INITIATION ULTIMATE, Chapter 12.2: Narrated by Saphara

Now that they're inside the Initiations, Saphara and Attenti search to find Saphara's brother, Talaimai.

As we walk through the forest, Attenti looks at me with one eyebrow raised, disbelieving. “So, let me get this right.  First of all, there’s monsters in the Initiations.  Second of all, your brother named Taleeh… bah, I cannot pronounce that… fights the monsters in the Initiations.  Okay… so who told you this again?” 

        “This one soldier with the last name of Bradshaw.  He used to work with my brother,” I say.

         “Sure he wasn’t trying to fool you?”

         I shake my head.  “I don’t think so.  He was a nice guy, and he seemed pretty honest to me.”

         Attenti’s eyes never leave my face.  “S**t, then.  Monsters?  For real?”

         “I didn’t believe him at first, either!  But if you saw him, you’d know he was telling the truth!”

         Attenti runs a hand through his short brown curls.  “Alright… I’ll take your word for it.  We better find your brother quick then… Don’t want to become monster bait…”

         “Bradshaw said that they’re outside the walls of the Initiations, if it makes you feel any better.  Tal, him, and a girl named Rede were almost caught by one when they were walking by the beach.”

         “S**t,” Attenti repeats.  He gets a thoughtful look in his eyes, something that I’ve seen a lot with him lately.  “So why would he be outside the walls, then?”

        “I don’t know.  Maybe he didn’t know, either.”

        “Well, now we know where to find him, at least.” Attenti reasons.  “You told me that he fights the monsters, and the monsters are only outside the walls, so that should be where we can find your brother.”

         I think about it.  “Yeah, that’s right!”  After a moment of silence, I remember a crucial detail of information.  “But the wall surrounds the Initiations.  He could be anywhere!  I’ve heard that the Initiations are huge.”

         “Don’t worry about it,” Attenti says.  “If he’s well known like you insinuate, there should be someone who knows what we’re talking about here.  I say we keep walking in this direction until we come to the nearest wall.  It has to end somewhere, right?”

         “Let’s do that.”

***

         The sun is going down when Attenti and I, both dead tired, decide to set up camp.  “So, what’ve you got?”

         I search my bag and lay everything out side by side.  “Two solar powered flashlights, one tarp, like three balls of string and some paracord...”

         “Whoa, that’s a lot of string…”  Attenti comments.

         “…Three more water bottles, a water pack, some snacks, my katana, toothbrushes and toothpaste, water filtration straws,  a bottle of aspirins, some pictures, a letter to Talaimai, a lightweight fleece blanket, matches, and a pocket knife… Looks like that’s it.  How about you?”

          “A lightweight fleece blanket like yours, a pocket knife, two books, one water bottle, a toothbrush, toothpaste, and… d****t.  My machete’s handle and blade separated in the fall.  Oh, and a notepad and a few pens.  That’s all.”

          “You bring useless items,” I say sourly.

          “Let’s get over that, okay?” Attenti says dryly.  “Now, let’s set up a tent with your tarp.  I’ll help you out with it.”

          We start by finding a spot of bare dirt, and then we pull a line of string from one tree to another.  Then, we drape the tarp over the line of string and pound sharpened stakes through the tarp’s holes to hold it in place. 

“Small tent,” Attenti says when we’re finished.  We look at one another, both wanting to enter but realizing that only one person could fit, or two if we both squeeze in together.  And I’m not squeezing in a tent with a boy, let alone a boy I barely know.  He seems to be thinking the same thing.  “Ladies first,” Attenti says curtly after an awkward minute of facial expressions and wordless gestures.  “I’ll sleep in my blanket under a tree or something.  You can take the tent."

“Are you sure?  I can take the tree…"

“Well, it’s your tarp.  Hey, wait!” Attenti cries with a flash of apprehension.  “I’ll build a fire.  This is the Initiations.  There might be monsters outside the walls, but who knows what’s inside?  Fire should keep any predators away.  Also, it can keep me warm.”

“Need help?”

“I’ll call you if I need help... you don’t know how to build a fire, do you?”

“No,” I admit apologetically.

“Just what I thought.  Go get some rest, you’ll need it.”  He picks up a couple of my cereal bars.  “Can I have these?”

“They’re all yours,” I say through a mouth of toothpaste foam, retreating into my tent for the night.

***

“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Attenti says, banging on the side of my tent.  It collapses inward, and I can hear Attenti gasping an apology.  When I uncover the tarp from my head, I’m grinning, to his surprise.  “Hey, what’re you smiling about?” Attenti asks.

“Nothing…um…it’s just that my little sister always used to wake me up.  You made me think of her for a second.”

“I believe ‘wake up’ is the first thing I’ve ever said to you,” Attenti adds.

“That, too."

We walk for several hours in the cool shade of the trees.  Along the way, we notice that the closer we get to the wall, the more Initiates we see.  There must be all the newer Initiates in the center of the Initiations, I take in, because the more Initiates we see, the worse shape they’re in:  dirtier, thinner, and worse smelling.  Nobody I’ve seen yet is in too bad of shape, but hey, it’s only my second day here.

The first group of older Initiates Attenti and I see by the wall, we ask.  “Hi, do any of you know of Talaimai Neowarren?”

“No,” a boy of about fifteen years of age says, reeking of body odor.

“Me neither,” another boy adds, scratching at a festering patch of skin above his elbow.

“Not I,” a bone-thin girl shakes her head.

“What are you all, slow?” a fourth Initiate, a girl, cries.  “You all don’t know Talaimai Neowarren?  I can’t believe you!  He’s the New Initiation Shores Warleader!  He’s around here all the time, idiots!”

“Where’s the New Initiation Shores?” Attenti asks, clearly deterred by the girl’s behavior.

“Where’s that messenger…where’s that messenger!”  A thin but muscular boy races to the shouting girl, giving a speedy salute and wiping the sweat off of his head in one motion.  “Messenger Tares, there you are!  Go find Messenger Arwain, will you?”

“Yes’m!”  The boy disappears into the tree line.

“Now wait here, will you?” the girl tells us.  “Messenger Arwain should be here soon.  She’s pretty fast.”

“Thanks,” I smile, and then rush Attenti a short ways from the girl.

            “Ouch,” he mutters, "she talks loud."

            Less than a half hour later, a girl with long, dark hair comes rushing into the site.  “Regulator Daltin, Messenger Arwain present!”

           “Go talk to those newbies over there.  They’re asking for Talaimai,” the loudmouthed girl tells the messenger.

             “Yes ma’am!”

               

             “Hi,” I call to the seventeen year old messenger quietly, afraid for a loud response like the last girl.

             “Hello,” the messenger greets us, and then shakes both my and Attenti’s hands.  “This is Messenger Rede Arwain, at your service.  If I have heard correctly, you want to speak to Talaimai Neowarren?”

              “Yes!” I shout before I can stifle my joy.  Both Attenti and Rede look at me suspiciously.  “You’re the girl from Talaimai’s group that Bradshaw was talking about!” I explain.

            Rede’s hand finds her way to her mouth in shock.  “Bradshaw?  You’re talking about Cruinneas Bradshaw?” she exclaims. “How do you know him?  He’s alright?  He mentioned me?”

             “He requested to help out Talaimai’s little sister…that’s me!” I say excitedly.

             “684?” Rede says, now just as excited as I am.  I nod vigorously.  “We were looking around the drop off point for you yesterday!" Rede tells me, "but all the Initiates came late, and Tal’s Vice Warleader couldn’t watch the wall forever. He's sick with anguish right now; he thought he’d never find you!  Come on, I’ll bring you to him!”

             “Me too?” Attenti asks quizzically from the side.

             “He’s with me,” I say quickly.

             “Yes," Rede permits, "both of you, follow!  We'll take care of you!"