The boys were picked up by Zak and Davan, and they all hugged, genuinely happy to see one another. They all ran out with an eight-man escort this time. They looked at the swim courses first, as they were closer, and then they ran and walked part of the summit, which was their most difficult run and the main event of the games.
The Eden boys could see that it was shorter but steeper than the Mountain Run. And the best athletes ran almost all of it. There were very few places where they walked, even on the steep sections. When they returned, the escorts took them directly to Vlad’s compound, where a big feed had been set up, and athletes, coaches, and parents were already pouring in.
This traditional pre-festival meal was hosted by Vlad. It was even grander this year because of the special guests, and the boys were paraded around by Vlad and introduced to an endless array of people whose faces and names they could never begin to remember.
After the formalities and talks by Vlad and others addressing the attendees, everyone grabbed their fare, especially the athletes, who were loading up on carbs. The core of friends that had formed around the Eden boys consisted of the athletes who had traveled to Eden the year earlier, as well as Mia. She had become enthralled with Jojo, and Zak was becoming noticeably agitated over the situation.
But apart from this, the Eden boys were happier than when they were home, as far as having fun socially was concerned. They found the Victorians very warm, open, and more genuine than many of their friends back home. Before long, people were leaving, especially the athletes, as they needed to get a good rest. The first events in the morning were swimming and targeting. The boys planned to do the long swim in the river and then tackle the summit the next day. On the third day, they would try the new combined event.
As the crowd thinned, Bronson observed from across the street. He had managed to steal a new set of ordinary clothing, including a common-looking hat. He appeared to be just another Victorian onlooker.
Finally, the boys emerged and rounded the corner, heading up the lane to their cabin. They were still attended by eight guards, and the three girls tagged along to say goodnight.
Bronson sat at the café table, now with coins in his pocket as he acted as if he were a normal patron. He could not do much yet, as it seemed that every soldier in Victory was out searching. They knew that there was a missing Edenite wearing a stolen uniform. Bronson knew that they must have been aware by now. Either those cowards spilled their guts, or they found the bodies!
The next morning, there were some swimming sprints and then targeting matches, and Della demonstrated why she was considered the best. After that, the boys, along with Mia, Elona, Zak, Davan, and many others, charged into the river from the beach on the west side of the island. It was an easy current at first, as the water was deflected around the island. But then, it became intense, and this is when the groups started to form separate packs.
After a while, still on the outbound swim, which was against the current, the lead pack split into two, with the Eden boys, along with several Victorians, starting to distance themselves from the rest. Over time, as the Victorians feared and as Jojo and Buddy expected, Ajay pulled away with no one able to answer the challenge. Jojo and Zak were also by themselves, stroking side by side behind Ajay. Meanwhile, Elona was back in the third pack—the only woman among a group of men.
Mia was just trailing the third pack, holding up well, and giving the performance of her life. Her goal was to come in close to Elona, which would give her a strong chance of winning the combined event two days later. In the end, it was Ajay, Jojo, Zak, Davan, and Buddy, in that order. Elona and Mia were the two lead women. The Victorian spectators were stunned and disappointed, but they were impressed by the brothers as their celebrity grew.
Bronson found himself enjoying the competition, almost forgetting his self-imposed mandate to deal with the traitors. He had been an avid fan until his sense of betrayal had come to the fore. So, after the match concluded, his stone face returned. Part of his spectatorship was an act, as he watched soldiers scanning the spectators all along the shores, looking for someone. They didn’t know who, but they were looking for someone who appeared out of place. Bronson hooted and cheered for Zak, playing the part of a good Victorian.
The next day, the athletes set out on the grueling, thirty-mile summit run. The boys were feeling the effects of their prior ordeal and dealing with insufficient recovery time.
The swim had been good exercise, protecting their legs from additional pounding yet keeping them sharp and physically elevated.
But the summit run proved too much for them under the circumstances, and this time, it was the local heroes’ day to shine. Zak finished first and Davan second, with Jojo close behind. Buddy finished fifth and Ajay seventh. Now, they were tired. That night, the brothers went to bed right after dinner and slept for twelve hours. Mia, for her part, finished second, just missing to an older teammate. Elona came in fourth among the women.
On the final day of the competition, there was a chance to recover further in the morning and to watch Della destroy the competition with the long-distance events for the bow and the knives. The combined swimming and running event covered a relatively short distance and started in the afternoon as the grand finale.
This time, Jojo, Zak, and Buddy all managed to overcome Ajay’s lead exiting the water. Jojo barely managed to hold on to a win against Zak, who had been slowly closing in on him throughout the entire run. Sheer grit and determination had kept Jojo from nearly being passed over the last few meters. It was a total crowd-pleaser. Then, it was Mia’s turn for glory, as she secured her first outright win in a major event. Zak congratulated her first, but she was soon looking for Jojo, his acknowledgement being her main priority. They were both champions that day, and Zak felt dejected and angry. He stormed off just after the award ceremonies.
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