The Emerging Part I: Dream

The Pentad awakens with light piercing through their eyelids. They slowly rise from their beds and don their cloth clothes and leather armor. They all stare at one another as to what could have awoken them so violently so early. They glance at the windows above them to witness the sun’s rays shining down upon them. They each curse and sprint out of their bed chambers to meet Rhino at the Benches.

They nearly collide with numerous Rniti on their way to the Benches. They tear past Firose and two other Rniti, the wind of their sprint causing the three older Rniti to stumble away.

“I wonder where they are off to in such a hurry?” one of the male Rniti with Firose asks.

Firose smirks, “Oh, Oukton, do you not remember when we were Ummkoniyos and had Rhino instructing us?”

Oukton stares at Firose when the other male Rniti answers, “We had to run the Edge, and every time Rhino became enraged, we had to run another. Those three runs were the most brutal exertion I have performed still.”

Oukton smirks at the other male, chuckles, “From what I remember, Jtoon, is that you lost quite a bit of extra packing around that middle as well.”

Jtoon feigns appearing appalled and the three walk away casually laughing.

The Pentad arrives at the Benches to see Rhino already steaming on the same bench as the day before. The Pentad gulps in unison as Rhino rises, turns, points, and commands, “Another. Go.”

The Pentad does not even groan as they sprint towards the starting sign of the Edge Run. The children persevere through yet another Edge Run, the sweat pouring off of their noses, ears, and bodies.

Rhino glances at the pathetic sight, gestures towards the food that he has arranged for the Pentad to consume, and asks, “Perhaps one of you can answer my question from yesterday?”

The Pentad, devouring the food laid out before them, suddenly freezes and stares at Rhino. Rhino observes the blank expressions upon the children’s faces and swears to himself.

“Very well,” Rhino begins, “after you have finished your meal, perhaps another Edge Run will jog your memory of the question I asked and an answer as well, though I fear that may be too much to expect.”

The Pentad groans in unison, but when Rhino glares at them, they each stifle their noises, rise from the lunch feast, and slowly take off on another Edge Run, even whilst their stomachs digest the food they have eaten.

They pass through the same brief forests, the same streams, and the same waterfall, where they each glance at one another in the same conclusion. Hawk states what they all are thinking, “This Edge Run is easier than the others, is it not?”

The others nod their head in absolute agreement. They smile at one another and continue with their Edge Run. They feel their sore muscles have loosened to the point they can enjoy the run, the benefits of the physical exertion already making themselves apparent.

Hawk sets a quick pace and finds that everyone is able to match his pace. Just as the sun begins to set into the horizon, the Pentad finishes their fifth Edge Run in two days. They pass the finish sign of the Edge Run in the same step and walk directly to the awaiting Rhino.

The dimming light casts an awkward glow on Rhino’s face as the Daijok inquires, “Perhaps now one of you has an answer to my question of yesterday?”

When the Pentad does not even attempt to answer, Rhino becomes enraged and nearly sends them on another Edge Run, but then Rhino observes the Pentad is in deep thought.

Smiling, Rhino says, “Pentad, it will be dark soon. Please enjoy yourselves at the Gallery. Enjoy a filling dinner and a fitful sleep.”

The Pentad nods their respect to Rhino and turn. Before the Pentad can even walk ten yards, Rhino’s voice echoes through the ground, “And in the morning, be prepared to perform another Edge Run.”

The Pentad freezes and turns to glance at Rhino but witness the Daijok disappearing in a flash of blue. The Pentad groans loudly to one another and hurries to the Gallery where the smell of stew and bread consumes their senses.

Uxxok watches as his prey moves through the darkening night. He stalks the man as his soundless shadow. He watches as the man strolls casually through the city. The man takes a turn to the right and disappears from sight.

Uxxok smiles thinking to himself, ‘Perhaps he finally realized someone was following him.’

Uxxok hides at the building and peeks around the corner. He sees the man still walking casually. Uxxok smiles.

The man suddenly stops in mid-step. He turns to his right and remains motionless.

Uxxok watches intently as minutes pass before the man moves yet again. He watches as the man walks towards the line of buildings and then disappears again. Uxxok swears to himself and moves quickly.

He approaches the spot where he last saw the man. He looks to his right and is puzzled when a solid wall greets him. He curses but moves forward. He observes the stone of the wall and something seems amiss to him. He begins pressing about randomly on the stone wall.

He finds nothing but a solid structure before him and curses again. He scoffs and makes his way to leave, racking his knuckles on the wall as he walks back to the main street.

Suddenly, the pitch of his racking knuckles changes and he stares at the wall before him. He taps the wall with his left hand, hears a faint hollow thud and then taps the wall with his right hand, hearing a deep, solid thud resonate back to him.

He smiles as he realizes the stone wall the man disappeared into is nothing more than a hidden door, but then frowns realizing he has no way of entering the portal. He shrugs, ‘I am sure my target is worth the wait,’ Uxxok thinks to himself.

Hawk, Santhemum, and Fox sit on one side of a massive table while Desert and Pork sit across from them. The Pentad eats to their fill of the delicious stew and bread and gaze at one another.

Fox rises from the table to help himself to a second serving, but when he walks back towards his friends, he slips on some spilled stew and sends his meal flying through the air.

He watches as time seems to slow. He watches as the stew flies directly on the head of a burly Jayyojjek. He watches as the Jayyojjek rises from the table and turns to glare directly at Fox.

Fox’s eyes widen in shock and sprints down the aisle to his friends where his frightened expression alone informs them of the urgency to leave. The Pentad leaves as one seeing the angered Jayyojjek snarling at them.