The boys exited the forest into the clearing behind the oil depot. Arxis watched as Nico cleared the fence as easily as he did earlier and continued deeper into the facility. He followed him and watched as he climbed onto a generator and took a large leap across, grabbing onto a pipe extending out from one of the oil silos. He then pulled his legs backwards and swung himself upwards, narrowly grabbing onto the edge of the top of the large structure. After he pulled himself up, he gestured for Arxis to follow.

“All for the thrill, huh?” Arxis chuckled nervously, observing the height of the silo.

He leapt up onto the generator in a single bound. Taking a moment to position himself, he leapt and grabbed onto the pipe. From there, he swung himself back and forth, launching towards the upper rim of the silo. As he flew through the air, he felt as if he could sense the entire world around him. The birds in the air, the direction of the wind, the temperature of the air and even the particles of dust that brushed his face. He could feel it all. But, as his fingers drew near to the edge, he felt himself lose momentum and begin to fall.  Swiftly, a hand reached out caught him by the fingertips, slowly pulling him up.

“It gets easier with practice,” Nico assured him as the boy gained his footing on the surface.

“Surely,” Arxis chuckled.

“Still, Impressive. He was able to replicate that after only seeing it once,” Nico thought to himself.

Arxis shuffled over and sat next to him as they stared out to the green canopy that enshrouded the forest they had left.

“So, why are you keeping it a secret?” 

Arxis’ head snapped around to the boy and stared at him intensely.

“Oh please, it was easy to figure out. Your form and speed while fighting clearly shows you had some formal training … despite what you said. Besides…”

Nico leaned backward and looked at the rear of Arxis’ white tee. There was a large black circle embossed on it.

“That’s the Ocarin crest on your shirt. It’s clear as day, you’re a Saint Candidate.”

Arxis’s eyes widened and he looked around nervously even though there were only the two of them in the area. He finally returned his gaze to the boy.

“The fact that you put all of that together must mean…”

“Yeah. I’m another one of the candidates.” Nico confirmed.

Arxis sighed and fell onto his back with his arms spread outwards.

“I’ve been looking for you for a while, you know? I had already met all the other candidates but I heard there was another who wasn’t making his nomination public.”

“Nothing good ever comes from showing off,” Arxis mumbled as he sat up once more.

“What’s the point of being great if people are going to hate you for being better than them? I’d rather stay out of the public eye and do what I can for the Most High.”

Nico paused for a moment before speaking.

“Well that’s quite the arrogant way of thinking.”

Arxis turned to him with a confused face.

“Arrogant? I’m trying to be the opposite of arrogant! I’m trying to be as irrelevant as possible.”

WHAM!

Arxis found himself staring at the plains on the other side of the facility after Nico’s punch turned his face. He wasn’t even offended. He just turned around in pure shock.

“And who are you to hide the gifts that the Most High has given to you?! Because little Arxis can’t make any friends that gives him the right to run away from the man he’s destined to be?! That seems pretty arrogant to me!” Nico yelled at him.

Arxis skin erupted into goosebumps. It didn’t even require a nanosecond of thought. Nico was right. The Most High had blessed him with gifts and here he was shunning himself for having talent. 

Nico rose from his seat and stared out at the forest.

“I started ThrillVine under the guise of creating a space for guys to push themselves for the sake of seeking the ultimate thrill, but in truth, I wanted to train a group of people that could match my skills so I could push myself to even higher heights. The stronger my opponents, the stronger I have to be to claim that I am the best.”

Arxis got up from his seat and moved to stand next to him.

“I envy your confidence. I don’t know if I can just disregard the views of others that easily. Being hated, for being the strongest is just-”

“You are the last of the current candidates that I’ve met. I think you’ll find your answer after the selection exam. Because of all of the candidates I’ve met so far…”

Nico rested his hand on Arxis’ shoulder.

“You’re the weakest.”

Arxis was baffled for a moment, but then a small smile trickled across his face. Nico shook his head in disbelief to his reaction.

“When I become a Saint, I will gain the ability to go down to the world and see lives of the Grounded. Somewhere out there on earth, the Most High has a plan for me. I just know it.”

“Then I will join you. We will find out purposes together in the world below…and maybe then I can accept myself for who I am,” Arxis replied, knocking Nico’s hand off of his shoulder.

“Until that day, I’m going to work on getting stronger than you…You overconfident bastard.”

Nico surrendered a smile that matched Arxis. He threw another punch at him but this time Arxis blocked with his forearm.

“There it is. You’re finding your drive!”

The boys dropped both their arms and laughed.

“By the way, I won the bout. You’re officially a member of ThrillVine.”

“AGGH! Why did you remind me?” Arxis yelled, clutching both ends of his afro as Nico taunted him.

“By the way, you have to change it.”

“Huh?”

“Everyone who joins ThrillVine goes by a new name when they are with the crew. It could be a nickname or something completely new.”

Arxis scratched his chin for a moment and then his face lit up as it clicked in his brain.

“Well Arxis is the name my father gave me at birth, but those of Ocarin lineage are also given a Ca’Shiing* name at birth.”

*Ca’Shiing means blessing in the Ocarin Language*

“So?” Nico pressed.

“So, you can call me…”