Hunter Sky

Chapter 3 - Survival Examination

As Zack and the other students entered the forest, he could not help but gaze off at the ancient trees with their rustling leaves, hearing the sound of twigs snapping under his feet. He was listening to the song of chirping birds when he was startled by the sound of a knights commanding voice. Everyone stood still at attention.

"Pay attention everyone! This final trial will be a survival exam! You each will be given a headband, and your goal is to not lose possession of it lest you be eliminated! In order to successfully complete this trail, you must collect no more or less than five other headbands from your peers! How you do so is up to you, but if you fail to come back with five headbands by the time this hourglass runs out, you shall be eliminated!"

The knight then held up the hourglass for all the knights hopefuls to see. A few of the students began to murmur, but before they could ask any questions the knight began to yell.

"And if you lot do not understand when I say collect it from your peers! Then God help you!" he barked at them, causing many to quiver at his tone.

Just then, several knights begun to hand out plain white silk headbands to each of the candidates. Zack wrapped his around his right arm. Jirell wrapped his around his neck to hide it. Kelly wrapped his around his waist to add strength to his trousers, so it would not hang past his waist, luckily he wore braies underneath. While Lea wrapped her headband around her forehead like most of the others.

"Now I want you all to scatter across the forest and keep walking until you cannot see anyone else! This is to make sure you do not nitpick at each from the start! After we are certain you have gone deep enough, we will sound an alarm! When you hear the signal begin hunting!" a knight yelled.

"Time is set! And remember! If your headband has been taken you must be honorable and back down! And return to the fort! . . . Go now!" commanded the knight as he put the hourglass down on its empty side, so the grains of sand could sprinkle its way to the bottom.

At his command, the students sprinted off into the forest, and the squirrels scurried across the grassy carpet and up the trees to get out of their way. Zack started off with several of his peers running beside him, but well into his pace he ended up alone as the others disappeared into other parts of the forest. Realizing he was now alone he stopped running once he reached a brook.

Still worn out from his earlier runs, he sat behind a tree infront of the tiny stream of flowing water, to catch his breath as sweat flooded his pores. He sat, taking in the fresh organic smell of the forest, whilst his eyes darted back and forth across the woods. He saw the mice skittering across the ground, and hares scampering about the ruffled pile of fallen leaves which covered the soil.

He then looked up, as the night skies view was covered by the large branches of the tree's crown, only a few glimmers of moonlight squeezing through the leaves, leaving checkered shadows on his face. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a horn ringing throughout the forest, audibly painted in the frame of a good distance, which caused the mice to seek asylum into their holes.

"Here we go," said Zack to himself as he clutched his necklace and stood up, looking to and fro for his first victim.

As he was about to to raise his foot to move, he heard the snap of a twig behind the tree where he stood. He froze in his tracks, searching out the forest with his ears. Apart from of the chirps of birds and the sound of rustling leaves, he heard footsteps crunching upon the fallen leaves behind him.

He quietly turned around, and titled his head around the tree to see a young boy his age walking upon the fallen leaves, looking back and forth in search for a victim of his own. Zack waited until he was close enough, then jumped out from the tree, pouncing on the boy and pinning him to the ground.