Kira let the trespass go, knowing being locked in the room while things were happening was difficult for her friend.
"I wonder why we didn't see these in Luatha." Kira glanced around. No one else seemed surprised or uneasy, which meant archways that enabled you to cross a large distance with one step were fairly accepted.
Finn's blank expression caught her attention.
Ah. They probably did. They simply hadn't shown them to Kira or the rest of the humans. Probably considered them too much of a security risk. She couldn't blame them for that.
The other initiates headed toward where Wren had taken up a position at the base of the towering monolith. He gestured at the surface behind him. "All of you failed to scale the wall during the Trek of the Weary. You will remedy that lack now. How you reach the top is up to you." He pointed at the trees. "For those who fail or whosekiisn't strong enough, we've set up nets. They'll catch you should you fall.”
For the first time, he smiled, the expression hard and unyielding. “Let me be clear—you won’t progress until you have passed this stage."
The pale, nearly invisible nets Wren pointed at weren't made of any material Kira recognized. They hummed with a nearly inaudible sound, beams of energy the likes of which Kira had never seen crossing and threading in and over one another.
"You may begin now," Wren said, stepping to the side.
Devon was one of the few who didn't hesitate, charging the wall without question. Much like he had during the trek, he leapt, his feet sticking to the stone as he ran up it. His fellow initiates followed; each person's technique slightly different.
Raider whistled. "I wonder what the purpose behind this is?"
It could be anything from testing their manipulation ofki, to increasing their stamina, to building their problem-solving skills. For all they knew, the task was designed to keep people like Kira and Raider from completing it.
"Does it matter?" Kira asked.
If Wren said they needed to reach the top, that's what they'd do.
"Suppose not, but it does make me curious," Raider said, looking up.
Aeron stood off to the side, shooting glances at them as he rubbed his hands on his thighs. He was one of those who'd taken the stair option during the trek pretty early on. He hadn't even made it twenty feet off the ground before having to switch. This task, no doubt, seemed monumental to him.
"Are you going to try the climb?" he asked them.
"Why wouldn't we?" Raider fixed him with a hard stare.
Aeron shifted in discomfort. "You can't manipulate your soul’s breath."
Raider scoffed at his words. "Humans can't do a lot of things. That's why we find ways to modify the world around us. It might take a try or two, but I'll make it to the top."
"Too bad Blue's not here," Kira said. The other woman would likely already have jury-rigged a device that would make this task a simple one.
"It'd certainly be a lot easier," Raider agreed.
They shared a look.
That was probably the reason Blue was in the other group—so they couldn’t cheat.
Kira followed as Raider started for the monolith.
Wren stepped into her path, blocking her. Raider paused, shooting her a look. She waved him on.
"Not you," Wren said.
Kira blinked, then blinked again, her head tilting.
Wren pointed to the forest behind her. "Your task is different."
Kira glanced between the forest and the monolith, confused.
Impatience crossed Wren's face."Your bout with Graydon, while ill-advised, made one thing clear. Your endurance is lacking. Your strength is lacking. Manipulatingkitakes both. Until you've built them up, you will run."
