EXALTED (An Exalted Novel) (17 page)

I take two daggers out for my first two throws and replace my belt with two more. I take my position. The alarm rings. It’s louder here than it was from my seat in the stands. I take a deep breath and hurl my first dagger toward the red light that flashes at the top center of the board. I release my second knife before the first has even hit. I grab two more daggers from my belt. I throw again and again. Competing with my heart and soul behind each one makes it easy to hit every target dead on.

The sleek blades whistle as they somersault through the silent stadium before finding their mark, where they hit with a thwack. My arms tire as I get to my last 15 blades, but I push through with a burst of excited energy. My speed proves to be even better than I thought, and I finish before the alarm sounds.
Wow! I am good! I hit every single target!
I couldn’t be more proud of myself than at this moment. I feel alive, even more so than when I finished the Defender’s Course. It feels amazing! I want to jump up and down and cheer, but I don’t. I would give myself away; I instantly feel deflated.

The spectators stomp so loud that I almost miss the announcer say, “Mena is the first competitor to finish before the allotted time. Her score is 100.”

I bow toward the Exalted crowd and leave the platform without being able to celebrate my victory over Kinah—who is scowling at me from the stands. On the boys’ side, Az is standing and banging the flat side of his ax on the metal rail in front of him. Upon seeing this, Ethan stands and does the same. His tiny daggers probably aren’t producing quite as much noise as Az’s much larger weapon. It’s an embarrassing display from both of them.

Neima is up next. She wields her spiked club at the fixed figures and scores an 87. Trudi is the first with a sword, which she takes to Platform B. She slices through the air, spinning and slashing with such grace. She deservingly scores a 92. As each female trainee passes, I come closer to winning first place.

At last my friend Val takes her turn on Platform A. She looks like a willowy pixie, ready to slay a dragon. Her face is determined. Her body is adamant. I root for her from my seat as she delivers her first shot. She is quick to reload and hits 33 targets in a row before missing one.
That’s okay
, I tell myself.
She can still beat Kinah.
But after 26 hits, she misses another shot and one more at the end.

“Valesca has scored a 97. She is the second competitor to finish before the allotted time.”  The crowd stomps, but not as enthusiastically as when I finished. While she may have finished before the allotted time, she only finished third in this Trial.

The male trainees are next.

“And now for the male trainees!” The male announcer has been replaced with Millie’s crisp voice. It chimes through the speakers, informing us that the girls are done with their portion of the First Trial. It’s required that we all stay to watch. “The same rules apply. Strength be with you. Let’s begin!”

“Az will have the first attempt. He will be the first to compete with an ax. Az, take your place on Platform B,” Millie commands.

The mighty Az strides over to his destination. He’s accompanied by the thunderous stomps of the crowd. His performance has been highly anticipated. Az breathes strength with every breath and exudes power with every sway of his muscular frame. He will be a tremendous protector for the Republic, but he is not for me. I want something more.

As Az begins, I glance over to Ethan who is entranced by Az’s performance. He analyzes every swing Az takes with his ax, and he studies every maneuver Az’s body makes. The alarm calls for Az to stop. A smile briefly whispers across Ethan’s mouth. He balls his fists up at his sides and then pumps them up and down. Az finished with a 99. There’s a chance for Ethan to win—a small chance, but it’s still a chance. I can almost feel the hope that’s flooding over Ethan’s body. Az’s inability to seize first place is great news for him.

Chasin and Cuyler are up next. They both use bows. Chasin out shoots Cuyler with an 89 to Cuyler’s 72. The male trainees generally outscore the females in the Trials. They have better endurance.

“Ethan, take your place on Platform A. Stand behind the white line.” Millie makes the announcement that I’ve been waiting for. I become a mess of nerves once again as I watch Ethan walk to Platform A.

After readying himself, Ethan stops behind the white line and waits for the alarm to sound. He holds a knife in each hand. He impressively uses both hands like me, but he takes a little longer to aim with his left. I catch myself holding my breath as he delivers hit after hit. They all hit the intended target.

The spectators are all leaning forward in their seats, trying to get a little closer to the action. The clock is ticking down. Ethan has one more dagger left with three seconds to go. He launches it over his head with masculine grace. It flies and embeds itself in the absolute center of the target, at the same time that the alarm rings. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with precious air. I just realized that I had been holding my breath the whole time.

Stomping shakes the stadium seats. Millie has to speak loudly to be heard of the rumble. “Ethan is the first male trainee to score 100! Strength was surely with him today. Congratulations Ethan!”

As Ethan returns to his seat and the next competitor is called forward, Az thrusts his chest out and straightens his spine. He stretches to give him a few extra inches in height and width. Ethan clearly ruffled his feathers. I want to laugh.

The remaining four male competitors all take their turns. None score higher than Az or Ethan. The scores for the male and female trainees are posted on an electronic screen that sits at the top of the stands. My name materializes at the top. The number 100 flashes next to it, causing my chest to swell with pride. All the hard work and training paid off. I’m also grateful to Ryker for giving me the passion I needed to win—even if excruciating nerves accompanied it.

Millie makes one more announcement before the close of the First Trial. “Well done Mena and Ethan, who currently hold the first place rankings. We will meet again here in four days for the Second Trial. Strength be with you all!” Millie exclaims.

We all stand and start to shuffle out of the stadium. Val swiftly approaches me. I notice that Kinah can’t get away fast enough. “Well done, Mena. It’s good that one of us beat the beast,” Val says as she jerks her head toward Kinah’s retreating figure.

“Thank you, Val. You did well also. Your parents will be honored.” I would be honored by Val’s performance if she were my daughter. She possessed such elegance and power. It was inspiring.

“Thank you, but my parents are expecting a higher ranking from me than third place. Speaking of parents, I saw your father in the stands,” Val tells me.

I’m surprised to hear this. Not because my father doesn’t support me or seek honor through my placement, but because he never really seems to want to talk about the Trials. My mother must be on duty or she would have been here with him. I look around at the Exalted descending the steps and filing out of the exit. I search for my father’s ruddy face and wavy, auburn hair. I don’t see him. I suppose he’s left already. I’m a little disappointed he didn’t come to congratulate me before leaving. I guess he’s waiting to speak to me at the banquet dinner before the Second Trial.

* * *

Lunch is awkward. The silence is deafening. The younger trainees have even grown quiet, knowing how serious these upcoming days are to our age group.

The tension between the trainees is palpable. I try chatting with Val in a low voice. “So, I had my first patrol yesterday at the North Gate. It was completely different than the East Gate. It’s good to be able to patrol a building instead of just a field,” I say.

Val must be having some kind of internal struggle as a result of her placement in the First Trial, because she seems to have to force herself to answer me.  “That’s good. I’ve been patrolling the barns, but not any of the fields,” she says wearily. Then she drops her head and studies her food as if it’s the most interesting thing in the room.

Kinah is staring at me in utter disbelief that I beat her. Her mind cannot process what happened this morning—she still sees me as a weakling. Small. Inferior. Her glare is making my skin crawl.

Okay, I’m out of here.

I inhale my food and leave the uncomfortable atmosphere behind. I want to enjoy the free afternoon by myself. I feel like I earned it. When I step outside of the stifling building, I can’t decide where to go. I wonder if I were to climb my magnolia tree if anyone would see me. I decide to take a chance and go for it. If I get caught I can always say I’m practicing for the Third Trial.

Going unnoticed proves to be easy. Everyone is still talking about the results of the First Trial. My name is heavy on Exalted tongues as they congregate in little groups outside of the training facilities.

I hurry along to my destination, skirting around the back of the buildings. I climb and sit, perched on a branch high above the ground. I look out onto the once golden fields. The harvest has left the fields bare. I look further out. Nothing moves beyond the lifeless fields.

Will Ryker ever find me again?

I wedge myself between two branches and relax, enjoying my time alone with the breeze that trickles through the gaps in the tall magnolia tree. I choose to stay here a while longer over returning to my melancholy friends or spying on the Ambassadors.

As I reflect on the First Trial, I realize that I’m even more confused now than I was before the Trial. I never dreamed that finishing first would be so gratifying; and then there are my parents. If I were to place first, at the end of it all, they would be praised for rearing such a fine protector for the Republic. I want to give them that recognition. If I were to leave, however, they would be looked down on for having a failure for a child. I certainly don’t want that fate for them. But what choice do I have?

The morning after the First Trial, I get up and get ready for the morning run even though it’s optional for the length of the Trials. I need to keep my stamina and endurance up. I don’t want Kinah or the other trainees to have any advantages over me. Val, however, doesn’t budge as I bang around the bathroom getting ready.

I struggle to push the stairwell door open that leads outside. When I finally get it open a crack, I only see black. The sky is about to rip open and release its fury. It’s dark and windy. The air is whistling as it whips around. I use my shoulder to force the door open enough so that I can slip through. I run as fast as my legs will take me, but not quite fast enough to beat the storm. Thunder claps in the distance and the sky lights up in response. Even though the rain is beating down on me, I feel like it’s washing away pieces of the night; washing away the little girl’s tears as she struggled to get free. But the warning or advice of the reoccurring dream is still with me. I choose to keep it close by.

I’m soaking wet by the time I return for a hot shower. I suspect some of it may have been from my own tears, but I’ll never be sure.

Val is slowly working her way from the bed to her dresser when I enter our room. “You went out in that?” She nods her head toward the window. Her short hair is sticking out in all directions.

“Yeah, I have to keep it up if I want to have any chance against Kinah in the Second Trial. Besides, I’m scheduled for patrol today anyway. I’m going to be right back out in it after breakfast,” I tell her.

“Not me. I think I’ll stay indoors today. I’ll probably go to the gym this afternoon and practice. You want to go with me after lunch?” Val invites me along. I decide that it’s probably better to have someone to practice with than to practice alone.

“Sure,” I answer. “That sounds like a plan.”

* * *

Ethan and I head for the North Gate after breakfast. He seems excited even through the gloom of the rain. “So, we both finished first yesterday. Looks like we actually have a chance at being United.”

I look over at him. His big smile shows a hint of his white teeth, and his eyes crinkle in the corners. I feel so much affection for him and believe that I would be happy having a life with him, but this life isn’t that simple anymore. I’m at a loss for words right now.

After not saying anything in response, he cautiously asks, “Would you want that?”

I need to open up with him and be honest. He needs to hear how I’m feeling. “I still don’t know, Ethan. I mean, yes, if this is where I belong . . . But don’t you get tired of hiding your feelings? Didn’t you want to celebrate and cheer when you won yesterday? I know I did.”

Ethan’s smile fades and his blue eyes dim. He thinks about what I said for a moment and answers me with full disclosure. “Well, yeah, but I’m willing to sacrifice hiding my emotions if that means placing first, getting my pick of where I patrol, and winning you.”

This should make me feel warm and mushy inside, but it doesn’t. It makes me mad. “Winning me? Is that what I’ll be to you—your first place prize?” I lower my voice as a couple of older Exalted stride past us. Their armbands show them ranked as second place Uniteds. I bow my head and hope the noise from the rain drowned out most of what I said.

Ethan stops in his tracks. He pulls me to a stop beside him. The rain pounds my head and streams into my eyes as I look at him. “Of course not!” he exclaims. “You know what this competition means to me and my family. But it wouldn’t be the same if I were to share first place with someone like Kinah. It wouldn’t be worth it.” I want him to say more. I want him to tell me that it’s me he wants—first place or not—but he doesn’t.