The Undergrounders: Volume I

26

Everything changed after the first day of training.

Upon arriving to the dormitories after the brutal lunge session, everyone's belongings had been scattered throughout the hallway, including clothes, bedding, and anything else the recruits had brought. The only room that hadn't been touched was Kanden's and his bunkmates, which Father had acknowledged with a smirk as he passed the trio without a word. Griffin and his companions suffered the most — someone had ripped the mattresses from the bunks and tossed them into the corridors and his bags in particular shaken out so the contents stretched from one end of the hall to the other— something else Father acknowledged but this time with a loathing glare.

Kanden understood immediately the older man had overhead the question of paternity, and had responded in kind without maiming or killing Griffin. He'd also wondered why Bastion simply didn't remove him when those who'd been cut the day before hadn't done anything but struggle with the first task.

Deeming Griffin as the troublemaker, the recruits swiftly abandoned him in favor of Kanden, the small guy who'd defied everyone's low expectations. Though by no means the strongest, the others had labeled him the smartest and often came to him for help or to offer company. In return, they guided him through the physical tasks that required teamwork and trained him in their off-hours. And perhaps most annoyingly, they'd nicknamed him "Can-do," a really stupid designation in his opinion.

By the end of the first week, Kanden found himself exhausted and over-stimulated. He was happy to finally experience friendship from people outside his circle, but their attention bordered on smothering. Between them and the training leads driving them further into the ground, there was no time to be alone. Not even showers were sacred, where everyone shared the wash facilities at any given time (the females having a separate area to themselves). And even there, the recruits followed the buddy system, standing outside while their partner did their business.

The evening of their first off-night, the recruits were left to their own devices within the dormitory area, which didn't consist of much beyond their rooms except for a smaller cavern within the tunnels that had been constructed for social gatherings. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the way of entertainment — only space, some overturned crates repurposed as chairs, and some flickering lights that hadn't died over the past two centuries.

Naturally, everyone congregated in the small space, and Kanden's first inclination was to seek solitude while no one was looking. Slipping into the corridor, he walked the path by memory to the training area where they'd lifted rocks those first two days. With no one screaming at the recruits to grab and lift a rock, the stones piled along the wall seemed so innocuous.

A soft roar in the adjoining tunnel caught his attention. He'd briefly wondered about the water source his first day here, but hadn't been able to contemplate its existence during his training. Now, without no one to stop him, Kanden had time to explore.

The roar rose to a crescendo, echoing in the hollow space. Water flowed in a subterranean river, splashing the smooth rock with freezing droplets. The path followed a curve and disappeared from view. Moisture hung heavy in the air, and Kanden closed his eyes as he breathed in nature's liquid scent.

Opening his eyes again, Kanden followed the trail, hugging himself as the temperature dropped the further he walked. Careful not to slip, he used the uneven wall for support. This wouldn't be a good time to learn to swim.

Eventually, the walls narrowed until they converged into a low-hanging wall where the water flowed beneath. Unless Kanden jumped in the water to investigate, he'd never find where it led.

He was preparing to do just that, grimacing at all the potentially bad scenarios that could result from such a stupid decision. The moment he reached for his boot, a deep voice from the shadows stopped him. "I wouldn't do that, Calvorite. You wouldn't be the first to drown in that river."