I ran forward, my leg threatening to give out already. I jumped up, purposefully hitting knee on the wall, and quickly climbing. I needed the adrenaline, all of it that my body could handle. I also needed my legs, but less than I needed to get through the course. My nails dug into the bare wall as I scaled it, getting over the top to see the next obstacle. Beam balance, over a pit of swords.
No time to climb down, i jumped down and dashed towards the beam. I was positive the swords wouldn't kill me, I started to walk on the beam. Decently sure the swords wouldn't kill me, my balance wavered and i regained it quickly about halfway through. Oh fuck the swords could kill me! I jumped the last bit and ran towards the next bit of the obstacle course. It was endurance training, Atlantean endurance training.
I rushed to get the gear on, I was confident i could face whatever awaited me. The weighted armor weighed my shoulders down, the legs weights were killer but this should be easy. I mean how heavy could 200lbs be above water? The answer was, of course, extremely heavy when you're used to water carrying a good portion of it. I finished fiddling with the straps and ran into the next obstacle.
Agility training. Of course. The obstacles were platforms I was expected to climb and jump to to reach my next obstacle that was about, let's say, 20 feet in the air. I climbed onto the first platform, my body shaking holding all the weight. I couldn't do this but I had to, no matter the cost. I jumped forward, my chest took the majority of the hit from the platform. My body burned with pain, all the oxygen was knocked from my lungs, but the armor felt featherweight. I climbed up quickly and jumped to the next platform, I did this for the next seven platforms and got to the top. There was a spot for my armor so I quickly stripped it all off and put it up, running towards the next obstacle.
A zipline through a wall, "You're kidding me!" I yelled out loud.
"Clock's ticking Sara, do you give up?!" Ares yelled out.
"Over my dead body!" I yelled back.
I looked around for something to use the zipline, but all I saw was a spear. It has to work, I thought as I grabbed the spear. I stabbed it into the platform and snapped the handle off, I picked it up quickly and jumped towards the line. I threw the spear tip over it, holding on for dear life as I smelt the wood burning. My knuckles went white as I crashed through the wall that was solid wood.
Every nerve screamed and begged for me to stop, crying out and radiating pain across my entire body. Adrenaline had replaced what was once my blood as I stood up and saw the finish line, I started to walk towards it as my right leg gave out. When I look down I saw two shards of wood had, rather unkindly, placed themselves in my leg. I stood straight again and pushed forward, inching my way to the finish line. Pain had shot all over my body, but I couldn't give in to it.
"Not now," I forced out through gritted teeth.
I reached up and pulled a hair clip out from my hair, I snapped it open and it turned into a dagger. Ares wanted sacrifice, I'll fucking give him sacrifice. I plunged the dagger into my side and screamed out, the cold steel quickly turned into hot burning pain. I heard blurred words and mixed sentences, my vision grew dark as I picked up the pace. I passed the finish line, ahead of me I could faintly make out a timer with two times on it.
One said '15:58:45' Neptune's Blessed legion record, next to it was my time '14:35:15'. Satisfaction ran over me as I heard my name shouted out to me, I look towards it as my vision blurred further I fell back and welcomed darkness.
"Hm…interesting mindscape. Mission oriented, ready for sacrifice, ready to lay down your life. A legionnaire through and through, a diplomatic one, but a soldier nonetheless." Ares voice called to me.
I had opened my eyes to see myself in a small hiding place I had found near Atlantis. The reef closed around a small circle of sand, hidden by rock and coral. The only living things able to find my hiding spot were assorted fish and sea grass.
"I fight for my home, Ares. I use words for the Senate chamber, and I'm just as fierce." I stood my ground, staring the God of War down.
He chuckled "Of course, that makes you a better soldier than most of my men. Especially in my legion," Ares stepped forward, staring me down. "Someone with so few years shouldn't face war in any form, but you've done good work."
"What's your deal?" I asked, frustrated. Just a few minutes ago he was trying to kill me.
"You're a good soldier, there is no denying that. But you didn't earn it, you didn't fight for a spot in your legion nor were you chosen for it. You and Olivia were privileged enough to be daddy's favorite. Your existence in the army is solely being a chosen kid of Poseidon, you can be a soldier of Atlantis but not a Legionnaire of Neptune." Ares answered, hate filling the emptiness in his voice.
If hate and anger had an embodiment, it would be Ares. God of War, God of Bloodlust, Father of Terror and Panic. The brute and enforcer of Olympus, under his armor Aphrodite swears there's a kind soul. I call bullshit, love and war shouldn't mix as well as they do.
"Oh sweet kind Sara," Ares took his helmet off, revealing soft red eyes and long brown hair. "I am not just a brute, I have a job to do. My job is to protect Olympus, so if I have to stomp out a wild flame, I WILL." He roared in a deep voice.
I sat up straight in a hospital bed, I could feel every nerve and it felt like my heartbeat was pushing my teeth out of my skull. I looked around to see where I was besides being in a hospital. I was in the legion hospital, specifically Lisa's clinic.
"SARA PEARL!" A voice yelled a room down.
Oh great, I'm gonna die. They sent me to this hospital to die.