Episode Eighteen - Round One (Part 2)

Eira's heart pounded as they climbed into the copter, watching the arena fade into a tiny distant dot as they took off. "What's the obstacle course like? I appreciate a heads up since this is my first participation. I don't want to inadvertently ruin our chances of winning."

"Forget about using your reapers," Anaelle promptly explained. "The obstacle course is designed for teamwork. It's one of the reasons why most teams fail."

Koga brashly interjected. "What she's saying is that most teams are made up of selfish bastards. They aren't friends."

"Does that mean we have the advantage?" A hopeful tenor crept into Eira's voice.

"You bet we do," Florian assured her. "And I just thought of a plan. We'll support Eira and get her to the lagoon."

"Me?" Eira gasped, plagued by uncertainty. "A-are you sure? Wouldn't it be better for one of you to do it? I mean, you've done this before, haven't you?"

"They change the rules and activities every year," Florian said. "Even we can't predict what's going to happen."

"I think it's a good idea, Florian," Anaelle concurred, latching onto what he was thinking. "It'll be easier and faster for Eira to reach Briar's lagoon using Xue Long. The three of us will clear a path for you and make sure you get there."

Eira took in their determined gazes, feeling touched. It had been two months since she joined them, and this is the first time she felt like part of the unit. It brought tears to her eyes.

"Are you crying?" Incredulity overtook Koga's excitement.

"It's just…," she struggled to express herself, "I finally feel like I'm part of the team." Her teary confession stunned everyone into silence.

It was Anaelle who spoke up, her face remaining impassive. "Well, then you better prove your worth."

"Anaelle," Florian threw her a warning glance.

"No, she's right." Eira sucked it up. "I'll prove that I'm a member of this unit too. I want to."

"We're here," Koga happily announced, tying a strip of cloth around his forehead.

"What are you wearing?" Eira noticed the foreign character formed by black brush strokes on the cloth. It wasn't a language she was familiar with.

"This is an old custom from my ancestors," he pointed at the character. "In the Japanese language, this character means 'katsu' – to win."

How interesting, Eira thought, admiring his enthusiasm. After predation, the world pretty much relied on a universal language to operate and survive, leaving no room for preservation of the old era's acknowledged languages. They were still a few who were informally taught by their ancestors or parents, but no longer was it part of formal education.

The copter door slid open, and they filed out, seeing the other units having arrived safe and sound. The drone cameras circulated the area at a respective distance, live-filming the event. Eira was startled when everyone started dashing into the forest.

"Come on," Florian pulled her arm. "It has started!"

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Eira's breath was ragged. Her muscles burned in protest as she hung upside down on the rope. She was thankful for her rigorous pull up exercises in the morning or she wouldn't have lasted. The first hurdle had been a high wall which they easily cleared thanks to Koga's agility.

This second one was a tightrope between two massive trees. Below them was a gushing ravine. She was in peril of possibly plunging to her watery grave. Yes, she still hadn't learned how to swim.

"You got this, Eira!" Florian yelled above the sound of rushing water. "Just keep going! Don't look down! Don't let the ravine distract you!"

Gritting her teeth, her triceps and biceps bulged as she moved forward, putting one hand in front of the other. Reaching the end, she lowered her body – feet first – to the elevated platform on the giant tree.

Florian followed up from behind. "Are you alright?" he asked in concern as she bent to catch her breath.

She nodded, flashing a vigorous smile that lit up her entire face. "Yes! That was fun!"

Relieved that she was undaunted, they proceeded to the next course which required them to scale a high velocity waterfall. Unit one was reaching the top with Havel peering down at them. He grinned savagely. "Look who finally caught up! I was wondering what took you so long, Koga!"

"Keep moving, Niklas," Hakon ordered the younger male.

"I'll see you at the finish line!" Havel saluted Koga who cursed under his breath.

Eira lost her grip a few times and slipped on the moss-covered rock, scraping her arm against the jagged edges. She scented her own blood.

"Be careful! You have to grab the smaller rocks and step on the larger ones," Anaelle cautioned, extending her hand. "Here, grab my hand."

Grateful for the help, they both made it to the top, drenched from head to toe. A gust of wind blew by and Eira shivered, holding back the urge to sneeze.

The next course was a mud pool. It was a struggle because the moment they set one foot in, they were sucked in and under. Florian's height made it possible for him to stand without being buried alive. "Fuck!" He lunged for Eira the moment she vanished beneath the mud, not a single pink strand in sight.

Witnessing Eira's setback, Anaelle anxiously remained on the bank. A few meters away, unit one wasn't having it easy as well. Havel suddenly faceplanted into the mud and Koga howled with laughter. "That's what you get for acting high and mighty, Havel!"

"Koga, shut the fuck up and give us a hand!" Florian snapped at him, urging Eira to ride on him piggyback style. She was a complete slobby mess. "You'll need to carry Anaelle across. We're both tall enough to cross."

Reluctantly, Koga turned his back to Anaelle. When she didn't climb on immediately, he twisted around with a scowl on his face. "What are you – "

Anaelle was thoroughly flushing at the sight of Koga's muscular back, highlighted by his soaked through shirt sticking onto the defined planes of his hard body. She wasn't hiding how she was staring brazenly at his body.

Koga felt his face heat up. She looked adorable — was the only thought that crossed his mind.

"Hurry up, Koga!" Florian's bark broke into the surreal moment of peace.

Snapping out of it, he grabbed Anaelle's waist in a bear hug, startling a yelp out of her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded in a shrill manner. Her blush deepened when his action planted her breasts right in his face.

"Just shut up for once, Anaelle," he muttered, annoyed to realize how well she fitted in his arms, and despite the mud…he could smell her feminine, rosy scent. If he turned a fraction, he would feel the softness of her chest.

His dick stirred. Fuck. He shouldn't be thinking about sex. Having a hard-on in front of everyone was more embarrassing than falling face down in the mud. They were both flushed by the time Florian hauled them out.

"The fuck is wrong with your face?" Florian frowned at Koga's crimson skin. Surely, they hadn't been under the sun for that long? He was fairer than everyone else.

Koga's gaze darted to Anaelle who refused to look at him. "It's nothing. Let's just hurry up."

Catching up with unit one and unit two, Florian was amazed by how far they had made it. He wanted to think it was their strength in numbers this year that helped them advanced forward. Otherwise, the ugly truth would just be...depressing.

"What the fuck! Is the government trying to kill us!" They heard Havel's horrified exclamation.

"What's wrong?" Florian went to see what had impeded everyone. He sucked in his breath at the unimaginable sight before him. Stretching across an impossibly deep but thankfully narrow ravine was a triangle block hanging off God knows how many feet above the ground.

"There's no way we're going to cross this without plummeting to our death." Havel's pessimism wasn't helping.

Captain Hakon grabbed the young man by the collar and set Havel's feet on the block.

"Captain! What are you doing!" Fear was a living creature in Havel's tone – a little shaky too.

"Fear is a weakness. I'll beat the cowardice out of you, Niklas," Hakon declared, getting into position on the opposite side of the block. Interlocking his arms with a flustered Havel, he instructed. "We'll move horizontally along the block. Don't let go or we'll fall to our deaths."

Havel swallowed hard, his knees knocking together. "W-wait a minute, Captain!"

"Come on, Havel. Stop being a pussy," Koga jeered. "You're lucky that your Captain's here to hold your hand."

"Shut up, Koga. I'm not a pussy!"

"You said it, not me."

"On the count of three, Niklas," Hakon announced firmly, his blue eyes unwavering as his spirit. "Three…two…,"

That was the beauty of his Captain, Havel thought. He was the dictionary definition of a real man. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders. "One."