The Champion's Exam (On Hold Until Further Notice)

Chapter Fourteen

Eko stayed silent, just staring, watching as each droplet of sweat fell from Waldo like tears. Jackson groaned loudly, folding his arm as he waited.

Waldo managed to lift his head, his neck trembling from the effort to look at Eko, seeing his unblinking eyes glare at him. Waldo held the glare for as long as able before his head dropped to the ground again, unable to lift again. Eko didn't move, didn't ease his gaze, but gritted his teeth and shouted, "Don't give me a reason to pity you!"

The shock of the statement gave Waldo the strength to widen his eyes and look back at Eko, who's scowl hardened. Seeing Eko, the determined and almost angry stare he created, Waldo's teeth began the grind against each other, a few form of determination filled him as he released a loud grunt, forcing himself into a sprinting stance and quite suddenly bolted, yelling as he went past the kids.

The momentum of his running caused both children to stumble slightly, their hair waving back from his dashing as a trail of loose dirt followed Waldo.

Jackson stood there amazed an exhausted man could muster so much energy. "How long until he burns out do you reckon?" Jackson asked getting the dirt out of his hair.

Eko chuckled, copying his friend, "He'll make it to the end. I know he will."

The two were suddenly surrounded by darkness. "Crap! We're falling behind!" Jackson cursed as he started running, Eko blindly followed, the pair managing to make it the edges of the light before they turned off. The sudden blinking of lights every five hundred meters was giving Jackson a headache.

"Speed up, Jackson!" Eko called suddenly gaining a lead on him.

Jackson watched Eko continue to outrun him, glad he didn't have to slow down for this boy, as he sped up to be alongside. The pair quickly made it back to the main group of runners, where Eko was happy to find Waldo, jogging alongside Zakora.

Quite suddenly, he started leaping into the air, his natural jumping height several inches above even the tallest of applicants. He hopped with every land, Jackson thought it was just a strange game of hopscotch as he joined in. "What are we doing?" he asked hopping right over someone.

Eko leap frogged a heavy footed man with sweaty shoulders, "I'm looking for my other friend." He hadn't seen Nira fall behind him, and doubted she would've stopped to a rest, but the two of them being among the shortest applicants, she was difficult to spot.

He started calling for her as he started running around people in an attempt to find a short child. "Nira? You near?" He continued to beckon while Jackson continued after him.

"Umm... who's your friend?" Jackson asked, curious that there was another kid.

"Nira," Eko said, "We're doing the Champion's Exam together."

Jackson grunted as he attempted to picture Nira, mostly thinking a female Eko. "Is she a best friend?" he asked.

Eko shrugged, "I guess. She was my first real friend," he explained.

Jackson thought for a moment before saying, "Cool. I'm excited to meet her."

*

Zakora could feel fatigue set in, his legs had started throbbing an hour ago, his lower back and shoulders aching from movement without rest. But this didn't feel impossible for him.

Among his people, he was a warrior, who had been trained in many forms of fighting, endurance and strength. Himself and his peers would scale mountains in single days, compete for who was the strongest and who could hold one's breath the longest. His lungs didn't burn, but his body had begun to take a toll as no amount of training or physical expectation could prepare him for this trial.