Steve stood tensely in line next to his friend Mapline as Lilith Clawthorne, the Head of the Emporer's coven, gave a speech in front of them. Them being a group of twenty teenagers and a seven-year-old. She seemed unconcerned, had even glared at him earlier.
Steve was more concerned, wondering how the kid even made it past tryouts. The tryouts were dangerous, with the mazes and duels. Miss Clawthorne and her sister were the biggest examples of how badly they could go wrong. Steve himself had dueled an older witch, and been hit with some pretty nasty spells, before he'd been given the chance to join.
The witchling was tiny, with a bundle of limbs and fluffy hair. His voice was squeaky, and he was eager to answer questions, enough so that some of the others had gotten annoyed with him earlier. He'd fallen silent as soon as it was commented on. It made Steve worry, he was so small and he knew just how delicate kids could be. His brother was about a year younger than the witchling- maybe two years younger- and he could hurt himself in thousands of ways Steve no longer could. Their bones were weaker, their skin was easier to tear, their ears more sensitive to sound.
"- You will be given a number, a uniform, a mask, and a weapon. You will have 45 minutes to complete the maze and retrieve your rations. Along the way to the centre, you will need to find a pack and a bedroll." Miss Clawthorne said, startling Steve into paying attention. She marched over to them with an old box in her arms.
The supplies she mentioned were handed out quickly, with Steve getting the number 19 and Mapline getting 13 while the kid got 20. They changed as quickly as they could, and the boy seemed to become much more relaxed upon putting on the beak-like mask. Everyone got a weapon, but the boy only got a knife, that too worried Steve.
When they were set loose into the maze, Steve quickly realized there was no time to worry about the boy when a stream of fire came straight at him. He ducked and dashed around the fire and slid under a fallen tree. He tripped and scrapped his palms, but he landed near a pack & bedroll so that was something at least.
There were vines, animals, and spells flying throughout the maze. Agonized screams and thuds echoed out across the area. He tried not to pay attention, it felt wrong but he knew he wouldn't survive if he stopped at every sound.
He made it to the centre, paler, trembling and bleeding from numerous cuts, but alive. Ten of the others, Mapline and the small boy were there too. Thank goodness.
He stumbled over to Mapling and wrapped his arms around his friend.
That had been terrifying and their training wasn't even over yet.
"Good job Scouts." Miss Clawthorne pronounced cheerily, as if she hadn't just watched them all nearly die. Only thirteen of them had made it out actually, so she had watched seven of them die.
Did they die quickly? Steve found himself wondering as he stared at her unconcerned face, Or had they die screaming in pain and slowly?
"You've made it through the first maze! Your next test is to survive the night here in the woods! Good Luck. Byyyyyyeeeeeee!" And then she was gone, leaving them to... survive the night, on their own.
Hunter smiled as he curled up in his brand new bedroll.
He'd done it! He'd made it through the first maze and that meant he was one step closer to becoming the Golden Guard, just like Uncle said!
Plus, Miss Clawthorne was so cool! Byyyyeee! He mimicked mentally, grinning at the thought of saying that one day. He imagined himself in a few years time, golden mask & armor, a cloak around his shoulders that displayed the crest of the golden gaurd. Maybe he would even have his own staff! This was the first step towards that dream!
He hadn't liked the maze as much when he'd been running through it, the sounds had been awful and he was still bleeding and sore, but now that he was out he felt giddy. Like he could run around the forest. He knew better of course. You shouldn't run through the forest at night.
He'd probably trip or get lost and Hunter would rather stay... *Yawn*... curled up in his bedroll.
The seven-year-olds eyelids fluttered down as he drowsily pulled his cloak tighter around him. *Yawn*
Soon enough he had drifted off to sleep, his previously energetic state leaving him.
He woke again a few hours later, it had gotten colder and Hunter shivered violently as he tried to curl up further into his blanket and cloak.
He doesn't like the cold, he wants to go back to sleep, but he can't go back to sleep. It's cold and his bedroll isn't doing him much good for keeping the rocks from digging into his back.
He whined sharply, he was upset. But he shouldn't be. It's just a little cold, the castle gets much colder during the winter! Plus, Uncle always said that boys shouldn't cry, so Hunter wouldn't even though he wanted to.
"Hey, kid." A kind voice said and Hunter's eyes snapped to the sound. Another scout stood beside his bedroll, (and how had he not noticed the potential threat?), he held something in his hands and looked down at Hunter with... pity? in his eyes.
"Here."
He handed him the thing he held, which turned out to be his cloak. Hunter looked up at him and tilted his head to the side.
Silently inquiring what this meant.
"You looked cold." He said and then he walked away. Hunter blinked after him before staring down at the cloak.
He looked cold? Was this a way of saying 'You'll owe me later'?
Hunter shivered, and decided he didn't care. If he wanted him to do something in return for it Hunter would do it.
He pulled the cloak around him and ducked back into his bedroll, slipping off to sleep rather quickly after that.
