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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Four hours turned into five. Following the Examiner turned into, what Zakora estimated to be, thirty-five kilometres of near constant sprinting. The applicants ran in small groups, many had realised that the tunnel just went on forever in one straight line, so they stopped to rest and would chase later.
Zakora was beginning to lose his momentum, dragging his feet every now and then, forcing him to stumble. His mind remained resolved, being the only thing keeping him from collapsing.
Eric Smith was still running, with exhaustion getting the best of many, catching up to the likes of Waldo and Zakora gradually became easy. Eric ran alongside Waldo and smirked for, despite his round figure, he was in better shape than Waldo. "Looking a little red there, Waldo," Eric commented.
Waldo was in no mood to talk, and through gritted teeth demanded Eric leave him alone. But Eric ignored him and continued to speak between breaths. "This had got to be humiliating for you, huh? Getting outrun by a fat man," he joked running alongside him with ease, "If you're having trouble with this, you should just quit now while you have the chance to turn back." Waldo snapped at him to shut up.
Zakora wasn't too far ahead and could hear the conversation, Eko as well while he ran alongside Jackson. Zakora pursed his lips and frowned at the conversation; Eric was trying to heckle Waldo into quitting. In a psychological state like that, physical exhaustion and mental uncertainty as to how much further, Waldo was at his most vulnerable.
"How can you ever expect to be a Champion when some islander twelve year olds are able to beat'cha? You're tired, weak, why add humiliated to this list of things you're feeling right now?" Eric asked. "You're getting so pathetic you even got the kid pitying you."
Waldo gave a blind swing at Eric, hitting the air due to Smith's dodge, and attempting to maintain focus on getting one step further. But his eyes saw Eko, who was looking over his shoulder with a worried look.
Waldo was on his last legs, chanting to himself that he could do this under his hot, short breaths. His legs were burning, his throat achy and dry from his desperate panting and his skin shiny from his sweat. Dark sweat patches were forming on his clothes as he forced himself to his feet and started to wobble, unable to keep in a straight line.
Eventually, unable to maintain his motivation, he stumbled and heaved over. He glared at the floor as his body greedily took in the stale air, all muscles twitching as sweat dripped from his brow and splashed on the ground like droplets.
Eko gradually stopped running until he stopped. Jackson stopped moments later, "What's wrong?" He noticed Waldo who had fallen. "Just leave him, come on."
Waldo managed to muster deep breaths, his lungs able to take it in without searing pain, but many of the applicants ran past him, and the more that passed the weaker he suddenly felt.
Eko remained planted to the spot, his eyes stared unblinkingly at Waldo as other applicants ran past him. Everyone ignored Waldo to get ahead of him, and ignored the two kids to get ahead of them. Jackson continued to call Eko to follow, getting clipped on the shoulders several times by running people, and getting so frustrated he tripped one over. "Eko, let's go. If he can't continue you can't make him."
