The Appointed Few

Assistance

      Another boy, named Rogan, one of the brothers and princes to the kingdom took a walk outside to clear his mind. He walked to where he was supposed to do his daily workout. All the young people in the kingdom were supposed to do this daily workout. It became such a bother. The king alway came to be apart of the workout, but he figured out the course already so he would be there to help and train. Rogan went to the locker room and immediately opened his locker to put his books and such inside and change into his workout clothes. He was a bit downcast. A boy down the isle who was changing looked over at Rogan and asked, "Hey Rogan, what's wrong?" 

"Aw, nothing much, Henry. It's just this routine. Everyday we train and it becomes a burden. I have so much to do." 

"Hey if it's too much today remember the game resources." "What do you mean?" 

"Well the first day when they explain the game and course they reminded us that the Coaches are available for help. Actually they told us we can't really succeed without them. We are supposed to ask for help, everyday." "That makes it seem like we can't do it." 

"Yeah I know, but have you seen that obstacle course?" 

"Yes, man I do it every single day." "You know the course changes for your lane everyday, right? But because you know it's challenging you're supposed to ask the coaches for help." 

"Well why do we have to ask for help if it's practically required?" 

"They just want to test you. See if you'll actually ask for help. It's part of that personality training for all the kingdom kids." 

"What the heck, they include that in this part too?" 

"Yeah." 

"There's so much going on." Rogan stared at his locker and then looked back at Henry letting out a long breath. "There's the tournament for this year, I have at least 5 different projects assigned by my tutors and then there's to consider if I want to join the soldiers and fight on the quests." 

"Don't worry about all that right now Rogan." Henry patted Rogan on the back as they headed out to the course. "Oh hey, Rogan, you and I should talk to the councilors. We can take it step by step." Rogan looked back at Henry and smiled, "alright man, we'll do that. See you at the other side." 

They both took their places in their lanes. Each was different and blocked off from anyone else. It was one lane for each person. First you had to place your hand on the sensor to open the lane, then you heard a voice say your name and today's date. You stretched and pressed the botton on the side of the lane to begin. Rogan bent down prepared for the course. Before it started a voice asked if he would like assistance. Rogan didn't answer immediately. He thought about his pride, since his father would be seeing him in the course. How would it look for all his friends and the King to see him go through the course with a coach. They weren't actually coaches, they were just assistants that would run the course with you and act like a team player. This was common, but not to the group of kids that sat on the bleachers. They were the ones that were the slackers the ones that did it on their own and finished in time because of shortcuts. Of course they never got to go further to be a soldier or higher thinking placements for kingdom kids. Rogan didn't really want to impress them, but he knew they would always be out there on those bleachers yelling and screaming mocking the kids who asked for help. At the moment he didn't care about them and touched the screen pad in front of him asking for assistance. He stood up to look for the assistance and was surprised to see a young girl about the same age as him walk in. She was barely shorter than him and she was determined. She came in with a smile and then placed her hand on the sensor. Looking at him and then at the course he got back on track and bent down ready to begin. CSHHH CABOOM!!! The course began and the course was smooth. They ran until a wall appeared and he didn't know much about an assistant so he started his way up the wall. He couldn't get over it the first time and fell back down. She caught up with him and immediately brought him to his feet and bent down so he could use her as support up. He stepped on her knee and got across and lent her a hand. Once they were over the wall they had to climb through a whole and wiggle their way to the other end. He went in first wiggling his way through, trying to prove he was better and faster, that he didn't need her. She still caught up and pushed his feet constantly. Annoyed he wanted to push her back but instead kept moving forward. They got out and ran to the swinging lines. At about this time he would normally regret everything, try as hard as he could and fall into the dangerous lake that lay below. She looked at him and said "Don't look down." So many comments he could say, so little time. He raced to the line and grabbed it tightly. He swung as much as he could back and forth but couldn't reach the next one. Then he was surprised to feel a push from behind. This assistance thing was new to him, but he got the next line and swung the one behind him toward her so she could catch it. He saw the sirens below him and felt weak. Rogan was tired and would rather fall into the beguiling, dangerous lake, right about until he heard her say from behind him, "Hey! Get movin! It'll poison you for a day or more if you don't have the right ring on. Move!" Rogan rolled his eyes and got back on the goal. The lake was known to be very cool and refreahing, but you could only enjoy it if you had the ring the King gave you to enjoy it. One would only know the requirements to have a ring if they asked, but Rogan felt too shy to ask for it. Most of his life he knew there were dangers in asking for it. So he got his strength and jumped off the last vine line. The girl called out to him from behind. He barely had to turn around when she landed on him. He caught her and dropped her in the same instant moving toward the last part of the course. It was a thinking process. A puzzle. A riddle. It stated "A nation needs this. A people needs this. Those who choose not to have it birth chaos. What is it?" She took a breath and looked at him. He was confused. She then said,"what do you live by daily?" Rogan thought. "Rules? Yeah, that's it." He said to her "Rules." 

"What kind of rules?" She said. He thought to himself what on earth does that mean? What kind of rules? Morals? Maybe it's more literal. "Morals?" He asked her and she nodded as the blocked door slowly opened until halfway and it stopped. "Why did it stop?" 

"Here look, it's asking another question" she said. It read "why would a nation fall with out this?" Rogan thought about, but knew he had the answer. "A building would fall without foundation. So a nation is dependent on it's morals." The girl stared at him intently with shock and then walked out of the course as the door fully opened. "Why are you staring at me?" He said to her. "Its been a while since the course has snaked someone that deep of a question." Then she turned to walk away. Rogan thought about this and wanted to know what she meant. He yelled for her, "Hey!!!" She looked back, "What do you need?" He couldn't think of much. "What's your name?" She smiled and said,  "Nienna" then she turned and walked away.