Dustin awoke to a horn in his ear. He jumped up. The five girls from the bus each woke a boy. Kim woke him. She had a smile on her face. She was obviously a morning person. He, on the other hand, was not. He rolled back over and pulled the covers over his head. She jumped on the bed and sat on him.
"Wake up." She said.
"Okay. Okay. I'm up. Jeez." He said tiredly.
The girls left the room. Dustin got up and went to his locker. He got a shirt and pants. He also got his tooth brush, tooth paste, comb, and deodorant. He went to the bathroom and shut the door. When he got out, another boy went in. Dustin looked at the map. He left the cabin. It was still dark. The boys from the bus caught up with him.
"I saw you two love birds." Bulldozer said.
"Whatever." Dustin said while he rolled his eyes.
"Mmmhmm." Gage said.
"Okay Dump truck and Inspector Gadget. Leave him alone." Kim growled viciously.
They went in the training room. There were two racks of weapons.
Once everyone got there, the woman between the racks stepped up.
"Each person needs a partner. One boy, one girl. Choose wisely because that is your partner everyday." the teacher said.
Kim grabbed Dustin's hand.
"If you were wondering," said the woman, "my name is Hazel. I am your trainer. My Power is is a bear. I'm here to help you figure out what your Power is."
"I am Mr. Nation." A man on the back said. "My class is open from seven thirty to eight. You don't have to come, bit it would be wise to." He turned into his Power, a small green lizard.
"Now, we shall begin training. Each person needs a weapon. There are bows and arrows, axes, swords, staffs, and throwing knives. Come pick one" Hazel said.
Everyone stepped up. The girl from the front of the bus got a sword and could barely hold it up. Gage had a sword, too, and was helping her hold it. Bulldozer got an ax and threw it on his shoulder. A girl with dark skin got a bow and some arrows. The boy she was with also had a bow and some arrows. A girl with a black pony tail got an ax and caught up with Bulldozer. A boy and a girl each had a sword. Dustin got a staff. Kim got throwing knives.
"Wise choice." Hazel said to Kim. "If you learn to use those right you could take anyone down."
"Will you teach me Miss Hazel?" Kim asked.
"After breakfast, come and see me. If you train for an hour a day for about a month, you could get good." She looked at Dustin. "I expect to see you, as well. I want you two to train together. It will straighten your bond."
They nodded.
Hazel looked up "Be careful not to hurt anyone. If you do you get the honor of carrying them to the nurse. I don't care if it is just a paper cut."
Kim and Dustin exchanged glances.
"I want you to keep those weapons as your own. First put them to the side." Hazel said.
Hazel walked over to the back wall. She pulled a lever. The two weapon shelves went into the floor. She pulled another lever. Ten ropes came from the ceiling.
"Whoever makes it to the top first gets to leave early!" Hazel yelled.
Everyone ran to the ropes. The girl that was partners with Gage just stood at the the bottom. Kim was up the rope and at the top in ten seconds. Everyone else was only halfway up . Everyone went back down the rope.
"You may pick someone to go with you." Hazel said. "Make sure you get your knives."
"Dustin let's roll." Kim said as she got her knives and his staff l. He passed him the staff when they got to the door.
"Cool stick." She said.
"Nice butter knives." He said jokingly.
"Training flew by fast."
"Almost as fast as you flew up that rope." Dustin joked with her.
"What now?"
"We can practice using our weapons."
"Butter knives and sticks." She corrected. "I actually want to eat."
"I don't think the cafeteria is open yet."
"Maybe the back door is." She said.
"NO." Dustin said.
"Shhh... I was joking." Kim said laughing.
"I think you owe me a peek in your sketchbook." he said.
"I do. You also owe me a quick look."
"Meet back here."
"Sure." she said as she ran to her cabin.
When Dustin got to his cabin, he went straight to his locker. He got his sketchbooks out. There were six of them. He ran out and nearly ran into Kim.
"Six?" She asked shockingly.
"Witch one do you want to look at first?"
"All of them!"
"We will trade for a day."
"Make it two"
"Deal." He held out his hand and she shook it.
She looked at her watch. "The cafeteria is open."
"After you, my lady."
They got to the cafeteria first. The lady behind the counter waved for them to come over.
"What would you like?" She asked Kim.
""What do you have?"
"Breakfast burrito, eggs, sausage, and fruit salad. Pick two."
"Breakfast burrito and eggs."
"How do you want your eggs, and how many."
"One sunny side up please."
"Go wait at a table." She then looked at Dustin, "And you?"
"I'm a vegetarian, so can I just have a fruit salad?" He asked her.
"Sure you cam honey."
She pointed to a bowl with fruit. He got one and sat down with Kim. The lunch lady followed with Kim's food.
"That's all your gonna eat?" Kim asked.
"It's the only vegetarian option."
"Oh..."
When he was almost finished, everyone else filled in. Sense there were only ten chairs l, there were little arguments over seats. Everyone was red and beaded with sweat. Dustin and Kim dumped their trash and went back to the training room.
"I was waiting for you two." Hazel said. "Let's get started." She pulled a lever. Six cardboard men popped up. Each had a target on the head and chest.
"Is this practice?" Kim asked.
"Work together." Hazel said.
Kim threw a knife at the closets one. She hit the arm. Dustin hit one in the chest then came down hard on the head. It went back in the ground. Kim threw another knife at the same man. It hit his leg. She got mad and stabbed it's head.
"Calm down, Kim, you'll get it, eventually." Dustin reassured her.
The cardboard man went back into the floor.
"They only go down when they are considered dead." Hazel pointed out to them
Dustin hit another one on the head. It went down. Hazel was showing Kim how to hold the knives and how to throw them. She hit the next one three inches from the target l. It went down.
"Good." Hazel gave Kim a thumbs up.
Kim threw a knife at the head of one of the men. It hit the bull's-eye. The man went down. Dustin was about to hit the last one when a knife hit the chest. The man went down.
"Hey, I wanted that one." Dustin said sadly.
"Sorry." Kim said kindly.
"Now drop and give me twenty." Hazel commanded
They both did twenty push ups, and when they finished, two people walked in. They had bows. The girl had dark skin and long, braided black hair. The boy also had dark skin. He had short black hair.
"Come in. Don't be shy." Hazel told the boy and girl.
They went over to them.
"This is Heaven and Zack" Hazel pointed to the girl then to the boy. "This is Kim and Dustin." she pointed to Kim then Dustin.
"It's an honor to make your acquaintance. I respect your physical capability." Heaven said to Kim.
"Umm... Thanks?" Kim said. "I like your uhh... bow."
The girl shook hands with Kim. She then looked at Dustin.
"I respect your choice of weapon.y tribe generally uses staffs in battle." Heaven said.
She shook his hand as well. The boy shook Kim and Dustin's hands at the same time.
"Enough chit chat. We have work to do." Hazel interrupted. "See those targets on the way? You three practice. Dustin, do one hundred sit-ups."
Heaven and Zack hit every target with deadly accuracy. Kim only missed two.
When Dustin finished, Hazel pulled a leaver. Ten bars came out of the wall, each about four feet out of the wall, each about two feet apart, and one foot above one another. They made a stairway. At the top of the stairway was a platform. Then there was a long four by four leading to another platform. On the platform was a trampoline there was a rope hanging three feet from the platform. The platform had a flashing a button.
"Push the button. That simple." Hazel said.
"What's the catch?" Dustin asked.
"Nothing." Hazel replied.
"Fun." Heaven mocked jokingly.
"First team to reach the buzzer together wins." Hazel said. "Try not to fall."
Dustin and Kim shot across the room. They nearly ran into the wall. They got on to the first pole. Kim leaped to the next pole. She threw her legs onto the third one. She swung and got on the fourth one. Dustin was using his long arms to swing. When Dustin got to the fourth one, Kim was on the sixth pole. Kim reached the top in no time. She pulled Dustin up behind her. Kim was a little uneasy on the boards. Dustin was okay. When they reached the other side, Dustin jumped on the trampoline and swung on the rope. Kim followed Dustin. Dustin pushed the button. Heaven and Zack were on the boards. They returned to Hazel.
"Good job, all four of you did better than I expected. I honestly didn't think you'd make it past the first pole." She said while laughing.
"Thanks?" Kim said.
"Kim, Dustin, you each get three Power Tokens. Two for showing up, one for winning." Hazel gave Dustin and Kim three Power Tokens each. She gave Heaven and Zack two each for showing up.
Power Tokens are worth twice as much as tokens. Tokens are like money, but Power Tokens are better. Power Tokens can buy you things that tokens can't. You can only buy weapons with Power Tokens. So e people never live to see a Power But Dustin was holding three in his hand.
"Don't tell anyone you can get Power Tokens by coming." Hazel said and then switched to a whisper, "Between you and me, a visit to Mr. Nation can also get you tokens, but only normal ones, except on your twentyeth visit, or on a Thursday."
They all nodded.
"You guys can leave." Hazel said to the kids.
"Do you want to learn stuff?" Kim asked Dustin when everyone else left.
"Why not."
They went to Mr. Nation. He was preparing a lesson.
"History, Math, Science, or Geography?" He asked.
"History." Kim and Dustin said in unison.
"1924. People were losing their Powers. The market was down. Tokens were hard to find. War was hard to stop. Then came the Dragon King. He was the only person who could turn into a dragon. He led us to victory. He saved us. He ruled for ten thousand years. He died in battle." Mr. Nation said then added. " Remember, there is supposed to be another Dragon King who will be gifted with eternal life, according to legend. He was the original Dragon King's son. We still don't know who he is. or what kind of dragon he is." He looked at Dustin as he said this.
"Wicked." Kim said.
"Now, thanks for attending my class. You have each earned a valuable lesson... And two tokens." Mr. Nation gave them two tokens each.
"Thanks." Kim said.
"Where to now?" Asked Dustin.
"Well it's 8:45."
"I want to look at your sketchbook." Dustin said.
"I'll go look at yours" Kim said.
They went to their separate ways. Dustin flipped through Kim's sketchbook. On the first page was a picture of a rose. The second was a tiger. The next three were flowers. The sixth page was a picture of two tigers fighting. The next eight pages were other animals. The next was a flaming skull.
Dustin shoved the book under his matress. He went to the cafeteria. The same lady was behind the counter. Dustin walked up to her.
" Lunch isn't ready, but we do offer snacks between meals." She said.
"Watcha got?"
Apples, candy bars, and chips."
"I'll take an apple."
The lady gave e him an apple. Dustin just stood there.
"What is your name?" He asked.
"My name is Rosealeen."
"My name is Dustin. I just came to ask some questions."
"Go ahead." Rosealeen said.
"What's up with Hazel?"
"She went to a military school. She can be tough, but will warm up to you if you train hard and often. If you're good she'll pick you fir missions. The more missions the better."
"Why?"
"First of all, you get paid for them, Second, once you have been on there missions, you don't have to go to training everyday. Last, but not least, Hazel will like you more."
"Why is it important for Hazel to like me?"
"She can recommend you for a second Power, she can take you down is an instant, and this place has many secrets for Hazel to shave."
"I understand."
"Any other questions?"
"Do you know any secrets?"
"I've heard some stuff. Some of it is hard to believe."
"Tell me, please, please, please."
"Umm... I heard that there is a talking tree that reads your future and your past."
"Oh that's cool. Anything else?"
"Sure I heard there is a Pegasus stable."
"Oh that's cool." Dustin said. He looked down at his apple and took a bite.
"Hey, Dustin?"
"Yes?"
"Don't tell anyone that I told you all that."
"Told me what?"
"Good."
Dustin went to look for Kim. He knocked on the girls cabin door. Kim answered.
"Oh. Hey, Dustin."
"Hey Kim. Do you want to go around the camp with me?"
"Oh... Sure."
"Okay, so I heard from someone that there is a Pegasus stable. Do you want to look for it with me?"
"That sounds cool. Sure I'll help you find it."
Dustin and Kim look around for hours. Then all of a sudden Kim hears what sounds like a hourse.
"Hey, Dustin?"
"Yeah?"
"Did you hear that, or was it just me?"
"Yeah, I heard it, too. But where is it coming from?"
"I don't know but it sounds like from over there."
"Let's go."
They ran fir thirty minutes. Then all of a sudden something big flew over their heads. They look up.
"WOW!" They both said in unison.
"I wanna get a closer look." Kim said.
"So do I." Dustin said after her.
"Come on. Your so slow."
"I'm coming."
"It's amazing."
"Yeah it is."
By the time they got back it was four a clock. They went into the cafeteria.
"Where were y'all for lunch?" Rosealeen asked.
"We were exploring camp. I mean it is our first full day here so we went and explored." Kim said.
"Okay, well do y'all want what's left over from lunch?"
"Yes ma'am." Both Kim and Dustin said in unison. "Thank you."
"Your welcome."
They ate the left over lunch quickly.
"I'm going to go to my cabin and get some rest. See you at dinner." Dustin said while walking to his cabin.
"Okay. I'll do the same." Kim replied.
Dustin went into his cabin. No one was in there. He laid down and fell asleep as soon as he laid his head on his pillows.
He woke up at seven a clock. He went outside of his cabin to find everyone heading to the cafeteria. He cought up with Kim.
"There you are. Dinners ready." Kim said to Dustin.
"Kinda figured that because everyone is headed to the cafeteria."
"Are you still tired?"
"Yeah kinda. Why?"
"Oh no reason. You just look like you got no sleep."
"Well when I'm done eating, I'm going back to bed I'm exhausted."
"Well I'm pretty sure everyone is."
They reach the cafeteria. Everyone ordered their food. Dustin was the first one finished with his food. Kim not fare behind him.
Dustin walked Kim to her cabin. Then he went to his. Not long after that he feel asleep.