Ruthless: A Fourth Wing Fanfiction

Chapter 7

The months fly by. 

Surprisingly, I win most of my challenges. I smile as Violet beats her opponents with her poisons each time. Smart, you gotta give it to her to think of something like poisoning her opponents.

I, however, spend most of my time with the punching bags. Punching and punching.

I rarely see Violet and Rhiannon anymore, spending more time with Arkea and Tara.

 It's only when I see Rhiannon one night emerge from our dorm holding hands with Tara that I realise that they aren't just having a one-night stand but a relationship.

The day of the Gauntlet arrives. We have had two weeks to practice the Gauntlet before Presentation, where the dragons take a look at the cadets left for selection. Then, Threshing. So far, I've made it up the entire way, making my limbs stiff for days just to do it again.

Now, it's the real thing. We are being timed. Once we reach the top, it's in formation for Presentation. Then two days later, Threshing.

"Well that looks fun," Arkea remarks as we stare at the menacing obstacle course carved into the front of a ridgeline so steep it might as well be a cliff. The zigzagging deathtrap of a course waits above us.

"I hope you're being sarcastic," Tara replies, her eyes wide.

"Not really," Arkea replies.

I focus on the obstacle course of running up a fucking cliff. Such fun. 

I study the course and watch as cadet begin on it.

"Alright, we'll proceed in this order. Tanner, Fauna, Avina, Arkea, Liam, Ruth, Tara, Lukas, Heath, Warrick," Emetterio barks.

The spinning logs, and the ropes on the sides in case you slip, and all of the obstacles.

The gasps that come from a few cadets as someone falls off is enough to make me dread this.

"Liam Mairi, your turn," Emetterio says.

Carver boy nods and runs up the first rotating log like its the easiest thing in the world.

Once he's reached the third obstacles, Emetterio nods at me.

I take a deep breath.

I quickly balance myself with my arms as I run across the spinning log. "You've got this," I whisper to myself as I jump off the end to land on the first of four granite columns, each one higher than the last. 

There are about three feet apart from each of them, but I manage to jump from one to the next without skidding off the sides. And this is the easy part.

I jump into the rotating wheel and run, leaping over the only opening as it flies by once, then watching it come around a second time. This one is about timing.

The opportunity comes and I seize it, racing through the opening and turning back onto the gravel path of the second ascent.

I leap onto the first buoy ball out of five. It swings, carrying my body far enough to make the jump to the next buoy. With one last swing, I let go of the buoy and roll onto the gravel path.

There are three iron rails in front of me, each lined up like a battering ram toward the next. I launch myself towards the first, the texture giving me something to hold onto as I work my way hand over hand.

I throw myself to the next rail. I move across the rail using the same hand-to-hand motion, ignoring the ache in my shoulders the best I can.

I leap to the last rail, sure I can make the jump. My fingertips graze the iron, but it slips out of my grasp. I scream.

A hand grabs my wrist firm, fingernails digging into my arm. My body slumps and I cry out, my arm being slowly pulled out of its socket. I look up, to see a face I wouldn't have expected.

Liam's face is contorted into struggle. "Grab the rope!" He yells.

I use my other arm and fumble for the rope on the side. I get a good grasp. My legs dangle above the ravine. If his hand slips, and if my hold on the rope slackens, I'm dead.

Liam is holding onto a log that's jutting out the side of the cliff, part of the next course. Suddenly I remember Violet's words from the day before. The logs spin.

"Liam, let go of me! You need to move, the logs spin!" I scream.

He looks back at me, desperation in his eyes. He shakes his head then lets go of my arm. My whole body swings back, slamming into the stone. Liam climbs the gravel path and I climb the rope, pulling it down to bring my body upwards.

Liam's face reappears and this time, both his arms grab mine and he pulls me up over the ledge.

I lie on my back, his face above mine, looking down on me as if to check for any injuries. I close my eyes for a few seconds. I almost died. Fucking hell.

I open my eyes and sit up. I turn around. Liam's gone. I get up and wince. I think I sprained my wrist.

I take a deep breath and sprint, jumping from the ledge and running up the spinning logs.

"You can do it Melgren!" I hear someone yell from the top.

My determination grows. I will not die today. I make it past the last logs without slipping and climb swiftly up the last ladder with huge gaps in between the rungs that make me stretch my limbs just to reach the next one, that leads to the top of the ridgeline.

Before I can register what's going on, my hands slips. And this time there is no Liam to save me.  

Reflexes seem to kick in and I quickly draw my axe and slam it into the cliff. I hold onto the handle and grab my other one from my back and slam it a bit further up the cliff.

I use them as leverage, dragging my body up. I grab the rungs once more and climb the rest of the way up, collapsing onto the grass. 

"You made it!" Arkea takes my hands, shaking them as if to wake me up. "You made it!"

"Thank Liam for that," I breathe, willing my chest to stop pounding.

"Put a few seconds onto my time for doing that," I hear him grumble behind me.

Prick.

"If you despise me so much, why not just let me fall off the cliff and die?" I ask, getting up from the grass.

"Because I know you have what it takes to be a rider. An exceptional one, in fact. And something as weak as the Gauntlet should not be the obstacle to bring you to death's bed." Liam turns his head back towards mine, his bright blue eyes locking onto my grey ones. He turns back and walks down the field to line up for Presentation.