Chapter 6: Tour of Dauntless

Disclaimer: I don't own anything other than the story line.

Tris

I stand there waiting while the rest of the initiates jump off the building. Looking up I hear the Candor girl who stood by me scream as she descends into Dauntless. I smile as everyone cheers at the noise she makes. When she lands someone helps her off the net and she comes to stand next to me.

Looking at me, she says "Hi I'm Christina, you can call me Chris!"

"I'm Tris" I say smiling timidly.

Eventually when everyone has made it off the roof Four and Lauren lead us down a narrow tunnel. I walk behind an Erudite boy until we reach a fork in the road. When the whole group has stopped I hear Lauren say that the dauntless children are with her, because they don't need a tour of the place. We stand there until all of the Dauntless born have left and look around at how many we have left. Slowly counting I discover that only nine of us are remaining. I look at the other transfers and realize that I'm the only one from Abnegation. There are no transfers from Amity and the rest are from Candor and Erudite.

Clearing his throat, Four says "Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor. My name is Four"

Christina asks "Four? Like the number"

"Yes," Four says "Is there a problem?"

Christina shakes her head, so Four continues "Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It-"

Christina snickers "The Pit? Clever name"

Four walks up to Christina, and with his eyes narrowed, he says "If I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction" Still glaring he hisses "the first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?"

She nods.

Four starts forward and the crowd of initiates move on in silence.

"What a jerk" Christina mumbles

"I guess he doesn't like to get laughed at," I reply.

Ahead of us, four pushes a set of double doors open, and we walk into the place he called "The Pit".

"Oh" whispers Christina "I get it."

"Pit" is the best word for it. It is an underground cavern so huge I can't see the other end from where I stand. Uneven rock walls rise several stories above my head. Built into the stone walls are places for food, clothing, supplies, and leisure activities. Narrow paths and steps carved from rock connect them. There are no barriers to keep people from falling over the side. Forming the roof of the pit are panes of glass and above them, a building that lets in sunlight. It must have looked like just another city building when we passed it on the train.

People are everywhere, all dressed in black, all shouting and talking, expressive and gesturing. A memory of the orderly Abnegation streets appears in my mind: a line of people on the right passing a line of people on the left, small smiles and inclined heads and silence. My stomach squeezes there is something wonderful about Dauntless chaos.

"If you follow me" says Four "I'll show you the chasm. He waves us forward. I squint and see that the floor ends at an iron barrier. Approaching the railing I hear the roaring of fast moving water crashing against rocks. I look over the side. The floor drops off at a sharp angle, and several stories below us is a river. Watching the water strike the wall beneath me I hear Four say "The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy. A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before and it will happen again. You've been warned."

Four leads the group of initiations across the pit towards a gaping hole in the wall. When we walk inside, the Dauntless inside stand. They applaud. They stamp their feet. They shout. The noise surrounds me and fills me. Christina smiles, and a second later, so do I.

We look for empty seats. Eventually we find a mostly empty table and I end up sitting next to four on my right and Christina on my left. On the table is a platter of food I don't recognize: circular pieces of meat wedged between rounds of bread slices.

Four nudges me in the elbows

"It's beef," he says "Put this on it" he passes me a bowl filled with red sauce.

"You've never had a hamburger before?" asks Christina her eyes wide.

"No" I say. "Is that what it's called?"

"Stiffs eat plain food" Four says, nodding at Christina.

"Why?" she asks.

I shrug "Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary."

She smirks. "No wonder you left"

"Yeah," I say, rolling my eyes "It was just because of the food"

The corner of Four's mouth twitches.

After dinner we are led to our quarters. When we arrive we are told the basics of what to expect. Be in the training room by eight o'clock. Training ends at six. We train every day and after six we can do whatever we like.

We are then told that we will be ranked and that the rankings will help decide the order that we will select our jobs after initiation and the other purpose was to decide who the top ten people are, because only ten initiates become members. After this explanation we are left alone to do whatever we want.

I lie there listening to nine people breathing.

Heat swells behind my eyes as I think of home, and when I blink, a tear slips out I cover my mouth to stifle a sod.

I can't cry, not here. I have to calm down.

It will be all right here. I can look in mirrors whenever I want. I don't have to be selfless all the time. I get to see Zeke…

I sit up wondering what I will say when I see him again. It has been two years since he walked out of the choosing room. Two years since we promised each other we would meet here in Dauntless. I hope he didn't forget me over these couple of years.

Lying back down, I make myself promise that after training tomorrow I will look for Zeke. My breath evens out and I'm only faintly aware of Al's crying beside me.

Zeke

I wake up at 6:15 to my alarm clock. Sitting up in my bed I quickly remember that today is the choosing ceremony. I quickly shower and get dressed and head down to the dining hall to wish my brother luck.

When I get to the dining hall I see all of the sixteen year olds and their parents siting in the same clump of tables and I quickly make my way over there. I sit beside my brother Uriah and quickly hugging him I whisper "we need to talk before you leave" before loudly saying "Todays the day baby brother, why don't we go for a walk to the chasm one last time before your thrust into adulthood." I stand up knowing that Uriah will follow me.

We reach the chasm and when I'm reassured that the noise of the water is covering our voices I quickly tell him the story of how I met a fiery little girl rom Abnegation when I was younger and how she quickly became my best friend. At the end of my story Uriah asks "Who was this abnegation girl and why are you telling me this now?"

Looking around I quickly say "Beatrice, her name is Beatrice Prior" Talking even quieter I say "The reason I am telling you this now is that I need you to do something for me."

Uriah quietly murmurs "What do you need me to do?"

"I know that you are conflicted between staying and risking your life or leaving and living it in peace. I also know that Beatrice will be going through the same thing, so I need you to promise me that no matter what, you will protect her."

Confused, Uriah says " How can I protect her if we end up choosing different factions?"

"That's just it" I say "I need you to follow her into the faction she chooses. And you won't need to worry she will chose way before you, but I need you to make me this promise"

Nodding his head my brother says that the will

"If she doesn't choose Dauntless, can you let her know and tell her that I understand and that I'm not angry or upset at her and that no matter what she will always be my best friend?"

Uriah replies "Of course Zeke I will do that for you. Now we should head back so I can say goodbye to our parents". Heading back he says "Thanks for letting me know it makes my decision much much easier."

We sit back down with our parents and start to eat when my mother asks "What were you boys talking about?"

"Oh it's nothing mother" Uriah says "he was just telling me that our choices don't change who we are."

"Oh that's nice of him" my mother says before standing up to walk with Uriah to the trains.

Uriah

I walk with my mom to the trains before hugging her goodbye and while I'm in her embrace she whispers "I'll still love you no matter what my boy. Just be brave and remember your brothers words." Before letting go.

Stepping back I hear the train start to come and start our daily jog to catch the train. Once we are safely in I listen to Max, one of the Dauntless explain the rules and procedures of the day and also remind us that if we chose to return to allow the First Jumper to be a transfer like usual. Before we prepare to exit, he reminds us one last time that only ten initiates are made members a year.

I sit in the choosing room not paying attention before I hear "Prior, Beatrice" I subtly sit up in my seat and watch as she walks forward and takes the knife before stepping towards the Abnegation and Dauntless bowls at the right edge of the stage. I watch avidly as she hesitates before tipping her hand over the burning coals that represents Dauntless.

Smiling, I block out the outrage that everyone has at an Abnegation choosing Dauntless and wait until my name gets called. Eventually I hear "Ebon, Uriah" and walk forward, my decision having been made when Beatrice chose dauntless and let my blood spill onto the burning Coal.

I watch fascinated as Beatrice jumps onto the train as though she had done it a hundred time, but remembering my brothers story I realize that she has perhaps jumped a hundred times throughout her time with Zeke.

As we reach the building I run and jump behind her still quietly studying her actions, When I hear the heart retching cries of one of the girls and quickly realize that her twin had jumped too late. I stop for a moment allowing myself a moment of silence for the life we had just lost before turning around to see the Abnegation girl approach the edge of the roof before finally jumping.

I stand there shocked. Even though I knew she was more than just a quiet Abnegation girl I never expected her to be the First Jumper. I quickly decide that perhaps I should get to know my brothers friend a little better and decide that after training tomorrow I would introduce myself to her.

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