A Modern Myth

Chapter 7

Did it have something to do with his birthday crawling up fast? Or, something else? Was he doing that well with his research and training that he was best fitted for this task? So many questions drummed at the end of his tongue, but he's clearly tongue-tied and doesn't speak his nervous mind.

Not wasting any time, he darts up the stairs and gathers his compound bow, and arrows; along with his new combat knife. He keeps it safely hidden between his belt buckle and his black cargos and straps his compound bow across his back, with his leather strap.

Blindfolded. Nickolai's buckled into the back seat of a four-wheel-drive. Yet, he can still hear and feel every bump and shuffle. The birds chirping, and the dogs barking in the distance. He's unaware of where he's going, guiding himself with his senses. He tries to figure out how far he's gone from The Compound. He's never been outside of the walls before, and a small part of him is excited but mostly nervous as he bit the inside of his cheek and clenched his jaw in anticipation.

The Captain doesn't speak the entire long drive and just leaves Nickolai in the dark. Nickolai was never known for asking questions, and he knew he wouldn't start asking. At least, that's what he thought of the kid; he was quiet, isolated and shy but right now his heart was swimming up his throat and pounding recklessly.

"Where are you taking me?" He finally manages to ask, through gritted teeth and curled lips.

"To a test" He bluntly answers him for once, before sealing his lips and continuing down a very rough and uneven road.

A test, what kind of test? Nickolai started to think of anything that it could remotely resemble from his training over the past, year? He's completely baffled, and drowning in pure fear, what was going on?

Finally, the vehicle comes to a halt. The engine finally stops rumbling, and silence starts to scream at his ears. The surroundings are unfamiliar; the scents whisking through the air, different and unidentifiable.

Guided out of the vehicle, he's standing there with his wrists tied, and eyes shielded. He could be standing at the edge of a cliff, for all he knew. Judging by the wind spreading over his ears, he couldn't be.

Eventually, after several moments of taking the surroundings in; he can hear the sweet soft sounds of sheep, the scent of manure and the soothing sound of horses galloping across the plains. The smell of freshly cut grass spreading through the air and tickling his nose. He can tell he's certainly not home.

The blindfold is eventually pulled from his face and eyes, and the sun's rays radiate and smack his vision. Blinding him for a second, he blinks heavily, scrunching his nose as he tries to adjust his eyes to the impact of the light.

Blinking furiously, he finally gathers his vision and finds himself standing before a small village of some sort. People carrying hay to the farm grounds, and checking their crops. It was somewhat serene to see; a civilization so different from his own.

It was as if, these people did not like the way of the world; how technologically advanced it was, and resorted back to the olden days, the days of no technology or computers. No cars, or electricity. Fascinating, and shocking at the same time. He'd grown up in what seemed like a very advanced world – From what he's told - with virtual reality, computers and artificial intelligence– But here, this was a completely different world.