Chapter 6
I have no idea how we’re going to stop this thing.
But as we continue to run, I know we’re going to have to do something.
Kaldar might be in amazing shape, but I can only run for so long.
Already, I feel my pace slowing. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to keep going.
I’m not exhausted yet, but I don’t want to get to that point.
My mind races. No matter which way we go, it follows us, no matter how many times we cross it or double back.
We run past a huge tree, and an idea takes shape in my mind.
“We should double back and climb that huge tree,” I yell to Kal over the rumbling of the ground.
“It will just divide the tree in half,” he yells back. “And then we’ll fall in.”
“Not necessarily. If the tree is strong enough, it will stay together, even if the ground disappears beneath it. When the ground disappears, the two sides should push against each other to keep the tree standing. If we stay far enough up the tree, we should be safe. We can at least catch our breath and make a plan.” He’s quiet behind me as we run, and I wonder if he’s considering it.
“Okay. I’ll follow you back to the tree.”
My gut tightens. In theory it’s a good plan, but anything could happen. But just running forever isn’t an option, so we have to try something. “Ready? Go.” I spin around and race the other direction, back to the huge tree.
“I hope you’re a fast climber,” he says from right behind me.
I didn’t use to be, but we spent enough time in the trees for trial two that I’ll be okay.
The hardest part will be getting up onto that first branch.
Hopefully, it’s low enough for me to reach.
My heart thuds in my chest as the tree comes into view.
Shoot. It’s a high first branch. Good thing Kaldar’s tall.
“I’m going to need a boost,” I call over my shoulder to him. “It’s too tall for me.”
We’re almost to the tree, and I know we don’t have any margin for error.
It’s going to be close. My heart thunders in my chest. Kal grabs me on either side of my waist and all but throws me up at the branch.
I reach out and latch on and hoist myself up.
Without wasting any time, I climb to the second branch, so he has room to climb up.
“Are you up?” I call out, even as I climb faster.
“Yes. Go!" I focus on getting as high as I can before the divide hits us. I feel it coming. The entire tree starts to shake. “Hold on!” Kal shouts right as the tree begins to vibrate beneath us. I wrap myself around the tree branch and regret every part of this decision. I hadn’t factored into the equation how difficult it would be to hang on to a tree that’s moving.
I wrap my arms tighter around the branch I’m lying on.
The tree shakes harder now, like it’s trying to dispel us.
To my horror, I feel my body start to slide sideways.
The shaking is going to loose me from the tree.
I try to get a better grip, but it’s not working.
I tighten my legs around the branch and will myself to hang on just a little bit longer.
I hear a loud crack, and my panic grows.
“Hold on!” Kal shouts from somewhere below me.
“Why me?” I call out to no one in particular, but I tighten my grip, even though it’s a losing battle.
There’s another loud crack, and I hear Kaldar shout something.
But I can’t hear anything over the sound of what I’m pretty sure is the tree splitting in two.
The branch I’m on shakes violently, and it’s all I can do to hang on.
Suddenly, everything goes still and quiet.
There’s a ringing in my ears, but everything is quiet.
I lift my head slowly and look down. “It worked.” My words are a whisper, but in the silence, they’re deafening.
“It worked,” Kal repeats. There’s a huge divide right under the middle of the tree.
The ground beneath the tree is gone. The divide extends right up the tree, as if someone just cleaved it in half.
But then a few feet below Kaldar, the two sides of the tree rest against each other.
The two sides of the tree are pushing against each other, keeping it standing.
I sit up and wipe my forehead. “Who knows how long it will hold? We need to get down.”
“What if the ground splits again?” I ask, not ready to leave the relative safety of the tree.
“It won’t. That’s one thing I know about the Rites. Once you pass a challenge or whatever it is, that same thing doesn’t come back into play again.”
I take in his words. “So, the ground splitting is done. Good to know.”
I watch as Kaldar stands up and tests the integrity of the branch below him. He climbs down two branches and then realizes I’m not following. “You can’t stay in the tree.”
“I know. I’m just trying to convince my muscles to let go.
” He stands there a moment watching me, but I wave him on.
“Go ahead. I’m coming.” As soon as his back is turned, I push myself into a sitting position.
My cramped muscles scream at me, but I force them to work.
I manage to stand on shaky legs and begin the process of climbing down.
I forget how much harder it is to climb down than up, especially on shaky legs. I take it a branch at a time.
“I’m down,” I hear him call out to me, but I stay focused on my task.
I’m only a few branches from the bottom when I hear a sound I really don’t want to hear right now.
I freeze at the loud crack that reverberates through the trees.
The tree branch I’m currently standing on suddenly disappears beneath my feet, and I’m falling.
I hear his shout as I try to grab at branches, but I can’t get ahold of anything.
And then the ground is rushing up at me.
I’m not going to be able to stop. The world tumbles upside down and all around, and then a hand grabs mine.
I jerk to a stop. It takes me a moment to realize I am hanging in the ravine.
Then I’m yanked upwards. I stumble away from the edge and bend over, trying to catch my breath and slow my breathing.
“Are you okay? Did you injure anything in your fall?”
I push myself to an upright position and look at Kaldar. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
“If you’re okay, we need to get away from this tree. It’s not stable.”
I follow him, feeling numb. I can’t even begin to process everything that’s happened in the last few minutes.
I have a feeling once my adrenaline fades, I’m going to be in pain.
But for right now, I’ll use that adrenaline to keep moving.
“So, is this place real? Because how was the ground splitting following us?”
Kaldar uses his sword to cut a path for us. “Everything here is real. The trees are real; animals are real and can hurt us. But this place doesn’t exist outside of the Spirit Rites. It’s the magic of our people that creates these places.”
I suddenly want to know everything I need to know to survive. “So, tell me honestly. How long could we be here?”
“My Spirit Rites was only six days.”
I resist the urge to groan out loud. “That’s a long time to stay alive.”
“The longest Spirit Rites to date was eighty-four days.”
I nearly stumble. “Eighty-four days! Please tell me that’s not going to happen to us.”
He looks over his shoulder at me. “We won’t be in here that long. We will complete the challenges they give us and prove ourselves and then get out of here.”
“Ourselves? I thought this trial was for me to prove myself.”
“We will complete the challenges and then get out of here. Together.”
I’m not sure if he’s trying to convince himself or me, but I don’t say anything. The further we get from the tree and the torn-apart ground, the more my body starts to ache. But I try not to think about it. “How good are you at foraging for food?” He calls out after a while of walking.
“I have no idea what to even look for in here, but I’m good at making a meal out of practically nothing if that helps.” He glances over his shoulder at me again.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, a byproduct of living in the banished community.”
He stops and wipes his forehead with his hand. It does nothing to stop the sweat dripping down into his face. “It’s going to get really thick; watch out for snakes.”
I groan. “Why is it always snakes?”
“Not a fan, I take it.”
“I hate snakes.”
“Well, can’t say that they’re my favorite either,” he says as he turns back to the thick underbrush.
“I have no idea which ones will be poisonous, so just be careful.” He starts forward, and I watch him go and try to get up the nerve to follow him in.
When he sees I'm not following, he turns back. “Are you coming?”
I wipe the sweat off my own face. “I’m trying.”
He comes back towards me. “Is it the snakes?”
“You have to understand. I am terrified of snakes. Terrified.” He grimaces and looks away. I watch him closely, and I just know. “You have lots of snakes in the Jaguar Kingdom, don’t you?”
He turns back, and his bright green eyes meet mine. “I’m not going to answer that yet. Let's keep moving.” He glances at the underbrush and then at me. “Do you want to ride on my back, so you don’t step on anything.” I laugh out loud. “What?”
“I am not going to make you carry all my weight. Besides, it’s a thousand degrees.”
He frowns. “All your weight? You make it sound like it’s a lot.”
“Well, it’s certainly not nothing; and I’m not going to do that to you, especially in this heat. I’ll be brave in a moment. It will come.”
Kaldar studies me. “Will it?”
I frown. “Yes.” And then I see his slight smile.
My heart speeds up, and I want to roll my eyes at myself.
This is not the time, traitorous heart. We are focused on not dying.
Something rustles in the trees behind us, and it’s officially time to move.
“Let’s go.” Something growls, and now, I’m shoving Kaldar forward.
He cuts down anything in front of us, and I join in, using the knife he gave me. Another growl sounds, closer this time.
Kaldar pushes me forward. “Stay in front of me.”
I push forward, but it’s nearly impossible.
We have to cut down everything in our path to be able to move.
The thing following us doesn’t seem to be having any such problems. I’ve been focused on moving forward, but when I glance back, a scream lodges in my throat.
I have no idea what that creature is, but it’s terrifying.
It’s huge and has more sharp and jagged teeth than any one creature should have. “Go, Kinsley!”
Kaldar’s shout gets me moving once again.
Snakes forgotten, I charge through the underbrush, trying to cut our way through.
I hear a rattling sound that makes my blood run cold.
I have no idea what it is, but it sounds terrifying.
I glance behind me and watch as it darts out a wicked long tongue.
I have no idea what will happen if it touches Kaldar, but I have a feeling it’s nothing good.
It reaches out his disgusting tongue towards him, and I don’t think.
I run towards it and swipe at its tongue.