*CLANG* *CLANG*
The sounds of steel hitting steel echoed within the building.
Occupied by a thousand more, it was a lively afternoon at the training center.
*CLANG*
"Come on junior! Swing harder!"
"Have you not learned anything from my 'Lessons',"
I wipe the sweat that accumulated on my forehead,
"Damn, you Bernard,"
"It seems you have to learn more!"
*CLANG*
Tsk,
I hurriedly fixed my form and prepared to block,
I focus all of my attention on his claymore,
*SWISH*
WHAT!?
Instead of feeling the vibration of his blade hitting mine,
It never came and the next I know my legs were swooped off the ground,
As my body fell, my eyes now gaze at the ceiling above,
A complete utter defeat,
A man with brown hair soon came into view,
"What the hell was that Bernard,"
"That was a feint, my man,"
"That's cheating,"
"You just suck,"
"Screw you,"
He uttered a chuckle and offered me his hand,
"Well, that's all I can do for today,"
"What? leaving so soon?"
"Yeah, I got something important to do,"
"Suits yourself, Junior,"
After bidding goodbye to Bernard, I changed my clothes at the locker and made my way out of the center,
As I arrived at the transit stop and sat by the same bench a couple of nights ago,
I started thinking,
I have to start preparing more thoroughly starting this moment, I've changed so many parts from the novel by now that I don't think I could trust it a 100% anymore.
A sigh left my mouth,
But my thoughts were then interrupted by a rumbling sound from a distance,
As I entered the transit along with some students,
My eyes then gaze at a girl sitting in the front row,
Her scarlet long hair stretched all the way to her shoulders which suited her azure uniform perfectly.
Her pure white smile shone and her golden eyes were vibrant as she looked at a man next to her.
The man had his head beside her shoulders as his brown eyes peered through the window,
Occasionally he would look at the girl's face full of freckles with a smile.
As they looked at one another, everyone could see inside the transit that they were a happy couple.
I glanced away and now looked through the window,
Cassandra Coldfeather,
She was truly as beautiful as described in the novel,
If such a girl existed in my old world, I would have gone crazy for her.
But after spending some time in this place, my eyes have grown accustomed to seeing unbelievably beautiful people 24/7.
Although, I can't say I wasn't envious of the man beside her,
Jonssen Craw.
In the novel, they were introduced to each other as a sign of peace within the families of Coldfeather and Craw.
They became childhood friends and after some time they developed feelings for each other.
As I take a glance back at them,
Cassandra's hand was petting Jonssen's hair, they then both look into each other eyes seemingly content with one another.
Jealousy crept in the back of my but that only strengthened my desire to return back home.
I swear I'll return, see my friends and family again, ask that girl out in the cafe for a date, then finally, it'll be my turn to experience something like that.
As I admire them from afar, I remembered the novel once again, and it soon turned into dread.
The future that awaits them both,
Will not be kind,
*****
The sounds of birds chirping accompanied the clanking of silver.
I was back to this accursed place, you would call home.
Every weekend was the same.
The meat was dry the drink was stale.
Or was it because my taste have grown cold?
I do not know.
"My child,"
A voice broke the silence of the morning meal.
"Yes, Father,"
"How was your week at the academy?"
I utter a weak smile as I look at him,
"It was an eventful week, Father,"
"Oh, my? What happened? Did you finally get a lover?"
A faint chuckle left my mouth,
Some of the maids looked at me with widened eyes,
Most of them had never seen me laugh, after all, only my dad could ever make me do so.
"I'm sorry Father, I think you might need to have more wrinkles before that ever happens,"
A snicker came out of him,
"My daughter, that is impossible, with your beauty, men and maidens must be fawning over you at the academy."
"I don't really care about them, Fath-"
"My only wish is if I could see it ever again,"
The knife in my hand stopped moving as I look at the half-eaten steak,
The silence came back once again,
"Gwen, my child, do you still use that forgotten piece of metal?"
Every week, the same question.
"I've told you time and times, again, Father,"
"I refuse to wield anything else,"
"Gwen, it's been years, and I know that you are still deeply troubled by what happened but you know this yourself, Gwen."
"You're talented, and as your Father, I couldn't be any more proud,"
"But I also know that your true potential is being held down with that black scrap,"
"If only you wield anything else, you could easil-"
I stood up from my chair, my ears refusing to hear another word coming from his mouth.
"I'm afraid, I have somewhere to go, Father,"
"Gwen-"
Without hearing his reply I strolled out of the room,
I couldn't bear it anymore,
The sight of him being fed by the maids,
The pressure being directed at me to use another weapon,
I-
I need a let off some steam,
"Milady?"
"Take me to Santos De Ellen,"
"As you wish,"
It took a couple of hours but I eventually arrived at a place known for the mountain overlooking it.
"What are we doing here? Milady?"
"Stay here in the car, I have somewhere to go,"
"Bu-but, you're Father will punish me if I he learns no one accompanied you,"
"Michael, I won't repeat it twice,"
"A-As you wish, Milady,"
As I leave the car, I follow the trail leading up to the mountain,
The fluttering of the leaves and the sounds of my steps crackling on the rocky road.
It was peaceful,
Away from the suffocating grasp of my home,
Everyone, my uncle, my relatives, even my own father.
They have forgotten, but I have not.
And I'll show them,
That a bullet is enough.
"Halt! Who goes there,"
A loud voice snapped me out of my thoughts,
It came from a person from the tall wall that was guarding the town from the trees.
As I got closer,
The people who pointed their blades toward me soon dropped them down.
"What's you're business here? Young girl?"
"I'm here to train,"
"But you don't seem to have any weapon nor wearing any armor though?"
"I have them inside here," I say as I point my finger at the bracelet on my wrist.
"Ah, you're from the academy,"
"Well, then, take this and when you're in any kind of danger just press the red button and we'll come to you,"
"Thanks,"
Shortly after the gate opened wide and I walked in,
From out of my bracelet, I grabbed the handle of a weapon from the past.
It was black and semi-automatic.
Reliable and Rigid,
My kind of treat,
A Glock 19.
As I examine it I utter a smile.
Now what I need is some target practice.
I applied basic wind magic to my legs and started to move.
My senses all worked in unison as I try to find any sort of monsters prowling around.
But,
After an hour and a half,
What the hell?
Why were there no monsters?
Wasn't this the forest full of wolves?
But then I got a whiff of a smell,
It was disgusting but as someone who came from a family that were known for hunting beast.
I knew,
That it was saliva from a forest wolf.
Using my legs that were weightless by the wind.
I ran while cocking my gun.
That disgusting smell was getting stronger.
And finally,
I arrived at the area covered by the stench.
But as I look around there was no sign of wolf or beast.
Yet the disgusting smell was still there and stronger than before.
One of my eyebrows was raised as I try to figure out where it was coming from.
And then as I look at a thicket of grass beside a tree.
My eyes widened,
What?
Isn't that a shotgun?