Hidden Beast

22. The Test

Jasper

Looking down at my feet and the ground I followed the captain outside. I were way too embarrassed to look up, what did she think about me now?

Did she think I was weak? Maybe she thought I wouldn't have a chance in this game.

Somehow I doubted she thought anything bad about me, it felt more like age were worried. When she had woken me up from my trance she had looked worried but maybe my brain were playing jokes on me?

She didn't say anything as I felt a gentle wind sweep around me. Mumbling and the quiet rustle of leaves could be heard now as we neared what seemed to be a crowd.

Finally I dared too look up and recognized the forest I had walked with the wolves in two times a day, if not more on a good day.

We were outside the castle, we had rounded the large and high, thick stone walls and we're at the very back of the castle.

From here you had to crane your neck to look up at it, the highest tower couldn't be seen if you didn't fully looked up.

Every side of the castle were heavily guarded and the guards placed around in the forest and guarding the walls only proved it.

When we reached the crowd I stopped and took place at the very back, hopefully avoiding attention. I didn't want anyone to know it was me who had delayed the captain and the test, it should I say elimination?

Instead of noticing my appearance the crowd followed Captain Lowell as she made her way through the crowd that quickly parted around her.

When she stood in front of everyone, two guards walked up to her side and one whispered something to her. She nodded, clearly satisfied with whatever he had said and gazed at the crowd.

Quickly I averted my gaze and looked in another direction just as her eyes fell upon me but my cheeks still heated with embarrassment.

When a little time had passed and I deemed the coast clear, hopefully. I looked back and found the captain smiling evilly at us.

She enjoyed the torture we were enduring by not telling us what the test would contain nor what we needed to do. She dragged the time out just to make the agony of not knowing unbearable.

She liked to tease and irritate people but sometimes she could be soft and helpful. I had a hard time figuring out when she were what, she seemed to have so many different personalities and I had only met a fraction of them.

Realising I wanted to know all her different personalities I almost felt like smacking myself in the head. You have no reason to want to know her or be with her yet you can't seem to stop thinking about her and wishing you knew her better.

Finally she took a deep breath "Listen carefully now because I won't be repeating myself" she said and I perked my ears up not wanting to embarass myself any further.

"This is your first test as I said before and two of you will be eliminated from these games and be sent home" she said. I had a feeling she had said this before, was she repeating this only for me? Did she knew I hadn't paid attention before?

"Now" she said loudly making me snap my head back to her and almost everyone leant forward. She had a tone that told me she would explain something important now.

"What you need to do is simple" she began an I had an awful feeling it would be easier said than done.

"You go out there, find your Ruby in the right shape, then you return with it to us" she said. Her tone suggested she only told us a a description of how to find the bathroom but it would probably be harder to find a ruby in this enormous forest.

"You will all get your own shape to find and it will be whispered to you by me before this whole event starts" she said and I shifted nervously on my feet.

Whisper? This gave me an uneasy feeling, she wouldn't just whisper it. Would she? It seemed too simple.

"Of course to get better points you find the right ruby and return to us faster than the others" she said and I saw people glancing at each other. Some had uncertain looks and some had challenging confident looks.

"And a last thing before we start" she said and held up a finger. Her smile turned into a smirk and I knew this is her favorite part.

"Evey ruby is guarded by the same amount of guards and you will have to get past them to reach your goal. If they catch you, you fail" she simply said before she yelled for us to line up.

The whole crowd of young people that would compete, including me, lined up before her and once she was satisfied she smiled.

"Now remember what I whisper to you so you get the right shape" she said and began whispering things to people.

What! No more help or guide? They would just let us free in the forest? How would we find our shape? How would we get past the guards at all, they are probably highly and professionally trained.

As the captain moved on from person to person she left them looking in thought but determined as they posed themselves at the ready.

She reached me after some time and I shivered when she leant forward and I felt her breath fan across my cheek.

"Find the heart" she said velvet smooth and my breath caught in my throat.

When she moved back I almost followed her like I were in a trance but then I shock myself out of the thoughts and realized in horror I hadn't processed what she had said.

Her words had just fallen out of my mind the second she had whispered the words and caught me in my own head. I couldn't remember what I needed to find.

"What?" I said in horror as she was about to move on and she smiled secretly like she knew I hadn't focused, and why.

She leaned back into me again and her nose touched my ear making my knees go weak but I held my ground, if not a bit wobbly.

"Heart, find the heart" she whispered softly into me ear and moved on to the next person.

Something told me that more than one thing that had just happened was only meant for me, including the heart shape.