Page 8

We just ate, Lilith thought, as others let out a similar groan.

They all set off through the gate and around to the back.

Lilith found her pace in the middle of the group as they passed the first marker, a tall pillar of stacked stones with a tatty red ribbon that was tied around near the middle.

It was gently billowing in the wind. Wind that was biting into Lilith’s face.

It would no doubt get colder as they reached the top.

She silently thanked herself for layering her tops.

She saw the steep inclined path ahead followed by a series of switchbacks that curved up into the mountain pass.

Looking back, some of the women and one scrawny looking man already fell behind the pack.

An unintentional bonus of training with Arlen and Jasper.

I may actually keep up. I will not be last, but no matter what, I cannot fall behind or I may be labelled as weak.

Her brothers had instilled a belief that one’s physical body enhances one’s ability to harness mana.

This was a test. Others will no doubt see this as a demonstration of people’s endurance.

A chance to sort each of us on the spectrum of strongest to weakest. Those that fall behind will be selected as allies last.

It didn’t take long for a few to pause and throw up their food. Lilith blanched as the sounds of heaving filled the air. Deep breath. In through the nose, pause. Out through the mouth. This continued for the first hour.

“Taran Constantine,” introduced a tall, muscular, long dark haired man with icy blue eyes.

“Lilith Hennan.” Lilith blushed at the handsome man, who looked somewhat similar to the prince.

“It’s good to see a girl like you can keep up,” he jested.

‘It’s good to see a girl like me can keep up?’ She repeated his phrase to herself and squinted her eyes to watch him suspiciously. Taran made an awkward face and the tips of his ears turned pink.

“Uh. That didn’t come out right,” he said, embarrassed.

“Good job, Taran. You’ve managed to dig yourself into a hole already,” laughed a silver haired guy with several piercings in his right ear.

He wore his hair quite short, compared to the standard long hair that many men wore.

He patted Taran on the shoulder as he ran past. “Don’t mind him.

He has a way with words.” He laughed. “I’m Silver Grasswoods.

It’s nice to meet you.” He gave her a mischievous grin and ran further ahead.

“I’m sorry about that,” Taran said.

“I take no offence.” Lilith smiled. She didn’t want to make any enemies here. Her goal was to make it through the next five years without any drama.

“I’m the third generation to go through here.” Taran was making idle chat. “My great grandfather was cousin to the late King Marcus. He fought with him at the battle of Merkworth. My father is a guard for the current king.”

“So you have no choice but to follow in their footsteps?” Lilith questioned.

Taran looked disappointed. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“What would you want to be if you had a choice?” Lilith felt angered that it was a part of their life and their culture to have choices stripped from them. Their future was in the hands of their elders. Those that went against their families wishes were outcast and ostracized.

They passed the ninth marker at the end of the switchbacks. The path went further up into the valley between two mountain peaks.

“It depresses me to think of what could have been.” He whispered the next part, “Although, I think I would make quite a good dancer. I’m rather nimble on my feet.”

Lilith laughed heartily. “Duly noted. I know where to look for a dance partner should the occasion call for it.” They jogged in a pleasant silence. Suddenly, Taran lurched forward and fell on his hands.

“That root came out of nowhere,” he said as he brushed himself off and started running.

“Quite nimble, I see,” Lilith joked. They both burst into laughter.

Just as they got themselves sorted, another root hurled up from the ground.

They were quick to dodge the shooting root.

Further ahead, Lilith could make out some of her other classmates now struggling to evade the trees that were trying to swat them off the path.

“The trees must have an enchantment on them. We can do this,” Lilith encouraged. “We need to keep moving.” They jumped, ducked and swerved around the trees until they could see the path passing through a clearing.

“Keep alert,” Silver warned from up ahead. “There could be more tricks.” The students slowed their pace, watching their surroundings.

“Look out!” cried Felicia as she pushed Silver to the ground. They had narrowly missed a ball of fire.

“Where in the holy gods did that come from?” Silver shouted. Another series of small fire balls grazed by them.

“It’s fire sprites!” someone yelled. A small red creature with bulging red eyes ducked behind a large stone.

From behind the group of students, more balls of fire were thrown at them.

One of the soaring fire-balls singed Taran's arm and he cried out from the burn.

The group sprinted through the clearing, taking cover behind trees.

“Well, at least the trees have stopped trying to kill us. We’ve got to use them as cover.

Keep moving.” Lilith commanded. They weaved along the treeline keeping a close eye on any movement around them.

The further up the trail they made it, the colder it became.

A light dusting of snow covered the trees and bushes.

The front group had lost the majority of its runners.

Taran, Silver, Lilith, Felicia, and four other men made up the main group.

Lilith looked behind and spotted Verrona, Meira and Meridith not too far below.

She could no longer see any one else winding their way up the path between trees.

“It’s so c-cold.” Felicia’s teeth were audibly chattering. They just passed another marker. The snow crunched beneath their boots and light flurries sprinkled from above. The temperature was dropping fast .

“We must be getting closer to the top,” one of the men cried out. Lilith’s fingers were numb. Her cheeks were red from the cold and her feet were freezing. She was struggling. The group had slowed to a fast walk as they trudged through thicker snow.

They reached the top and stopped to stare at the clear view below.

Below them they could see the entirety of Skilheim Stronghold, but past its boundary laid a vast openness.

Forests and grassy hills swerved below, cast in hues of pinks and purples as the sun set.

Hidden behind an overgrowth of trees, Lilith spotted ruins, and she could barely see the lights of a village at the edge of the horizon.

To the west they could see the coastline and the waves further beyond.

Felicia pulled her away as they went towards the nearby marker.

It was getting darker now. The sun hovered just above the horizon.

“Let’s go. I can’t feel my toes,” she begged.

They started the trek curving behind the mountain pass that led back downwards.

“Looks like you’ve already caught the eye of a few handsome men.

" Lilith never really had those thoughts of guys.

She agreed they were attractive, but that is where her interest stopped.

“They’re not my type,” Lilith said casually.

“Oh, and what is your type?” Felicia questioned.

“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought. I guess I’ll know when I feel it right? Have any of them piqued your interest?” Lilith turned her attention onto Felicia, who clearly was loving this conversation.

“Ha! Umm, not really. I find Silver attractive, but it’s too soon to tell if anything will manifest.” Felicia shrugged .

Lilith thought about Amiriel. What does he look like?

Dark brown hair like his fathers? Is he tall?

Muscular? Was he cruel like the prince? Lilith berated herself for thinking about him.

She made a promise to herself to not dwell on thoughts of him.

It’s because of him that she was cursed and she blamed him for being here.

She blamed him for lots of things. With anger as her motivation, she pushed into a sprint.

“Lilith, slow down!” Felicia yelled. Lilith slowed her pace. She knew it was important to establish allies here.

“Sorry, I really want to be done with this run.” Lilith looked at her apologetically.

“I understand. We’re probably three fourths done.

My brother told me about the stairs, which will mark the beginning of the end.

” Now panting and out of breath, they stomped down the path.

The air was not as crisp and the blade of the chill was not quite as sharp.

They came to the stairs. Steep steps carved out of stone that wound down towards the base, snaking through the rocky pass.

On one side was the mountain, on the other was a free fall into a deep crevasse below.

Lilith looked down the steps. Her palms became clammy as she looked at the potential fall.

“Will this torture ever end?” cried out a man in the distance.

Lilith didn’t check to see who it was, but she agreed with them.

They hugged the mountain side and slowly made their way down.

Lilith’s thigh muscles burned and cramped, but she pushed through the pain.

Felicia’s knees buckled at the halfway point.

Luckily, Lilith reached out and quickly grabbed her before she lost her balance.

“Thanks.” Felicia gawked at what could have been a bad fall into the chasm. “I owe you one. ”

“Hey. Considering if you fell I’d be left on this forsaken mountain with these guys, I’d call us even.” Lilith chuckled. They slowed their pace and carefully made their way down.

“Now that I can string two thoughts together, how are you holding up?” Felicia opened up to Lilith.

“Honestly, not bad.” A lie. She was struggling. “I trained with my older brothers.” Lilith replied. She was careful not to trust too quickly. She felt that every interaction she'd had so far was a test. They were all sizing each other up.

“I guess we have that in common. I cursed him at the time, but I am thankful my brother trained with me.” Felicia hesitated. “He’s a soldier…He was a soldier. He recently went missing during a mission.”

“I’m so sorry.” They had stopped on a stair. “I can’t imagine… Do they think he’s alive?”

“I don’t know. I think he’s alive. He’s strong willed and if anyone could survive, it would be him.” Felicia looked down at her toes.

“I don’t mean to interrupt this… whatever this is.

But can you move? We’re almost there,” Silver chimed in.

The women started moving again and continued going down the seemingly unending steps.

The sky was now a dark blue as they took their final step.

Mistress Rhodes was waiting for them at the last marker.

“I don’t know what’s more impressive - that it took you all so long to finish, or that so few of you have returned,” she remarked, scanning the small group of five. She was cut short as the echoes of a scream rang out in the distance. Mistress Rhodes disappeared into thin air .

The group of five looked at each other, wondering what could have happened. They all looked disheveled and exhausted. A few minutes passed when Meridith, Meira, Verrona and four other men descended the last few stairs.

“What was that scream?” Taran asked the newcomers.

“We don’t know. We were about halfway down the stairs when it happened,” replied a shorter man with bright green eyes and thick black hair that was weaved into long strands of tiny braids.

It took thirty minutes before Mistress Rhodes reappeared.

“I am sorry to report but two people have been injured. They are in the infirmary.” She stopped when Juniper and another two men showed up.

“Good. Now that all of you are done, Juniper, Nym and Amir will be assigned the first week of bathroom cleaning. I expect that all of you will quicken up your pace when you do this tomorrow.” The class was too tired to speak their displeasure. “You are dismissed.”