Alex jumped over puddles and raced along the damn wall, by the time he reached the temple the clerics were waving the incense staves around the initiates. He rushed to the end of the line and steady his breath before the cleric got to him. As the smoke enveloped him he felt dizzy. He swayed but not before a hand caught him and he looked over to his friend Josh.
"My children!" The high priest began. "Let us continue the selection today since everyone is now here." He glance over at him and Alex smiled nervously waving a finger at him.
"Here we go. You ready?" Josh whispered to him.
"May the best kid win." He smiled and bumped him gently. The selection was grueling even for adults. There were three levels of selection. First, the race; to test speed and endurance. Second, an obstacle course full of poisonous animals and sharp objects; to test you initiative and knowledge of your surroundings. Third, the remaining initiates will face against one another and the winner will be determined by the high Priest and the amount of skill shown. He tensed knowing it was almost time, he was glad now he got out of bed. Even though he wouldn't be chosen today, he could still beat the pants off everyone else.
All the children were ready when the Priest yelled. "GO!"
Alex took off ahead of everyone, he knew he couldn't beat them all by just starting well he had to finish. He knew the course, he spent to weeks memorizing it and even ran it a few times. He jumped over the wall of the downward spiraling road. He twisted and turned keeping just ahead of Jon. He glance to his side seeing Jon's black hair blowing back like his in the wind. He smiled as he jumped over a loose plank in the bridge but Jon tripped over it. Alex heard a hard smack and stopped. Jon's nose was bleeding, he struggled with the decision to keep going or help. The other kids were coming and he had to decide. He grunted as he lifted Jon up and checked, his nose would be fine so he took off almost letting Jon fall again but after only a moment Jon was running again as well. Alex was getting tired as he round the corner towards the road that would take him back to the temple.
People were gathered along the roads cheering their for favorite. He felt Jon creeping closer again and the others weren't far behind. He gritted his teeth pushing his legs to go faster and he pulled ahead again but not by much. His lungs felt like they were about to burst but his hope grew that maybe he would be chosen, he just had to win at everything. The hill up to the temple was steep and he hoped he had enough energy to make it. He pushed up it and felt his legs beginning to go numb. He slowed to e trot but to his luck so did Jon who was right beside him now, both of them were breathing heavy and when Alex looked back some of the kids had given up and some were walking up the hill heaving just as hard.
The end came into sight and Alex was ready to fall over. He glanced at Jon who didn't look much better, he swallowed hard and determined to win, started to pick up speed. Jon who was not going to be out done by him did too and the race was on. His lungs felt like they were about to explode when he crossed the finish line. He was so tired he didn't even know if he won when he fell to the ground and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. He looked over and Jon was on the ground as well. The Clerics came and helped the boys up giving them drinks and cool cloths to put on their necks.
They both looked at the High Priest for him to tell them who won, as the rest of the pack came in. All grunting and sighing form exhaustion. "The winner of the first level is... Alex Draconis!" The cheers erupted from the exhausted kids and Alex scratched his cheek smiling form ear to ear.
Jon glared at him but he didn't care. He won the first challenge and now he was going to win the second. They were told to return the next morning to begin the second challenge and Alex ran home with a new burst of energy to tell his family.
"No way!" Hi sister yelled hugging him, he squirmed to break her grip.
"Uk..get off sis." He yelled.
His mother came in and pulled them apart. "Alright Aura that's enough." Then she looked at Alex. "I'm proud of you." Then she hugged him and he frowned.
"Come on mom. I'm not a kid anymore I'm seven you know." He smiled when she let him go. "You should've seen Jon's face, he was so mad." He laughed.
"Alex, it's not nice to gloat. Besides this was the easy test." His mother turned around to get something from the cupboard. "Tomorrow's test will be harder and very dangerous. At least five are killed every time they hold these challenges." She sounded worried but there was no higher honor than to even be selected to take the challenges.
"I know mom but I'm ready...you don't have to worry. “When she turned around she was smiling holding a book. He knew whose it was. His older brother who died in the challenges ten years ago before he was even born. Here he was now in the same situation, winning the race and moving on to the second challenge.
"This will help you. It's a book of poisons and animals. It will help you to know your surroundings. He nodded and took it, but he already knew everything he needed to know. In fact he was helping Josh with it. He always picked up on things quickly no matter what it was and even though he didn't hope for much like being chosen to become a Guardian; it was what he wanted more than anything. If it meant the he had to win every challenge so they had no choice but to choose him, then that's what he would do.
"Thanks mom. I'm going upstairs to study and rest up for tomorrow." He said then ran up the steps.
"I'll call you when dinner is done!" His mother called before he shut his door.
By the time supper was ready he was awake and reading the book his mother gave him. He didn't really need to but since it was his brother's he felt like he should.
He looked up when his mother called and ran down to see a large meal of potatoes and roast with green beans and palmettos with grapes and paprika covered pork strips.
"Wow, mom you've outdone yourself." He commented sitting down looking at everything.
His mother smiled. "I didn't do it all you know your sister helped."
He made a strangling noise and she threw a grape at him. "You little jerk!"
He only laughed and they ate. He loved his sister enough to torment her as much as possible. The thought of being chosen only made him want to do it more since if he was, he wouldn't see his family for ten years as he went through training.
After supper he sat by the fireplace as his mother told him stories about his brother. His sister sat on the floor holding her knees to her chest, she hated when their mother talked about him; after all he was her twin. It was especially hard on her when he died. He sometimes wished he had known his brother, the way his mother talked about him, he knew he would've like him.
"Alright it's getting late off to bed with you. You have a big day tomorrow." Hi smother shooed him off to bed and he fell asleep fast thinking of the next day. He wasn't afraid, he was never afraid.