Entrance Exam (I)

Taking the lead on this my standing pad lights up when I do with a nice yellow color. Garthe and Halla follow my example and their pads light up the same color. A small line runs between each of them, creating what looks like a magic circle. The room gets warm, and a bright flash causes me close my eyes.

Suddenly I feel the heat, as though sun's rays beat down overhead. Opening my eyes, I look around and I see we are standing on a beach. Sand underfoot and the scent of salt in the air. We were standing just between an ocean and a crop of trees. Not knowing how far in they, go I take a deep breath. I wanted to take a moment to yell out and jump into the surf. I always loved the beach since I was young, but right now is not the time.

Halla and Garthe were instantly looking around at our surroundings. Halla ran over towards the trees, and I backed up to try and see anything behind. "Oh!" She exclaimed after climbing the tree,

I hurried over, "what do you see Halla?"

"Big mountain! Lots of Trees!"

Garthe smiled and nodded, putting his hand on my shoulder. "We should first try to locate anywhere that might be safer. We don't know what lies in wait around here or what our challenge even is. They stated it would all be clear when we made it here. Until then I say that we should head towards the mountain. As stealthy as we can. We should check out the sacks we got as well."

Going over towards where they were dropped, I grab the one with my number on it. It is plain and light, but they did say something about not emptying it. I reached my hand in and felt around. There is nothing here. I tried to think about what could be in here when I felt and grabbed a piece of paper. It was small and on one side it held a list while on the other side there stood the explanation of this test.

Hello and thank you for being here. Your group's test is of survival. In this world there are many dangers lurking. Time flows differently in this area so you will spend a week on this island. There are several safe points set up around the island, but your goal is not just to survive. On the third night each of your sacks will contain an item, a totem. To you all, they will count as 3 points each for a total of 9 points. Your group will need to have a minimum of 10 points to be able to pass. There are two other teams on this island. Each of their totems are worth 2 points. You need to hold out and gather them as best you can. You may use any means to get them. Yes, even lethal means are okay, just know that if you are within the school bounds and inside of the planes that we set up then death is but an experience. On the last day there will be an event and if you can survive that then your team will win 8 points. Good luck.

On the other side of the card read off the items in the back:

Inside you have quite a few items, once you take an item out of the bag you cannot put it back in. All you must do is think of the item and it will appear for you:

-              1 Antler from the Roe Deer

-              1 Pouch of berries and other Rations

-              1 Count of Flint and Steel

-              1 Survival knife

-              20 feet of Abacá Rope

-              1 Bow Drill

-              1 roll of filtrum

There was so little on the list I did not know what most of this could be used for. I needed to think about this further.

I decided to read aloud what the note said and the other two pulled out a note like my own. Halla's stated that it had a bucket and a net in it instead of an antler and a bow Drill. Adversely, Garthe's said he had a mortar and pestle along with a 20-foot canvas tarp.

"For survival, the first step is finding some drinking water, a safe place to camp, and a source of food." My thoughts were coming out to the others now.

Halla nodded, "I can be the one to help with food and water, I know the forests. Rivers hold fish. I have a net and bucket."

"Good, I want to go with Garthe up the mountain first. Let's go together Halla." She seemed a little saddened at first, but the thought of separating when this is about survival on the first day is more important. She ended up nodding.

We set off right away for the mountain in what should be the center of this island. The salt heavy in the air made our mouths dry faster than they should. There were sounds of bugs and other game life throughout the woods around. Birds calling back and forth filled the time as we continued further in. A large noise sounded off to our right. Garthe went into a forward stance grabbing at his necklace. A small animal jumped out of the brush only to freeze. It was a rabbit that had small coloration on it, light green splotches over its fur like it was dyed in camouflage. It took off as soon as Garthe started to release his hand.

"I am extra jumpy right now. The thought of just surviving in this against six other folks is plain crazy." He shook his head before heading towards the front. "Halla, you seem light on your feet, you want to scout ahead?"

"Oh, yes, that would be great, I will go and check for signs." What sort of signs would she look for? We didn't find out; she just took off right after her statement.

Garthe's tone was a little deeper now that he was on edge while we continued. "Taki, look, there is a little something I can do. I know we need to talk about all our strengths and weaknesses before we can really look and act like a team. At least for the most part. Back there," he pointed back where we came, "my family has a bloodline trait, similar to magic. You see these on my choker?"

He pulls his necklace up for me to see stopping for just a second. There were three charms all together. There was a pickaxe, a hammer, and a sword. "As long as we make it ourselves, we can condense something into this small piece you see. I can make all these tools grow to be their real counterparts. I can only choose one of them and only once a day right now. I am working on that, but that is what I've got."

I open my mouth and just stand there speechless. "W-wow, just wow. I never would have thought such a thing could happen till earlier. You're going to have to show me sometime, but best keep it for now and help me find some good tree limbs on the way.

"We need to figure out exactly where we want to set up a camp. Your note stated you have a canvas sheet, right? Well, we can use that and my rope to create something, maybe a tent using some trees around. We should try to find some steady long rocks that we can make a spearhead with." I was just rambling on with some small bits of memories flashing back from my world.

"You want to try to make a stone spear?" He raised his eyebrow in question.

"Yes and no, I want it long enough to get multiple edges, but I want it to be able to take abuse. Used for chopping small sticks and tree branches, Able to withstand the force of carving through the ground with it. Humans have some ingenuity."

"Yes, they do, but what brought them up?"

"Well, I mean come on, there's you, Halla, and then there is me. Just look at me." Spins on my heels to open my arms to gesture to all of me. Garthe just holds together a stare of disbelief.

"I don't mean to be such a stickler about racial identity, but what are you talking about?"

Just as confused he looked; I was about to reply when Halla burst through the brush right next to us. I think I jumped a good three feet from the ground. Garthe grabbed at his chest and just took a few steps back.

"What's wrong with you two, you may as well have seen a Flrauelian Beast?"

"A what?!" My eyebrow lifts in question. 

"Just this large beast. Teeth the size of a femur, as sharp as a fine blade, and it stands around 7-feet tall." Halla used her arms to describe the length of the beast. Jumping up to show the height. "We should hope they are not native here."

"Let's hope not to meet any of those. Ever." Garthe says with a light chuckle before looking at her with a gesture to forward, "so what did you find up ahead?"

She squinted her eyes before hitting her head. "No, no, I know this." She turned around and around. "I forgot. Wait! I saw a clearing nearby this pond. The water seems okay, if not rich. But it has a few weird markings around it. No fauna went within the boundaries from what I saw. It is around a 10 minute walk off towards the west." She pointed off towards our right.

"Huh so that means we are in the northern part of the island heading south." Looking around and then holding my chin in my hand as I think, "Halla I want you to first lead us to this clearing and stay just up ahead of us. While we head there, we need to keep an eye out for any food. Berries, fruits, vegetables, small game. Anything that we can gather up later. Let's move."

Without much talk after Halla led us straight to this quaint spot. Just as she said there were weird runes glowing a light reddish hue. surrounding the pond, leading up a little way into a clearing large enough for ten people. The water had another set of runes. These runes a light white color underneath the red clear water.  There were plenty of fish and around the clearing we could see a few bushes with small purple berries.

"Okay, first let's try and set up a camp in time." I say dropping some branches from fallen or dead branches here and there. Garthe nodded doing the same. He took out the canvas and I started to form a plan. "I think we can survive, no problem. We can think about the others tomorrow." The others nodded with smiles on their faces.