Relic

Chapter 3 - Who are you?

I had been walking for what felt like hours. I was accustomed to intense physical training, but my legs were still beggining to ache because I had not slowed my pace for a second. I always found that if you were determined and not thinking about your walking speed then it allowed your thoughts to become more clear. My mind is my greatest weakness because it is so easily accessed by my opponent. I decided that the best plan to make was no plan at all, I had to be spontaneous, take whatever the Hunting Grounds throws at me and use it to my advantage. The slightest glimmer of a plan could be heard by my opponent once I fell asleep, because I cannot control what I dream about. My mind had to be like my walking pace, I had to keep going as fast as possible but also be dettatched from thinking too much about the action itself. What I was asking my mind to do was almost impossible, but I would rather try then admit defeat. I thought about the boy again, I was thinking about him a little too much in my opinion. I had this image of a well built, tanned, nameless face striding along grey pavements just like the ones of Mitchell, probably with a feeling of arrogance over the fact he had an advantage over me. The thought that I had a weakness make something inside my stomach twinge. But why? why was his mind so strong? The Sci had never mentioned anyone being able to actually hear peoples thoughts before. Yes, it seems that no two links are the same, but I just couldn't understand why I am not the stronger of the two.

The sun was starting to set, the sky had turned a deep auburn colour with splashes of pink and yellow weaved through it like ripples. I stopped for a moment, giving my legs a second to get their bearings, I could feel my left quad muscle begin to twitch. I put down my grey backpack and I began to stretch it out whilst watching the burnt sky. It was very rare that I would venture this far north into Mitchell as my living quarters and most of my training classes were located further south, near Completion 5 where there where buildings were taller and more abundant. I had never really gotten to appreciate the contrast of colours, the sky like a great big oil painting against the grey slate buildings and pavements, casting shadows accross the buildings and accross my face. It took me a moment to realise I had stopped breathing whilst looking up, but as soon as I realised I shook my head and continued walking. The way the colours complimented each other against the grey just made me think of how beautiful it must be in space. I needed to see those colours, but first I needed to survive.

I was getting close to the gate, I could see the giant archway over the top of a building, I had made really good time in getting to the gate, I knew from analysing maps for years that it was at least a 12 hour journey to get from my gate to his gate, I knew I needed to get as much sleep as I could now, before he got close enough to me for a hunt to actually begin. I walked up and stood in front of the gate. I say gate but really I mean archway, because the entrance is wide open, we do not fear intruders, we do not have any crime because our civilisations runs with almost pristine perfection. Any native wildlife stays in the safety of the trees, too afraid to go into the giant grey city. There was a single Soldier standing at the gate. In a grey military jacket adorned with a silver pin I hope to wear one day, he stood there and watched me looking at his Brigadier badge. He was such a high ranking officer, he was also 1 of 7 Brigadier's, they watched the gates and welcomed back the survivors of each city. Brigadiers were in charge of Career Mangagement. When I returned this man would determine which career I entered, he watches the hunt through cameras that are positioned strategically around the grounds, he sees the true strength of every hunter, he decides my fate, the only people who can overule his decision is the General of The Militants and the General of The Sci. He could be the one to throw me into the Greenhouses and farms for my entire life in space, I want to be a soldier. I need to show him I am. 

I gave him the Arcan show of respect, which he returned.

'You are Wolf?' he said, in a deep voice. He was looking at me through large almond shaped eyes, the sun had almost completely disappeared now casting shadows, making his Mahogany skin appear even more striking.

I nodded my head, 'Yes, I am Wolf.' I was not sure how to talk to him, he was so important to my future that I did not want to leave a bad impression.

'I am Brigadier Lockwood, I wish you strength and the power of a warrior, I will be waiting for your return.'

Lockwood. I always wonder how people choose their names, but it is considered disrespectful to ask, each person has a connection to a name, it means something more than the letters that make it up. It has a personal weakness that the individual has overcome, or a meaning that resounds with a person's character. Our Animals are the same, my earliest memories are that of me 12 years ago, sitting in that Completion being told we were named by The Sci based off our reactions as a baby. I was always watching the other children, but never interacting with them, and I was fast, a natural hunter. So I became the Wolf.

I bowed my head to Brigadier Lockwood and headed out the gate into the Hunting Grounds, where my future awaited. As soon as I stepped through the first few layers of trees and the gate disappeared from sight I began to think about my opponent again. Thinking back to the few moments we talked I realised, I did not know his name, I did not know if he was still his animal, or whether he had found his true name. I played the short conversation over, there was no indication of his name at all, but he knew mine.

It didn't even register in my mind, but when we spoke he said 'I don't know Wolf...' How did he know my name, I wasn't thinking about my name and there was nothing he could have seen that indicated it. But he knew, he called me Wolf. Who was this boy? I needed to find out, but by opening my link it allowed him to see all my thoughts. Could I risk it? I played over my options in my head, was it important to me to know how he knew my name?

Yes. Yes it was, I needed to know what he knew about me because it affected my strategy of surviving. I would have to open the link, there was no choice. I slowly let down the walls, and I felt his presence return, he was walking, I could feel his leg muscles, they had the same dull ache that mine did, he was moving fast as his gate was getting closer to him. I had made it to the hunting ground first.

'Oh hello Wolf, already at the Hunting Grounds? is it cold? you see I brought a jacket just in case, but oh whoops looks like you didn't'

Wolf. He said it again. His voice was arrogant, like the boys in my combat training classes after they won a round, before they faced me, and lost.

'Its perfectly warm,' I replied, trying to show him I was confident, 'but thanks for bringing a jacket, that will come in handy when I strangle you. 

'Cute,' He said, 'but silly threats is not why you opened your link, tell me whats really on your mind, cause I already know and this conversation is becoming dull.'

He made my eye twitch, I ended up with the most insufferable opponent.

'How did you know my name?' I asked, he knew thats what I wanted to know, no use preteninding it wasn't.

There it was again, that feeling of amusement I felt  from him when we first spoke, it didn't disappear this time. His amusement filled me with malice, which in turn made him even more amused. I could feel that his pace was slowing, he was reaching the gate, where his Brigadier was waiting. I felt his pulse quicken, it was the same feeling I had when meeting my Brigadier.

'Sorry Wolf, got to go.' Suddenly his mind shut off, he had put up his wall so he could pay respect to the Brigadier.

At least he is honourable I thought to myself, I could respect him for that. I gained nothing from that, he didn't tell me anything, not that he would if it gave me any advantage or lessened his, it was a stupid idea to be curious, it was a horrible human trait The Sci couldn't get rid of. I was worse off now because he knew I had already entered the Hunting Grounds. I continued through the woods mumbling to myself about how I hated arrogance while looking for something that would inspire which direction I would turn. I was just about to put my mental wall back up, when I felt his mind quickly snap back.

'My name is Calum by the way, cause I know you were wondering.'

Then he was gone again.