Trial Of Belonging

           “Lets split up into sparring matches for practice.” Thorn announces. 
           Cinder steps forward from the line of trainees, her black hair pulled into a slick ponytail. Her gaze locks on Halo, sharp as a blade. 
          “So this is the new one,” she says coolly. 
          Halo grips her training spear tighter. 
          “Pair off,” Thorn orders. His tone makes it clear there will be no gentleness here. 
          The spar begins in an instant. Cinder lunges first, striking with speed that forces Halo onto the defensive. She stumbles, barely parrying the first blow before another cracks against her shoulder. The impact reverberates down her arm, numbing her fingers. 
          The next strike sweeps her legs out from under her. She hits the ground hard, air rushing from her lungs. 
          A few of the others wince, but Cinder only smirks. “You’re too slow.” 
          Halo pushes herself back up, dirt smearing her pale skin. Her braids stick to her face with sweat, but she raises her spear again. 
          Again and again, Cinder knocks her down. Every time, Halo rises, refusing to yield. Her arms are trembling, her spear tip wavering, but her eyes are steady. 
          The watching trainees have gone silent. Even Benji, usually quick with a joke, leans forward while intensely watching. 
          “Enough,” Thorn’s voice cuts across the courtyard. “That’s enough for today.” 
          Halo sighs with relief, planting her spear into the ground to keep herself upright. Thorn surveys the two of them, his expression unreadable before he turns to the rest of the team. 
          “Training moves on,” he announces. 
          The group moves on as Halo rubs the fresh bruise forming on her shoulder. They enter another section of the yard where several straw dummies stand in a wide circle. 
          Benji steps into the middle of the circle, twirling his spear with easy confidence. 
          “Our spears have multiple uses,” he says, flashing a grin. “Not only are they weapons, but they can help with mobility.” 
          He plants the spear firmly into the ground, testing its sturdiness. “Say you’re surrounded by androids on all sides,” He grabs the pole, hauls himself upward, and swings around in a blur. His boots crash into the straw dummies one after another, toppling the whole circle in seconds. 
          Halo’s eyes widen. She never even considered using the spear like that. Yumi lets out a dreamy sigh, clearly smitten with Benji’s theatrics. 
          Benji dusts himself off and gestures toward a much larger dummy at the edge of the field, its frame bulked out with lashed-together bones. A crooked Skelloid skull is tied to the top, swaying slightly. 
          “One last thing,” he says. “You can also use the spear to vault yourself upward to get closer to a Skelloid’s head.” He points at the Skull. “But this takes practice. If you mess it up, or let go of the spear…” He pauses. “That’s like serving yourself to a Skelloid on a silver platter.” 
          “Rest in peace, Frank,” Norio mutters. 
          “Yeah,” Benji agrees without missing a beat, “he was dumb too.” 
          He takes a few steps back, lines himself up, then sprints forward. With a powerful leap and a planted spear, he vaults high into the air, carrying the weapon with him. The crowd inhales sharply as he arcs upward, then drives the point down into the dummy’s skull with a solid crunch. The team erupts in cheers. Benji lands lightly, sweeps his hat off with a bow, and flashes a wink. 
          “Halo should try it,” Cinder calls, her voice edged with a smirk. 
          Halo stiffens. It’s clear already, she and Cinder are not going to get along. 
          “Uh… sure,” Benji says, scratching the back of his neck. “Just aim for the skull. Pole vault straight up and strike it.” 
          Halo stares at the towering figure, the crooked Skelloid skull tied to its top. It might as well be a mountain. Her grip tightens nervously on the spear. 
          She sprints forward, plants the weapon, and vaults with all her might. 
          Not high enough. 
          The spear drives home, but not where it’s supposed to. The dummy jolts as her strike lands squarely in the crotch. 
          There’s a beat of silence. Then Benji doubles over, trying to hold in his laugher, nearly dropping his hat. 
          Halo flushes crimson, dangling awkwardly as she still hangs from the spear. 
          Thorn drags a hand down his face and looks skyward like he’s aged ten years in a single moment. “Gods help me,” he mutters. 
          The sun blazes over Ossamaris as they move further out to what looks like an obstacle course. The group has moved in to formation with Thorn facing them. He stands with his arms crossed, expression as unyielding as the stones beneath his boots.
          “Today,” he says, his voice carrying over the team, “you face the Trial Course. No one fights alone in Ossamaris. This test isn’t about strength, it’s about trust. You’ll succeed as a team or fail as one.” 
          A Trial Course? I was hoping he was announcing lunch break. 
          Around her, the others look focused and eager, accustomed to this life in a way she isn’t. 
          “Go!” Thorn shouts and the team surges forward in a mad dash to the first obstacle: a towering wall of stone, its face cracked and crumbling, draped in hanging vines like withered curtains. 
          Norio and Benji are among the first to leap for the vines, scrambling upward with frantic energy. Fibers snap under their weight, the sound sharp as whips in the morning air. Dirt rains down on Halo at the bottom of the wall as their boots scrape against the wall. 
          Halo jumps, her fingers catching hold of a vine. It bites into her palms, the rough surface burning her skin as she hauls herself upward. As she is reaching for the next vine it’s ripped away from her. Cinder, moving like a predator, seizes it for herself and scales higher with practiced grace. Halo dangles for a breathless second before finding another handhold. She grits her teeth and readjusts, determined not to fall behind. 
          Directly above, a yelp breaks through the chaos. Cinder’s greedy pushing has caused Yumi’s grip to slip. A sharp stone cuts her hand open as she frantically scrambles to find something to hold on to. Without thinking, Halo braces herself with one arm and steadies Yumi with the other. Her muscles scream in protest, but Halo holds steady until Yumi scrambles onto the ledge with a gasp of relief. 
          Only then does Halo climb the final stretch herself, every pull a battle against the fire in her arms. She drags herself over the top, collapsing onto the platform, her chest heaving, lungs burning. For a moment she lies there, staring at the sky. She’s not fast, but she didn’t fall. And she wasn’t useless. 
          “Keep moving!” Thorn yells at her. 
          The others are already at the start of the next course as Halo is lowering herself down the vine wall. 
          A deep trench carved into the ground waits. Benji steps forward, twirling his spear like he’s on stage. He sprints, plants it, and vaults cleanly over the gap. He lands in a crouch, hat tipping low before he flicks it back into place with a grin. The others follow in suit, successfully vaulting over unison. 
          Halo is the last one to cross. She swallows hard as all eyes turn to her. Cinder crosses her arms, waiting for her to fail. Halo’s palms are slick against the smooth metal of her spear. The memory of her last vault flashes sharp in her mind. Of the spear burying itself in the dummy’s crotch. The laughter. Her cheeks heat just thinking about it. 
          Not this time. 
          She sprints forward, the ground blurring beneath her boots. She drives the spear down into the earth, the pole rattling in her grip as momentum hurls her upward. For a breathless second she’s weightless, the gap spanning beneath her. 
          Her boots hit solid ground on the far side but the landing jars her, knocking her down to her knees, but she’s across. A rush of relief bursts out of her in a grin she can’t contain. She looks up, meeting Yumi’s eyes. The other girl beams and gives her a quick, encouraging nod.