"Now sit your wanker ass down, will you?"
Seventy-six new faces began entering the room and lining up along the walls. They were dressed in blue t-shirts, contrasting everyone else. Once the room was full, Officer Wisman began speaking again. "As I mentioned, each of you will be assigned a preceptor. When I call your name, come forward, I will pair you with your mentor, and you will exit this room and begin the obstacle course. Are there any questions?"
Troger was present. He was six rows forward from Xairin and nine seats over to the left. His hand rose up. "Yes, Mr. Smart?"
"How long is the course?"
"Not counting the Labyrinth, it is thirty miles long, running through and around parts of the island."
A voice in the back yelled out. "And this is to be done in an hour?" The man's voice asked.
Officer Wisman looked at his tablet, then at the man questioning him. "Hammond Smith, is it?"
The geeky looking man nodded.
"You're an Immortal, stop thinking like a human."
"Now, let's get on with it…" Wisman said.
He went through the names, going in alphabetical order. The man was quick. He would read the name of the recruit, and as soon as they stood up, he called out the name of the preceptor. After a few minutes, he made it to the Ts. "Mr. Thunder, you are going with Abanoub Amari.
Xairin noticed the dark headed man, with a black goatee and perfectly bronzed skin motioning him his way. Xairin didn't waste any time in walking over.
Abanoub had a deep voice, kind, with an accent Xairin couldn't quite place. "Are you ready, Mr. Thunder?"
"Ready as I'm going to get, I suppose."
The two left the enclosure and out into the jungle. Xairin and his preceptor walked down a hillside covered with trees. Abanoub was somewhat talkative. "The first part of the obstacle course is an easy one. It's the hill."
They arrived at what looked like the starting line of a race, hidden well by the canopy of overgrown jungle flora. The trees seemed magical to Xairin, they were vibrant, more than he had expected. This caught Abanoub's attention. He too looked upward and smiled. "Immortal blood can enhance many things my vampiric friend, animals, humans, and the plant life around you."
Xairin turned to look at the dark-eyed man. "Plants too?"
Abanoub smiled. "Before the comet, we were gods to mankind. Now, simply oddities of nature." He looked up smiling. "This entire jungle is mostly enhanced by some of the oldest of Aeonians that have joined The Society, from those who hail from Greece to those like my mother, hailing from Egypt."
Xairin was more curious than ever now. "Are you saying your mom is an Egyptian Aeonian?"
Abanoub smiled. "Today, her name is Isabel Nile, a few thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians knew her as Isis."
Xairin was always fascinated by Egyptian lore, he got all giddy at that moment. "Wait for a second, are you saying your mother is Isis, like the Egyptian Goddess Isis?"
Abanoub grinned. "Not to brag, but yes. She recently joined the Council of the Society of Night, along with a few other Aeonian Egyptians."
"We can talk more about it on the course," Abanoub said. "Besides, my brother is grading you after all, and he does not like it when people are idle."
"Officer Wisman is your brother?" Xairin asked while twisting his lip upward.
"Half-brother, we have different fathers. Now let's get moving, shall we?"
Abanoub pointed at the sides of the path. "Normally a laser line will be emitting from those green posts." Xairin had to look hard to see them. They were well hidden amongst the flora. "Every morning, you will come here and start running. Your armband will record your arrival. For today, tomorrow and the next, you will meet me here. After that you will be expected to start this course on your own, or with a partner should you attempt the trial."
Abanoub started into a jog. Xairin followed his lead. They began running along a path, that slowly transitioned into a steep hill.
"That's really cool that your mom was an Egyptian goddess Abanoub," Xairin said while keeping up the pace.
"Sometimes yes, other times no."
"Does Wisman outrank you?" He asked.
Abanoub smirked. "No, I am an officer too, that and I am older than he is. I was born when Egypt was the seat of godly power, that was until the Greek Aeonians threw a temper tantrum. As for Atan, he was born only a few hundred years ago when my mother met an Aeonian hailing from Britain. As I said, he is my half-brother."
The hill became steeper as the two went down it. "The hill is all about footing, and since we are barefoot, learning to balance yourself in terrain without the comforts of shoes giving you support. In combat, you never know when you will be disadvantaged."
"I'm not going to have to run through hot coals, or glass, am I?" Xairin asked while his breath seemed slightly labored.
Abanoub smirked. "Don't give them ideas vampire. Or you just might. They are, after all, recording you at all times." He pointed to his own armband.
"Like all times? Even when I'm in my tent?"
Abanoub nodded as he leaped over a rock. "When you are in your domicile that is your off time, of course, if it is during a time when you're not supposed to be either here or in a class. Just whatever you do, don't get caught jacking off while on the clock, otherwise they will cut your dick off and you won't be able to train until it grows back."
Xairin stopped. "WHAT?"
Abanoub smirked. "I'm only joking recruit, keep up…"
Abanoub smirked again. "All jokes aside though, they will shoot you in the balls with a level seven taser blaster and repeat it, until you can take it if you do get caught wanking when you are supposed to be training."
Xairin's eyes started to water, thinking about it. "Why would you even need to tell me this?"
Abanoub shrugged as he went into a sprint right as the hill finally started to level out. "Some recruit, a few weeks ago got caught jacking off while he was supposed to be training. So, we are supposed to warn all the recruits, don't play with your willy, or they will zap it silly." Abanoub thought his little rhyme was cute. Xairin didn't.
Xairin noticed that the path was flat again. In front of him, the trail started to become moist. The ground was wet. He could see mud holes everywhere now, all along the path.
"Be careful, some of these holes are more than ten feet deep. They keep it that way to slow people down. You will want to leap them if you can. Otherwise, you may be swimming."
Many of the mud puddles were more than ten feet long and ten feet wide. Xairin and his preceptor had to leap each one. Xairin kept up nicely. This part lasted until they came to a muddy river, the current reminded Xairin of white-water rafting. The current going against him was brutal. Abanoub Amari stopped.
"You can swim, yes?"
"Across this?" Xairin asked with a surprised tone to his voice.
Abanoub nodded. "Yes, sir." He pointed to the path on the other side. "You have to keep a straight line while swimming across this river and end up on that path as close as you can; otherwise points will be deducted." Xairin looked to the right and saw where the water was coming out of a large vent on the side of a hillside over six hundred feet away to his right, and to his left, flowing into a metal grate running the width of the river. The width itself was the length of a football field.
"You're joking?"
Abanoub shook his head. "We are not mortals Mr. Thunder." Abanoub leaped in and began swimming against the current. Xairin's eyes widened.
"Holy shit!" Xairin blurted.
He stood there for a few seconds as he watched the Aeonian fight against the current and remained mostly in place, coming out on the other side. He was only off from the path by about ten feet or less. Abanoub yelled. "Come on Mr. Thunder!"
Xairin had gone white water rafting once on an all gay trip that Rory had put together. He loved it until he fell off the raft. Getting back on the raft was a bitch, now he was being expected to swim a hundred yards through dangerous swift m
uddy currents with the likelihood of there being an undercurrent somewhere in the mix. He hesitated.
"Come on Mr. Thunder!" Abanoub Amari yelled, louder this time.
Xairin puffed his cheeks as he blew out. He took a deep breath and at that moment, prayed. "God, if you're real, help my gay ass out, will you?"
Xairin leaped in.
The current was just as brutal as he was expecting it to be. He kept pushing as hard as he could, performing the strongest freestyle he could. He made it forty yards, and felt the first back current, pulling at him. He went under. Xairin kicked as hard as he could until making it back to the surface gasping for air. He kept kicking, kept swimming. In his mind, all he could think about was. "FUCK ME! FUCK THIS!"
After about six minutes he finally made it, he came downstream about thirty feet from where Abanoub had come out. He was out of breath. He looked back across the artificial river and thought to himself. "HOLY SHIT, I DID IT…"
Abanoub walked down and extended a hand. "We are far from finished Mr. Thunder."
Xairin and Abanoub walked to the path line. Abanoub went into a jog. Xairin was still coughing up water. "Get it together, Mr. Thunder."
He puffed his cheeks and huffed.
Fifty yards down this path, they came to the edge of a swamp. There were trees everywhere coming out of the lily pad infested beauty around Xairin. He couldn't see the water much for all the plant life. "This is the Vine Challenge."
Xairin was still collecting himself from exhaustion after fighting the strong current. He looked at his preceptor while he was still struggling to regain his breath. "Vine Challenge?"
Abanoub pointed to vines on every tree. "Do you know who Tarzan is?"
Xairin nodded. "Yeah, I've seen a few flicks, why?"
"The trick to this part of the obstacle course is never disturbing the water. You can leap from tree to tree or swing using the vines. But you cannot touch the water."
"Why?"
"For one, it is part of the challenge. Two, the water is filled with droids that well resemble crocodiles, alligators, giant snakes, and electric eels. Hit the water you will lose points. If you don't get out of the water fast enough, you will be fighting a droid that will challenge your strength. Since you are wearing a white shirt, they know not to attack, but when you are into your fourth day, you will be wearing your red shirt."
It was hot and humid. The temperature of the jungle prompted Xairin to ask. "What if I am wearing no shirt? I mean come on, it is about what, a hundred and ten degrees here?"
Abanoub Amari smiled. "No shirt, they attack, they will treat you as a redshirt. Only blue and white will they not attack you."
"Great…"
He watched ad Abanoub leaped into the air, landing on a large tree limb, and then grasping a vine to swing to the next tree. He called out. "Come on Mr. Thunder."
This part of the course Xairin did great with. He climbed the first tree on the water's edge and leaped from tree to tree with only needing to use a vine once. This part of the course went on almost five miles. He landed on the grassy hillside on the other end. Abanoub was impressed. "Not bad Mr. Thunder. Not bad at all. My last recruit fell twice."
"Please, call me Xairin. Calling me Mr. Thunder makes me feel like an old man."
"Fine, Xairin it is."
The two took off. The course began to transition to rocky terrain. Xairin and Abanoub started to enter a canyon. Large rocks littered the sight Xairin saw, they were everywhere. Jagged, pointy rocks, many of which were ten feet high, some of them were short, but all of them making it a challenge to get through. Xairin hurt his left foot after stepping on what he equated to his brother's legos when he was mortal. "OUCH!"
Abanoub Amari smiled. "Oh, just wait."
"JUST WAIT? Wait for what?"
No sooner had Xairin said that Abanoub pointed upward after stopping behind a large rock. "You see those tiny circular holes Xairin?"
Xairin nodded. "Yeah." He looked around. He was about to step forward when Abanoub pulled him back behind the rock.
"What is it?" He asked.
Abanoub reached down and picked up a small pebble and threw it over the large boulder they were standing behind. From the holes in the rocks of the canyon, dozens of white blaster bolts fired out like fireworks. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Xairin asked.
"Wearing your white shirt, the sensors will only shoot bolts that will basically feel like pins and needles if you get hit. When you're a redshirt, well, the blue blasts will leave you with fully fledged flesh wounds. This part of the course will challenge being able to predict incoming unfriendly fire, dodge it accordingly and make it to the other side of Canyon Run."
Xairin leaned up against the large boulder and let out a sigh. He hunkered down for a second, resting his hands on his knees. "Okay. So, what happens when I'm a red shirt, and I take a blast?"
Abanoub Amari let out a drawn-out sigh. "It may render you to the ground Xairin. In which case, your recording band will report that you're injured, and a droid would likely be dispatched to take you back to triage. Those blasts are the real deal Xairin. Enough to kill a human, and enough to wound an Immortium like yourself."
"Do they keep firing when I'm down? What if it hits me in the head?"
"Reason you keep that armband on at all times. It will sync up with the blasters. As for a headshot, I took a blast to the head two weeks ago. Even after boot, we still run the obstacle course every day at five in the morning after the recruits do. It hurts like a bitch, but the blasts are not enough to take your head, just enough to render you unable to continue."
"Who works triage? Is that something assigned?"
Abanoub shrugged. "Anyone with medical training can work it, I do since I'm a nurse. I also saw your file, LMT and an FNP, the FNP part could easily flag you for being a medic and when people find out you're also a licensed massage therapist, well, some people might be knocking your dome door down." Abanoub chuckled.
"Great…" Xairin uttered.
"Pins and needles at the moment Xairin," Abanoub said as he leaped out and started dodging incoming fire.
Xairin took three deep breaths. His ears perked. For him, his biosonar started working. He stood up, realizing he had a slight advantage here.
Xairin had to hide four times to avoid incoming fire but made it across the canyon run without taking a single pricking blast. His preceptor had two holes in his clothing around the shoulder blade. Xairin could see the singe marks.
"Not bad. I keep forgetting I am taking a vampire across this time. My last recruit was a minotaur, and no puns intended, but let me tell you that guy was truly bull-headed when it came taking instructions. So having a vampire is refreshing. I guess your echolocation helped, yes?"
"Actually yeah."
"It will really come in handy when you start the labyrinth trials. Well, at least finding the end of it that is."
Abanoub led Xairin through the last bit of the canyon, which ended at what could only be described as a massive crater in the earth. Xairin saw hundreds of pillars filling the void. The Pillars were stone, sandy in color, matching the surroundings. Each post was only a foot wide. It is evident to Xairin that he had to leap on top of each one to make it across the mile-long stretch.
"Crater run, one. You have to..."
Xairin interrupted him. "Let me guess, make it across without falling?"
"Or in your case flying. If you do fall, you are allowed to glide to another pillar, climb up, and start over, but yes, you get the idea. Oh, and by the way, the pillars move, and occasionally, a sharp spike will shoot up. And yes, it will go through your foot. So, keep your balance, will you?"
Abanoub started levitating. Xairin was pissed. "Excuse me? You said no flying, and wait a second? You can fly?"
Abanoub smiled. "I am a preceptor, and I am not due to run this until five."
Xairin stood there, crossing his arms. "Aeonians can float?"
"You know that same energy field that you can produce to shimmer?
"
"Shimmer?"
"Turn invisible?"
"That's what it's called?"
"Yes. Same concept. We can radiate an energy field that propels us upward. Some can truly fly, but nothing truly spectacular, five hundred feet or so above the earth, any more than that is a challenge. But yes, we can, part of what made primitive minds believe we were more than what we turned out to be. Aeonians were revered as gods, remember?"
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