Running a little, without much hurry, Alix mix with the group in a natural fashion, no one really paying attention to it other than his two best friends, Restar and Eline. After growing up with the two of them as if there were his siblings, their bonds were nothing short of true siblings'.
Restar was a little shorter than him, with broad shoulders and a frank face that seems to say "Hey, I'm your friend". His hair was blueish, with a majority of grey, a racial trait inherited in his family. You could say he was pretty perfect without his innate naivety. Eline, well, she was a stunning girl, a perfect figure even for her young age, with green eyes that could penetrate inside your soul, a look developed by her mastery of The Art, a stunt rarely realized in such a remote country.
The two of them, turned over with a big smile to welcome Alix, you could see a little impatience in her eyes, and anticipation in his.
- "Well, what could grace us with your majestic presence?" she said with a little smirk.
- "Hurry bro', we are all waiting for you to start the trip!" interject Restar.
With a little bit of indifference mixed with hope, Alix was slowly approaching, his naked feet seemingly caressing the ground.
- "You could have started without me, it's not as if it could make a difference..." he whispers with a little bit of longing in his voice.
- "Don't you dare to put that again, we already talk about it, you just have to do your best" Eline was beginning to be exasperated.
- "I'm not saying I can't do my best, it's just that it could have a lot of big repercussions for the tribe, sis', you know it! And even if we are young, it's not an excuse to make big trouble, especially when we know it will !" said Alix, not really sure himself of his decision, knowing himself for his skills to naturally make trouble.
- "Come on bro', you're the best! You can't say it like that, it's the biggest deciding event in our life, we can't make it as if it's not important! If you win, so what? It's not as if the tribe will be first placed with just your win. It could climb up a few places but that's all and in a year we will be at the same place when you're gone. It's the people grading that's important for you, we know you want to travel, and it's your biggest opportunity!" Restar was making his point another time again, always with his carefree smile that induce you to trust him no matter what.
- "He is right, you know it, and it's not as if it's really acquired you will win, I heard this year there is fierce competition between other villages and a few genius were said to have emerged. The elders already spoke to you about it, they don't want to meddle in this. They won't accept to be upgraded, and the tribe will remain at its position, incurring perhaps a few curious glances but nothing much more." Eline was right in front of him, taking his arm, she begins to pull him to walk faster, the group had already started to advance without waiting for them, their patience already thinned for waiting for him his morning. Most of them didn't sleep last night and were in place for a few hours.
- "Yeah, you are right, as always, but I think I will just concur for third place, that seems to be the best for all. What do you think ?" He increased its pace at the same time, outrunning the both of them, placing his arms on their shoulders and pushing them a little.
They quickly get back to the rest of the group, the elders were beginning to look at the rear with little exasperation, the trip was not completely secure so they were asked the day before to remain grouped. Not respecting the few security instructions already at the beginning, they were nothing but an incurable trio in their eyes.
-"Could be a good solution, the third reward is good for you this year, even better than the first. What used would you have of a sword when you fight with your fist ?" Restar said while mimicking an uppercut.
- "Yeah, just be careful, you will probably compete with Elard or Vanilla, the two of them are particularly vicious when they fight, and you never win against them before..." said Eline with a trace of seriousness in her voice.
- "Ahaha, yeah right, these two youngsters will be hard-pressed against me, and if they try something funny, well, they will see..." said Alix smiling as if it's not a big deal.
-"Don't talk like that, we have the same age, at fifteen, it's bizarre to say something like that!" Eline was always the more proper one. It was probably linked to her mastery of The Art, it required lots of concentration and knowledge of yourself, and even then, it was complicated to succeed.
As the trio was running between the others, they didn't see the dull look of their comrade, used to their preposterous conversations. The group was beginning to enter the old forest which circumvented the territory of the Ol'Tree tribe and give its name to this tribe.
It was not as wild as the outward territory where the mountains were situated but the adults among them where nevertheless particularly concentrated, listening for the smallest noise, always looking around them. There was sometimes creature coming in this forest, dangerous creature coming down from the mountains and for which, without an Elder, the little group here could not stand a chance. It already happens for a competition like this, an entire generation disappeared without anyone knowing, it was fifteen years ago, and since, two Elders have to escort the group.
Alix was curious, this forest, not many had the possibility of truly explore it, the trees were old, older than anything he could imagine, their trunk hundreds of meters wide, you could not see a single leaf because they were higher, touching the sky. Some legend relates that many years ago, people used to climb up on these trees during ceremonies, the one who could arrive on top was said to receive the benediction of the heavens and could lead the country. But such stories were probably mere legends, how could anyone climb this high, there wasn't even a branch to help, just a trunk harder than steel that dives into the sky.
The sun could not really penetrate it and the light was particularly eerie, making the advancement particularly slow, it was an hour now that all the people here had stopped running and were paying particular attention to their surroundings. Time to time, some wild animal was seen, running and disappearing when seeing this group of human. Some in this group had strong blood stench, making lesser wildlife not to inclined to approach them, against their primary instinct.
Conversations had died, and even the infernal trio of Ol'Tree village could be seen with their mouth shut.
A hundred meter in front of them could be seen a red rope coming from on side and disappearing in the distance on the other, it was the limit of the territory of the Ol'Tree tribe, behind it, three days were necessary to join with Octogon village, the one where the meeting took places, because they were the winner of last year's competition.
Elder Lilith was slowly approaching the red rope and touching it. It was a rope embedded with The Art, which repels the majority of dangerous creatures in making this place particularly discreet. Looking close to it, Alix could see a golden fiber braid in the rope, with esoteric symbols hanging from it.
- "It represents the forest, and make non-intelligent creature believed there is nothing behind it," said Eline with a matter of fact ton.
- "Shhh," said Restar " You will attract unnecessary attention, this trip isn't a joke and you should be careful" his head was rotating incessantly to make sure nothing was happening around them.
- "Don't worry, as long as Elder Lilith didn't lift the rope and we are behind it, nothing can happen to us, the fifty-meter zone around this rope is completely secure and nothing could see or heard us" Eline was clearly exasperated by the not so knowledgeable Restar.
- "OK, young men and women, it's time to make a stop, the rope is intact so we could rest a little in the fifty-meter zone around the Mirage Rope," said Elder Lilith. At the same time you could see a "Didn't I tell you" look in the eyes of Eline.
- "You have been formed for this trip since a year ago so I won't be long, just to recall some important point. Never should you move away from the group for any reason whatsoever, even if you think one of your comrades is in danger, there is delusion mist on the way, and scarier thing too so don't take my word for nothing. Second, we will travel without stop from now on, with a pace a little bit quicker than earlier, so don't fall back, we won't go back to search for you, the security of the group is more important than just one of you" Saying this, her eyes were particularly insistent on the trio, known to do whatever they wanted to do without caring so much at what people thought.
- "And lastly, try to stabilize you emotion during this run, it could increase your Heart and make you able to fight in much better condition, making the right choice in just a second, the pressure after the Mirage Rope isn't some joke, it can help refine your Heart with a speed second to none, after all, it's in deadly condition that it can advance..."
All the group was silent and were reflecting on what she just said, especially the last part, because the two first points were said again and again during this last year, but the matter of the True Heart, it was just an add on from Elder Lilith to make them a little bit more resistant during the competition.
You could see the disapproving gaze of Elder Gur to Elder Lilith, they normally didn't want the student to concentrate on other things than saving their life and they decided to hide this fact. The words spoken by Elder Lilith were not in concordance with what was decided but, well, what's done is done...
Alix was hard thinking, glancing time to time at the rope and what laid beyond. His Heart was stable, he was even just a little bit away from the True Heart, but since two years ago it didn't advance anymore, it could be a good occasion. Just that, Elder Lilith... there was something fishy behind her words, why say that when she knows students have to be trying their best to stay alive. Well, not that he cares much about that, he always did what he thinks is the best, and it seems to be better to refine his Heart.
Restar was not particularly worried about the last part, he didn't want to be left behind for whatever reason and didn't intend to refine his Heart, he would have all the time he wants after this dangerous occurring. He glanced at Eline who had her eyes lost in thought, she seems confident, as always, and he could induce that she will try to refine her Heart, even with her young wisdom, she could not resist the temptation. Glancing around him, he could see that a majority of his comrades were thinking the same. "Well, we are in deep s**t.." was is first thought.
- "Well, I hope you're well rest, time to go" said Elder Gur lifting the Mirage Rope, "one by one you go and wait at the over side, don't ever try to wander, it's impossible to see the Rope when you're beyond, after all, it's its primary function..."