"Very well, you are aware that you must be under for the full 15 seconds, even if you want to pay for three with golden sheckles, yes?"
Danny stood to his full height (which wasn't much taller than Tucker) and nodded. "Could you take me to a part of the river that would be deep enough?" His voice quivered as he thought of the pain that he would be feeling, but he stood solidly.
"My boy, the river will be deepen for you at the edge. It is part of the trial to endure pain, not to be in pain before it even starts." Cheron's voice sounded almost sad now that it would be Danny who was hurting, but it was hard to tell with the deadness in his voice.
Danny nodded and slowly floated to the edge of the river, he took a deep breath and plunged into the gushing depths. The class quickly spread out to avoid the stray droplets of water, it was silent as the class waited.
"How long has it been?" asked Annie
"About 2 seconds" said Kwan, his voice almost drowned out by Cheron's "actually it has been 3.89 seconds as of right now" the whole class turn to look at the skeletal figure who was only looking at the frothing waters, it was quiet for a few more seconds when a small noise was sounding over the din of the water, small enough that most didn't recognize it until it got louder. A scream. An agonized scream sounding from the water, it climbed higher and higher and louder and louder in range and pitch until it was a wail.
The wail grew stronger and stronger until it started to move that waters, circular ripples pushed outward overflowing the "banks" of the river and being held in mid-air as they spread out further away from the flow, all the while the wail was getting louder. Many of the student had covered their ears trying to block out the noise that was grating on them when suddenly it stopped. A few more seconds passed by in tense silence as nobody moved. More than one person jumped when Cheron, who had been standing statue still plunged his boney hand into the water and pulled out Danny, miraculously dry.
"15 seconds, good job young one" Cheron's voice sounded anything but happy as he laid Danny down in the boat fit for one person. Danny looked like death. That was putting it lightly his skin looked to be pulled taunt against the bones of his body, his face was a pale white and his lips were blue, when he took a breath it was extremely labored and tight, his chest barely moved at all.
"will Danny be okay?" Sam asked as she floated as close to the little boat as she could.
"He should be yes, I recommend you wait an hour before you move him though. His nerves are hyper sensitive now." Cheron said before a shaky voice sounded.
"no, we need to keep going. No rests" Danny's voice was strained as he struggled to sit up. It was clearly visible to the class that Danny was in extreme pain. Sam was about to protest when Danny stood in the boat.
"we may not have a lot of time before the ghosts in this area, the unkind ones at least, notice we are here. The sooner we get to the portal the better." Cheron said and slowly stood too, almost toppling the small boat they were in before slowly pushing Danny back down. "Then we must get started. I will be back Danny will go first, sort yourselves out before I come back". With that Cheron took his oar and slowly started moving the boat across the river and out of sight of the class.
"you know young one, that now it will be almost as painful as the river to even move right?"
Danny just smiled. "what is life without a little pain?"
Cheron smirked at clockworks young charge. "what indeed." It took a good minute to get to the other side of the river and another ten for Danny to hobble to the side of the boat and almost free fell into the 'space' next to the river.
"I can tell you are meant for great things young one, but this trial might have cut yourself short, are you sure that you can handle the challenge that you have assigned yourself? Clockwork would be upset if I let his new charge die before he can reach his potential, especially one as unique as you."
Danny just shrugged "I cant let anyone get hurt" was all he said before Cheron turned and began the trip back. In a little over half an hour all of Casper high students were finally across. Tucker being the last one to get out of the boat. When they were regrouped Danny turned and floated once again in the direction of the way out.
It was quiet until they came to a wide path that looked like a small strip of roadway. Danny straightened a little as they neared the path, when they got close enough to land most of the students started to stumble around as they reacquainted themselves with 'gravity'. Only Danny, Sam, and Tucker managed to keep their balance though Danny winced and bit his lip to stop a cry of pain from ripping out of his throat at the feeling of his feet touching his shoes and his legs having to hold his weight.
"yo! Fenturd, now what?" Dash yelled as he marched up to the trio and shoved his way through to get right in front of the shorter teen. Sam and Tucker looked like they were ready to rip the jock a new one when Danny smirked.
"hmm, I don't know Dash. Maybe we should follow the path that is clearly laid out? I mean I am no expert but I would think that it was the obvious thing to do." Again Sam and Tucker held in their chuckles before Dash, who wanted to be leader again, pushed Danny down and started to yell at the group to follow his lead.
"Danny!" Tucker was by his side first as the other male twitched on the ground his mouth open in silent agony. Sam quickly sat next to him and reached into her spider backpack and pulled out a water bottle. The class was getting farther away as the two tended their friend. When it looked like Danny could breathe again without almost groaning in pain Sam stood and stormed to the almost disappeared group of students.
Tucker tried to help Danny stand as his friend blinked back tears and slowly started in the direction of their female friend. That was until they heard a growl, it was quiet but it was quickly getting louder as the thing got closer to them. Danny and Tuck shared a panicked glance before screaming was heard up ahead. "HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY LAIR WITH YOUR HUMAN FILTH!" small whirring noises of an eco-weapon being fired sounded as the shouts escalated in pitch.
By the time Danny got their Sam had the whole class behind her as she tried to shoot Shadow from her tiny lipstick laser. Johnny 13 was fuming as he watched the shadow slowly gain ground against the humans.