*****
Steffor trusted his garments as he did every gift from the Provider. Bestowed at induction, garments intuitively conformed to a Guardian's physiological needs. As such, his garments made it possible to survive most any condition, including the extreme altitudes of his starting block. Still, the thin, frozen air atop of the world sent a reactive shock through his system all the same.
Steffor soaked in the awe inducing surroundings. He first gazed skyward, stunned to see the curve that separated the Provider's upper atmosphere from outer space. He then trained his sight onto the panoramic view below his feet. The vast snow covered evergreen canopy, known as Toliver's Peak, sprawled for miles. Scanning hundreds of miles of the Provider's northern most branches, his heightened vision finally located the tops of Instenkul's piney foliage. A peace washed over him as he focused on the subtle point of demarcation between the two regions.
He would have stared at the majestic vista for hours the distraction had served its purpose in waking his physical senses. Steffor took one last moment to acknowledging the fruition of his dream to one-day stand atop the world. For without gratitude, nothing mattered past this point.
Steffor brought his attention back to his near surroundings. Vejax stood on an identical starting block a few yards off to his right. After a curt nod, Vejax returned his attention on the dive chute below feet.
Grimlock stood to his left. With concern, Steffor studied the big man still immersed in a deep meditative state. He ignored his natural impulse to help his friend, placated by the pending future certain to the manifest. Grimlock would not only gather his wits in the coming seconds but he’d also surprise everyone but himself this day.
Ripping his gaze away from his tormented friend, Steffor concentrated instead on the narrow stem supporting his starter block. Shifted from the rim of his dive chute, the long pole elevated thousands of feet above the Provider's snow covered peak. Despite his garment's ability to feed his body with oxygen, Steffor began to recognize the precursors of hypoxia setting in.
As if on cue, the Master Dive Shifter and Dive Mystic emerged from a square opening in the center of the observatory platform located between the three starter blocks. Swaddled in thick robes, both men wrapped their head in scarves, the Shifter an indigo blue, the Mystic pearl white.
Their ability to survive at the present altitude waned the second they arrived. Aware of this condition, the Mystic wasted no time in starting the proceedings. He stepped forward and raised his arms chest high in front of his body. A telepathic conduit to every Citizen, the Mystic looked deep into the eyes of each competitor for several moments. He then transmitted the images of the Guardians to the hundreds of Mystics placed along each dive chute and amphitheater.
With millions of expectant spectators around the world now synced with the Mysticnet feed, the Master Dive Mystic zoomed out to provide a view of all three divers. He then lowered his arms and stepped to his left as the Master Dive Shifter took his place. He then promptly addressed them with the customary introduction.
"May the Provider guide the Source in each of you!"
"May your craft touch the Provider and do his Will!" came the accustomed response from each Guardian.
A rush of silence seized the crowd in excited anticipation. The Source flowed in every leaf; its energy vibrated in each custom crafted seat. Citizens drank in the Source as all prepared to witness history. It was time to dive.
The Master Dive Shifter met the eye of each competitor one last time. He then contorted arms and hands in three brisk, succinct movements. A second later, the starting blocks dropped in unison.
Steffor forward flipped, straitened his body like an arrow and aimed for the upper left quadrant of his dive chute opening. The Source enveloped his body to form a protective 'halo'. His garments transformed into an aerial-dynamic armored shell. Protected by the Provider's gifts, Steffor shot toward what appeared to be a dense thicket of conifer branches. Reaching full speed, he hit the thicket and flew through a small, camouflaged opening.
The reward for avoiding the more inviting, wide-open entry located on the bottom right was a clear path down the left hand side of the chute. Had he gone to the right, he would have exhausted much of his energy on the first leg of the race navigating a tight weave of barbed branches. Instead, he now faced an easy flight to the first amphitheater juncture.
Steffor admired the masterful work of his chute. Sharp curves tested the limits of his shifting abilities as each produced a pleasant dose of adrenaline. After a dozen spine-tingling bends, the chute straitened and aimed downward. The brief straight away was a trellised passage replete with diamond shaped wickets. Bent sunrays splayed in every direction to create a kaleidoscope of geometric designs.
As he flew through the aesthetic patterns, he calmed both mind and spirit within their precise mathematics. He then pulled forth his vision for the immediate future. Replaying the events of Vejax, he noticed his friend had chosen a similar, not so obvious entry. His chute was relatively open but narrower, requiring him to exert small bursts of the Source to prevent being thwacked by a multitude of pesky stems. As a result, he was only a few seconds behind Steffor.
Grimlock had chosen the obvious and only entry his chute had to offer. The unfortunate start forced him down a tight passage similar to the one Steffor had deftly avoided. Grimlock would be far behind both he and Vejax come the first amphitheater. But he had passed the first test and would be rewarded with the opportunity to make up ground. Assuming, of course, he lasted long enough to see it.
Steffor entered the first amphitheater like a projectile shot from a rifling barrel. The excited crowd met his arrival with a heady dose of raw Source, a sensation akin to slicing through a massive cloud of ether. Steffor spread arms and legs wide. The action slowed his descent long enough to locate his chute reentry, found catty-corner to his entrance. Milliseconds later, he experienced firsthand the impact of Vejax's expansive power.
Vejax had emerged from his own entrance a second after Steffor. The crafty veteran then drafted a few inches behind to deliver his jarring, and potentially fatal, pulse of Source. Steffor had anticipated this move, but underestimated the Teuton's aggressive power. The impact instantly launched Steffor a hundred yards down and to the right. If Steffor had not counterpunched Vejax's Source burst in the last second, he would have smashed into the surrounding stands. Instead, he used the shove to change directions back towards his reentry.
Despite events transpiring as envisioned, his first clash with Vejax startled Steffor in ways he had not anticipated. He gathered the surrounding Source, and connected to his inner self. As he did so, time slowed. The multi-level, beehive shaped amphitheater disappeared, the roar of the packed stands faded.
Vejax's power will only grow stronger. You cannot allow the sensation to consume you. It’s visceral; to believe otherwise means certain failure.
With a forward one-and-a-half somersault, he made a final alignment change for his reentry. He then darted through the upper right quadrant of his chute with renewed purpose.
Steffor’s confidence returned soon after clearing the wide-open, spectator-filled stadium. In the closed quarters of the dive chute it was just him and the Provider's body.
True to his harvest Shifter heritage, Steffor embraced the challenging second leg of his chute with efficient hard labor. He pounded his way down the compact network of branches, punching the Provider to make room when needed, many of the openings only inches wider than the width of his shoulders. By the time he reached the next amphitheater, Steffor was in a full sweat and clear of mind.
The three Guardians emerged into the second amphitheater at the exact same moment. Steffor entered from the right, Grimlock from the left and Vejax in the center. Steffor located his reentry in the opposite corner. Grimlock faced the same while Vejax's was centered below. Steffor assessed the flight angle of his competitors and projected a perfect three-way collision.
The knowing look on the fac
es of Vejax and Grimlock led him to conclude they had surmised the same fate. Given their respective trajectories, reentry locations and experience, the situation boded well for Vejax. A reality Vejax was certainly cognizant. The outcome of this crucial juncture dictated who would become this season's dive champion.
He sensed both Guardians gather in the Source, preparing for the inevitable impact only seconds away. Steffor had started the same process of drawing in the Source but then, without clear reason, he hesitated. As was the case with every vision he manifest, the "how" it would materialize always remained blurry, sitting at the edge of his inner sight.
For how the laws governing his physical reality worked was not his concern. His responsibility was to follow, with devout conviction, the signs when presented. Steffor committed to living his life according to this simple rule long ago. He trusted the Deeds and their sacred message: the Provider is in you, and through you he will show the way.
Steffor dove deep into his core and merged logical thoughts with supernatural instincts. Based off his last run in with Vejax, Steffor concluded he could not win a one-on-one collision with the man much less the combined impact of the three. Yet, to make it through this juncture, he must overpower each of them. To go around them presented no better an option. The concussion of their two-way impact would throw Steffor way off course, ending any chance he might have at winning. He considered cocooning himself in protective garments and a dense layer of protective Source, but he knew it would not be enough to stay on course. Still lacking any solution, fear crept into Steffor’s frantic mind as his ability to hold off the fast approaching future waned.
Faith! The thought sliced through his consciousness, shedding new light on the Provider's message. "Join me and fulfill your destiny. Let fear rule you and failure is certain." The words caressed his soul and brought a determined smile to his face. Steffor braced for impact.
If he had chosen to send his own burst of the Source into the foray, a void between the three Guardians would have formed at the point of impact. Vejax's superior skill and power would have maneuvered him through the void while deflecting both Steffor and Grimlock way off course. Steffor's plan, instead shifting his own burst of the Source, was to aim toward the predicted location of the void.
Steffor fought the impulse to flinch, ignoring the wailing child buried deep within the recess of his mind. Teeth clenched, unable to shut eyes despite the urgent yearning, he barreled into the point of impact as both Guardians unleashed the Source. The concussion ripped through Steffor's body and pain was all that registered for the briefest moment. Certain he could not withstand another agonizing second; pain surrendered to bliss. United with the Provider, an experience immeasurable by time or space, he loved everything more than he perceived possible in that instant. For in releasing all defensive thought, Steffor discovered boundless strength and the ability to absorb the Source others.
Before anyone could understand what had happened, Steffor slipped between the pair and flew through his reentry. To everyone's amazement, Vejax and Grimlock avoided colliding into each other. Making quick adjustments, they hit their reentry a few seconds behind.
Joy consumed Steffor as he sensed his competitors were too far behind to catch-up. "I've done it!" He shouted despite being in the midst of the most challenging stretch of dive chute he had ever faced. With unwavering faith, he chose one correct path after the other. As he reached the final straightaway, tears of triumph streaked down his face and his heart swelled with gratitude.
Then, as he peered the expansive Deagron Fields beyond his exit opening, a thirty-foot wide branch materialized with no warning. The phenomenon was not the result of crafty camouflage. One second it was not there, the next it was. The how was irrelevant at the time of discovery given Steffor's speed and distance. In primal response—the euphoric events experienced only moments before stinging like a cruel joke—Steffor punched the branch with all the Source he could muster. Right before entering the dark abyss, he knew it would not be enough.
Known Afterlife (The Provider Trilogy: Volume I) Page 5