Still, they had the problem of Bello to deal with. If they came across him again.
"Do you think you can kill Bello if it comes down to it? I mean, if you were in a situation where it was you or him and I wasn't there to help. Could you defend yourself and take his life if needed?" Phelan asked.
Eron stopped walking as Phelan continued, unaware he'd stopped. "It might come down to it. Think you got the guts to do it?" Turning, he noticed Eron wasn't right behind him.
"Hey, what are you doing back there?" Phelan said.
"I don't know. About Bello, that is. I just don't know. I don't want to kill him, but if my survival depends on his death, could I do it? There's no way he'd kill me, right? I've known him forever."
Phelan approached Eron, nudging his arm, and the boys continued forward.
"I see the ability to kill in his eyes. The way he looks at you, Eron, I'd be afraid. He's got a grudge against you, and I don't think he'd hesitate to kill you. For your own sake, I hope you're able to defend yourself and do what you need to do. I would if I were you."
"That's easy for you to say, Phelan. You've killed before. You were trained to defend yourself. I wasn't. Well, not that I remember, anyway."
"That's what gets me, Eron. I find it impossible to believe you weren't prepared for the Selection. It's the duty of every colony, e-v-e-r-y colony, to get their boys ready. I mean, how could they hope to gain thriving males if they don't tell you anything about it? I truly wonder if something happened to you to make you forget all about it. Something traumatic."
"Are you serious? I think I'd remember something as important as the Selection. I'm pretty damn sure I'd remember all the scenarios that could happen out here and the measures I'd have to take to survive. That kind of intense training and teaching is not something I'd forget. It’s impossible!"
Phelan squinted at him. "Not impossible. Improbable, sure, but not impossible. I can't believe you guys in Rippon are so backwards that you'd not teach your boys the truth. You don't even remember the name of your colony or that there are other colonies on the planet." He dropped his head. "Connor remembered."
Eron shut his eyes tight. "Don't you dare use my friend against me. I can't explain that. Don't bring him up again."
"Sorry, but I think you're either lying to me, or something's wrong with your brain."
"Shut up, Phelan. I'm done talking about it. Drop it, ok?"
"Fine. But when the time comes, I might not be able to help if Bello attacks. And if I do attack, I won't hesitate to kill him. It's all about survival out here. By any means necessary. I hope you're ready."
Eron didn't reply. He kept walking, pushing his way through the brush.
_____
"I'm going to kill you, coward!"
Eron's eyes bulged. Swinging his staff forward, he held it in front of him.
"Was that---" Phelan started.
"Bello," Eron said. "It's him. He's out there somewhere. Where do you think he is?" Cocking his head, he tried to pinpoint the direction of the voice.
"I'm going to kill you and blue face. Cowards don't deserve to live. And blue faces that help them don't, either."
Phelan turned to the left. "Over there, maybe? I don't know for sure. The sounds carry in a strange way down in this valley."
"Come on, coward, what are you going to do? You can't stop me! Blue face can't stop me. I'm going to kill you."
"Show yourself, Bello!" Eron said. "We can talk. We don't have to kill each other. We can help each other. We both want to live, right? Phelan and I can help you survive, and we can all make it out of here alive."
A noise came from the bushes fifteen meters away to the right. Phelan put his finger to his lips. Slowly he made his way towards the sound, staying low to avoid Bello catching him. As he approached the bush, he charged with his knife. A small, furry, bright green harmit hopped away chittering, its long ears standing straight in the air in anger.
Phelan looked back to Eron and shrugged.
"Stupid blue face has no idea where I am!" Bello said. The voice sounded like it was in front of them. Both boys scanned the forest, but saw nothing.
"Come on, Bello, we can work together. We've not always been friends, but we're equals out here. I can help you. We can help each other," Eron said.
From behind them, Bello replied, "I don't need help from cowards! You and blue face will never make it to the end. You both deserve to die. You're weak. I'll kill you both because I'm not weak. You're going to die!"
The boys jumped at the voice behind them. They crouched, preparing for an attack, but still nothing.
"Why's he doing this?" Phelan asked Eron. "Where is he? I can't tell."
"I don't know, Phelan. He's always had it out for me. He could be anywhere. This valley makes it impossible to locate the direction of his voice."
"Cowards! Look at you. It's as though you think you can stop me! You will both die by my bare hands, I swear it. I'm going to enjoy killing you, Eron! Blue face will just be a bonus."
To their left, they heard footsteps running away.
"Come on, then, let's stop talking and get to it!" Phelan said.
Silence.
"Who's the coward now?" Phelan called out.
For several moments, the boys waited for an answer and none came.
"I think he left," Eron said.
Phelan nodded. "Yeah, for now. We have to watch our backs. He'll be back, and you have to be ready. I don't think he's playing around. This is real, Eron. This is survival. I think we'll need to fight him and kill him before we get to the end. It's time to see what you're really capable of."
CHAPTER 31
There were only seven days left in the Selection. Eron and Phelan had gone three days since they'd last heard Bello. At first, Eron could barely sleep at night. Every sound woke him, expecting it to be Bello's attack. By the third night he slept through most of the sounds, though some of the louder ones frightened him from his slumber. The boys made it to the other side of the valley, and before them rose an imposing red cliff.
"This is it, Eron. Once we scale this, we're almost done. The edge of the forest is just over this cliff. I can almost feel the warm bed waiting for me!"
Eron looked up the intimidating cliff. The top disappeared into the yellow clouds. "Up there, huh?" he said.
"Yep. Once we find the path, it's up, up, up until there's no more up to go."
"Once we find the path? You don't know where it is?" Eron said.
"No. I've never been here, but unlike you, I remembered my lessons. There's a path that winds its way toward the top. It's supposed to be the hardest part of the entire Selection. Well, other than dealing with boys that want to kill you. Many have gotten this far, only to die from a nasty fall."
"Do you think Bello is up there?" Eron said. He scanned the cliff as far as he could see.
"If he got here ahead of us, he has to be. If he did, he has the advantage over us. We'd better be on guard."
"Understood," Eron said.
"Before we scale it, we might need to find some food for the trip. Let's look for berries or anything else we can find."
The boys split up and scavenged for food. When Eron started back to meet up with Phelan, something moved ahead of him. A black figure raced across the valley. Eron tensed.
"Phelan," he called out. Again, the figure raced ahead of him. It was closer this time.
"Phelan!" he said, "is that you?" Eron's knuckles clicked when he gripped his staff. He was anxious and hyper-sensitive. Every little sound or movement caught his attention. Leaves moving in the breeze made him jump. Gracers flying overhead almost made his heart burst from his chest.
The black figure ran in front of him, but a bit farther away, heading in the opposite direction as it had gone before.
"Phelan, this isn't funny," Eron said.
"What isn't?"
Eron's bladder nearly released. Phelan's voice was directly behin
d him. He hadn't heard him approach while he was engrossed in watching the black figure.
"Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Eron said, holding a hand against his chest while trying to slow down his breathing.
"How did you sneak up on me like that? I could hear everything around me."
"Practice," Phelan said.
"Did you see that?" Eron said. He pointed to where the figure was moving back and forth.
"See what? The trees? The thick brush? The impossibly difficult rock wall we have to climb? I saw that."
"There was a black figure running ahead of me. Up that way." Again, pointing to where he last saw the thing moving. "I thought it was you. Maybe it's Bello or another Forgotten?"
"Are you sure about that? I was over there until I heard you making noise. I didn't see anything." He held a hand above his eyes and searched the area for any sign of the mysterious figure, but saw nothing. "Well, if there was something it's either hiding or gone, which is what we need to be. I'd like to get this last part over with before you back out on me," he said, nudging Eron.
"Come on, you really think I'd back out? I want out of here. I'm done with this stupid Selection. All I want to do is leave and hopefully find Mina waiting for me."
"That's what I want to hear! The food we have will need to do. Maybe we'll find something else along the way, though it doesn't look promising. There's hardly any vegetation up the rocks; maybe at the top, but I can't see because of the clouds. Ready?"
Eron took a last look around the area, hoping to catch sight of the figure. He felt as though someone was watching them. It unsettled him. There was nothing he could do about it now, unless they spent their quickly-dwindling time searching for it instead of finishing their journey.
"Yeah, let's find this path, Phelan. I'm ready."
The boys had trivial conversation that Eron tuned out. Phelan seemed not to notice; he was content talking and practically answering himself. After a few hours, they found the path leading up the cliff face, closer to their destination. And Mina.
CHAPTER 32
The first few meters of the climb were easy. Before long the boys were about a third of the way up without much effort.
"I thought you said this was the hardest part of the Selection, Phelan? Seems like someone lied to you."
"I wouldn't get too confident yet. We've got a long way to go before we can relax."
Eron paused. The thin outcrop of rock they were scaling felt secure under his feet. There was barely enough room to move on it, but it was a consistent width and free of obstacles. Looking back out over the valley, Eron admired the lush beauty of the forest. The other cliff they'd climbed down was on the far side of the valley. He scanned to the top and guessed where it was they'd descended. Laird's body lay down in the valley, hopefully already devoured by insects and other animals so no one came upon it. And maybe Bello was down there as well.
Eron watched as gracers flew across the treetops and waited to see if the black figure was down there. He wasn't sure what it was. It had to be Bello or one of the Forgotten. If they were lucky, it would still be down there where they'd see it if it tried to scale the cliff. If they couldn't see it...he didn't want to think about it.
"How much farther, Phelan?" Eron asked after turning back around. He felt dizzy and feared falling off the ledge.
"I'm not sure. All I see above us are clouds. I did spot a wider landing not too far away. Maybe we can stop there and plan the rest of the way."
"Sounds good," Eron said. Phelan led them slowly upwards. The ledge was not a straight shot up, but wound back and forth across the red rock.
After a little more than an hour, they found the landing that had been cut out from the wall. It was wide enough for them to lean back against the rock and not have their feet dangle over the edge. They ate some of their berries and edible leaves and rested.
The immense valley spread out before them, red, orange, and purple cascading across it.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Phelan said. Eron nodded. Observed from this vantage point, it had a certain mismatched uniformity to it. Colors were spread out and clashed, but then were woven together to create a large cohesive tapestry. Eron turned away after a few moments.
"What's wrong?" Phelan said.
"Dizzy, that's all" Eron said. "I guess the change in altitude is affecting me. It didn't on the way down, but it's doing something to me now. It'll pass, I hope."
Eron closed his eyes and concentrated on Mina. He envisioned her gorgeous face in front of him. Holding her curls in his hands, he smelled her perfume. Her eyes were so full of life and love. Caressing her soft cheek, she smiled. His heart exploded with emotion.
Then he heard the screams. They were soft at first and he was too engrossed in Mina's beauty to pay much attention. But they were persistent and grew louder and louder until he couldn't ignore them. They sounded painful, and something like gunshots accompanied the screams.
Eron opened himself to the sounds and lost the vision of Mina in front of him. Suddenly he saw the Selection, though not his Selection. Ignoring his mother's direction and the armed soldiers, he crept to a place where he watched what was going on. The security force had cleared the area but somehow, he'd managed to avoid detection.
In front of him, several boys stood at one of the many paths leading into the forest, much like he'd done a few weeks ago. Ahead to his right was his brother. Timo looked nervous. He fidgeted back and forth, looking from side to side. Eron had never seen him so afraid of anything in his life. His big brother was always strong. He had to be, with their father gone in the Defense Force. Seeing Timo's fear eroded away his image of the hero his brother was to him. If he could've helped him he would, but he knew the guards were instructed to shoot to kill.
He was taught that in school last year, second semester.
Eron's eyes shot open. "What?" he said out loud. Phelan looked at him.
"Huh?" Phelan said.
"I was taught that in school. I was taught in school!"
"I'm not sure what you're saying, Eron. Care to clue me in?"
"I was taught about the guards shooting to kill. While in school. I was taught that!"
"You should've been taught all that stuff in school. I thought we talked about this already. Whatever they're doing in Rippon is nothing compared to how we prepare in Greater Manthus. Lucky for you I came along."
"I was taught in school, Phelan. That means something. I know I was. Maybe something did happen to my memory."
Phelan looked out over the valley. “That’s been my guess. I can’t imagine your colony not preparing you.”
"Oh, and you didn't come along. If you recall, I was the one who found you. And saved you. I'm not completely inept."
"I'd never say that," Phelan said. Both boys laughed.
"Ready to get back at it? I'd like to make the summit by nightfall. That is, if it's not too far above those clouds. We've only got a few more hours of daylight," said Phelan.
They left the landing and proceeded upward. The path quickly turned much more difficult.
CHAPTER 33
The ledge grew narrow again. There were places where rock was missing, which meant the boys had to jump from one narrow outcrop to another. Pebbles and large rocks were scattered across the ledge. Here there were no grooves in the rock to hold onto. The wall was completely smooth, as if worn down over time. Eron hugged the rock face as best he could, but still almost slipped off more than once.
They got about fifteen meters from the landing they'd left and Eron looked down. "That's all? I thought we were higher than this by now. This is going to take forever!"
Phelan grunted, but kept moving forward.
Behind them came a screeching sound. Carefully turning, they watched as five large creatures circled next to them.
"Vulbores," Phelan said. "We've got to hurry! Those talons will kill us!"
Eron watched the vulbores dance in the
air. Their wings were covered in dark purple skin. Dark ridges indicated the bones where the membranes attached. Eron had seen vulbores before, though they were the smaller blue ones, which were less deadly.
Like Phelan, he was concerned about the talons. Even the smaller ones excreted a deadly toxin from the tips of their talons that neutralized their prey. These larger ones probably held enough toxin to render the boys catatonic. And clinging to a narrow rock ledge several hundred meters above the valley was a bad place for that.
Eron looked back to the ledge and followed Phelan's lead. The other boy was moving quicker than before, and more recklessly.
"Phelan, slow down. If we fall because we miss a step, it would be just as bad as getting attacked by the vulbores."
"I'm willing to take the chance. I don't want those things near me!"
They crossed a narrow gap when Phelan's foot slipped, setting him off balance.
"Phelan!" Eron said.
"I'm all right. Just slipped." Screeching in the air behind him, one of the vulbores dove.
"Look out! Vulbore!" Eron said. Phelan turned just in time to swat at the vulbore with his arm. The thing shrieked and peeled off, turning back for another pass.
"Did you get scratched?" Eron asked.
Phelan shook his head. "No, I don't think so."
"Here it comes again!" Eron said.
Phelan saw it and swatted at it again, this time swinging forward from the ledge. He caught the vulbore on its bright purple beak, knocking its head violently to the side. Instead of flying away, it slammed into the cliff next to Phelan. He swung his arms, trying to regain his balance.
"Phelan!" Eron said. He was too far away to grab him, but he continued to shuffle across the ledge toward him. Phelan whirled his arms, teetering on the ledge before his body slammed back against the cliff. His chest heaved in and out as he clung to the wall.
The Selection Page 11