The Champion's Exam promises riches, adventure and the title that creates legends.
Only on problem; it is known for killing its applicants.
Eko Malone, a twelve-year-old boy stuck on an island his entire life, has only known one thing about his pa...
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As the day turned to night the water became rougher. Clouds covered the sky, inviting wind to whip up the waves and slam into the side of the Champion's Voyager, causing the sails to strain and the ship itself to chaotically sway. The crew members worked tirelessly to keep the ship steady, to stay on the correct course, even with the violent wind the captain's voice was one flamboyant command after the other, his cackles overpowering the thunder which grumbled. Nira could hear him from below deck, his laugh bordering on disturbing as she rocked back and forth in the hammock.
There were no assigned rooms, so applicants slept wherever was comfortable. Hanging in each of the rooms were a handful of cloth hammocks, which proved to be vomit inducing rather than a comfort. All the rooms available for sleeping had the stench of vomit and urine from applicants who were prone to severe sea sickness. The captain was making his rounds to check on the applicants, along with his First Mate who held a clipboard and a counter. Every room the captain opened, groans and grunts of discomfort followed. There were only a handful of people who hadn't yet succumbed to the severe weather and seasickness.
"Have you heard from those two kids yet?" the captain asked.
His First Mate shook his head, "Haven't heard from them since they came down to the deck to sleep sir. They wanted to get an early night's sleep so they could see what a ship was like in open water at night," he explained.
The captain smiled. "What's your opinion of them?"
The First Mate shrugged as he closed the door. "Don't have one captain. Can't say I expect much though; they can't be older than eleven or something."
The captain had traded his cigar for a some chewing tobacco. "There ain't an age restriction, remember? And they can't be doing any worse than any of these land-lovers," he stated stepping over an unconscious applicant. "This is a terrible batch. I expected more from these fishermen islands." He poked one in the side and barely gained a reaction, "Look at this one 'ere? Completely out of it. Mark him down." The First Mate wrote something on the clip board and clicked the counter.
"Onto the next one, captain." The First Mate opened the door to the next room, unlike the others a lamp softly glowed to illuminate the room. Inside were five hammocks, only two which were being used, and several men leaning against the walls or lying on the floor in a sick mess. Nira was now swinging back and forth like a swing, staring at the man under the lamp light reading in the hammock across from her. Eko had been running around offering cups of water to people who were feeling sick.
The captain scanned the room, impressed to see that among the four applicants who appeared fine, that those two kids were part of them.
"If you drink you'll feel better," Eko informed holding a cup out to someone. With a grumbled thanks the dirty man slurped the cup down. Eko rushed back to another man, a tall man dressed in a suit, aiding one of the seasick men. "Anything else I can do? Half of these people don't want water," Eko informed.
