Arin stifled a yawn as she stood at the edge of the village, the first light of dawn barely touching the sky. The air was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of dew-laden grass and the earthy aroma of the forest beyond.
Kai yawned loudly, his dark hair sticking out at odd angles. "Ugh, remind me again why we're up before the sun?"
"Because," Arin replied, her voice thick with sleep, "Kern wants to make sure we're properly miserable for our Aura Warrior training." She stretched her arms above her head, feeling the unfamiliar pull of her muscles. Her body was still adjusting to the rigors of this new life, so different from the comfort and convenience of her old world.
Lena chuckled softly, somehow managing to look fresh and alert despite the early hour. Her long, dark hair was neatly braided, and her eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad. Besides, the early bird gets the worm, right?"
"Yeah, well, the early bird can keep the worm. I'd rather have my sleep," Kai grumbled, kicking at a small pebble and sending it skittering across the ground.
A sudden hush fell over the group as three figures emerged from the village. Dray, flanked by two of his cronies, sauntered towards them. His broad shoulders and muscular build set him apart from the other youths, a physical manifestation of his arrogance and aggression. He moved with a swagger that spoke of entitlement and superiority, his eyes gleaming with a challenge as he surveyed the gathered initiates.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little wannabe warriors," Dray sneered, his lips twisting into a mocking grin.
His cronies snickered, their eyes darting between the gathered youths, gauging their reactions. They were like wolves, circling and waiting for a sign of weakness. Kai bristled, his fists clenching at his sides, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he fought to control his temper. But Lena, ever the peacemaker, held him back with a gentle touch, her fingers brushing against his arm in a silent plea for restraint.
Arin met Dray's gaze unflinchingly, her chin held high, her posture proud and defiant. "I'm not scared of you, Dray," she said, her voice clear and steady, devoid of any tremor or hesitation. "Or did you forget how our last encounter ended?"
Kai snickered beside her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "She's got more guts than you, Dray. At least she doesn't need lackeys to back her up."
Dray's face flushed a deep red, the color rising from his neck to his hairline in a matter of seconds. His eyes flashed with unbridled rage, the veins in his temple pulsing as he clenched his teeth. Without warning, he lunged forward, raising his fist, ready to strike, his movement swift and brutal.
"You little—" he snarled, his knuckles white with tension, the tendons standing out like cords beneath his skin.
"ENOUGH!"
Kern's roar echoed across the clearing, the force of his voice seeming to shake the very leaves on the trees. Everyone froze, the sound shocking them into stillness. Even Dray, caught mid-motion, found himself unable to move, his fist halted mere inches from Arin's face.
Dray, momentarily cowed by Kern's authority, took a step back, lowering his arm to his side. But the look he shot Arin was venomous, filled with unspoken promises of retribution. If looks could kill, Arin mused wryly, I'd be a pile of ashes right now.
Kern strode into view, his scarred face set in a stern frown, the lines of his face etched deep with the weight of his responsibility. His imposing figure demanded the attention and respect of every youth present, his presence alone enough to quell the rising tension.
"Listen up!" he barked, his voice carrying a weight that silenced even the whispers among the group. "If you thought this was going to be a walk in the park, think again. I'll weed out the weak, make no mistake about that."
Kern began outlining the day's training, his words painting a picture of the grueling trials that lay ahead. "Today," he announced, his voice echoing through the clearing, "we start forging you into warriors. First up, a nice long run. And when I say long, I mean long. We're talking about some of the most treacherous terrains this forest has to offer. But don't worry, it's just a warm-up."
I've never run more than a few hundred meters in my life, she thought, her heart sinking with each passing second. How am I supposed to survive a marathon through that? Maybe I should have stuck to my cushy job as a museum curator.
Without further ado, Kern set off at a punishing pace into the forest, his strides long and purposeful. The group scrambled to follow, their legs protesting the sudden exertion, their hearts pounding in their chests. The sounds of the village faded away as they plunged deeper into the Shadewood, replaced by the eerie silence of the dense foliage, broken only by the sound of their own labored breathing and the crunch of leaves beneath their feet.
The cool morning air burned Arin's lungs as she ran, each breath feeling like a knife in her chest, the cold searing her throat and making her eyes water. The uneven ground seemed to reach up to trip her, roots and rocks conspiring to send her sprawling, as if the very earth itself was against her. Despite her best efforts, she found herself at the back of the group, struggling to keep up with the relentless pace set by Kern, her legs burning with each step, her vision blurring at the edges.
Suddenly, Arin's foot caught on something. She looked down to see a massive fallen tree, its trunk as thick as her waist, blocking their path. Kern vaulted over it effortlessly, his movements fluid and graceful. The others followed, some managing to clear it smoothly, others stumbling and scraping their shins.
Arin approached the log, her heart racing. She placed her hands on the rough bark, feeling the cool, damp wood beneath her palms. With a grunt of effort, she heaved herself up and over, landing awkwardly on the other side. Her ankle twisted slightly as she landed, sending a sharp pain up her leg. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to keep moving. No time to rest, no time to nurse injuries. Keep going, keep going, she chanted in her head, the words becoming a mantra that matched the rhythm of her footfalls.
With a surge of willpower, she pushed herself harder, gritting her teeth against the pain, focusing on the rhythm of her feet hitting the ground, the rush of air in and out of her lungs. Step by step, she clawed her way back to the group, ignoring the screaming protest of her body, the voice in her head that told her to give up, to admit defeat.
As they ran, Arin noticed Lena struggling to keep up with the group, her face flushed and her breathing labored. Her usually graceful movements were clumsy and uncoordinated, her steps faltering as she fought to maintain her balance on the treacherous terrain. Arin and Kai fell back to run alongside her, offering words of encouragement, their own exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of their friend's distress.
"Hey, Lena, you've got this," Arin gasped, her own lungs burning with each breath, her words coming out in short, sharp bursts. "Just keep breathing, one step at a time."
Lena managed a grateful smile, her chest heaving as she pushed herself to keep moving, her determination evident in the set of her jaw and the fire in her eyes.
The path ahead suddenly narrowed, forcing them to run single file. Arin's heart pounded in her ears as she carefully placed each foot, acutely aware of the steep drop-off to her right, the bottom obscured by thick mist.
"Watch your footing!" Kern's voice drifted back to them. "One wrong move and you'll be tumbling down that slope faster than you can say 'Aura Warrior'!"
Arin found herself beside Kai, who was already panting heavily, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Hey Kai," she managed between breaths, her words punctuated by the pounding of her heart, "remember when you said this would be fun? I think I'd like to go back in time and slap you."
Kai let out a wheezing laugh, the sound more of a wheeze than a chuckle. "Trust me... If I could... I'd slap myself too." His face was flushed, beads of sweat rolling down his temples, his shirt dark with moisture.
Their banter was cut short by Kern's sharp voice, cutting through the haze of their exhaustion like a blade. "Less chatter, more running! If you can talk, you're not moving fast enough!"
The sound of rushing water filled Arin's ears. As they rounded a bend, she saw a fast-flowing stream ahead, its surface broken by jagged rocks. Kern plunged in without hesitation, the water reaching mid-thigh. The others followed, gasping as the cold water shocked their overheated bodies.
Arin winced as she stepped into the stream, the frigid water sending shivers up her spine. The current tugged at her legs, threatening to sweep her off her feet. She moved carefully, placing each foot with deliberate precision on the slippery riverbed.
Halfway across, she heard a splash and a cry. Lena had lost her footing and fallen, the current quickly pulling her downstream. Without thinking, Arin lunged forward, grabbing Lena's arm. The sudden movement nearly toppled her as well, but Kai was there in an instant, steadying them both.
"I've got you," Arin said through gritted teeth, pulling Lena to her feet. "We're almost there."
Together, they made it to the other side, all three of them soaked and shivering. But there was no time to rest. Kern was already moving on, setting a grueling pace up a steep incline.
Dray and his cronies, seeing an opportunity to further torment the struggling trio, darted ahead, kicking up dirt and debris into their faces, making it even harder for them to breathe and see.
"Aww, is the little healer having trouble keeping up?" Dray sneered, his voice dripping with mock sympathy, his eyes fixed on Lena's struggling form. "Maybe you should stick to your herbs."
Lena's face burned with shame, her cheeks flaming red beneath the sheen of sweat. But she gritted her teeth and pushed on, refusing to give Dray the satisfaction of seeing her give up, her pride and stubbornness overriding her body's pleas for rest.
Kai's temper flared at Dray's words, his hands balling into fists at his sides, his eyes narrowing to slits. "Why don't you say that to my face, you coward?" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous, the veins in his neck standing out like cords.
"Ignore him, Kai," Arin panted, grabbing his arm to hold him back, her fingers digging into his skin. "He's not worth it. We need to focus on the run."
The morning dragged on in a blur of sweat, pain, and exhaustion, each minute feeling like an eternity, each step an agony. They encountered one challenge after another - rocky outcrops that scraped their hands raw, low-hanging branches that caught at their clothes and skin, muddy bogs that seemed to want to suck their feet.
By the time they finally stumbled back to the edge of the village, Arin felt like she had aged a decade, her body a mass of aching muscles and burning lungs. Every movement was a struggle, every breath a battle, her limbs trembling with fatigue.
But Kern wasn't done with them yet. He surveyed the group of exhausted youths, his face an unreadable mask, his eyes assessing and calculating.
"Rest," he commanded, his voice cutting through the sound of their labored breathing, the word a blessed relief. "You have five minutes. Then we begin the real training."
A muted groan rippled through the group at his words, a wave of despair and disbelief. Kai collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving as he gulped in air, his limbs splayed out like a starfish. "Real training?" he gasped, shooting Arin an incredulous look, his eyes wide with horror. "That wasn't it?"
Lena sank down beside him, her usually neat braid coming undone, strands of hair plastered to her sweat-drenched face. "I think I'm going to be sick," she muttered, her face pale beneath the flush of exertion, her hand pressed to her stomach.
Arin managed a weak chuckle, lowering herself gingerly to the ground, every movement a study in pain. Her legs felt like jelly, trembling with fatigue, her muscles screaming in protest. "I've made a huge mistake," she groaned, her voice hoarse from exertion, the words scraping her throat like sandpaper. "I should've chosen a nice, quiet life as a village elder. You know, sitting around, telling stories, complaining about the youth..."
She sank to the ground, her legs giving out beneath her, the earth cool and welcoming against her overheated skin.
Lena let out a snort of laughter, the sound startling in the midst of their misery. "You? Sitting still for more than five minutes? I'd pay to see that."
Kai, sprawled on the ground, lifted his head weakly, his face a mask of exhaustion. "Just leave me here to become one with the forest floor." His voice was muffled by the thick carpet of leaves beneath him, his words slurred with fatigue.
The five minutes of rest passed in the blink of an eye, a fleeting moment of respite in the midst of their torment. All too soon, Kern's bark shattered the silence, jolting them out of their daze.
"On your feet!" he ordered, his voice cracking like a whip, the sound making them flinch. "Time for the next test."