The Lotus Trials

Chapter XIV

Gemma POV:
"You ready?"

I turned, finding Taylor behind me, double checking her harness. She was right behind me in the line up for the obstacle course today. I nodded, though my stomach was turning. Despite safety precautions people had died on this course. I had quadruple checked the security of my own harness a few moments prior. I looked up at the course, seeing the runner before me was half way through. He wasn't the quickest I'd seen today, but he wasn't awful either. They'd have to turn on some lights once the sun goes down if they wanted to get through everyone today.

"I'm pretty quick as a human and wolf, but this is another story. You're gonna be waiting a while."

She shrugged. "I saw your name before mine on the line up and figured we could chill together until you're running the course." I smiled. "Let's just hope nobody tries to throw you off with more wind and thunder or whatever." I scoffed. "I'm glad to see your head healed well."

"It was a little scratch. Let's leave it at that."

She shrugged. "I'm worried about these clouds. There's a lot of slick equipment up there."

I looked over the jungle of ropes, rock walls, wire, and monkey bar-type things. My dad built an obstacle course in Eclipse after his trial. It looked like a playground compared to this beast of course, but it had all of the elements. I practiced it a thousand times in the rain. I had a shot at this either way. "Guess we'll have to see how things go," I told her, not wanting to sound cocky.

"I got off pack land a time or two to track down some of those human rope course businesses, but this is something else. Hopefully it'll still give me an edge."

"Good luck to you, Taylor." We made small talk for a while until a sharp whistle blew. The last guy was off and they had checked the course and reset its safety staff. "Alright. That's my cue," I said, refastening my hair scrunchie.

"Good luck, Gemma."

I approached the start of the course, watching the large electronic board for my countdown. One second. Two seconds. Moments of training flicked across my memory as I started up the steps. I was nine years old again.

"Alright, kiddo. They've got a big board up there. You can't let the numbers get in your head. You might be on a time crunch, but you have to concentrate and keep yourself centered. Now, take a shot at one of these ropes."

I put that lesson to use now, not caving to reach for that extra strength as I pulled myself up the rope and onto the next platform where I could set up my harness. I wouldn't cheat, even if it wasn't technically against the rules. Moral, right?

"Remember, carabiners slide on wires. It's a safety precaution and it'll follow you. Don't waste your time worrying about where it's moving. Get to the rock wall and there will be people stationed there to set you up for a safe climb."

But I looked and there was no one. Three platforms stuck out for wolves to be stationed at, but they were empty. I was climbing without a safety net. If I called for help it wouldn't be a time out. Finding people would take up all of my trial time. Clever sabotage. Fine. I'd climb alone. I braced my feet as I ziplined across, the impact of my feet on wood not too jarring. Unhooking from the zipline and tucking my harness' accessories away I began to climb.

I scaled the wall as quickly as possible, blocking out the people who had taken notice of my predicament. My arms were shaking as I found myself a few pegs from the top. I pushed on, throwing myself over when I reached the top. I couldn't risk a look at the clock, not with my adrenaline going. I'm moving as fast as I can anyways. I'm not falling back on my enhancements for this.

"Then you have the patterned monkey bars. Rope, wood, and wire. Gloves will definitely come in handy. And here's a little trick for the wire."

It started with rope, a count of roughly two dozen rungs before the transition to rotating wood pieces, back to rope, wood, and finally a long stretch of metal. I crossed three rungs before I felt myself slipping. I let out an embarrassing scream as I half caught myself and half braced for death. The course seems a lot higher up when your actually climbing. The rope had been tampered with. I did my best to block out the panic of the crowd below me a d ensuring the next rung was steady, I kept moving.

The rotation of the wood was annoying, but I swept through it easily enough. Then the rain started. Shit. Let's pray for the best. I swung out, testing the ropes carefully. With my more cautious approach I had started to feel the soreness in my arms. Time for leg work. I'd practiced the maneuver a thousand times. I grabbed the first length of wire and pulled myself up, swinging my legs to hook them over the next bar. Hanging upside down certainly drew some attention. Swinging my upper body backwards I caught the wire, crossing my hands so I would swing down in the right direction. I repeated the process all the way down, quicker than any of my attempts on the home course.

"You can use a similar trick on the metal hoops. This is one spot they don't have a carabiner hookup."

One spot. One spot. The hookups were down on the obstacles too and I hadn't even noticed. I shook my head. I didn't have time to think about tampering I'd overcome. I'd climbed a sixty foot shallow-step rock wall and crossed the messed up bars already. Whatever is wrong with the hoops I can handle too.

I pulled myself up the circle of metal, using it as a foothold instead of hanging. I swung to the next one, crossing them all at twice the speed of my competitors. What a shame Taylor couldn't see my tricks. The structure was designed so the party waiting could barely see any of the previous competitor's tactics.

At last finished, I ziplined back to ground level, slamming my palm down on the clock stopper. Before I could look up to see my time a furry body plowed me down, tearing, it's maw open and aiming for my throat. Shifting wasn't a quick process, so on instinct I brought my arm up, screaming as teeth ripped through skin. My attacker was yanked off of me and, pinned to the ground by a large black wolf I knew all too well.

Zeke was letting this get personal outside our little clearing. Or just doing his duty as king, I tried to reason.

"Come on," I heard Darien say faintly, tugging his shirt off. "Let's get you to the hospital. Again. Shit!" I suddenly realized just how much blood was coming from my arm. I wasn't one to go hurling at the sight of it, but knowing this was leaving my body was another story. Shaking slightly, I let him try to wrap my arm as best he could with his shirt before he helped me from the ground to guide me to the pack hospital. "The doc's just gonna love this."