by Jason Letts
Turning onto his side and casting a glance around his lucky sanctuary, it seemed nothing more than a narrow cave. But staring into the mountain’s belly for more than a moment brought a heart-stopping surprise. A pair of big round yellow eyes caught the faint light and stared back at him from the darkness. Before he could do anything, two more pairs opened suddenly in the surrounding space. A low growl reverberated through the cave.
Wildly flapping his arms and legs to propel him out of the cave, Vern hastened all the more for the din of the approaching animals behind him. The nails on their paws clinked against the rocks, beckoning a foul demise unlike any he’d imagined for this brutal contest. The instant he’d flopped through the cave’s entrance, a sudden sharp pain ripped through his lower leg. If that were not enough, something caught his shoe, and he could hear a dull roar emanating just beyond.
Still, he extended his hand to lead him into the arms of a nearby tree. It caused a searing pain, but Vern kicked with his shredded leg at the animal’s mouth and worked himself free. Looking back as he drifted out of reach, he could see the faint outlines of a mountain lion and its kin. The teeth in their open jaws caught the light, matching the glimmer in their eyes. Vern couldn’t help but think them beautiful creatures as he fled into the high branches.
Unable to see it, he put his hand to his lower leg and felt the cuts throbbing through his entire body. They felt moist, but he knew the moisture wasn’t from the rainwater. He grimaced, breathing deeply and trying to swallow the pain.
The pack of mountain lions swiveled their heads once sounds of the raucous invasion reached their ears. Their territory under attack, the animals swiftly scaled the rocks to engage those who had ignorantly wandered near their lair. They pawed up a slick, vertical ledge, and the first full-blown roar and terrified screams came almost simultaneously. The knowledge of a new menace lurking in the dark echoed around the mountainside.
Barely able to glimpse the animals or their prey during the brief flashes of lightning, Vern listened to the once confident fighters as they whimpered and ran at the prospect of a more unpredictable enemy. The wailing, roaring, and yelling gave the rugged surface a feeling of liveliness, unrelenting against the frantic excitement of the shadows.
Still perched in the treetop, Vern hit upon a strange thought that wouldn’t leave him alone. In the dark, the cave appeared shallow, no more than a few yards deep, and yet the mountain lions were settled in much father and at a somewhat higher elevation. How often do caves lead upward?
His mouth dropped open when his mind, struggling for answers, snagged upon Westley’s story of the tunneler who tried to win the Rite by digging his way to the top. Westley had warned him pursuing the tunnels was a fool’s errand, but no one had Vern’s skills or experience wandering about in caves. Listening to the fray again, the mountain lions had chased the shadows off into the distance. But as strong as they were, they could very well find a shadow able to take them on.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Vern gave in to the opportunity before him. Considering how the race crept further up the mountain all the time, it would take a bold move to get in a position where he could anticipate the threats Aoi and Mira would face. He lifted himself from the treetop and returned to the tunnel entrance. Stepping gingerly on his injured leg, he moved into the tunnel, using his power to glide up through the darkness.
While Vern navigated the mountain’s insides, Mira raced up its exterior, pounding her legs against any path that would provide flat footing and lead her higher. She whisked between the trees, hurdling rocks and leaping onto embankments. Though other shadows fought and lurked all around her, she sailed by them with such speed that they could do nothing more than watch her.
Climbing higher with each stride, the only things running through her mind were the memory of her training and the one who had administered it. Flip Widget had forced her to run steeper inclines than this, and she could feel that work paying off now. Still, she ran from him in her mind. The insidious image of his pale skin and white hair haunted her, and raw nerves propelled her upward even as they made her mash her teeth and stomp at the ground.
The cool rain felt good when it hit the warm blush in her skin, and the lightning proved a welcome compliment to her temperament. Each bolt and wave of thunder made her imagine she could take control of her memories and strike out against her tormenter, as she should have done from the very beginning. His cruel words rattled inside her head, and gradually her own thoughts began to assume his hoarse tone.
She ran without stopping for nearly an hour, but her will and fervor were not enough to keep her legs moving. Gasping for breath, she put her hands to her knees and tried to listen for anyone nearby. She couldn’t hear anything above the rain. Angry at herself for getting tired and disappointed to find she had over-exhausted her energy, she leaned against a nearby tree for a moment’s rest.
“So weak,” she chided herself, letting her hand fall against the trunk.
But as soon as it touched down, she knew her hand had not met the bark. Instead, small moving things crawled underneath her fingers. They immediately covered her hand, forcing Mira to jerk it away with a yelp. She shook her arm, and the creatures briefly buzzed away. Gradually, the buzzing returned, growing louder, and the trees around her came to life with the noise of insects.
“Is that you, Mira?” a familiar voice asked, and a figure stepped into the path a short ways in front of her, inching forward cautiously.
“I never thought you’d spring my trap. I wasn’t even sure if you’d come at all. I kept waiting for news that something had happened to you and we’d need a new leader.”
A wave of insects of every variety peeled off the trees and hovered in the air above him, glittering in the sparse light. The cloud they made was so thick that a flash of lightning couldn’t penetrate it to shine on the boy.
“Jeremy,” Mira gasped, astonished.
“It’s bound to happen, Mira. You can’t survive. And so maybe it’s for the best I found you. There’s still a chance I could become leader…once you’re not around.”
Mira took a few steps backward as Jeremy advanced. He commanded the know-it-all tone of an idiot, obviously pleased with himself for carrying through on something he had long dreamed of.
“You’re making a big mistake.” Mira slipped her arms behind her back.
“I don’t think so!” Jeremy shot back. “You made the mistake emerging from your hole. I can’t be held back because I’m taking orders from a defect!”
The writhing cloud of insects darted for Mira through the rainy air. Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky, allowing her to see Jeremy’s anxious smile. She flipped open the lighter and sprayed the aerosol can through the flame. A brilliant fiery streak shot out, immediately igniting the attacking flies. They dispersed in all directions, and Mira arced the steady stream of fire from left to right, pressing forward.
The tiny flaming carcasses rained down on Jeremy and the surrounding ground. He covered his head with his hands, bending over and cursing as they burned him. Frantically trying to avoid the little balls of fire, Jeremy tripped over a rock and spilled onto the ground in the middle of the path.
By the time he could right himself, the fire smoldered above him, its heat consuming the moisture on his skin. Mira stood over him, right at his feet, lowering the flame to the ground.
“No! Mira, please don’t!” he cried.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t!” she barked. The girl standing over Jeremy looked so different from the one he had known back in Corey Outpost. Peering through terrified eyes, he shivered and shook in fear of what she would do.
“What happened to you?” Jeremy squeaked.
“Nothing happened!” Mira shouted, forcing the flame to go out.
Jeremy squirmed weakly. Sounds ricocheted around the forest, the echoes of those who had seen the firelight and came to pursue its source. Mira noticed them too, and she knew the opportunity for escape wouldn’t last long
er than a few seconds.
“If you get in my way again,” she threatened, already starting up the path. But she couldn’t take more than a few steps before they were set upon. Someone dropped in front of Mira, and others rushed in from below. The lug ahead of her swung a heavy hand, and Mira ducked and spun herself toward higher ground.
Jeremy watched as a few others joined the fight, harassing each other as much as they did Mira. In the ensuing chaos, Mira relit her torch and blew fire onto the feet of the closest attacker, who cried out in pain and trampled about in search of a puddle. Just as Jeremy saw Mira break away and run for it, a crushing blow caught the side of his head.
Racing uphill, she heard the thumping footsteps chasing her and the cacophony of the brawl that had broken out where Jeremy had confronted her. The path curved and began a steep incline, and Mira had no choice but to overcome it with her hands. She pulled herself onto the jagged outcropping, swinging her feet over and rolling along the slick, wet rock.
Higher and higher, it seemed she would never come to an end, and her muscles needled her for a break. But her pursuers were relentless, and she looked about anxiously for a way to evade them. She finally climbed onto a ledge that had a layer of loose rock on top. Swiveling around, she kicked at the smaller rocks and pushed the larger ones over the edge, listening to them ricocheting off the mountainside and taking solace in the painful yells below.
Climbing up a few more ledges, she came to the top of the embankment. Once all of the trees were behind her and nothing but rocks below, she admired the lightning striking in the distance. The heavy black clouds floated just out of reach. They pummeled the upper reaches of the mountain. Fearful of taking in the sight of the carnage and wreckage down below for too long, she hastened into the trees to avoid letting the lightning give her a more personal greeting.
In the middle of the bleak mountainside forest, Aoi carefully snuck her way up the slope. Clear-minded, she listened through the rain for the faintest murmurs of life. Once her surroundings proved safe, she shuffled through the undergrowth and swiftly conquered each successive hurdle along the elevating terrain. By forsaking the paths, she gained an advantage over those unable to trust themselves in the dark.
Sneaking along, the sharp cries of a massive foray halted her. Two of the schools clashed on the muddy ground beneath the withered branches. One academy had climbed a steep cliff and another overcame a steady incline to meet on a narrow plateau before turning to face the mountain and the last lengths of the climb. The ground started shaking and flashes of light appeared as the thrashing began.
Aoi surveyed the area, hoping to find a way to avoid the death trap that occupied the ground in front of her. She watched a pair of brawlers lose their balance and tumble over the steep cliff. She could make it down the hillside and around, but it would cost her immeasurable time to regain the elevation.
Putting her hands on the tree trunk in front of her, she scaled the bark and branches. She surveyed the entire plateau, and every inch had green and orange uniforms battling over it. Punches flew back and forth, screams erupted from bloodied combatants, and glowing green handprints saturated the area. Unhindered by fear or anger, Aoi observed them like floating clouds in the sky.
Taking a deep breath, she rose to her feet and looked to the maze of branches before her. Listening to the slow and steady rhythm of her heartbeat, Aoi took her first steps out along the canopy. Straying further from the tree’s center, the branches thinned until they were no wider than her finger, but her weight had no effect on them.
Deliberately and attentively, she pressed forward and took a high step up onto the branch of an adjacent tree. Though it was wet, and the rain still pelted her, she exhaled her tension and let her weight equal the tranquility in her mind.
From tree to tree, she tightrope-walked above the feuding parties. Staying silent, she let herself blend into the black night. Suddenly, a crash against the trunk shook her branch. Aoi felt a cascade of worry sweep into her thoughts. The branch bent as she imagined falling into the frenzy and being set upon by hordes of wild adolescents. She told herself the result would be no different than falling from the straw bridge. Pain would come, but soon it would be over, even if it meant everything would be over.
She took a step along the thinning branch as the cacophony below rattled into the sky. Passing around another trunk, she continued on, looking indifferently at the thin woodland path snaking up the mountainside beyond. A sudden flash of lightning cast the area in a harsh glow, and a new cry shrieked from down below. Its cause was unmistakable. Aoi had been spotted.
A rock whizzed by her head, and she could see a figure attempting to climb the tree in front of her. Though the majority of fighters continued their battle heedlessly, a few regarded her with hostile eyes for her gall. She heard a strange guttural noise behind as someone had grappled onto the branch that supported her. It rocked back and forth, bent, and then broke. Aoi fell to the howling cheers of those underneath.
Instead of hitting the ground, someone caught her in midair. A pair of thick hands held her by her sides while a few others jumped to strike at her. Staring down at the ground and the entranced faces of those wishing to do her harm, Aoi kicked at the one who held her. Though her blows connected squarely in his face, they landed with no more impact than the falling raindrops.
Aoi tried to work up her ire, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, but the hands swung her down and slammed her against the ground. Her face smacked into the mud, and she groaned. A sharp heel drilled into her back, and a hand grabbed her by the foot and dragged her over the rocks. It lifted her up, but suddenly seemed to buckle under her weight. Upside down, Aoi struck at the side of a knee, crippling her attacker and forcing him to drop her.
She rolled around just in time to see a girl wearing a green uniform try to kick at her. Aoi twisted her ankle, sending her to the ground. Back on her feet, someone ran head on at Aoi, and she slammed into him shoulder first, knocking him back the way he came. Free for a moment, she started to run along the plateau to the trail but only made it a few feet before she started seeing bright green handprints all over the trees and ground.
A red-haired, freckly girl in an orange uniform leapt out from behind a tree to face off with Aoi. A slimy green substance covered her hands and dripped onto the ground. Suddenly, someone with a green uniform raced at her, but the girl caught him on the wrist, wrapping her fingers around it. Even in the dim light, Aoi could see the veins in the victim’s arms inflame, his skin bubbling and boiling until the green substance frothed from his mouth and the boy fell lifelessly to the ground.
“Poison?” Aoi wondered aloud.
Carefully stepping over some of the goop, Aoi strayed to the right, but the girl moved with her, continually blocking her way. She was almost as short as Aoi and wore a nasty smirk. Aoi moved back to the left, looking for an opening. Her heart raced and her chest heaved. She took big gulps of air trying to calm herself.
The girl pressed closer, and Aoi couldn’t get around her. The trees had green marks all over them, which Aoi struggled to avoid. She balled her fists and cocked them should the girl come any closer, but then she relaxed her hands, closed her eyes, and took another deep breath.
The girl in the orange uniform pounced instantly, clutching Aoi’s black hair and muddy face with her gooey hands. Nothing happened for a moment, and Aoi opened her eyes. A soothing calmness filled them. Astonished, the girl blinked rapidly and squeezed harder, but her substance felt no different than cool water.
Gasping, the red-haired girl let her go and stared speechlessly into Aoi’s bottomless eyes. She raised her hands in front of her face, ready to block a counter attack, but Aoi couldn’t attack so long as she wanted to be safe from her foe’s effects. They were at a standoff.
Aoi stepped forward, and the girl flinched, but Aoi sidestepped her and walked to the narrow trail leading up the mountainside. The feuding groups had been reduced to just a few members on each side. Ar
ound her, the fallen moaned for help if they had strength and life left enough to do so.
Once a safe distance away, Aoi began to jog up the trail. It hurt to run because of blows she had taken to different parts of her body, still she pressed onward and upward. There was no other way she could catch Mira and keep her promise to Vern to protect her from trouble.
Aoi trudged up the mountainside through the drizzle in the deep night. Her trail grew more treacherous as the trees gave way to a jagged, barren landscape. A sheer cliff already accompanied her to the side as she wound counterclockwise up the mountain.
In the pitch black, she had to rely on the lightning for guidance. She scanned the ground during the brief flashes and trusted her memory to keep her safe. Often using all fours, she made progress any way she could. Her fingers and toes throbbed from the rainwater and the friction of the rocks. Many of her injuries followed her with each movement. But the most pressing feeling of all was the drive to be there when her friends needed help.
Continuing upward, plant life became a rare sight. Nothing but rock and earth lay under her feet. Reaching the upper echelons of the mountain, the fine mist of the clouds floated around her. Starlight filtered through the subtle haze and grazed the ground. Lightning surged through the clouds below her and discharged at the ground. The cloud was thick in some places, allowing visibility for only a few feet, but in others the white mist cleared for as much as ten yards.
Surmounting a particularly steep section of the trail, it relieved Aoi to see that the path flattened out and widened before twisting around the rock face in the distance. Gazing over the precipice, the elevation struck her for a moment, and Aoi stopped to catch her breath and acclimate. There was no telling how far the drop off extended.
In the faint mist, a steady beam of light shone down to the ground. It wasn’t glowing, like the lights other shadows had produced, but beamed consistently in its strength and focused from its source. It illuminated just a small circle on the ground at a time but methodically canvassed the area.
