Chapter 6
Kazana has lived factionless her entire life, having been found by the rebels who strive to live without the faction system she becomes their new secret weapon. The plan is clear, choose dauntless, pass initiation, infiltrate the system, but what can she do when a certain leader sees through her façade? AU No War, One year after Tris' initiation.
Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, but I have won the rights to Eric and he resides in my basement now…*sobs desperately* okay that's a lie too.
10 years prior to initiation
"A history of mart-ee-all arts," Kazana squinted at the words in confusion; two men in pristine white robes were pictured on the book in her hands, their bodies frozen in a high kick. Hidden in the alcove of two dusty bookshelves, her eyes darted around nervously for an oncoming presence. At 6 years old Kazana was already well aware of the consequences she would face were anyone to catch her sneaking around the Erudite Library unwarranted.
"I think you mean martial arts," a snotty voice sounded from above her and Kazana flew up in shock, the many books that had resided on her lap fell to the floor in a flurry of pages.
A young boy stood before her, he couldn't have been much older then she and yet he looked down at her with such bigoted disdain, it was clear they had nothing more than age to connect them.
"I have no idea what that is," Kazana sniffed, bending down to pick up the fallen items, to her surprise she felt a second pair of hands reaching over to assist. "Martial Arts were a collective group of combat styles used before the war" he answered, grinning slightly as he saw the startled look on her face, she probably hadn't understood a word he had said.
Kazana had to admit she was surprised by how well-spoken the young boy was, even for an Erudite but she wiped the shock from her face and glared at him. "Well aren't you going to rat me out? I'm not supposed to be here, you could call for those guards right now, they'd probably reward you," she spat.
He seemed to contemplate this for a moment, glancing behind him to see if anyone had spotted them, he passed the books back to her and continued on as if she hadn't said a word. "My favourite one is Ju-Jitsu, that one requires a lot of power apparently," the boy puffed up his chest and smirked down at her, Kazana simply raised a brow at him and flicked through the pages in front of her.
"Tai…Chi?" She read slowly and looked up at him questioningly, he nodded in response. "That's a girly style," he sneered, peering down as her eyes skimmed the words greedily.
"You just focus on breathing and thinking and stuff," he scrunched his nose up in distaste.
Kazana stopped her reading to study him with careful eyes.
"An Erudite who doesn't like thinking…," she mused, expecting him to grow angry at her words but he simply shrugged.
"Erudite born. That… that doesn't mean I belong here, I guess I don't really fit in." He seemed surprised at his own admission.
Before Kazana had a chance to response his expression hardened, straightening he took all of the books out from her grasp, but one. "Keep it…you probably need it more than we do," he muttered, walking swiftly out from the alcove, careful not to draw too much attention.
Kazana stared after him for just a few more moments before sneaking out from her hiding place, having crept out of the headquarters unnoticed she broke in to a sprint and only stopped when she smelt the familiar stench of 'home'.
Allowing her legs to cave in, she slumped against the wall and held the book with shaky hands. 'Translating to 'ultimate supreme fist' T'ai Chi Ch'uan is just one of the many styles that made up Chinese Martial Arts' her fingers traced the various images that accompanied the words, men and women alike were all dressed identically and moved in a way that was both graceful and deadly at the same time. It wasn't until she saw the words blur in front of her, that Kazana realized she was crying. The boy would never realize it, but he had given Kazana her first ever gift.
Present day
"Is this a sick joke?" Fay cried, her eye swelled shut from the beating she had received days previously. Peter stopped writing on the chalk board in front of him and threw Fay a sharp look.
"Does it sound like I am joking?" he sneered, writing down the last name and underlining the chart, a painful screech sounded as chalk met slate.
"There are three stages to initiation, after each stage the lowest ranking members will be cut. Is that clear enough for you, or do you need me to spell it out for you?"
Fay opened her mouth as if to argue but thought better of it. Kazana had known this would happen before she had even entered the compound; it was a good thing then that the shock from the previous night had failed to go away, leaving her with the same slack jawed; empty eyed expression the rest of the initiates seemed to be sporting.
"How many?" A small voice piped up, Kaz recognized it to be the small abnegation girl who had barely spoken two words since their arrival.
"Well there are 9 of you and 11 Dauntless Borns, 6 people will be cut after stage one and then only ten will make it through initiation" Peter chuckled as he watched the realization dawn on the recent transfer's faces. He picked up a white bottle; the words appeared to have faded with time.
"What? Scared?" he taunted, taking a place in front of Mia who stared up at him with stubborn wide eyes. "If that's the case then you might as well leave now? You're all Dauntless now, so you better start acting like it."
Peter began to walk steadily past each initiate, placing a small dot of white liquid in to each one of their hands. None dared to question him as he placed the bottle he was holding back on to the table and turned to them.
"You'll have noticed that we Dauntless aren't too keen on the conventional way of travel, nobody just sees a wall they like and starts climbing it, it takes upper body strength. There are four ropes here, what you have in your hands is liquid chalk to keep your grip. Get started."
The initiates paired up without a second thought, naturally Harry stuck with Mia and Kazana took her side by Lisa, but she could only watch with a bemused face as Solomon sauntered up to the petite abnegation girl.
His face not one of distaste as she might have expected from a former candor but keen interest, their eyes never left each other as he placed his hands on the rope in front of him. The girl seemed to feel Kazana watching as she lifted her eyes from Solomon's and stared back, the look in her eyes was vacant but a small smile seemed to touch her lips.
Kazana could not help but feel disturbed by the display as she turned to watch Lisa's attempts to pull herself upwards.
"Back again?"
Peter's question pulled Kaz out of her reverie as she craned her neck to see an unwanted presence walk in. She looked back around swiftly, trying to push Lisa's feet upwards as the girl struggled to even cling to the rope.
"You'd best hope that's not disdain I heard in your voice," Eric bit back, allowing his stony eyes to scan the room slowly before landing on the raven haired girl standing to the side.
Leaving The Pit the previous night, Eric had been filled with an anticipatory sense of adrenaline. He had suspected for some time that she was hiding something but never had he thought she would possess such hidden talents.
Part of him felt irritated that she should be weak enough to fall so low during the crucial ranking process. It was the greedier side of him however, the hungrier, possessive side of him, that felt satisfied he should be the only one to know of her secret.
She had looked so lost in herself as she danced on the ropes night before, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before and the thought that someone else, another man might see that same tantalizing display, angered him for reasons he knew not why.
"I think you've proven your point Candor, you have much finesse as a monkey on stilts" Eric drawled, strolling over to watch as Lisa slid unceremoniously on to her head, landing in a flump on the floor. It was only when she met the piercing glare of the Dauntless leader that she shuffled to her feet, backing away as Kaz took hold of the rope once more.
Kazana could feel his unruly stare burning in to her but she made absolute sure never to look away from the wall in front. 'If you don't look at him, he won't affect you' she assured herself, repeating the words in her mind as she hooked the rope loosely under right foot. It was as Kazana tried to embrace the movements of a complete beginner that he finally spoke.
"Well don't you put on a good show" Eric smirked as Kaz pulled herself up a couple of paces before sliding back down to the floor.
"The question is why are you doing it? Why hide it?" he made sure not to get too close lest the other initiates, or that oaf of a trainer, get suspicious.
It was difficult however; as he took delight in the way she swallowed nervously, her attempts to look away from him becoming all the more studious.
"I have no idea what you mean" Kazana sniffed, bending down to retrieve a towel that lay at her feet and wiping the sweat from her hands in sharp rough motions.
Eric blanched a little at the sight, a blurry sort of image had been conjured up at her dismissal but he shook it from his mind and took the current opportunity to take a step closer.
Straightening back up, Kazana felt herself come face to chest with the man she had been trying so hard to avoid.
"Are we really going to play this game?" he rolled his eyes and continued
"Is the rope thing the only secret of yours or is that just a small part of a much bigger picture?" he enquired, his voice a low murmur and it looked to others like nothing more than a typical word of warning on Eric's part.
Kazana turned back to the rope, gripping the yarn so tightly she felt relief in the burn as it took her mind away from more pressing matters, such as the man beside her.
"It's nothing, I told you, I climbed a lot of trees as a child, you have seen what I am like at everything else I will be lucky if I even pass the first round of initiations," Kazana snapped, and for the first time she actually believed that to be a possibility.
He took a step away from and watched the others try their hand at the assigned task, his words however were meant only for her.
"I know when I'm on to something initiate," he drew out every last syllable.
"You have your first fight today, and unless you pull something out of the bag soon, you might just prove yourself right."
Eric left her then to watch the progress of the other initiates, never once looking back for the rest of the session.
Kazana had just begun to drown her worries in the plate of burgers before her when the strong scent of Smokey apples and jasmine filled her senses. The girl from the previous night, Vesper, had come to take a seat opposite her, her electric green eyes were no less vibrant in the dim light of the food hall. It was clear now to Kazana why the girl's hair had been indistinguishable before as it was the same shocking violet colour the lights had been.
"You disappeared quite suddenly last night," her voice had a natural husk to it that made her entire image effortlessly sultry. Vesper bit into an apple, blood red lips staining the waxy green surface.
"I'm surprised you remember you were so off your face," a new voice piped up and Kazana recognized it as the boy she had tried to avoid at the party.
Are these guys joined at the hip or something? Kazana debated whether to just take her food and run.
"She's right though," he added, taking a seat beside Vesper and staring at Kaz with an unreadable expression "I didn't even get a chance to talk to you."
Vesper snorted and flexed her fingers until there was an uncomfortable crack.
"Well duh Turf, she did humiliate you in front of everyone, I don't think I'd stick around with you either,"she grinned and looked down at Kazana who was watching the exchange with wary eyes.
"Good job by the way", she winked.
Turf pursed his lips and began to pile food on the plate before him, glancing up only when Wes's huge form slammed down on to the bench beside Kazana.
"Rope Climbing, Check. What did Eric want then you saucy little-"
His words cut off when he looked up at the purple haired girl sat before him, his jaw hung open and Kazana smiled to herself at what a slapstick character he was.
Vesper simply looked back at him with an arched brow, reaching out with a perfectly manicured nail to close him mouth. A loud clearing of the throat brought everyone's attention to Turf, all but Wes who was unable to keep his eyes off the bright eyed beauty in front of him.
"Can't I enjoy one meal without people gawking over my sister," he muttered, taking a vicious bite of his bread roll and shooting a glare in Wes' direction.
Vesper simply drummed her fingers on to her chin and sighed contentedly.
"We are having another party in the dorms tonight," she announced, looking directly at Kazana
"'I'd like you, come to it."
"Not tonight…," she looked around in search of inspiration when her eyes landed on the dark haired Candor, "No guarantees I will even be capable of walking after today," she jested but allowed her voice to shake a little earning pitying looks from those around her.
Kazana wanted to snort, to assure them that everything would be fine but after the warning Eric had given her earlier she knew it was more important than ever not to draw attention to herself, especially against the most vicious of initiates.
Lunch continued on in much the same way as usual except Kazana now found herself waving goodbye to the unusual pair that had strolled in to her life with the same spontaneity as all of her other new found friends.
It was as Kaz went to walk in to the training area for the second time that day that she felt a small hand grip her wrist, she looked down to see Mia's mouth open and close a few moments.
"Kaz, listen, you know I'm glad to have you as a friend don't you?"
Kaz smiled at her and went to stop the girl, she didn't need a pity speech.
"I don't want that to end…but you and I both know your chances aren't looking good right now and when it comes down to it" she swallowed and steeled in her resolve.
"I can't let you drag me down with you." Mia finished, walking away to join Harry at the side of the ring.
Kaz had to admit herself surprised at how forthright Mia had been, but none of them could really afford to fall behind and she knew that. That did not stop the small pang of hurt that she had felt at her friend's words.
Jared and Wes were the first to fight; it was a sad sight to say the least. It was evident that though he cut some fierce punches, Wes was not aware of his own strength and what had clearly been intended as a block, ended up creating a sickening crack as Jared fell to his knees with a pained cry.
"I'm done, I'm done…I ca-" his eyes rolled in to the back of his head as he fainted on to the floor.
Mia and the Abnegation girl, who Kazana now understood went by the name of Bernie, were next. It was a long drawn duel, where Mia was cool and calculating; Bernie was frenzied in her movements as she threw all of her force into fast impassioned hits.
Mia managed to anticipate each punch without a problem but her calm demeanour disappeared when her head snapped to the side with the impact of Bernie's hand, she went to head dive at the girl with an enraged cry but nobody expected Bernie to grab Mia's head, thumbs deep in to her eye sockets and shove her knee with extreme force in to the former Erudite's face.
Mia fell to the floor; her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face, blood coated the ground, flowing from her nose like a fountain. "Take her to the infirmary," Peter barked at Harry who was viciously gnawing his nails, he nodded and went to haul Mia up by her armpits.
"They're not finished," Eric's authoritarian tone rung out through the open space. He went to take a place next to the younger trainer, removing the overcoat he had been wearing to reveal large taut muscles and throwing it at the foot of the ring.
Peter gaped at him and seemed to be struggling with himself before speaking out
"I'm their trainer! Me! I decide when they are finished!" Peter spat, his face reddening with anger.
Eric reached up with hand and circled the ring in his lip a couple of times before turning to the man next to him, his expression was care free, but his eyes held a heavy threat.
"As far as I was aware, I am a leader here at Dauntless, I decide who goes, who stays, and when a fight is done."
His voice lowered still and Kazana was just barely in hearing range to catch his next words.
"I'd make use of what time to have left here, Four's little trip is coming to an end, and who do you think is going to take your place when he returns?"
The confident curl in Peter's lips fell as he watched Eric with fearful eyes; he simply nodded and gestured to Bernie to continue. Mia, who was curled in to a ball cradling her nose, put up no fight as Bernie began to kick her repeatedly in the ribs, the stomach, and finally with one last stomp to the head, she was out cold. Nobody but Kazana noticed the way Solomon's eyes shone with pride at the sight.
"Kaz. Solomon. You're up," Peter snapped, the two initiates took their place in the ring and fell in to a ready stance. Kazana watched the way his right hand wavered slightly with each step he took forward, his left knee was weak and bent inwards with each jab he sent towards her, and his eyes would follow every move he made instead of focusing on her, the target.
When he went to scratch at her face, she would grab his wrist and twist until she heard the snapping of bone. When he kicked at her with all of his force she would target his weaker leg, his knee crumpling under him from the impact. Then she would finish him.
She would.
But she couldn't.
Eric only looked away from the ring for a moment to see the initiates watching the fight without a hint of surprise. To be sure, they all looked horrified as Solomon's nails ripped in to Kaz's skin, bloody trails marring her cheek. They winced as he knotted his fist in to her hair and wrenched her downwards so he could thrust his boot in to her face, over and over again, but it was the fight that everyone had been expecting.
Kazana was being beaten to a pulp and Eric could only watch the exchange with indifference, though inside he was trembling with rage. She had made a fool of him, he had convinced himself that she was special, something different, but no one in their right mind would allow themselves to be slaughtered the way Kazana was being now. This meant he'd been wrong; she was just another weak, insignificant transfer with a penchant for climbing.
Every muscle in Kaz's body ached as she fell to the ground once more, staring up at the wild eyed boy standing above her, his mouth twisted in a sadistic smile. "Roll to the left, trip him, elbow to each kidney, chokehold."
The thoughts came naturally to Kazana as she watched each mistake he made and decided on what her reaction would have been. Deciding that she had taken quite enough of a beating she allowed her head to bang on the floor behind her, closing her eyes and letting her body slump in defeat.
Different pairs of hands were on her body all at once ready to lift her when a sharp voice stopped them.
"That's it for today initiates, leave her, I'll do it."
Kazana wanted to protest but she was supposed to be unconscious and could only scream inwardly as whoever had been holding her let go and the footfall got quieter, leaving nobody in The Pit but she and him.
His arms enclosed her carefully and Kazana was surprised by how gently he held her as he made his way to the infirmary. She moved not a muscle whilst playing a dead weight in his strong hold, allowing her head to lull on to his shoulder lazily, breathing in the scent of smoked oak and sweat.
It was only when her body was deposited on a soft mattress with a sudden thump that she heard him speak.
"Rankings go up tomorrow; I don't need to tell you where you'll be," he looked down at Kaz unsurprised as her eyes fluttered open, she watched him impassively as he spoke.
"Don't bother coming tonight, I was under the impression you were…" he took in a sharp breath and continued "I expected more of you, but after today it is clear that I was wrong."
He turned on his heel and walked out of the infirmary, almost knocking a trembling Lisa to the ground as she approached. Kazana watched him go with wide eyes. She had succeeded in diverting Eric's attentions elsewhere but in doing so she had almost destroyed her chances at passing initiation, the mission was failing.
Lisa took a seat on the edge of Kaz's bed, biting her lip in a nervous manner that did not suit her in the slightest.
"So, you'll be leaving us soon then" the words were barely audible, and Kazana knew they were not meant out of unkindness but an admission of truth that came so naturally to the former Candor.
Kaz's eyes drifted to the small hand mirror that was perched on the shelf beside her, blood was dried on to her face, outlining the ragged canals in her cheeks where Solomon had gauged her skin. Her lip had been bust open and one eye was beginning to swell shut in much the same way Fay's was.
If things were continue on the way they had, she would fail initiation before she could gather any real information from Dauntless headquarters. Everything she had spent years workings towards would be over and the dream of freedom that had spurred her on for so long would remain so, a fantasy.
Kazana smiled at Lisa and lifted her chin, wiping away a drop of blood that had begun to weep from the corner of her eye.
"I'm not going anywhere."