Chapter IIII

Demulceo, The Entrance

August 4, 23XX

Pyra jerked awake, gasping for breath for a moment before stifling himself. He looked around: he was still in the hammock that he had strung up, but it seemed to be around midday now. Had he really slept that long? Had he really been up here this long without being noticed? He didn't see anyone nearby. Haw many of the other Cadets were still out there? He tapped his badge, 13:22 materializing in blue before him for a moment. He rubbed his forehead, still bewildered that he had slept so long and gone unnoticed. He climbed out of the hammock, detaching it from the branches and slipping it back into his rucksack, trading it for his climbing rope. After slinging the rucksack back over his shoulders, he wrapped the rope around the tree and made his descent as quickly and as quietly as he could.

Once his hooves were back on solid ground, Pyra surveyed his surroundings again. Not seeing or hearing anyone nearby, he unzipped his trousers and released his formidable member, relieving his very full bladder on the tree he had just climbed down. He winced slightly at the seemingly loud sound of his powerful stream of urine hitting the bark, willing it to be quieter. There was a rustling sound behind the Horse. Startled, he whipped around, ready to defend himself.

"Oy mate, watch where you're aiming!" said Serge in a hushed, yet annoyed tone as Pyra soaked the Seal from the knees down.

"Sorry," said the Horse, quickly wresting control of his errant tool and finishing his business before returning it to his trousers.

"Well I see you made it frough the night."

"Er... yeah. Did everyone else?"

"I know they got Crescent. We 'ad a row an 'e stormed off and... well 'e's gotta lot of fight in 'im, so I'm sure 'e did some damage. As for the uvers, I dunno but no one's seen you since we all came out 'ere. Where were you 'iding?"

"I wasn't hiding really. I just set up a hammock at the top of this tree."

"That's... brilliant."

"Er... thanks... I guess. So what now?"

"Well we've still got eight hours out 'ere. There's three of them and at least two of us... maybe we should see if we can find any uvers and stick togever?" Pyra nodded and they started walking quietly through the forest. The Horse's ears stood pert atop his head, scanning their surroundings for sounds not belonging to them. A gentle breeze blew through the treetops, rustling the canopy overhead. The forest seemed strange to Pyra, almost as if it were unnatural. Not in the same way as the Institute was unnatural, but similar. Something seemed unreal or off-putting, but the Horse couldn't figure out what. He shook his head and tapped on his badge to check the time: 13:30. Pyra bumped into Serge, whom had stopped walking for some reason. The Seal seemed to be staring intently at the ground, not moving at all. Pyra craned his neck, trying to see what Serge was looking at. There wasn't anything there.

Then Pyra noticed that the Seal's eyes were shut tight. He was listening. There was a rustling to the pair's 2:00. Serge's eyes snapped open, pushing Pyra back behind him with one arm as he spread his legs and shifted his center of gravity downward. The Grizzly hunter came barreling through the trees, roaring ferociously before lunging at Serge. Their arms locked, the Seal sliding back a little from the force. Serge twisted slightly, bringing the Bear to the ground. The animosity was palpable, both Animals glaring and snarling as they each tried to gain and keep the upper hand. A soft beeping sound rang out, the ferocity of the grappling pair ceasing instantly. The Grizzly pushed Serge off of him and stormed off, disappearing back into the trees.

"Are you alright?" asked Pyra, helping the Seal up. He didn't look wounded, although his uniform jacket was only half-clinging to his body, as was his shirt.

"I'm fine. Not the first time I've tangled wiv 'im. 'E's definitely the worst of 'em though." Serge looked at his tattered uniform in disgust before tearing the jacket and shirt from his body. He had a few bruises on his chest, and a patch of what looked like dried blood on his left side.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"What, this? I've gotten worse than this from Crescent." A worried look spread across the Seal's face for a moment when he thought about the Ermine. "Anyway, be ready for the next attack. Now'at 'e knows where you are, you can bet 'e'll be after you now." Pyra nodded solemnly. He reached back into his rucksack and pulled out a bottle of water, taking a long draught from it. He handed the bottle to Serge, who drank from it as well, then poured a little on his face before returning it to the Horse.

"Let's move," said Serge. "There's a kind of clearing off in this direction. It's not very defensible, but we can see them coming." The pair started walking off again, moving quietly through the underbrush. Serge seemed less than his normally smarmy and confident self. Pyra wasn't sure, but he thought it must have something to do with Crescent. They seemed really close. Definitely more than friends, given what he has seen in the Debello the first time they decided to test the Horse's combat skills, but the Horse wasn't sure what to call it. Pyra tapped his badge to check the time again: 13:59.

"We'll 'ave to face them 'ere," said Serge. "Be ready." Pyra took the rucksack from his back and leaned it against a nearby tree. His eyes darted around the forest surrounding them, searching for any signs of movement. The seconds seemed to stretch infinitely, then suddenly a great roar shook the nearby trees as the Grizzly came stampeding forward towards the Seal again. Like before, Serge moved Pyra back so that he could engage the Bear alone. The Horse watched as the two larger Animals battled each other, unaware of anything else. Suddenly however, he felt a cold chill run down his spine. He whipped around, coming face to face with the Zebra hunter. The Zebra smiled wickedly before delivering a sharp uppercut to the Horse's solar plexus, winding him and causing him to double over in pain.

He didn't have a chance to retaliate before the Zebra was on top of him, beating him mercilessly. Time seemed to grind to a halt as the Zebra punched and jabbed the Horse's face and torso. Then, as if by some stroke of divine providence, a low tone rang out, signaling the cessation of the brutal minute. The Zebra stood, looking down at the Horse with disgust, before snatching the flag from him and walking off.

"Pyra, are you okay?!" asked Serge, running over to the Horse's broken and battered body. He tapped on the Horse's badge. "Commander Nero, Pyra's 'urt bad. I don' fink 'e could make it back to base on 'is own."

"Understood Cadet Bowspirit," came the Lion's voice through the comm badge. "Since I see he's lost his flag, the hunters will leave him alone. There's nothing else in the forest that can hurt him, I'll dispatch healers and they're get to him soon. You continue with the examination."

"Understood sir." The Seal gave the Horse a pained look before walking off through the trees. The Horse's mind began to wander. There was nothing else that could hurt him. There were no animals. That's why the forest had seemed so unnatural. It was with this thought that Pyra faded from consciousness, the world around him swimming into nothing.

"He's fine. It's mostly exhaustion," came a voice from the darkness. Pyra didn't recognise it. He looked around, trying to find its source or see where he was, but the shadows clung to everything. Nothing was visible.

"I'm still concerned about his injuries," said another voice. This one the Horse recognised, but he couldn't place it with a person. "I've seen Cadets come back with some fairly severe injuries, but never has anyone... what happened out there?"

"One of the hunters got a little carried away, nothing more," came a third voice. It sent a slight chill down the Horse's spine, so it must belong to Commander Redgard.

"I see, "said the familiar voice. "Perhaps you should discuss unnecessary roughness with him."

"How the Combatants are trained and disciplined is my concern, not yours," said Redgard.

"Understood sir." Pyra heard a door slide open and closed.

"Sir, all due respect but, what's his problem?" said the unfamiliar voice.

"He's just very protective of his fighters. Sometimes I think it may cloud his judgment, but he has his reasons I suppose. You can go Brutus, I'll wrap up here."

"Yes sir." The sound of the door opening and closing could be heard again. A bright blue-white light invaded the darkness, along with a strange ethereal hum. They both faded away, a different light coming into view.

"It's... bright...," said the Horse, his voice sounding far away.

"Just relax Pyra. Computer, reduce light levels by 30%." The brightness began to fade, but flared up blue-white again, along with that hum, then both faded away. "How do you feel?"

"I... what happened?" asked the Horse, his voice back in his mouth once more. A room was coming into view: sterile white walls and ceiling, a panel directly overhead casting light onto the Horse's lying body. Based on how far off the ground it seemed like he was, he assumed he must be on a table. The Tiger who had given Pyra his name was standing next to him, looking him over.

"You had some pretty severe injuries and lost consciousness. There won't be any lasting damage, though you will have those bruises for a while."

"Injuries...? That Zebra.... Wait... why are there no animals in the forest?" The Tiger laughed.

"Inquisitive as ever. The animals all left that forest long ago, migrated north. Now what's this about a Zebra?"

"One of the hunters... didn't see him coming... kept hitting me... I-I couldn't stop him... couldn't stop him...." Above the Horse, words in red appeared in the air: Cardiac Rising.

"It's okay, just relax. You're fine now." The words vanished as Pyra took several deep breaths. "You're going to be fine. Try not to worry too much. Now, you may be sore for a few days, and like I said, you are a little bruised, but those will all go away. It's almost 21:30, I'm sure you could use a decent meal. Why don't you go to the canteen, get something to eat, and just relax for the rest of the night?" The Tiger helped the Horse to sit up, then down off the table.

"I'll do that, thank you."

"I think Rock is tending bar tonight," said Irvine, escorting the Horse from the examination room and down the hall towards the lobby. "He mixes a superb Grasshopper, you should have one. That's an order." Irvine smiled.

"I will. Thanks again."

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me." He watched as the Horse walked out into the night air and started down the quad towards the Conscientia. He got an idea. Heading down the opposite hall, he stopped in front of an office door, pressing the chime.

"Enter," came a voice from beyond the door. The door slid open, revealing Weir sitting at his desk in his maddeningly white office, reviewing the files of the day's new arrivals.

"Working late?"

"Almost finished, sir, just a few more to go over."

"Have you even eaten?"

"No. Why? What's the time?" Irvine laughed and smiled.

"Those files will still be there tomorrow. Go, now, before I call Brutus. Go get something to eat. You need your strength."

"Yes sir." Weir set down his tablet, stretched his legs, then stood, walking towards the door. "What's with that smirk?"

"Just go!" said Irvine in a faux exasperated tone.

"Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going," replied Weir, raising his hands in surrender. "Have a good night sir."

"You too." The Otter walked down the hall to the lobby, then out into the night, unknowingly following the tracks of the Horse. Irvine took a step outside to watch the Otter walking towards the Conscientia and smiled to himself. A laugh escaped his lips as he walked back inside, tail flicking happily.

Weir pulled his lab coat closer as a sudden gust blew in from the ocean, but it didn't defend from the chill. Why had Irvine wanted him to leave so suddenly? He had never acted like that before. He seemed unusually, what was it... proud of himself? What was that about? When he stepped into the dimly lit canteen, however, he got his answer. Halfway across the room, sitting alone at the bar was the Horse Pyra. He looked upset and beat up, eating all alone. The Otter's stomach suddenly tightened up. He wanted to just turn and run, but no, he wasn't going to do that. He squeezed his fists, took a deep breath, and walked up to the bar.

"H-hey Pyra. How are you?" asked Weir, standing unnaturally stiff. The Horse's heart skipped a beat when he looked up. He quickly refocused his attention on his meal, trying to hide his suddenly knotted tongue.

"I'm okay," he said. "You?"

"I'm okay." The Otter sat on the stool next to the Horse's. A Rhino wearing a neatly pressed white shirt, black trousers, and a black vest walked over, placing a small napkin at Weir's place at the glowing bar, a glass of water materialising on top of it.

"Hey Weir! How's Irvine tonight?" he asked, his joviality in contrast to his intimidating stature.

"He's doing fine Rock."

"Good to hear, good to hear. The usual?"

"Er... no, I think just Scotch and water tonight, and I think something to eat."

"Right away." The Rhino moved the glass of water to the side and tapped twice on the bar, a window displaying a menu appearing.

"Prawns with leeks please."

"Right away." The menu closed, Rock walking away to fetch the Otter's order.

"So... you didn't pass the exam then?"

"...No, I didn't. What gave it away?" asked Pyra, getting defensive.

"I'm sorry I-I didn't mean it that way I.... Hm.... So... er... what happened?"

"I was caught by one of the hunters. He beat me and took my flag."

"I see...."

"Here you are Weir," said Rock, placing a plate of steamed prawns and leeks and a glass of Scotch and water before the Otter.

"Thanks." An awkward silence fell between the Horse and Otter. Pyra, annoyed with Weir for asking such obvious questions about his failure, Weir, kicking himself mentally for saying something idiotic. He wanted the Horse to like him, not despise him. The doors to the Canteen slid open, a raucous group coming in. Pyra looked over to see Serge and the Grizzly, arms over each other's shoulders like they were the best of mates, followed by Helios, the Badger hunter, Sam, and Crescent. It seemed only the Zebra was absent, much to the Horse's relief.

"'Ey Pyra! There you are! We've been looking for you," Serge shouted across the room. All of them seemed really happy.

"I've been in the Remedium," he said back.

"Oh, right. Sorry about that mate." They joined Pyra and Weir at the bar.

"I'm fine. No worries."

"Good on ya!"

"So, who passed?"

"Jus' me 'n 'elios."

"What about the rest of us?"

"We'll be able to retake the exam if we want," said Samael, "but we have to go through the course again as well."

"Okay. You don't seem too upset."

"I am disappointed, yes, but this is their night. We'll get it next time." Pyra tried to smile but his heart just wasn't in it.

"I'm going to call it a night," he said, getting to his hooves.

"Oh you're leavin'? But the party's jus' getting' started!" said Serge.

"'Fraid so. I'll see you all later." Pyra walked out of the canteen, trying to hold back the angry tears that were fighting for release. Why was he feeling this way? Was he just upset that he hadn't passed the exam? Annoyed that the others were having such a good time while he had been so brutally defeated? Upset with Weir's comments? In the Otter's defense, he knew he hadn't meant it in a malicious way, but it still hurt. He clenched his fists, storming across the lawn towards the barracks. For a split second, the world seemed to jump to something else, like he was suddenly standing in the White Knight's chamber and then back outside again. He kept walking, sure the strange phenomenon was all in his head.

It happened again, suddenly standing in a darkened room filled with large empty cages, then back on the lawn. Suddenly back in the same room, this time in front of a very large cage that hadn't been there before, then in the barracks block C lobby. Suddenly back in that room, now with some strange silhouette of a creature in the large cage, then in the lift heading up to his floor. Suddenly back in that room, only this time he was in the cage as well, then standing in front of the door to his room.

He reeled slightly, like he had been hit in the face. He rubbed his temples gently, the door sliding open. He immediately walked over to the sink, splashing cold water on his face. He was just under stress, that was all. Nothing a good night's sleep wouldn't fix, and then everything would look better tomorrow. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, studying the flourishes of black and blue on his face. He gingerly pressed a finger to one of the larger spots, a dull pain resonating from it. He winced, then splashed more water on his face. Things would look better tomorrow.

Weir stared blankly at the Canteen doors as the Combatants partied around him. Why had Pyra gotten so upset with him? Well he knew why, and despite how silly it seemed to him, the Horse had been under duress. Why had he brought up the exam at all? He should have tried to empathize with the Horse. Hindsight is 20/20. The Otter finished his food and drink and went back to the Remedium. Things would look better tomorrow.

As he walked into his suite, he took off his lab coat, tossing it onto the armchair in the middle of the room. He walked over to the window, looking out across the quad. He could see Pyra also standing in his window, looking back, then his windows turned suddenly black. Weir sighed.

"Computer, windows." His own windows blacked out. He walked into the bedroom and fell face first onto his bed. "Computer, lights." The lights dimmed, then faded off altogether. Tomorrow would be better. It had to be.