Lunalympics

Chapter six

Denia glanced down, the ground was about ten meters away, for a shifter this distance was nothing. It was not something they could jump in their human form, but they wouldn't die if they were to fall from this distance. A well raised average omega wouldn't even break a bone. But as she looked back up, she caught the sight of the trembling Tina and held back a sigh.
After her initial declaration, no words were needlessly spoken. Her phobia of heights were known to all in their pack. Denia had no intentions of forcing her to continue. She was disappointed in the thought that they would not all make it together like she had planned.
But before she could say anything. Tina slowly fumbled towards the wall and slowly began to climb.
She moved slowly, her body still trembled but there was no hesitation in her movements.
Sofi and Denia watched and waited until she was five meters off the ground before following up.
Her determination was applaudable, but at her current speed the race would end before they were even halfway through.
Denia glanced towards Sofi, Sofi had been looking down at Tina in worry and felt Denia's gaze and their eyes met.
The alpha nodded her head, Sofi paused, and glanced once again towards her best friend.
Tina was stagnant again, her breathing rough despite her snail like pace. Her eyes were clenched shot and she was mumbling incoherently to herself.
Sofi frwn, looked back at Denia and nodded. She then turned her gaze forward and began to seriously climb, no longer bodring to wait or look back at her trembling friend.
"Tina-" Denia began after climbing up to the position beside the trembling girl. The words weighed heavily on her chest. She knew how badly the omega wanted to continue. But the way things were going..
"Go without me" Tina Voiced out. "I'm holding you back right?" She didn't dare look back, she could hardly move, her muscles felt tense and weak all at once. In her head she was already falling. Even her voice sounded wavy to her own ears.
"I'll catch up so-"
"What's All this drama?" A beast appeared beside them. It wa large, it's voice deep and rough. It looked nothing like the woman that usually contained it.
Had they not been use to seeing Jenna in her second form they would not have recognized her. Actually, only Denia recognized her. The sudden sound and shock of the beast landing beside them sent the omega into silent panic. She had frozen up.
"Help Tina," Dania wasted no time in taking this decision. Of course she wouldn't abandon her packmate if she didn't have to.
The beast nod its head, threw the frozen omega over its shoulder and wasted no time jumping up the side of the cliff, it's sharp claws had no problems digging into stone and grasping rock.
In a few seconds Jenna was nearly a dot in the distance. Denia, after witnessing this speed contemplated shifting, but she was already off the ground and the uncertainty of how long this course was didn't allow her to make such a decision.
Either way, without the trembling tina, she easily advanced up the wall. The cliff may be tall but finding places to put her hands and feet as she ascended wasn't difficult at all.
She overtook many girls who like Tina had a phobia but braved the climb only to be frozen in place unable to go forward but unwilling to yeld.
She'd caught up to Sofie and the duo kept a good pace. But they soon had to slow down when a sudden cluster of girls hinder the path.
"Move already!"
"If you can't then go down" Many complaints and groaned of frustration, annoyance and anger could be heard amongst the traffic of young women.
The first 100 or so meters had been easy enough to climb. But the steps and stone began to thinned out The higher they went.
Before, those who linger or froze could easily be avoided but with minimal cracks and stups. Those who couldn't go on but refused to quit became a hindrance for those coming up behind.
"What should we do?" Sofie quiet voice questioned. For now the traffic was still moving but they had slowed to a snail pace. Even Tina moved faster.
"Move already, damn you!" Someone snapped from above them. Denia struggled to lift her head but she couldn't quite see what was happening ahead. She pushed out with her arms putting some more distance between to the side of the cliff and her body in an attempt to see more only to be met with the firm asses and long legs of her opponents.
"I'm sorry i can't-" A meek trembling voice could me heard. Then there was a strange sound, a few pebbles and dirt tickled down the side of the cliff all the while gasp and grunts sounded out over their head.
"What are you doing!" Someone cried, the fear evident in their voice. "Stop!"
Then-
"Oh shit!" Someone swore in shock, others scream. But denia could only stare wide eyed as a body fell past her.
Right behind her back. Her heart stopped for a second only to snap hard against her rib cage.
She began to sweat profoundly. She didn't dare look down, she only anticipated the sound of a body hitting earth.
"I d-didn't-" Someone stuttered." I didn't push her. She fell all on her own"
Even her words sounded false.
Her voice was filled with terror.
"The guards caught her" Someone else, someone brave enough to follow the bodies decent with their eyes shouted.
"That's right, there are guards" Someone else said. Their Voice sounding somewhat strange. They seemed more excited than relieved.
Then, as if on cue, another body was pushed off and another. The path was cleared and the traffic began to move.
Denia heart was still beating wildly in her chest. But the sound of blood rushing in her ears did not hinder her thought process. She looked towards Sofi only to find the omega trembling with her eyes closed. They had been climbing side by side with little space between them. If one missed a step or slipped the other would catch them.
But their close proximity meant that the body had passed behind her too.
The omegas face was pale. Even her usual cherry lips lacked blood flow.
"Sofie" Denia was shocked to the severity of her own voice. Even her heart was trembling yet her words were cold. "Move" She ordered. "You have to move"
Sofi was smart, she understood the reason behind Denia orders.
Before there had been leniency. Those who couldn't go on would only be cursed and sweared by the other climbers. But now that they knew that the guards would catch the fallen. Some candidates did not feel the need to be tolerant.
"Got it!" Sofi gathered her courage and continued to climb.
The rest of the way up was more a challenge of mental strength then a physical one.
Even if you won't die, even if you had no fear of height. Fallen off the face of a cliff more then 200 meters off the ground was enough to give nightmare.
What was worst? Having to climb with body occasionally being throw off by impatient climbers fearful that you'd be the next to fall.
The last 50 meters was even harder to climb. The pegs were fewers and often times Sofi and Denia had to share handles and foot steps, climbing over each to each other in order to advance.
However, their struggles where short lived as Jenna in her beast form spotted them from the top, climbed down and carried them up one after another.
Feet firmly placed on solid ground, the duo breath heavily, their muscles finally loosing some of their tension.
"Why didn't you continue ?" Denia asked once she'd regain the mental power to do so. "Where is Tina?" She added. the beast answered by simply gesturing down the path.
It was a short walk, not even three minutes long but in that time they passed a shocking amount of candidates idly sitting down on the side lines.
Unlike at the side of the cliff where they where all eager to advance even if it meant throwing someone off. Here they looked like they had given up.
And when the threo reached the end of the path, all questions were answered.
Before they had hit a wall. Now it was a canyon.
They were at the top of a small mountain and the only way down was on the equally tall mountain separated by a 30 meter wide canyon. And they were both connected by two wrist sized ropes.
For safety, fifty or so meters under the ropes was a net. And as if show cassing it's effectiveness, a dozen girls were trapped in it's hold.
"Shit!" Denia swore. Who designed this course? What did any of this had to do with being Luna?
She inwardly cursed those responsible.
"I can do this"
Denia had been so caught up in her mental slander and the ridiculousness of it all that she had not noticed the little omega standing at the edged. Her fear was still made clear by the trembling of her body, but her eyes where not pointed downwards but instead it was mountain on the other side. She was looking forward.
"Tina-" Denia looked at the distance and immediately deducted that Jenna would not be able to jump it. Much less with any of their added weight.
And once on the line, no one would be able to help Tina if she froze.
Thus she took a deep breath ready to stand her ground.
However, it was not her decision to make
"I can!" Tina declared. She too had her pride. Jenna refused to be placed behind the omegas. And Tina refused to be the cliche who relied heavily on others and gives up the moment things got tough.
As they stood their silently staring at one another.
A few candidates joined them, stared shocked at the tight ropes and got to work after a few moments of bewilderment.
They watched as 5 attempts were made. 3 crossed safely, two fell into the net.
The odd were in their favor.
"I will go first" Denia declared.
"What ever happens, cross and continue." She says as she approached the line.
The ropes was hooked between two sturdy tree trunks near the edge of the canyon.
Denia took hold of it with both hands and slowly pulled herself up, hocking her ankle on the line. She took a deep breath. The feeling of being horizontal was weird so she took a moment before slowly placing one hand over the other. One foot infront of the next. Slowly she advanced.
He palms burnt against the rough surface of the rope.
Her back was starting to ach. Despite the toughness of her man made shoe. The sharpness of the rope still cut into it.Shaffing at her ankles.
Still, she advanced. One hand. other hand. One foot. Other foot. She crawled for what felt like hours. But she kept her eyes on her reddening fingers, checked her breathing and ignored the temptation to confirm her position.
Standing at the edge. Sofi Tina and the beastly Jenna watched with baited breaths as the alpha crossed.
What was actually 10 minutes felt like 10 hours. And when the Denia was finally over solid ground, they all let out a breath of air. Relief filled them.
Once on the other side of the canyon. Denia breath easily and looked around her new environment.
The next obsticalls seemed to be just a downwards race to the finish line.
Up on the mountain top, Denia could just about make out the crowd passed the three lines and bushes.
The end was near.
Denia turned to face her teammates and waved. Signaling for the next one to cross.
"Tina you go next" Sofi insisted.
Tina nodded and like Denia hugged the line.
She looked up the sky. Kept her eyes on her hands and even hummed an awkward toon.
Her hands hurt, she lost her grip and her feet slipped twice.
But she kept humming, the tears stung her eyes. She stopped for a bit, wanting to wiped them away.
"Don't stop" Denia shouted. "You're almost there"
Tina nodded her head. Her hands still stung. After her little break it felt like the pain had doubled.
Her shoes had worn off around her ankles and began digging into her skin.
She endured. One inch , then another and another.
Who far was close she wondered. She wanted to look.
"Keep going" Tina heard Denia's voice and nodded her head.
She inched forward her tears continued to flow and she continued to hum.