"I'm ok!" he said. Next to him, the vulbore thrashed then slid off the ledge, falling helplessly down. They were too high up to hear the thud when it crashed through the trees to the ground below.
The remaining vulbores screeched madly at the sight of their fallen comrade. They circled in the air, dipping in and out of each other's paths.
"We've got to do something!" Eron said. "They're gonna attack!"
Phelan caught his breath. "We have to go back down. We can't fight them off up here. We're not that far from the landing. If we go back, we can at least get better footing."
Eron started for the landing, careful not to misstep. The vulbores screeched in the air behind him, threatening the boys. Eron kept moving as the vulbores broke from their circle and dove at them. They seemed wary of getting too close as they veered away before they reached the boys. Still their cries and the sight of those large talons coming after them were frightening. Eron almost slid off the ledge, but caught his foot on a small rock, stabilizing himself. He thought about swinging his staff at the vulbores, but decided taking it off his back would be too difficult.
Despite the screaming vulbores swooping, the boys finally made it to the landing. Eron grabbed his staff and pushed back at the vulbores. They gained confidence and flew closer to the boys, one almost catching Eron's arm in its talons. At the last second, he turned one aside with his staff and it collided with the wall next to him.
Phelan held out his knife, hoping for a chance to stab or slice at one of them, though that meant getting dangerously close.
"We have to hold them off, Eron! Maybe kill another one or two to scare them off. We can't move without getting rid of them!"
Eron waited for a vulbore that broke from the circle and dove fast at him, its long beak open in an awful screech with its talons out, ready to strike. When it was within reach, he swung the staff, thumping it on the head. It crashed on the landing in front of him. Phelan pounced, stabbing it in the head with his knife. The blade slid through its weak skull, piercing the brain. Its body convulsed as it died. Phelan kicked it off the landing to the valley below.
The three remaining vulbores were whipped into a frenzy. They screeched louder and broke from their circle to attack the boys. Eron swung his staff back and forth, trying to scare them from getting any closer, and almost struck Phelan, who had to duck twice to avoid the staff.
As one unit, the large purple vulbores turned back and dove at them again, talons and wings blurring together. Eron swung his staff, striking flesh and bone. Feeling resistance, he swung again and again, hoping Phelan was not in the way. He heard the other boy scream. Fear ran through him. They got Phelan! he thought. His anger fueled his swings and he struck at the vulbores again, staff connecting with a thud against solid bodies.
Before long, two of the three vulbores lay flopping on the ground in front of them. The third one flew away screeching, its flight hampered as it lurched through the sky.
Phelan stabbed one of the vulbores in the back. It flapped its wings, knocking the other one off the ledge. He stabbed several times, spilling bright pink blood. With one last thrust of his blade, he pulled out the knife and pushed the vulbore off the landing.
"Are you hurt? Did they get you?" Eron said. He dropped his staff on the ground.
"Yeah, I'm hurt, but it wasn't because of them!" Phelan said. "You hit me with that stupid staff! Watch what you're doing with that thing!"
"I was trying to push them back! I couldn't see what was going on. You can't blame me for that," said Eron.
"Look, whatever. It's done with. They're gone."
Both boys fell to the ground, breathing heavy, leaning against the wall. Little food and water and the climb up the cliff had taken its toll on them.
"I hope we don't come across more of those," Eron said. "I don't have the energy left."
Phelan rubbed his eyes. "I agree.”
CHAPTER 34
The boys didn't rest long.
"We've got to get moving, Eron. We can't wait here like this."
Eron ached all over. His arms, his legs, his entire body was stiff with pain. It hurt to open his eyes.
"I know. I'm sore. How much farther do you think it is? I'm exhausted."
"I think we've still got a couple hours' worth of a climb to go."
Eron rolled his eyes.
"I know. I'm not looking forward to it, either. We need to go up or down, but we can't stay here. Soon, others will be climbing this path and we don't want to be here when they do. I told you this was the most difficult part of the journey. We're too close to give up now."
Eron grunted, pushed himself up and steadied himself with the staff. Extending his hand, he helped Phelan up.
"Thanks," Phelan said. "Now if there are no more obstacles, we're good to go."
Phelan led as they climbed back up along the cliff's ledge. When they approached the place where they had encountered the vulbores, Eron looked up at the sky, half expecting to find more of them. Except for the yellow clouds, the sky was clear. He thought he saw a flicker of light and his heart jumped. The last thing they needed was rain. He waited for the thunder, but no sound came.
"Did you see that, Phelan?" he said. They were making good time, considering the treacherous ledge they were climbing. Both boys tried to ignore the possibility of falling.
"See what? Are there more vulbores?"
"No. I thought I saw lightning."
Phelan stopped and looked at the yellow clouds swirling above. "I don't see anything. Hopefully it was something else; we have no escape from the rain. That's the last thing we need."
"Agreed," Eron said.
They went back to climbing. It was perilous in places and they feared they'd need to turn around. By chance and a few daring leaps, they managed to stay alive. As they approached the bottom of the yellow clouds, they saw it.
"There!" Eron said pointing at the flash in the clouds. "Lightning!" As soon as he said it, thunder boomed loud, vibrating the cliff. The deep, deafening boom reverberated in their ears.
"We have to hurry!" Phelan said. Eron barely heard him. Phelan pointed up and hurried along the ledge. He abruptly turned and almost slipped off. Rocks tumbled down as he tried to regain his footing.
Again, thunder boomed around them, shaking the cliff. Eron held his hands over his ears. The motion threatened to send him off balance. He leaned forward and fell face first against the wall. It hurt, but he was alive.
They made their way up through the clouds, the air growing colder the instant they reached them. Soon they felt the burning sensation travel slowly from head to toe.
"Eron, do you feel that?"
"Yeah, is it the cloud?"
Lightning streaked through the clouds followed by booming thunder. Eron's teeth rattled.
"I think so. We need to hurry!"
"Are we near the top?" Eron said.
"I have no idea. It doesn't matter. Hurry, Eron! We're in trouble!"
Eron's skin burned like a horrible sunburn. He watched as the pale skin on his arms turned pink. His eyes stung, making it difficult to see.
They pushed on out of necessity, reckless.
"My eyes!" Phelan screamed. "They're burning! Come on, Eron, hurry!"
Eron fumbled through the cloud. His skin burned hotter. His eyes were nearly blinded, exposed to the toxic moisture that blurred his vision.
Phelan gained some distance from Eron and was a bit higher. Eron lost him through the cloud and stinging vision, but then from above he heard Phelan's screams.
No! Eron thought. Not Phelan! Not him!
Eron felt his way through the cloud, finding a foothold wherever he could. He had to get to Phelan. The other boy screamed again and again, but sounded different.
The air around Eron changed, growing a bit warmer. His eyes stung, but not as bad as before. He opened them wider and his sight returned. The yellow tinge of the cloud was gone. He continued climbing toward
s Phelan.
Reaching his hand up for the cliff face, there wasn't anything for Eron to hold onto and he fell forward into the tall grass. He had reached the top.
Phelan ran around the summit, screaming and leaping up and down.
"We made it, Eron! We made it! My skin's starting to cool down! We made it!" Phelan ran to him and lifted him off the ground. Eron's skin still burned, but the intensity lessened. His eyes didn't hurt as bad when he opened them.
"We made it!" Eron said in a weak voice. "We made it!"
They jumped around in the tall grass, looking down on the clouds below them. Lightning flashed in the clouds and muffled thunder boomed.
CHAPTER 35
By the time their eyes no longer burned, night had settled over them. Stars shone in the darkening sky. The pink moon was coming up bright and full. Tall red grass waved in the cool wind. In the distance, the forest started again. They decided to wait until the morning, but it called to them like a beacon.
"There it is, Eron. Our last challenge. We make it through the forest, and the end will be ours. I hear there's a fair waiting. If we aren't there within thirty days' time, they pack up and leave. Soldiers are stationed there and like when we started, if any boy tries to get out after the time is up, they're shot or driven back here. Those are the Forgotten; some of them, anyway. The rest just never made it to the end and are stuck here."
Eron looked past the field at the treetops. They looked black, not vibrant like the trees he was used to. He really couldn't tell for sure, though, since they were so far away and it was dark.
"Where do you think Bello is?" Eron said.
"I don't know. He might be behind us in the valley. I hope so. We'll be out of here well before he ever finds us again, if that's the case. If not, then he's in there somewhere," said Phelan, pointing to the forest ahead of them. "And if he's in there, we'll need to be extra careful. I suspect he'll try something."
"But how do we know where he is? I'm pretty sure he'll come after me. And you, too, I guess. What a pain he's become," Eron said.
Phelan nodded. "Yes, he has. You need to take care of him if or when he shows up again. Be strong. Sometimes, some of us aren't meant to live through it.
"I think of it as forced evolution. The strongest males survive while the weaker ones get tossed aside. We have too many males on this planet. We have to keep balance. They say that's what happened on Earth; it became so out of balance that it couldn't sustain the wild shifts much longer. Moderation, Eron; that's how things proceed and endure. Balance in nature and life produces the best results. That's why we're here. Forced balance to create a balanced planet. It's worked for a couple hundred years so far."
Eron thought about Phelan's words. Being so close to the end had turned the other boy into a philosopher. Or maybe he was opening up, feeling the stress of the Selection fading since they were almost finished.
"But why are the numbers so out of balance? Is it a natural thing? If it was started like this on Earth, who are we to upset the natural order? Shouldn't we accept the situation?"
"Hmm, good question. I never knew you to have such deep thoughts!" Phelan laughed. Eron smiled.
"Yeah, well, normally I don't. You made me think, that's all. Even now, I'm still so confused about the Selection. I've been given no answers, yet forced into this terrible process all the same."
"You keep saying that," Phelan said. He sat in the grass holding his knees up to his chest. The pink moon glow illuminated his blue face. "I think you know more than you're aware of. I've thought about this for a while now. My guess is it was the trauma of your brother's time in the Selection. Since you don't know for sure whether he's alive or dead, it broke your mind. As a safety mechanism, your mind either erased the memories, or made them inaccessible, which is almost as bad as being erased."
"I wish I knew for sure. I think you might be kinda right. Timo was my brother. Is my brother. And all the years of schooling? Those would be hard to forget.”
"Maybe it's some kind of selective amnesia brought on by extreme stress or trauma. Such as your brother being shot."
"So, you're a doctor now? They must be so proud of you in Greater Manthus," Eron said. He turned away from Phelan and looked up at the sky. Silence hung thick between them.
"I'm sorry if I offended you, Eron, it was just a thought. I don't know why you can't remember those things, but, I'm sure you were taught them. You had to have known about the Selection."
"I wish I could remember," Eron said.
Phelan nodded. He ran his fingers through the grass before speaking.
"Ever think you're gonna die out here?" he asked.
"What the...no! I mean I guess it could happen but I'm not planning on it."
"I know I'm not going to die. I'm determined. I'm resourceful."
"And you've got me!"
Phelan laughed. "Yeah...and I've got you."
In the still night air, the sound of craates howling carried across the plain. A faint scream emerged from the forest. Both boys turned toward the sound.
"We're not out of this yet," Eron said. "We still have to cross through that."
CHAPTER 36
When the sun rose bright red and warm, the boys set off. The sky was bright and cloudless. No animals chittered; the wind blowing across the tall red grass was the only sound. It rippled back and forth like waves on an ocean.
Eron's stomach grumbled.
"Phelan, we need to find some food soon. And water."
"I agree," he said, waving towards the plain. "I'm sure we'll find something in there."
As they walked in silence listening to the wind, Eron looked up as a black figure raced across the plain to their right.
"Phelan, over there! It's another Forgotten!" Eron said. He pointed his staff.
"I didn't see it. It's not like there's many places to hide up here. Which way was it going?"
"From there," Eron pointed, "to there. It looked just like the one we've seen before."
"The same Forgotten?" Phelan said.
"That's my guess; at least, I hope so. Then we'd know what we're dealing with. If it's a different one…" Eron trailed off when the Forgotten reappeared. However, this time, it stood erect and seemed to be looking at the boys.
"Phelan," Eron said.
"I see it, Eron. I think you're right. It looks like the one."
It raised its arms in a V, then pointed towards the forest before disappearing in the tall grass. The boys stood mesmerized, waiting for it to emerge again. After several minutes, they continued on when it didn't appear.
"What's it want?" Eron said.
"How would I know? I've got no idea why it's paying attention to us. We need to keep our distance and make sure to watch for it. I'd hate to be ambushed."
They continued towards the forest, every few meters, Eron scanning the landscape.
By late afternoon, the boys closed in on the forest. They saw individual trees and the underbrush.
"Almost there," Eron said. "I can't wait. I need food and shade. The sun is pretty bright up here." His cracked lips bled a little. They were burned and chapped from the ever-present brutal wind. It hurt to talk. What he wouldn't give for shelter from the wind.
"I told you, coward, I was going to kill you."
The boys jumped. Eron's heart raced.
Bello stood behind them.
"Where did you come from?" Eron said. He held his staff across his body.
"Does it matter? You and blue face made it all the way up here, only to die. By me!" Bello said. He charged the boys, knocking Phelan to the ground and winding him.
Eron swung his staff and missed, giving Bello the chance to knock him in the jaw.
"I'm finally going to kill you! I've waited long enough. Blue face's death will be on your hands. You should never have brought him into this!"
"Into what?" Eron said. Rubbing his jaw, he backed away from Bello.
"Into
our fight, coward! Only the weak need someone else to help them. The strong only need themselves."
Phelan tried to scramble away and Bello kicked him. When he saw the knife at Phelan's belt, he dropped to his knees, punched Phelan, and took it. "You won't need this, blue face," Bello said and tossed it far away in the grass. "My hands are all I need." Phelan struggled to get up. Bello punched him in the face, sending blood trickling from his nose. Phelan held both hands to his nose, writhing on the ground.
Eron jumped up. "Get off him! This is our fight!" he said to Bello. Phelan squirmed, but the larger boy pinned him to the ground with one hand. He turned to grin at Eron, then punched Phelan several times in the face. The flesh around his eyes grew dark and puffy. Bello let the boy go and stood, towering over Eron. Phelan curled into the fetal position, covering his face.
"What are you gonna do, coward? Finally found some courage? I doubt it." He dropped his hands to his sides and took a few steps toward Eron.
"Don't make me do something I don't want to, Bello! I've not hurt you yet because it's not right. And it won't happen here unless you make me." Eron's lips stung. As he spoke, they bled trails of crimson down his chin.
"Unless I make you? Spoken like a true coward. If you had any strength in you, you'd strike first when you have the advantage. But you're a coward. And cowards don't do that, do they? That's why you don't deserve to make it to the end. That's why I get to kill you."
He lunged at Eron. The smaller boy countered with his staff, though there wasn't much room between them to strike with much force and the blow glanced off Bello, ineffective.
Bello slammed into Eron. Yelling, Bello chided him. "Is that all? I expected you to be better at this by now. It's time to die!" He pushed Eron to the ground and pinned him, kneeing Eron in the legs and groin. Eron struggled to free himself, but the larger boy held his arms to the ground.
The Selection Page 12