Chapter 148: Lord Left
In total, there were seven of us who survived the first stage of the trials. During the fight between myself, Code, and Scar, the other four successfully found the exit in the third and final maze. These four were Sky, Forest, Hazel, and Ember, and by escaping, they each proved themselves worthy and passed the final test.
After Zeris and my father knocked me out, Kane used his iris to heal all our wounds before they brought the three of us back to the cottage where we were currently residing. And while we didn’t technically pass the final test, Zeris claimed that while the test is standard procedure, people can often pass through other means. In Zeris’s three years as a trial runner for sector six, we were the largest group of participants who’ve ever passed the first stage.
I was informed that both Scar and Code were fast asleep, recovering from their injuries. They‘ll supposedly wake up at some point the next day, so I opted not to see either of them until they woke up. Wondering what Zeris meant by the first stage, he told me a little about what was coming.
I and the fifteen other participants I woke up at camp with were placed in sector six based on a balance between our test scores and lineage. There are eight total sectors, with Sector One containing the people with the lowest scores and Sector Eight having the highest-scored participants.
The process for how the rest of the participants were designated to the remaining sectors was self-explanatory, but what intrigued me was how many people were divided into each sector. Starting with sector eight, only four (4) people were placed in sector eight. And from there on, that value doubled. Eight people (8) were placed in sector seven… obviously, sixteen (16) were in my sector, sector six… thirty-two (32) in sector four… sixty-four (64) in sector four… one hundred twenty-eight (128) in sector three… two hundred and fifty six (256) in sector two… and lastly, sector one varied from the doubling theme as it only had four hundred seventy-three (473) participants. In total, nine hundred eighty-one (981) participants entered and competed in the 44th annual trials of Iasa.
Processing that, I asked why the participants weren’t evenly divided among the eight sectors. Zeris explained that while one reason has to do with a lack of area, as each sector varies in size… the more important reason is that even though a person can score well or poorly on a test, the queen believes that a person’s worth can only be discovered when their back against the wall.
So, by placing the participants against others who scored similarly, those who are truly capable of achieving greatness will be weeded out from the crowd. There are also instances where test scores or lineage don’t fully define a person, and they can easily slip through the cracks of society if not given a real chance to display their talents.
The concept made sense to me, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether such a brutal testing method was the best way to go about such a philosophy. That’s when I recalled an earlier conversation with Zeris, where he mentioned that the trials are purposefully hacking away at Iasa’s population to lessen the effects of famine and control the general public.
The first stage occurs in each sector, where the trial runners are supposed to test the participants and whittle them down until only those considered 'worthy' are left. While our first stage took just over a week, the timetables can vary depending on how differing trial runners choose to operate their sector. But there’s a general rule that the first stage can not last longer than one month.
Once the first stage of the trials is over, the survivors from each sector spend another month with their trial runners. During this month, the trial runner becomes a mentor, and they teach the survivors various skills that they believe the survivors need to learn before stage two. These can involve combat, weightlifting, survival classes, intelligence training, fitness, and more. It varies depending on each survivor, but almost always, the trial runners train their survivors in combat the most. This is because, in stage two, the survivors of each sector will be reassessed through tests, games, and various other formats.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Based on the sound of things, I became concerned that a substantial fraction of survivors from stage one would be killed off in stage two. Zeris quickly reassured me that while some survivors do die, it’s strictly against the rules for a survivor to kill another survivor. The government has already gone through the trouble of determining those worthy enough to live amongst society from stage one, so losing anybody deemed valuable in stage two is extremely rare… and those at fault can be punished.
I then remembered that Zeris mentioned he was the only survivor from his year, and I almost asked what his trials were like, but I decided to hold my tongue at the last second.
As the room went quiet, Zeris asked me if I had any other questions before adding that there was no need to be shy about anything. He exclaimed that we were a team now, all of us were, and a sour taste soiled in my mouth. Searching through my mind for anything else I wanted to know besides Zeris’s trials to get my mind off of Scar again, I ask about iris.
Which… from the hundreds of possible questions I could’ve asked, I ended up asking about one of the few topics that Zeris didn’t want to answer quite yet. He chuckled before informing me that he wanted to wait until everybody was up and moving before he taught us more about iris, which means we’ve got to wait for Code and Scar to wake up.
Picking up on how he phrased his response, I asked if the other four survivors were awake, and Zeris gave me a nod before asking if I wanted to see them.
I thought about it for a few seconds before I shook my head and said I would rather wait until I absolutely had to see them, as I wasn’t sure how it would go. Turning to my father, I ask him if I would know of the other members of Aleyros, and he looks away for a moment, pondering my question as he rubs his beard.
Looking back at me, my father says I probably don’t, but I’ll meet them soon.
My stomach then loudly grumbled, and the realization that I hadn’t eaten food in a few days hit me like a truck. Zeris chuckled as I clenched my stomach and told me to sit tight. Glancing at my father as Zeris got up and trekked toward the fridge, we met each other’s gazes, but only for a moment before we both awkwardly looked away.
***
Freshly groomed and ready for the day, Ryker leaves his living quarters dressed in his unique military uniform, wearing a particular mask that covers his face. Walking down the halls of the royal palace, Ryker stops once he reaches one of the many doors paved in gold. Knocking a specific pattern before he lets himself in, he enters a sizable meeting room with a long rectangular table at the room’s center. On the other end of the table sat a large throne with two smaller thrones connected on either side.
As expected, all five generals and the three representatives from Racafi had yet to arrive. The only other people in the room were the Queen, her right hand, and a single chaperone by the door. The queen and her right hand were both patiently waiting in their designated seats, a curtain blocking their appearance, but Ryker could tell they were there based on their shadows.
“Lord Left, please follow me,” advises the chaperone, his voice echoing off the walls.
Following the chaperone to his designated chair, Ryker walks past the long table with documents detailing Iasa’s negotiations with Racafi over the past two weeks. Stepping up, Ryker pushes aside the curtain and sits on a comfortable velvet chair, positioning himself to the queen’s left. Free to take off his mask now, Ryker settles himself as the chaperone returns to his designated place near the door.
“Lord Left, how much longer until the meeting?” asks Queen Divine, her tone as assertive and demanding as ever.
“Ten minutes, Your Majesty,” curtly replies Ryker.
“Left, have you followed up on that special request I’ve given you yet?” the queen follows up.
“Of course,” answers Ryker. “Would you like to hear how they performed, Your Majesty?”
“Not anymore. I have no interest in failures.”
“Very well.”
The queen pauses briefly before asking, “They are still alive, though. Correct?”
“Yes. They have survived stage one, Your Majesty.”
“I understand. Is there anything else I should know?”
Ryker’s heart races at her question, and he takes a moment to calm his nerves.
“He’s performing as you expected, Your Majesty. He should be of great value to our country in due time,” he says, maintaining the same steady voice.
The queen goes quiet after that, and silence fills the room until the generals and Racafi representatives arrive. Closely watching General Kane enter the room and take his seat, Ryker wonders if Kane knows that Armaros, the man who took his entire family away from him, is still alive.