EXALTED (An Exalted Novel)

by Elizabeth, Tara

  TWENTY-TWO

  The surprising change of events temporarily removes my focus from the Ryker dilemma. With the Trials beginning so soon, we need to train as much as possible. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the trainees in our afternoon combat class. Outside, rain has started to come down in sheets. It hammers the metal roof of the gymnasium, putting an eerie disquiet in the room—at least for me it does.

  Force strides into the gym. He stands before us and announces, “Combat Training is officially over. For the remaining few days before the Trials, we will be focusing on your survival skills. You’ll need them for the Third Trial. You’ll learn how to live off the land and how to survive the elements.” He looks each of us in the eyes. “Understood?”

  “Yes, sir!” We shout together.

  I’m concerned because I feel that I still require extra combat training. I need to improve in that area before the Second and Third Trial. However, I was also starting to worry about the survival aspect of the last Trial. I know I need that knowledge to survive, but getting beat to death tends to scare me a little more than eating the wrong mushroom.

  “Gather round.” Force instructs. “I’m going to demonstrate how each of you can make a fire, using flint and steel. You will all be provided with one pack of matches and flint. Should you lose your matches or get them wet, you’ll need an alternate solution for making fire. Know that your flint can get wet and still work.” As Force continues on, I think about this lesson, and how it’s probably something that’s taught to children in Ryker’s village. How is it that I’m 17 years old and have no knowledge of making a fire?

  Millie sneaks into the room. She joins the class to demonstrate what Force says is a potentially lifesaving technique. “Strength be with you all. Gather round.” She extends her elegant, powerful arm gesturing for us to come closer. Her beauty is breathtaking.

  She swiftly unpacks her supplies. “I will demonstrate how to make a fire. I’m going to do it in this metal fire pit, so we don’t burn the building down. When you’re outside of the Republic, you can each build your fires right on the ground. River Birch bark, paper, and thin twigs make great kindling materials.” She places these things into a small pile in the pit. She passes several pieces of the River Birch bark around the class, so we can become familiar with that particular type of tree. I take note that this is not something that grows inside of the Republic’s walls. “You’ll also need larger pieces of wood. Make sure you don’t get anything lying around that could be damp.” Around the kindling she adds the firewood, propping the larger wood pieces up in a teepee shape.

  “Find a flat, dry stone to hold your magnesium shavings.” Using a sharp knife, Millie scrapes slivers of magnesium off the back of her flint onto the flat stone. Her movements are elegant and precise. “Now, flint side up, strike until you get an orange glow.” She turns the flint over and strikes her knife against it in a downward motion. The magnesium ignites after several tries. She adds it to the kindling to get her fire started.

  Of course, she has to quickly put it out because we are indoors, but for a moment I could almost imagine myself living outside of these walls in the wild. The idea of being free, living where I want to live, Uniting with whom I choose, and even eating what I want is becoming more and more enticing as the days pass.

  Each of the Exalted trainees gets a turn. We are allowed to use the pocket-sized flint to start our own fire in the pit. I prove to be surprisingly good at it. It must be because I’m already so familiar with the feel of a knife.

  * * *

  At dinner, Ethan joins Val and me. This attracts Az and Kinah to our table. Of course, Az sits next to me, a little too close. “Saw you two got switched to the North Gate,” he comments.

  Ethan looks up at me, but keeps his mouth shut, waiting for me to answer Az. “Yes. We start in two days. We’re at an advantage since we’re getting experience in two areas.” I look at Kinah when I say the last part. That statement will be a challenge to her. Az will just think it’ll improve my chances of finishing first with him.

  “Az and I have been patrolling at the West Gate. I think that will give us the upper hand. Not only are we watching the grounds, but we have to check every tree to make sure no one is hiding in them.” Kinah tries to one-up me.

  “Good,” I simply respond.

  I turn my attention back to Val. I want to know what to expect from the North Gate. She’ll have answers, since she’s been assigned to that territory since we started. “What’s the North Gate like?” I inquire.

  “Noisy. Smelly. Dirty.” Her eyes glass over as she grasps for adjectives. “You have to be very observant out there. All the animal noises throw off your sense of hearing. Everything smells awful, so you have no way of catching the scent of an un-bathed marauder in the air.”

  “I’ve never thought about that. Thanks, Val.” I’m thrilled to gain this experience. It will make me even better. “My father doesn’t talk much about working there, so I didn’t know what to expect.”

  Ethan has a question of his own for Val. “What’s Brian like?” Brian is the Exalted we will be reporting to in two days.

  “He’s strong, and he carries the biggest sword I’ve ever seen. He’s a first place Exalted.” Val doesn’t have too much to say about him. This is disappointing since she usually has too much to say. I guess Az and Kinah’s presence is keeping her quiet tonight.

  Edging back into the conversation, Kinah seeks more information on how I’m progressing. “So Mena, how’s the Defender’s Course treating you?” she asks me. Kinah’s acting blasé about it by not looking directly at me. She’s staring at her broccoli instead. Why would she think I would actually talk to her about my progress?

  “I’m not discussing that with you. You should know better than to ask,” I say bluntly. As if I’m really going to tell her about everything I’ve done wrong or right. She’s got some nerve.

  Kinah’s chest puffs out, and she sits a little taller after my straightforward answer. She must think my answer is a good sign—a sign that I’m not doing very well.

  Az must think the same, because he slams his hand on the table. He barks, “You had better not fail, Mena!” He’s not angry, he’s just showing his authority or masculinity—whatever it is, I’m not interested. I find myself wanting to laugh at him. I tuck my face in the crook of my arm and pretend to cough to cover the chuckle that escapes.

  After I recover, I tell him, “I am going to win this Az, so your plans of us being United will all depend on how well you do. Do your best and perhaps we will be together.” I say all of this just to get at Kinah. Of course, I don’t really want to be United with Az, but I couldn’t help myself.

  The public display of intentions disagrees with Kinah and she leaves the table, storming out of the cafeteria and knocking over one of the cook citizens. It’s amusing. She wants to be first and she doesn’t want to get beaten by me, a smaller girl with lower ranking parents.

  “I can’t stand her.” Az admits to us before leaving.

  Water nearly shoots out of my nose upon hearing Az’s declaration. Ethan kicks my leg under the table, informing me to get a handle on myself. I cup my hand over my face and swallow my mouthful as best as I can. I cough.

  “Went down the wrong pipe,” I say as I try to recover from the laugh that surely would have escaped. I’m grateful for the water that was in my mouth. I wipe up the mess I made and keep my head down for the remainder of our meal.

  * * *

  I lie in bed, after the darkness has taken over the light, and stare at the ceiling. I fantasize that there are stars twinkling above me, flickering in and out. In the Third Trial I may be sleeping under the stars, but I won’t feel as relaxed and secure as I do now. There will be any number of things that could happen during the night . . . or day. There may be ravenous wild animals or marauders searching for the weak. I’ve heard that some of the marauders travel in gangs. They’re responsible for some of the Exalted that don’t return ho
me.

  Fear is slowly starting to make its way into my system as the Trials rapidly approach. Fear concerning Ryker also mixes in. I hope he looks for me at the North Gate, but he did say at our last meeting that he would see me after the First Trial. It’s not the First Trial that frightens me; it’s the ones that come after. I still don’t know how I will be able to physically fight my friend, Val. Hopefully we won’t get paired against one another.

  So many thoughts swirl in my head, like water circling the drain. I’m unable to make sense of any of it. Eventually sleep takes me.

  TWENTY-THREE

  On the last morning before the Trials begin, we are all required to report to the medical citizens for our weekly measurements. Lately I’ve been feeling a little more brazen toward the Republic, beginning with the day I stole the corn in the field. I haven’t acted out since then, but standing here this morning with this zombie-woman poking at me—while I’m practically nude—I tempt fate.

  I clear my throat. “So, do citizens take the Pump too?” I ask her. My body clenches up as I wait for her response. I don’t know whether she’ll just answer or if she’ll report me.

  A tiny feminine voice escapes her lips. “We take a supplement, yes. But it’s not called the Pump. Only Exalted take the Pump, to make you stronger. Citizens are not strong.” She is very robotic in her answer, as if the computer behind her was the one really speaking.

  “What’s it called?” I inquire.

  “We don’t have a name for it like you do. It’s just a supplement. It’s purple, the same as yours.” The petite woman finishes taking my measurements and then dismisses me. “Exit, please.”

  I dress, leave the examining room, and stride down the gray hall towards weapons training class. A purple pill—sounds pretty familiar. I guess the Republic and Dr. Fredericks are giving them the same thing as the Exalted. Close to the same thing anyway.

  This moment—I’ve been waiting for this moment. The medical citizen’s comments tip me over the edge. I vow to put a stop to this somehow. I don’t know when or how I will make it happen, but I will. People should be free to feel and love. They should have full use of their minds and be able to experience life as it was meant to be experienced.

  My anger will fuel my stamina for my two remaining tries at the Defender’s Course, our new patrol at the North Gate, and the evening makeup for the afternoon survival training Ethan and I will miss. Today is going to be a long day.

  * * *

  I fasten my knife belt around my trim waist and slide two daggers out. Each of my sweaty hand holds a fake blade. I take my place at the entrance of the Defender’s Course’s. Briefly breaking stance, I wipe my slick palms on my shorts to dry them and then resume position. I’m nervous.

  “Mena, you have two more shots at this before the Trials. Make them count. Don’t you dare run for it! Do your job!” Garret shouts. He shakes his head at me and stomps away.

  I have to make it to the wall today! I have to!

  I look at Ethan as he plays the spectator. The lights blink out and he disappears. Several seconds later—which seems like an eternity—they flash back on. They light up the whole room in a brilliant white light. It blinds me as if I were looking directly into the sun. I blink a few times to adjust my eyes.

  Having not explored the right side of the course thus far, I decide to advance through the unknown path. Unfortunately, it passes beside the pond. I hate that pond. I clear the first tree to my right. Keeping my eyes alert, I scan the open space ahead of me, as well as the ground for any wires. I listen for changes outside of the steady hum of the fluorescent lights.

  A perfectly straight line runs through the sand, two feet in front of me. I cautiously step over it. I ready my knives, anticipating a fight. It doesn’t come just yet. The pond with the charred tree is now to my left. The water remains undisturbed. I wait for five minutes to be sure no one is hiding beneath the murky surface. Nothing happens so I move on.

  Four, massive, oak tree replicas rise up to meet the building’s ceiling. This is the largest grouping on the Defender’s Course by far. It’s the reason why Ethan and I have avoided the right side. I approach cautiously, inspecting every inch of the ground and foliage.

  No one is hidden in the tangle of branches that canopy the area, so I circle back around. I continue on the same path, which offers a large empty space and then a small patch of shrubs. The instructors must have hidden along the left side of the course, knowing that is the direction we have always chosen in the past.

  I set off again. I keep my stride short and my steps careful. All too soon, I feel a tug at my shin that very familiar. I don’t stumble or fall, but I do hear a ticking noise. It must have been a tripwire for something.

  Out of nowhere, a cluster of fireballs sail through the air. They spread out as they swiftly approach. Instead of running away, toward the wall, I run back to the protection of the oak trees and wait for the assault to finish. That was new.

  Once more I advance. The small patch of shrubs has flames rising from them. A horrible poignant smell wafts through the room. No one’s hiding in there, that’s for sure.

  Nothing stands between the wall and me, besides the burning bushes. I press on, not wanting to press my luck any further by heading back. When I’m five-feet from the wall, three beastly figures burst from the ground, showering me with golden sand and shock. They surround me. The two assistants grab me by the arms, while Garret stabs me in the gut with his mock sword. I’m dead. I only have one more shot to get this right.

  “Watch this,” Ethan whispers to me, as he passes me on his way to the starting point. When the lights flick on, Ethan takes sprints right down the middle of the course. Oh, no! What is he doing? Garret made it very clear he didn’t want us doing that. He’s going to pay for his mistake.

  I cringe as he makes it past the first tree to his left, past the cacti, crates and lone tree, and past the burned tree and pond. He’s three quarters of the way there, but upon reaching the two-tree grouping that’s ringed in bushes, my friend gets a clothesline to the chest. Assistant #1’s muscled arm knocks the breath out of Ethan and leaves him gasping for air.

  Embarrassing, but he deserved it for being so brash. I kind of admire his boldness though. It even makes him a little more attractive.

  Garret and Assistant #2 approach Ethan as he lies on the ground. I hold my breath, waiting to see how they will punish him. Garret grabs Ethan by the ankles and drags him toward the pond. Ethan struggles against him, but one of the assistants kicks him in the side of the head. Garret pulls him into the water and forces his head under. Ethan fights under the dark water to get his head above the surface.

  I stand after two minutes have gone by. I descend the bleachers to the floor after three minutes have gone by.

  Finally, just as I’m about to rescue my friend and risk everything, Garret releases Ethan. He’s choking and scrambling for dry ground. He coughs up a lung full of water, catches his breath, and then rolls over onto his back.

  Garret stands over his victim and demands an explanation for Ethan’s disobedience. “What was that, Ethan? Explain yourself!” he shouts so loud that I’m afraid the lights will shatter.

  “Sorry, sir! I wanted to see if I could fight off an ambush. I thought you would all come after me if I disobeyed. It obviously worked.” Ethan coughs once more. He keeps his face rigid as stares at our instructor.

  “I’ve already told you, that’s not how we do things here,” Garrett spits. “You need to clear each area before advancing.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Garret finds me across the room with his eyes. “Let’s go, Mena! Last try!” His voice booms across the Defender’s Course, maneuvers around the obstacles, and hits me with its full force.

  I realize I’m still holding my breath from seeing Ethan nearly drown. I let it out slowly. Then I wipe my palms on the back of my shorts before reaching for my weapons. Focus, Mena. This is your last attempt. I walk forward and put Ethan to the
back of my mind for the moment. Garret switches off the lights before I even make it to the starting point. I take slow steady breathes in effort to slow my heart rate. I wait.

  When the lights flash on, everything appears to be the same, except for Garret casually leaning against the nearest tree. He’s waiting for me. With my head held high, I enter the course. Even though my focus is concentrated on the threat ahead of me, I’m able to notice movement in my peripheral vision. Without breaking eye contact with Garret, I launch a dagger in the direction of an impending side assault. My knife makes contact. Assistant #2 falls to the floor.

  At the same moment, Garret lunges at me with his own set of daggers. He scrapes my arm with the blade in his right hand as I spin away from it. I block the thrust toward my stomach with his left knife hand. I drop to the ground and continue the spin. I sweep my leg out, knocking Garret on his butt. He takes a forceful stab at my retreating leg and narrowly misses.

  After righting himself, Garret rushes me again. I stand motionless until the last second. Then I stealthily duck under his raised arms. The dagger in my left hand drags across his exposed belly as I move around him. Garret is out of commission. I realize that for once, it’s good to be small.

  I finish clearing the tree my instructor was resting against. Then I proceed toward the field of cacti, crates, and lone tree. I stab at the crates like I did in my previous approaches. I clear the dense tree by climbing into it. They are all clear. There are no fishing lines or trip wires in the sand between the crates and the two trees ringed by leafy, green bushes. I take extra care at this obstacle, stabbing into the compact bushes and scouring the interior of the umbrella of leaves.

  I crouch at the base of the smaller tree with star shaped leaves. Peeking from behind the bushes, I survey the area. The cement wall is un-obscured. If I listen closely, I can almost hear it chanting, “You’re almost there. Just a few more feet. You can do it.”