INITIATION ULTIMATE, Chapter 12.1: Narrated by Tharseo

Tharseo's first day in the Initiations.

                So, I’m going to the Island Initiations.  Fun.  After I’ve dressed myself in the Creatorian garments they have for me, I put on my coat and wait for the knock tells me it’s time to go.  When it comes, I wordlessly exit the room and am handcuffed yet again.  This time, I really don’t care whether my wrists are bound or not.  I won’t run, and after I’ve tried to express my hate for this place so many times, they still think I will.  They should know better than that.  The Island Initiation is a blessing to get out of this Technetium Creatorian stronghold, that’s what it is.

                Getting into the helicopter makes me think of the items weighing down my pockets, the ones that Sofos had meant for Amor.  I may have aced the Creatorian Testing, but if I’ve failed in anything while I’m here, it’s delivering these.  I have a debt to pay to both Sofos and Amor now for not following through with my word.  A part of me believes that I still can, though…

***

                The flight is long and uncomfortable, and I’m shoved in the back of the helicopter with no seats, becoming unbalanced with the helicopter’s every turn.  I do notice, however, that I’m not the only one going through this.  In a cell in front of me, a girl my age patiently waits without complaint.  At least she’s not handcuffed, I think enviously.  But no use wallowing in pity about something as harmless as handcuffs, right?  I throw the feeling away and lean to the back of my cell, grimacing as my cuffs hit the helicopter wall and dig into my hands.

                I fall into one of those sleeps where my eyes are closed, yet my mind is alert at the same time.  A knock on the bars snaps me back awake, and I see the girl looking at me, one arm reached out through my cell.  “Well, you look comfortable,” she teases quietly, grinning halfway.

                “It’s not the worst thing my wrists have been through.”

                The girl gestures for me to come to her and, and I do so.  She fiddles with my handcuffs, and with a click, they snap off.  I look at her in surprise, and she nods, holding up a key and putting a finger to her lips.

                “Were you asked to become a Creatorian?” I ask in a whisper, after thanking the girl.

                “No.  Let me guess, you were, right?” Her whisper reeks of sarcasm.

                I nod.  “I declined.”

                “Yeah, I totally believe you.  Not.   It’s going to take more than that.”  She tilts her head, waiting for my response.  The girl obviously argues for a sport.

                I sink to the back of my helicopter cell, refusing to give her the argument she’s asking for.  “Believe what you want.”

***

                When the helicopter lands, a hatch opens on the right side and frees us from our cells.  The older soldier at the entrance of the hatch does a double take when he realizes our cuffs are off, and asks his assistant what the hell is going on here?  The assistant scratches his cover and shrugs, feigning confusion and leaving the older one frowning at him but without any consequence.

                “Thanks again, Bradshaw!” the girl cries to the assistant soldier.  He again shrugs at the older one, and then lets the girl hug him, sneaking the keys she holds back into his pocket while she does so.  Maybe they’re related…  I begin to walk away.

                “Hey, boy!” the older soldier shouts.  “Get back here.  Without a weapon, you’re nothing!”  He first presents me with a bag of hygienic supplies, and then tells me to choose from a bow, a katana, and a scythe.  The girl snaps up the bow right away, so I choose the katana, thanking the soldier and then going off to observe my new settings.

***

                I find myself sitting on a stone ledge that overlooks a sea of angry grey waters. Underneath the ledge, a wall stands, but not near as tall as the one built for the Initiations, which I can see from my perch.  Around me, there are various conifers.  Beside me, there’s…

                I jump to my feet and back away, holding up my new katana.  “Who are you, where did you come from, and how did you get here so quietly?” I shout, making the dark haired boy sitting next to me put his hands in the air.  Although he’s surrendering, he doesn’t look the slightest bit afraid, and regards me with amusement as if I am no more threat than a child holding a foam sword.

                “Admit it, you’ve always known me,” the boy grins, revealing unnaturally pointed teeth.

                “If I knew you, I would remember you,” I hiss.  “Who are you?”

                The boy makes a tsk sound, shaking his head like I have said something positively ridiculous.  “The question you should be asking yourself is:  Who are you?”

                “What kind of question is that?” I sputter, throwing my hands up in the air, only remembering I have a sword when it flashes in the fading sunlight.  “I know who I am.  Now, I asked you who you are first.  You think you can pop out of nowhere and startle me?  Who do you think you are?”

                “How about I answer your questions one by one.  First of all, it's the same question you asked me.  Second of all, I didn’t pop out of nowhere.  I was just sitting on a ledge at the same time as you were,” the boy says, looking at me with delight.  “Third, my name is Unari…for now.  And it’s not my fault that you startled, Tharseo.”

                “How do you know my name?  Answer me," I demand.

                “If you think that’s the only thing I know about you, you’re in for a surprise,” the boy chuckles.

                “A surprise?  I can't wait,” I say with a sarcastic laugh.  “Now, why don’t you tell the truth about how you know my name?”

                “I did,” the boy smirks.  “I know everything about you.”  His skin turns grey, along with his clothing.  Before he turns into dust and flies into the wind, he winks.  “Later.”

Author's Note

During the power failure I had a lot of time to think, and here's what I came up with.

START - Saphara, Talaimai, Attenti, Rede, Tharseo
TRUST - Tharseo, Rede, Unari, Saphara, Talaimai
STAR - Saphara, Talaimai, Attenti, Rede

Come on, it was icy and I was bored...