climb. My hands reached for the next hold as I found my composure and dragged my body over the summit and then fell to the ground next to Ajax. I lay with my cheek on the hard ground with no intention of ever moving again.