The aide’s body began to twist and turn within the swirling water. Seeing this gave Lincoln an idea. He made the water spin, slowly at first, then faster and faster. The aide spun with the water, gathering more and more speed. He was turning blue, and his eyes were wide in fright. Another few seconds and he would pass out.
Lincoln released his control of the rites. The ball of water burst, and the aide crashed to the ground, coughing up water as he gasped for air. Lincoln walked forward and crouched at the aide’s side. “If I were you,” Lincoln whispered, “I’d leave me and my friends alone.”
Lincoln stood back up, pushing his knee into the aide’s back as he did so. The aide winced in pain. Lincoln turned and walked out of the cafeteria, ignoring the stares of everyone present.
As soon as he left the cafeteria, Lincoln realized how weak he felt. He had never used his powers like that before, and he could feel the exhaustion taking over his body.
He stumbled down the hallway, desperate to find somewhere he could hide from the other recruits and aides who would be pouring out of the cafeteria at any second. Unfortunately, the only other rooms on the second floor were the Combat Training Center and the bathrooms. The Combat Training Center was locked. Lincoln had almost made it to the bathroom when his vision blurred and his body swayed. Helpless, he toppled to the ground.
“Lincoln!” He heard the cries of his friends and saw the cafeteria doors open. A group of people rushed toward him as his consciousness slipped away. The last thing he saw was Skylar bent over him, screaming for a Healer.
CHAPTER 15
HEALER’S TONIC
LINCOLN OPENED HIS EYES. HE WAS IN HIS room, lying on his bed, facing the wall. His body ached and his head pounded. He groaned and rolled over.
Skylar and Guga sat on a couch they must have dragged in from the great room. “Welcome back,” Guga said with a smile.
“How are you feeling?” Skylar asked.
“Thirsty.”
She brought him a glass of water. He gulped it down. “Much better,” he said gratefully, and then swung his feet off the bed, sitting up.
“Don’t even think about it,” Skylar told him. “I’m not watching you pass out again.”
Lincoln smiled. He and Skylar had barely talked since their awkward moment at the lake. It was good to hear her voice. “So you were there. I thought I saw you, but everything’s a bit hazy. How long have I been out, anyway?”
“It’s Tuesday night,” answered Guga
“No way,” Lincoln protested.
“It’s true,” Skylar told him. “After you collapsed, you spent a few hours in the Trauma Center before they sent you here. Everyone’s been by to check on you. Milo and Simon came by a few minutes ago. You just missed them. Even Trevor came by, although you’re probably not too sad you missed him.”
“Trevor? What did he want?”
“Not sure,” answered Skylar. “I was coming to check on you when he walked out of your room. He mumbled something about being glad you were okay and then took off.”
That made no sense. Why would Trevor care if he was okay? “Maybe he wanted to smother me with my pillow?” Lincoln offered.
Just then, Sean burst into the room. “Welcome back, mate!” He looked down at his watch. “A thirty-hour nap, that beats my record by twenty-eight hours.”
Lincoln smiled. “Is the aide okay?”
Sean made a face. “Unfortunately. But his ego took quite the beating after having his you-know-what handed to him by a first-year.” He snorted, “And they say only the best recruits get sent to the Council.”
“I’m in serious trouble, aren’t I?”
“I don’t know,” said Skylar, pursing her lips. “Mr. Rockwell’s not happy.”
That was exactly what Lincoln didn’t want to hear. He changed the subject. “What’s the latest with the Hunt?”
“Not much,” answered Guga. “But you missed last night’s meeting with the Council.”
“That’s right. How was it?”
“Boring,” Sean said, interrupting Guga before he could answer.
“How about Jack, how is he?” Lincoln asked, looking at Skylar.
“He claims he’s completely healed, but the Healers won’t let him leave the Trauma Center until after the Hunt. He wants you to stop by as soon as you’re feeling up to it.”
Lincoln nodded and then stood up. “I’m fine,” he told his friends, holding his hand out to stop them as they rushed over to help him. He slowly walked around the room, testing his body. He was sore, tired, and absolutely famished.
Someone knocked on the door. It swung open, and there stood Mr. Rockwell. Sean cleared his throat guiltily. “Mr. Rockwell, he just woke up. I was about to come get you.”
Mr. Rockwell waved him off. “How are you feeling, Lincoln?”
“Tired and sore, but I’ll be fine.”
“Good to hear.” Mr. Rockwell turned to Lincoln’s friends. “Would it be possible for me to have a moment alone with Lincoln?”
“Of course,” Guga answered. He turned to Skylar and Sean. “Why don’t we go to the cafeteria? We can grab a quick bite to eat and bring something back for Lincoln.”
Skylar was the last of his friends to leave the room, silently mouthing “good luck” on her way out.
“We just can’t seem to keep you out of trouble, can we, Lincoln?” Mr. Rockwell’s tone was light, but his face looked quite serious. Lincoln blushed.
“That aide should never have said what he said,” continued Mr. Rockwell, “and I don’t fault you for getting upset. But that does not give you an excuse to attack him. What if one of you had been seriously injured?”
Lincoln’s shoulders sagged. “I couldn’t let him get away with it.” He looked up at Mr. Rockwell. “Sean told me he’s okay.”
“He is, but that’s beside the point. I want you to think about this. Attacking that aide gave him one more reason to dislike you and your family. You will never convince someone they are wrong through physical force. It doesn’t work.”
Lincoln nodded, and Mr. Rockwell continued, “The Council would like me to do two things. First, they want me to make an example of you. And second, they would like me to make sure no one knows that one of their aides was humiliated by a first-year recruit.
“Unfortunately, the Council fails to see the contradictory nature of these two requests. So, Lincoln, I would like to make a deal with you. If you will agree to keep quiet regarding what happened, I am willing to limit your punishment to, shall we say, one week of patrol duty, to be completed following Winter Holiday.”
“Agreed,” Lincoln said, almost before Mr. Rockwell had even finished speaking.
“I’m getting soft in my old age,” Mr. Rockwell said, his eyes twinkling. He took another step forward and placed his hand on Lincoln’s shoulder. “Lincoln, you must learn to control yourself. There is certainly a time and a place for each of our emotions. The key is learning when to use them and when to hold them back.”
Mr. Rockwell pulled a small glass vial from his pocket and handed it to Lincoln. It was cold to the touch. Inside it was a thick, black liquid.
“Drink it.”
Lincoln took a closer look at the vial. The dark liquid slowly swirled inside, twisting back and forth as if it were trying to escape its glass prison. He pulled the cork stopper from the top, and a blend of powerful aromas filled the room. Among the scents attacking his nose he identified cloves, citrus, and the smell of fresh rain.
Lincoln brought the vial to his lips and gulped the thick liquid down. He gasped as the liquid nearly froze his throat, and his chest constricted painfully. It’s like brain-freeze in my chest, he thought.
“Give it a moment,” Mr. Rockwell said, smiling as Lincoln’s eyes watered.
The taste was different from anything Lincoln had ever tasted. It wasn’t bad. It was just very strong. The coldness in his chest disappeared as a warm feeling spread through him. A jolt of energy surged through his body, taking his breath
away. The pain and exhaustion he had felt just minutes earlier were a distant memory. He felt better than ever.
Amazed, he looked over at Mr. Rockwell. “What is this stuff?”
“Healer’s Tonic,” answered Mr. Rockwell. “It restores the energy spent controlling rites, but it must be used sparingly. Drinking more than two vials over a twenty-four-hour period takes a Guardian’s powers away, possibly forever. Due to these dangerous side effects, we typically don’t even allow recruits access to it until their fifth year.”
Mr. Rockwell patted him on the shoulder one more time. “Of course, most first-years can’t do what you can do, and by the time they can, they’ve learned their limits. So until you learn how to pace yourself, I want you to have these.” Mr. Rockwell reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Tonic vials.
As Mr. Rockwell placed the vials on the desk, his hand bumped the computer’s mouse, causing the screen to flip on. It opened to a failed login message from Lincoln’s e-mail account. Lincoln thought back. The last time he had used his computer was to write a report for biology class. He was certain he had not checked his e-mail.
“Someone tried to hack into my e-mail,” he told Mr. Rockwell angrily.
“Any idea who would do that?”
Lincoln didn’t have to think very hard to come up with a name. Why else would Trevor have come to visit him? The problem was, if he told Mr. Rockwell the truth about Trevor, then the Finn squad would be disqualified from the Challenge. So Lincoln shook his head.
“Well then,” Mr. Rockwell continued, with a look that suggested he knew Lincoln was hiding something, “I suggest keeping these vials somewhere safe.”
“I know just the spot,” said Lincoln. He walked over to his closet, bent down, and felt along the back wall. His fingers touched the indentation of the secret panel he had made to hide the mayoke. He stashed the vials in the compartment.
“Your skill with controlling the rites is quite impressive, Lincoln, but before I go, I would like to remind you of what I told you several months ago. It is not our talents that define us, but what we do with those talents. And though your friends may not have the same talents as you, they do have talents. Don’t ever forget that.” Mr. Rockwell opened the door.
Standing in the doorway were Guga, Sean, Kennedy, and of course, Skylar with a tray full of food. “Perfect timing,” Mr. Rockwell told them. Lincoln watched him leave and then turned to his friends, Mr. Rockwell’s final words still ringing in his ears.
“Get in here,” he said with a smile. “I’m starving.”
CHAPTER 16
THE ATLAS HUNT
“WAIT UP,” SEAN CRIED OUT AS HE BENT over to tie his shoe.
“I swear you’re even worse than Milo!” Kennedy groaned. “You’re going to make us late.”
“Relax,” Sean replied. He stood up. “Why do you care anyway? I thought you couldn’t wait for the Hunt to end.”
Lincoln and Skylar shared a grin. It was Saturday morning and they were on their way to the arena. The Hunt Commencement Ceremony was scheduled to begin in a matter of minutes. The path was full of recruits jostling to get ahead of one another.
“Oh, shut up,” muttered Kennedy. “Watch where you’re going!” she shouted at a recruit who bumped into her. The recruit gave her a terrified look and hurried away.
“So, did Milo seem nervous?” Guga asked. Lincoln and Skylar had snuck into Milo’s room last night just before curfew to wish him good luck.
“Nah,” said Lincoln, “he was the same old Milo, cracking jokes and telling stories.”
“But he will be now, after the meeting,” said Skylar. The squads were supposed to meet at the Barrier an hour ago. Mr. Rockwell was going to show them a picture of the creature and give them a brief report on its strengths and weaknesses. After that they were supposed to use the rest of the time before the Hunt strategizing with their squad.
“What do you think it’s going to be?” asked Sean. “The creature, I mean.”
No one answered him. They all were wondering the same thing.
They rounded a corner, and the arena came into view. It looked completely different from the last time they had been there just two weeks ago. Gone were the wooden shacks and dirt roads used for their paintball games. In their place were two round stages full of chairs positioned in the middle of the grass field. Hovering magically in the air high above them was an enormous, square jumbotron with four screens.
“Whoa, that’s huge!” Skylar stopped and pointed to the jumbotron. “What’s holding it up?”
“Those Flyers,” answered Guga. He pointed to two women and two men sitting on the top row of the bleachers. Even from this far away, their glowing eyes glistened beneath the morning sunlight.
“But that thing must weigh thousands of pounds,” Skylar said.
“No big deal for Flyers,” Guga shrugged. “Plus, every few hours a new group will take over.”
They entered the arena. The bleachers had been divided into seven sections, one for each dorm and one for the aides. They found an open spot in the middle of their section big enough for the five of them and sat down.
Sean pointed to two men and a woman that had just climbed onto one of the two stages. Their white clothing seemed to almost glow.
“Transluzers,” Sean told the first-years. Transluzers were Specialists in the light rite, Lincoln remembered. “Get ready,” continued Sean, his face full of excitement, “they’re about to put on a show, and it’ll be awesome!”
The recruits stopped talking and an excited silence filled the arena. The three Transluzers lifted their arms. Their long hair rose high above their heads, filled with static electricity. The arena went completely dark, as if someone had flipped a light switch and turned off the sun.
Moments later, giant balls of blue and yellow light appeared in the air, bursting like fireworks. The crowd oohed and ahhed. Glowing dragons fighting Guardians holding swords appeared in the air, the creatures bursting into green and red showers of sparkling lights after being slayed. The images continued, shifting from one battle to another, each more spectacular than the one before it. Lincoln watched in awe. He had never seen anything so amazing.
The show finally ended, and the darkness lifted. The Council, nowhere to be seen before the show began, was now sitting calmly behind the Transluzers on the stage, dressed in their matching suits, ties, and dresses. The crowd burst into a round of thunderous applause.
Mr. Rockwell and the Atlas staff arrived next. They entered the arena and marched to the second stage, jumping onto the eight-foot-tall structure without missing a step. Even Mr. Worthington and his rotund belly made it, though Lincoln saw him exhale in relief after doing so. As the others found their seats, Mr. Rockwell approached the podium. He raised his arms.
“Thank you, thank you, and welcome to the Atlas Challenge. Let us begin by thanking the Council for their visit to the academy. It is a privilege to have them here with us.”
The Council members smiled and waved as the arena once again filled with applause.
“Now,” continued Mr. Rockwell, “I feel Mr. Worthington should be given a moment to tell you about his big surprise.”
Mr. Worthington stepped to the podium and paused, beaming as he listened to the cheers and enjoying his chance to be the center of attention. After a minute, Mr. Rockwell tapped him on the shoulder.
“Right,” Mr. Worthington said. “My assistants and I have added a new element to the Challenge experience for those of us here at the arena. I think you will all enjoy it. Burton and Nanami, would you please?”
His assistants rose from their seats and approached the podium. They were holding matching white video cameras in their hands, and as they took their places alongside Mr. Worthington, they raised them high in the air. They were unlike any video cameras Lincoln had ever seen. They were oval and encased in some type of foam rubber material. The lenses appeared to be capable of rotating in any direction.
“We have created
six of these cameras. Using the rites, my assistants and I will be able to track the squads with these cameras. No more relying on the stationary cameras we’ve used before. For the first time in Challenge history, we will be able to follow the squads wherever they go.”
The crowd cheered even louder. Beaming proudly, Mr. Worthington took a bow before returning to his seat. His two assistants followed as Mr. Rockwell stepped back up to the podium. “The Keepers released the creature into Sector 8 at sundown last night. Take a look at what the squads will be facing.”
The four jumbotron screens came to life, the picture shocking the crowd into momentary silence. The beast shown was over ten feet tall and covered in thick, white fur. It stood on two massive legs with a pair of equally massive arms raised high above its head. The picture showed it in mid-roar, its lips pulled back revealing razor-sharp teeth. Its eyes were a dark red, the color matching the ferocious expression on its face. Large muscles bulged beneath the creature’s white fur. A murmur of excitement spread like wildfire through the arena.
“A yeti!” whispered Kennedy in awe.
“What?” Lincoln asked.
“Bigfoot with white fur,” answered Kennedy impatiently. “They’re from the Himalayas.”
“I’m not an idiot, Kennedy. I know what a yeti is. But maybe you can explain to me how Sector 8 is full of creatures that shouldn’t exist.”
“Of course I can,” she snapped. “But maybe you should pay attention in class.”
“We’ve never talked about Sector 8,” Skylar interjected.
Kennedy opened her mouth to respond and then paused. She blushed. “That’s right. You won’t learn about Sector 8 until your first training exercise there. The only reason you’ve crossed the Barrier was squad tryouts.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry I snapped.” Lincoln shrugged it off.
“The academy was built more than three hundred and fifty years ago. At that time, the Founders wanted a training area where Guardians could practice what they were taught, so the Founders created the Outlands, the area we call Sector 8. They placed every type of terrain and climate found on earth into the area, and then scoured the globe for dangerous animals. As you can imagine, the world was quite a bit different three hundred and fifty years ago. The creatures from legend were not yet extinct, and the Founders brought many of them here. Some of them were even given limited control of the rites.”
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