When Life Gives You Wings

Rules

The next few weeks were ones of t*****e, pain, and some of it actually felt nice. Henri was pretty sure the pleasure was meant to be a break for those who couldn’t take it, but she was well aware the intentions were much worse. Many people had already unlocked their classes and no longer had to deal with initiation. That was about twenty five percent of the people left. There was a time when Henri thought she was going to die. It wasn’t the first initiation because that was child’s play compared to everything else. They had a free day in the castle to roam around and bandits snuck into the castle somehow. They turned out to be their family and friends that came to take them back. Some of them were shot and Henri saw her mother in the crowd. Amelia was running and then she wasn’t anymore. She was on the ground, blood pooling around her. That was the moment Henri thought she would die. It ended up being an illusion made by one of the Noble Foxes assigned for initiation. Apparently manipulation could be long-distance as well.

The very next day, Henri walked into the initiation room. Nobody was ready for it because nobody was ever ready for it. Chairs were scattered along the room and they were told to sit in them and to choose a chair. People were already seated beside chairs and they wore white coats and had tools behind them. Was it a Class check?

They sat down and they were all poked and prodded with needles. It didn’t hurt as much as the pain usually did and they were all relieved. The relief, however, was in vain because soon people were spasming on the floor and then not moving at all. Others did the same. Henri felt herself shivering. She waited but nothing happened. Then they were all told to leave, but the ones on the floor never got that privilege. 

Henri’s final initiation took place in a different room. They all had to step in a huge glass box and they all did so. Nobody had slept the night before, probably thinking about the needles. Poison, she thought. It had to be.

The large boxes filled three people at a time. Henri was trapped with two boys she didn’t know the names of. A tube came out of the inside of the box and jutted inside from some of the walls and other poles connected to other boxes. They heard the sounds of someone walking in. 

A man dressed in white robes laced with gold strided inside the large room. He held in his hand a large cane with a golden flame atop it. “Hello.” He said, “I am Pope Eres IV, chosen by the King himself to follow out this final initiation. If you do not awaken your gift, you will die today or you will die tomorrow. You’ll be sent out to the fields to work if you live without achievement. I am sorry to say this isn’t my choice. The King has ordered this of me and I am loyal to him completely. Good luck children and stay calm.” He flicked a switch on the wall and walked out the door. 

A rumbling sound rumbled through the walls and water started to gush through the pipes. Henri heard screams of the people trapped and felt hers rising as well. The first boxes of water filled first and Henri knew then that she wouldn’t make it. She had failed every test so far. There was nothing he could do here except clog the holes. The two guys in the same box as her were leaping at the clear walls. 

Henri yelled at the two boys to stop rushing at it and think. Instead of doing just that, they crumpled to the bottom of the box. “We’re never going to see our father again.” One of the boys said. The other one stared at Henri in pity. 

Remembering her mother as well, Henri leaned against a wall. There was no water in her box yet but she wasn't worried about it. Glancing over at the first box, she saw the second person, the little girl Ariel that Dave demonstrated his ability to breathe in the water and after about 30 seconds she stopped moving entirely. Then after every person in the first box was confirmed dead, they disappeared. Henri’s eyes widened, They disappeared? Suddenly they flickered back again and Henri realized this wasn’t real. It was much like the other time they used manipulation on her.

“Hey!” she yelled at everyone. Everyone looked at her in desperation hoping and wishing she had a viable plan, a good one to get them out of this mess, to take them home. Unfortunately, this plan of hers was going to sound crazy. “I need you to play dead. I promise it will work! Try to convince yourself it isn’t real!” Henri closed her eyes, praying she guessed right. Water began lapping at her feet and the water felt ice cold. SHe focused her mind away from the water. She’s in the training room. There’s no water. She’s not here. She’s not in this box. She was never in this box. SUddenly her eyes opened and she heard applause. 

The man who had introduced himself in the beginning of this final initiation congratulated her on completing initiation, and Henri couldn’t stop the involuntary tears. She felt a large bout of relief. She couldn’t believe she had finally made it and was overcome with joy. When she looked around her, she noticed a few other people laying on mats with their eyes closed. They, too, must be taking the same test she had. But something didn’t feel right. She looked up at the man who had originally introduced himself as Pope Eres IV. 

“Sir…” Henri cleared her throat. The pope smiled a large, wrinkly smile at her, eyes gleaming.

“Yes, miss Morgan?” He said in his low but pleased voice.

“How am I initiated? I don’t feel any different.” Henri studied her hands. Yes, she was right. She didn’t feel nor look different. 

“Bless you, child. You will be completely initiated along with everyone else later tomorrow afternoon.” Henri nodded her head to him once and he returned the favor before turning away, possibly to find anyone else who had woken.

She wondered how her mother was doing? She knew they parted ways on the wrong footing what with the guards keeping them apart after she met the lady Sandra. She knew Amelia was cuffed to a pole to keep her away. She knew she told her mother to play along and led her to believe she had a plan of escape. She knew that her mother was probably at home wishing her daughter hadn’t been so willing to go to the castle. But she also knew Amelia never wanted to talk about it. She knew that and faithfully kept her distance from the topic. Yet knowing that, Henri couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something important here. What had her mother not told her? 

The sound of another student waking up brought Henri out of her thoughts. It was the little girl Ariel. With a sigh of relief, the little girl broke into sobs. Henri was happy she made it through the test. Looking closely at the girl’s navel, she noticed something yellow. Henri’s eyes widened. How had she not noticed before? The girl was a sun. One of the only 7 Suns out of the 120 students chosen. She wondered how many of the 120 had actually survived, let alone passed. Henri still didn’t understand how she had beaten the test. She didn’t feel like she had unlocked some special power, so how did they know she had? What if they were wrong and she hadn’t? Or what if she had the butterfly power? It was terrifying not knowing what it is Henri could do. She knew Sam passed easily after the first week. She wished she had passed so quickly. The pain was horrible. It’s just something you never get used to. It never got better. Even with the poison sizzling through her veins or the guards attacking them all with rocks, bats, and all sorts of other objects and then the mental pain and the illusion of her mother plus the boxes filling with water illusion. It was all so dreadful.

The only people that passed this final test were Ariel and Henri. Everyone else had failed miserably and she knew they were going to be sent to the fields for the rest of their recently shortened lives. Perhaps the punishment was so severe because they didn’t want the outside world to know the castle secrets. Though, honestly, what secrets had they even learned here to have to endure such a penance? Was all of their efforts meaningless? What would the parents of these children think as they receive the knowledge that their child has passed? How would they explain that the reason their child died is because of a faulty system? Henri remembered when Dave had told them that the “system is sometimes wrong”. It didn’t matter whether or not they had actually learned castle secrets because that wasn’t the reason they were being sent off to die. A faulty system. An error is going to be the cause of so many deaths. She remembered the two boys who wished for their mother and felt her organs sink down into her bladder.

Hearing a sound from above her, Henri looked up. On the podium on the far wall stood Margarite along with all the others who had passed. Once again, the thought of the fate of those who failed knotted her stomach. The Pope stood on the sidelines, smiling pleasantly from above as if all of this were normal, as if it was all a game, as if the lives of those who failed were nothing and nonexistent in comparison to those of them that had actually managed to survive. Up on the stage stood roughly 41 people and with Ariel and Henri added to it, that made exactly 43. Less than half of them had actually passed the tests. 

Margarite smiled gently at us for the first time as if her cruel behavior was only to w**d out the weak, to find out who was truly worthy of her kindness. Henri did not smile back as she walked up onto that stage and was instructed to stand beside the others who had also made it through initiation. 

Margarite's grin broadened as she said to the silent competitors: "welcome to the next level. You've made it this far and for that I am impressed. As the first one to complete initiation, Temple, please come to the podium as the official representative of your class." 

As if this is a high school graduation or he's the class's valedictorian, Henri thought to herself. Surely the smiling people understood the sacrifices these "competitors" have made to get this far. Surely this is the worst it'll get. Surely the people lying on the floor had a chance at some future. Why weren't they all being congratulated? What made them so insignificant, so small? 

Standing up on the podium, Sam Temple takes a deep breath as if preparing himself in front of the vast, nonexistent crowd before releasing it with "I am not the only one who tried my best here." As if knowing they were going to be mentioned, many of the people standing onstage held their breath, Henri included. Maybe he would actually mention the people over here or the people already gone, but instead of saying something like that, the words that came out left Henri feeling empty. "My mom did, too. After all, she gave birth to me." With a sick smile that twisted her gut, Sam walked back toward the competitors as Margarite laughed and softly applauded as if she were his mother and had raised him to act in such a way. Surely this isn't appropriate. Surely he didn't look out at the silent "crowd" and wonder why there was no sound. Surely there was no way that she had heard that, seen that and thankfully Henri wasn't the only one baffled because the moment she scoffed and was about to do something she would probably regret, 42 other people spoke up in their outrage either because they were not recognized as his equal or that they were not recognized at all and a few others mentioned how he was insensitive to those who had already hurt themselves during initiation. Sam just shrugged with a small smile and the girl he was talking to last week walked up to him and took his arm. Sam shrugged her off, to Henri's surprise, when Margarite whistled for them to be quiet for a moment so she could speak.

Unfortunately, she had nothing worthwhile to say because she just handed control over to Dave who had only just walked in. Henri guessed the Second had not wanted to be here because he, too, felt remorse for those who would have no future left. After all, he seemed nice enough and hadn't treated any of them wrongly in any way, barely lifting a finger. He smiled and waved discreetly at Ariel who blushed and turned away. 

Dave coughed to clear his throat and turned toward the 43 people standing to the side, very unlike Margarite and Sam who had faced outside the stage as if there were some invisible being to receive their words of praise. Dave must be a realist or simply saner than the both of them because he spoke to them as if they were, indeed, his equals while also somehow keeping his distance as the teacher. Henri didn't quite know how to explain it but she knew that if she wanted anyone to teach her anything, it would be this man. He seemed very compassionate and kind. So far he'd been nothing but friendly and instructive just as a traditional teacher should be. In fact, the information he had given them had been helpful. The only exception to his kind demeanor was the simple fact that he so calmly left them at the mercy of the guards that first day of initiation and for that, Henri felt that he was capable of being just as cruel as everyone else. Either that or  he is perfectly capable of acting like it even if it may not be his true nature.

"Hello, everyone. I see there is significantly less of you here and for that, I am deeply sorry." Dave glanced down at the freshly waxed floor as if giving the dead and soon-to-be-dead a respectful moment of silence and for that, Henri couldn't help but greatly appreciate. It took about thirty or so seconds before he spoke again and by this point, the small crowd was shifting from foot-to-foot in anticipation. "However, this is only just the beginning. As I said before initiation, or some said, I forget if it was me or Mar, but as I said before, there will be a ranking system and the ranking starts right now. As the first one to pass, Temple takes first place. If it were up to me, the last person would get first place because they survived the longest, but I do not make the rules, so that is not how it is. With this in mind, the last ranked person is Ariel Meer. Here are your official ranks." Suddenly a projector turns on and a list appears on the screen. Indeed, first place belongs to Sam Temple and then is Jeff Snide, Rebecca Crummey, Ariana Smith, Zack Naut and it continues on until Henri sees her name second to last place and right beside it is a blue butterfly. Beside every name is a shape of something and beside Ariel's is a sun. 

Dave continues after everyone has reacted to their rank. Henri isn't sure how to feel about hers and she stands there, awaiting Dave's next words. "the last ranked ten people will be eliminated once a week. I know we said it would last months, but urgent matters have come up that require our full attention after the month is over." Dave's voice was calm as he kept going; "this does not mean that you final ten will be eliminated today. In fact, everyone here will become some form of nobility. Unfortunately, only the final twenty will get any lands, the second place will become a member of the royal court and first place will become royalty. Being given the title of nobility is an honor and comes with a small fortune. You all know what that means." 

Each competitor smiled at each other as if they had already won and had already planned on how they would spend their money. Henri didn't care very much as money was never a problem for her family. Then again, she'd never actually had to work and maybe now she just never would.

"Enough of that," Margarite said to Dave, "tell them the plan now." 

Without further ado, Dave spoke once again; "I guess I've got no other choice. Since it is a Wednesday, you get Thursday and Friday off to use however you wish. You can train your body, eat, sleep, or do whatever you want, we don't care as long as it is not against the law. Starting next Friday, eliminations will begin. The first week of class will begin on Saturday. Your schedule will be in your rooms, but first things first, we must unlock your Classes. Each of you will stand in line by the door and await you name. We will begin by rank and after that, you are free to go to the celebratory feast in the Great Hall." After a wry smile, Dave heads to a red side door and walks in. Sam follows and the line starts with Henri and Ariel at the end. 

The line of teenagers begins to talk among one another, none too quietly and Henri looks at the floor, feeling out of place once again. She still didn't understand what being a butterfly meant because not even the king had it. She was the only one here. There were only two suns here in total as well, Henri knew, and thinking this, she looked at Ariel, the girl who looked to be twelve or thirteen and was a few inches shorter than Henri herself. The young girl stood with her hands loosely held together and she looked around the room nervously. Henri noticed that she looked everywhere except toward people and it made Ariel seem like an outsider which Henri felt like she could relate to. 

Ariel lifted her small brown hands to her eyes and rubbed them. This reminded Henri of a small child just waking up and she smiled a little. What was someone like her doing here in a place like this? She had to be the youngest one here. How had she caught the King's attention? Henri knew it wasn't her leadership skills as the young girl had never said anything except to volunteer on the first day so Dave could demonstrate his power. Then again, she hadn't known what to expect so maybe it was her daring. 

Gathering up some daring herself, Henri said "Hey" to Ariel and the girl looked up with oddly calm eyes. She certainly didn't look nervous at that moment. For a split-second her eyes said something else but then it disappeared as quickly as it came. Ariel gave a shy smile and Henri held out her hand. "I'm Henri Morgan" she said softly, smiling at the child. 

Ariel held out her hand and replied, "Ariel Meer." Ariel glanced down at the blue butterfly pinned to Henri's navel and then at her own sun and whispered quietly so nobody could hear, "do you think they would hurt us if we turned out to be too powerful?" 

Henri had never thought of it that way. "I feel like they wouldn't like power they couldn't control." Henri felt like the rest explained itself and felt no need to explain in any more detail. The line shortened some and  had to move forward a few feet. 

Ariel replied swiftly; "You're a butterfly. They said you might have all of the abilities. They might kill you if you do." 

Nervous now, Henri shook her head. No, they wouldn't do that to a daughter of the king. 

"I'm 14, by the way." Ariel says, a small smile making her face glow. For some reason, Ariel reminded her of Meda. They were both kind people though she guessed Meda actually spoke more and smiled more. Actually, maybe they weren't that alike. 

"I'm 15," Henri replied, trying to keep the surprise of Ariel's age off her face. "I thought you'd be twelve or thirteen." 

"And I thought you'd be seventeen." 

Henri laughed; "you really think so?"

Ariel smiled and reached her hand up, up up. "You're just so tall."

Laughing again, Henri said, "Chick, I'm 5'6"." 

Raising her eyebrows and placing her hands on her small hips, Ariel said mockingly, "Chick, I'm five foot even." 

Henrietta smiled the first real smile since she had walked through those doors. On the bright side, there would be no more death haunting them throughout these last 4 weeks. 

The line moved a few more feet until there were about 12 people left to go. 

Henri and Ariel watched as someone walked out the door, staring at their hands. They were almost to the end of the line and people were on their tip toes trying to see into the room as the door opened for the next person to go in. "What do you think is happening in there?" Ariel whispered. 

"Something tells me they're unlocking their classes." Henri could practically feel Ariel's eye roll. "Look, that guy came out with an entirely different class. I swear he went in as a snake."

Eyes suddenly wide, Ariel asked; "what is he now?"

"He's a fox which I guess isn't much different." 

"It changed either way. You may not even be a butterfly, Henri. I may not be a sun."

They would soon find out whether or not they were because not even two minutes had passed before it was Henri's turn to walk through the door.