"Ladies, Gentlemen and Champions. The first of many tasks to come has approached and as the Master I have been given the privilege, nah, the pleasure of determining your fate. Whether you succeed or fail is up to you and you alone." Master Brullo walks across the podium his voice carrying across the hundreds of spectators who have come to watch. His sword was strapped to his belt and was dressed to the finest while his hands were clasped behind his back. He was a menacing figure and to see him now was a rude awakening of how powerful he truly is.
"Today the Champions will compete in a task that will test their ENDURANCE, their STRENGTH of character and their WILL to NOT fail." He pauses for a moment looking towards each of the Champions, pausing on each of us for a moment before continuing, "The first test will be to complete the course that has been outlined. You may think it is easy, that you have been doing this everyday and that your all secretly laughing. But you are all wrong. There are a few rules that I have neglected to mention, rules that are vital to you completing this test and proceeding to the next task. Rule one, simple yet difficult. Once you start running you will not stop at any time until you make it past the finish line, stop and you fail. Rule two, if you feel the urge to empty your stomach you will fail. Rule three, there will be no harming or purposely making another person lose, if any of these are done, both parties will fail, there will be plenty of time later on in the competition for sabotage."
Ok, to say Sang wasn't totally freaking out would be a lie. She was dying immensely inside as he spoke each word, knowing full well that there hasn't been a day when she hadn't exposed the contents of her stomach for all to see. She couldn't fail this task, she just couldn't. She would rather they killed her now than ever go back to where they found her. The smell of spring soap behind her and the warmth of the Captains body, but still maintaining a safe distance, calmed her down enough to hear the final words from the Master Brullo.
"I will give you all a moment with your mentors before the race commences. Good luck Champions and may the best win." Sang felt like asking him what best meant to him or the King. Did he mean the best runner or the best at what the competition offered as a result... killing people for the King. Sang realised at that moment for the first time in her life she didn't want to be the best and that being the best was over rated.
"Miss Sorenson, are you ok?" Sang turned to see the Captain starring down at her in worry. Of course it wasn't written on his face, but his eyes told a whole different story.
Sang nods and takes a deep breathe. "Yeah, sorry. Just freaking out a little, you know? Pre-game jitters."
"Sometimes I thing your from a completely different world Miss Sorenson, with the things you say."
Sang laughed at this and thought to herself how close to it he was. "Or time. Anyway, on a rating of one to ten, ten being the most difficult, how do think this task will go for me?"
"Well for you, eleven." Sang fake laughs before hitting him in the shoulder. "Be serious Captain." He looks down at where she hit him before directing his piercing gaze back on her. "I was being serious. We both know full well how you end each of your practice runs and today better be different. If you fail Miss Sorenson, you have a lot more to loose than the other competitors, so you need to be strong."
Sang huffed a breath and glared at the Captain. "Thanks for the words of wisdom, Sensei. Remind me next time to not go o you for moral support."
"If you had let me finished, I was getting there. Look over there Miss Sorenson." He pointed with his head, not wanting to direct too much attention towards us. She looked to where he was indicting and say all of the guys standing together all with a different mixture of emotion on their beautiful faces. She could tell they where trying to express indifference, but after spending to much time with them, she could see the smallest traces of uncertainty within them all.
Kota's mouth was moving slightly and she could tell that he was counting under his breath, a nerves habit she had discovered whenever it comes to those he cared about. Nathan's muscles were his tell. You could see the rigid stance, his muscles looking even more pronounced than ever. Gabriel, he would start fussing over the others, their hair, their clothes, or he would stand there playing with his earing; something she was still to learn about and made herself a promise to ask if she made it through this alive. North always went into protective mode, fussing over his brother and what he consumed or decided to come up with; both usually ending in not such a good idea. Luke resulting in eating when nervous, happy, excited... actually he was always eating bad food no matter what the mood, but he tended to eat more when nervous and if the large cake he had in front of him was any indication, she didn't know what else would. Silas was standing off to North's right and he continued to crack his knuckles and glance around at the others before coming back to rest on her. Silas was like a big teddy bear and he hated not being able to do anything, and always fidgeted when he was stressed or anxious. Healer Green was down on the ground going through his medical bag, most likely making sure he had everything he needed. She wasn't feeling much better at seeing that, or any of their expressions, and searched out for her Prince – well, technically everyone's prince but she like to think of him as hers - Victor, for some sort of morale support knowing he always knew what to say, or express.
She found him sitting next to the King, both trying to ignore the others presence. When he noticed that she was looking his way, he sends her a reassuring smile and a nod, no signs of nervousness at all, only acceptance and belief in her. She wished she could get a better look at his eyes; she loved his eyes and how they came alive when she was close to him. Sending him a smile back she turned back to the Captain waiting for him to continue.
"Do you see what I see?"
"I see a bunch of guys who appear more nervous than I am."
"Well I see a 'bunch of guys'," he saying using my words with his fingers... huh. Didn't know they did that in this time to. "Who are worried about someone they care about, someone they very much want to come home to them, because Miss Sorenson, you have become their home. They may be nervous, but that is because they care, and no matter how big or small a task will be for you they will always worry. So go out there, complete the task and come home to them, because I don't think either one of you all will survive if you didn't."
"So no pressure then. Thanks." She rolled her eyes at him, but she was thankful of what he said. He was right. She had a reason to win, nine to be exact. She looked up at the Captain, thinking on that number nine... would he care if she came back or not? "And what of you Captain? Do you want me to win?"
"Of course I do. I surely don't want to look after eight surly males if you don't win." Sang shot him a glare before pushing past him and heading to where all the other Champions where waiting. Owen grabbed her arm before she could escape and he pulled her back until she was facing him, but she was to embarrassed to raise her head, letting in hang and not let the tears flow. "I must apologise Miss Sorenson, for I failed to mention a crucial part." He paused for a second, almost like a dramatic pause and she almost huffed a breath in agitation. "I two would be at a lose if you did not win, for how would I spend my evenings if not with a strong minded, annoyingly self righteous, beautiful crazy women there to keep me in line." Sang's head shot up at this and she couldn't hide the blush that overtook her.
"You really mean that?"
"Would I ever lie to you?" She smiled at that before backing away from him slowly, not wanting to reply as if fearing she would ruin the moment if she did.
Sang turned around and jogged over to join the other competitors, feeling ten times lighter than she did before.
"Hey, you're the one from the Slave Mines are you not?" Sang turned to see a short brunette with the most beautiful eyes, the only thing that was truly redeeming about her. Her nose was slightly too large for her face, her lips to thin and it almost looked like she had no neck.
"Yes I am. My name is Sang and you are?"
"Miss Lucinda Walters." She replied curtsying. Sang pulled her lips in between her teeth to stop herself from laughing, as the girl went to grab her dress only realising that she wasn't wearing one. "I have to say, you mannerism are very peculiar. Are you always this forward or relaxed, confident?" Lucinda asks straightening, smoothing down her clothes.
Sang did laugh this time and shook her head. "You know they have a name for that, it's called being cocky. As to answer your question, I am far from relaxed, or confident but I'm not sure how you mean by being forward. How so?"
"Well, for starters, no one announces themselves as just 'Sang', they customarily offer their last name with either a Miss or a Lady. You appear to have no qualms on stating your given name or the nonchalance of it. Then there is the way you interrelate with your guards, almost like they are more your prisoners than the other way round. Then there is the way you don. No reputable woman would wear such taut sartorial, revealing themselves to all."
Sang looked down at what she was wearing – actually hoping it was her clothes this Lucinda was referring to and not something else - and didn't quite understand. She though she was fine, wearing the same as the other ladies present, the only difference being was the belt tide around her waist.
"What?" Was Sang's elegant response not really knowing what else to say. Thankfully she was saved by having to go through all of that again by the sound of Master Brullo gaining the competitors attention.
"Champions, it is time. Find your place, the race starts on my command." As one, they all move to where two posts with the king's banners marked their starting point. "Remember the rules, remember the consequences, and may the best runner win. The first test of the competition starts... NOW."
Sang watched as everyone took of fast, trying to be the first, but Sang wasn't that stupid. She knew that this run would be more taxing than the practice runs, that it wouldn't just test her endurance but her mind as well. She was at the end of the long line of runners, guards swarming them on all sides, making sure that they stuck o the course, that they didn't disregard the rules or as she has thought many times before... escape.
Sang knew know that there isn't anywhere she could go that she wouldn't be found. Luke had proven that by finding her within days of her escape. He and his brothers knew these lands, having spend their lives there, Sang may have been there for a year, but that year had been spend in one place, a place that almost broke her.
No, Sang knew her only way to freedom was start with this test, complete it without failing and move forward on towards the next task. She also had released that she didn't want to leave anymore, the fact that they where still here and that one of them was a Prince, the next in line to the throne. What was she to do with that?
Her heart skipped a beat, her throat closing as she struggled to breath as a new fear made it self known. One day her Prince Victor will take the throne, become king and when he does, he will have to marry and she knew full well that he would not be marrying her. She was a slave and if she won, the Kings Champion and Assassin.
She knew that she should cut all ties of now, to protect her heart from later heartbreak, but for the first time in her life she wanted to be selfish, she wanted to hold onto the one thing she knew came with an expiry date. Sang only hoped that the others stuck by her when the time came, that they too didn't choose to marry someone else.
Sang almost scoffed herself at that. Why would nine, beautiful on the inside and out, choose to stay with one broken girl who had nothing to offer them? What would happen if the old time fella came back for her, taking her back to the world she hadn't thought about in so long, becoming nothing more than a distant memory?
The feeling of her legs burning has her snapping back to the present, and she took notice for the first time to see that she was no longer at the back, and only a couple of feet behind Katherine. Shit, what was she thinking? Oh, of course, a topic or thought that is left outside of this competition.
Feigning a stitch in her side she slows down until she is closer to the back, but on the verge of the middle. Stay in the middle Sang. She has no idea how much loner there is to go, or how long they had already been running for, but she didn't feel like throwing up and her legs weren't that back yet, so they must not have run the practice course distance yet.
This time, Sang focused on her running, and what had became her mantra. Breath, stay in the middle, breath.
The rest of the run was done through a mixture of emotions. Boredom, humour – when one of the girls accidently farted at the same time as she sneezed, poor girl blushed harder than when a girl's virginity is declared to the whole school... trust me, it's embarrassing – and excitement, especially when the end came into view.
She knew as she passed the finish line that she came eleventh, in the middle just as she promised. When she eventually came to a stop, bending over resting her hands on her knees, gulping down lungful of air, trying to calm her racing heart, ignore the stitch and the vomit that wanted to creep it's way up her throat.
Sang glanced up smiling - even though she was completely out of breath and on the verge of throwing up - she couldn't stop wanting to celebrate, run up to the Captain and do the unspeakable... hug the shit out of him. Sang didn't know if she was hallucinating or not, because instead of seeing any of the guys or the Captain, she was seeing the one person she never once thought she would see again.
Uncle.