Immortal || ONC 2021-COMPLETE

Chapter 8

The boy sneered at Marcus, and two figures appeared behind Ava and Keith. The two turned around, ready for a fight.

Marcus hesitated, unsure of what to do next. His hesitation cost him. The boy suddenly ducked around his sword and dove for his own. That's when his two accomplices moved as well.

"Dammit!" Marcus could hear his friends fighting behind him, swords clumsily clashing. He was grateful they at least had some experience. He went after the boy and caught up to him just as he recovered his sword. The boy lunged at Marcus, slicing a neat line in his arm. Marcus cried out. He realized he had to start acting quickly and stop overthinking things.

Ignoring the pain, Marcus returned his full attention to his assailant. He managed to parry a few of his blows, but it wasn't looking good for him. In the back of his mind, Marcus knew that if a proctor was watching they wouldn't be impressed with his performance.

After another slice to the arm, Marcus realized the boy wasn't actually trying to kill him, and that he was probably new at this as well. Gritting his teeth, Marcus attempted a series of attacks, catching the boy off guard. He managed to get a few cuts in himself

He was aware that there was no specific point in which a battle would have a winner, that the proctors just wanted to see how they did, but they could also fail someone on the spot at any point. The two stepped back, circling each other for a moment. Marcus took the moment to breathe and try and anticipate this boy's next move.

He was clumsy, but he had some experience. He also wore beautiful clothing, clearly someone from an affluent family. Marcus remembered Keith talking about fencing, and tried to focus on what he knew about it.

His suspicions were confirmed when the boy lunged after him again. A trader that came to the village every year would sometimes teach fencing lessons for those who could pay. Marcus never joined, but he always watched.

Now that he had an idea of what to look for, he easily parried the boy, realizing he was off balance and weak. Marcus let out another flurry of attacks, still unsure of what he was doing, but certain that the boy didn't have much skill.

Marcus heard a noise behind him, Ava crying out in pain. He growled, annoyed with his own lack of sword skills, he turned to his assailant, switched his sword to his left hand, and punched the boy in the face.

Stunned, the boy fell to the ground, immediately unconscious. Marcus turned around ready to fight but stopped in his tracks at what he saw. Ava was clutching her bleeding arm, but her attacker was on the ground curled up in a ball. Keith's attacker was in no better shape.

Marcus let out a laugh. The three of them looked at each other, goofy smiles on their dirty faces. They heard another rustle in the leaves, and before they could react their proctor came out, clapping slowly.

"Not bad you guys." She said as she inspected the three on the ground. The one Marcus punched was still out cold. She sighed as she grabbed his torch and lit it for him. "you can leave this area, the medics need to clean up." She looked them up and down, "And don't forget to tend to your own wounds."

The trio left the area, limping and bleeding.

A little while later, after finding a well-covered area to rest, the three recuperated in silence. Marcus had put some ointment on his cuts and wrapped them up, while Ava tended to Keith's larger injury on his leg. Keith was watching Marcus.

"That was pretty impressive you know." He said to Marcus. "Especially for someone who's had no training." He muttered.

Marcus shrugged, "It was okay. He wasn't very good either."

"Yeah but your reflexes are amazing!" Ava beamed, relieved he had something going for him

Marcus blushed at the praise.

After resting and recuperating for a time, the group set out to find suitable shelter. It was getting dark and they needed to find somewhere safe to set up camp. By the time they found a decent place, the peaceful orange sky of the evening was quickly dimming. The area had enough foliage to help them set up shelter but had a good line of sight to keep an eye out.

They used what they could of their supplies to create a tented covering above them, and rolled out their sleeping mats. They chose to avoid making a fire, so they wouldn't attract attention. After taking inventory of their supplies, they determined they had no more than two days of water left.

"Alright then, tomorrow we should set out to look for a water supply," Marcus suggested. The group agreed before settling in for the night.

Ava took the first watch, then Keith, and finally Marcus. The night went on without a hitch and the three of them were able to get a decent night's rest.

They spent the next couple of days looking for water to no avail. The days were hot and the nights were cool. Although they hadn't encountered anyone, their water supply was thinning at an alarming rate. They needed to find water, and soon.

By the fourth day, they decided it would be best to pack up their belongings and leave the area. No matter how far they walked during the day, there didn't appear to be a source of water anywhere near their campsite.

As they walked, stumbling over roots and getting slapped in the face by leaves and twigs, Marcus considered their situation. Should they concede the exam? He knew they couldn't go very long without water, and pretty soon it would start becoming dangerous for them. He ran his thick dry tongue over his lips, trying to relieve the discomfort. His lips seemed to crack anytime he spoke, so he stayed silent when he could.

At some point, Ava suddenly perked up. "Oh!" she exclaimed, suddenly full of life.

Marcus and Keith looked at her annoyed. "what the hell is up with her?" Keith asked Marcus as Ava ran ahead to look at something.

Marcus shrugged as he swatted at yet another mosquito. His skin was becoming mottled with red angry bumps.

"Look, guys! Moss!" Ava shouted happily. Marcus and Keith stared at her dumbfounded, the lack of water seemed to muddle their thoughts.

"Moss means water," Ava said simply, before running ahead to look.

Marcus had never liked Ava more. There was a glint of blue shining in the light past the trees. The three of them laughed, now full of joy at the sight of water. Marcus dropped heavily to his knees at the creek, and scooped the sweet, cool liquid into his hands, drinking it with a feverish need.

"Cool it guys, drink it slowly," Ava said, splashing some water on her bloody, grimy face.

Marcus sat back, satiated like never before.

The group chatted happily as they refilled their canteens, bathed and changed their bandages. As they talked, Marcus examined a cut on his arm that had been particularly deep. There was almost no trace of it, and it had just been a few days. He frowned, wondering about this when a noise alerted him to danger.

He jumped up and turned around, sword in hand. Ava and Keith noticed and right away did the same thing, forming a triangular defence, with their backs facing each other.

A menacing chuckle emanated from somewhere in the woods.

"See, I told you. No matter what, they'll all come to the water. Easy pickings." It was then that Marcus noticed some things he hadn't before. A canteen here, some cloth or rope there, there were bits and pieces of belongings strewn about the place. He had been so hyper-focused on the water, that he hadn't realized they walked into a trap.