Four days passed in this manner. Each morning, Severus awoke, stiff and
aching, with the first bell. John was right: Severus had grown to hate it. He
took a miserable shower--usually cold--and dressed quickly to get a breakfast
of porridge, two eggs, and three sausages. Then it was the run, exercises,
sparring, and lessons all over again. Each day he healed three bruises, and
each day he gained seven more. He also went on the obstacle course twice,
fumbling for ropes and banging his nose enough to make it bleed profusely.
He did also play the tag game but was tagged out almost immediately, much
to his shame. And each night he collapsed on the bed and went instantly to
sleep until first bell the next day. And over and over it repeated. It was
misery.
The only bright mark was that Regis now tolerated his presence and joined
him and Max for meals. Max had instantly bonded with him and told him
outrageous jokes and tales, to which Regis would chuckle quietly at. The
hare had seemed to take to the training like ducks to water, and he
stubbornly put in every effort while still trying to keep to Severus.
Severus, meanwhile, was completely floundering. He could never seem to
react to attacks fast enough and could only deal out punishment for what
he'd already been given. The scenarios and survival knowledge confused
him, and he often had to have Max or Regis help him, whether it was tying
knots or packing gear in the army's efficient manner. Though he hated to
admit it, it was depressing, and he was beginning to feel the loathing in his
heart creep back in. Still, he fought to maintain his new headspace that
joining the Regiment had given him.
The fifth day--the end of the week--everyone seemed extra nervous. There
was thick tension in the air, and some of the more fidgety members were
pale and wild-eyed. Silvermane in particular was on edge, snapping and
pacing eagerly with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Even Maryam seemed
excited. Severus nudged Max as they sat down for breakfast.
"What do you think is going on?" he asked.
Max bit into an apple, chewing loudly. "Dunno," he said thickly. He whistled,
and Regis's head popped up.
"Oi!" he called out. "Wot's goin' on?!"
Regis made his way over, chewing slowly on a sausage. "It's evaluation," he replied. "Today's the day we get our ranks updated."
Max's face lit up. "Ah kin finally take meh rightful place as yeh commandah?!" Regis stared at him blankly until the hare's ears drooped.
"Ah meant that as a joke."
"Oh," Regis said. Then he continued, "Well, in any case, it does give you the opportunity to get one of the three Lieutenant Commander positions."
"The top four," Severus said, remembering Maryam's words. Regis nodded as Max snorted.
"Wot's so bloody great aboot sum vice commandah position?" he muttered, picking at his porridge.
Regis shrugged. "It marks you as the leader of the Regiment and an officer, with an officer's privilege and pay." Severus cocked an ear. He wouldn't mind better pay, but for an officer's duties? No thanks. Regis glanced between them and saw that neither were impressed by that.
"It also marks you as the best fighters of the Regiment," he muttered. That got their attention.
Max shoveled a large spoonful of porridge into his mouth. "Ah think ah'll give it a propah go," he said thickly. Severus agreed and quickly finished his breakfast as well.
John greeted them all as they all arrived at the arena after breakfast. "As some of you know," he announced, "it is time for our third evaluation. You will each perform a series of tests that will be graded ona point scale. The better you do; the more points you're awarded. Remember, these tests are to evaluate many different aspects of our training: your strength, speed, agility, intelligence, combat proficiency, and leadership. Some of you will excel in some of these areas." He glanced at Silvermane, who grinned smugly. "Some in others." His gaze went to Severus, who swallowed hard. "But we are looking for those that are exceptional in all." He briefly glanced away, and Severus could have sworn it was to Maryam, who beamed with pride. He felt his heart sink a little until she noticed him looking at her and gave hima small nod and smile. He blushed.
"It should also be noted," John continued slightly louder, "that these evaluations are not--I repeat, NOT--an indication of rank. The only rank awarded goes to the top three behind me. These three will be granted the rank of Lieutenant Commander, recognized by the entirety of the Imperial Army. This is not to discount the rest. All members have the title of Honorary Captain, which grants you immediate command of any regular troops in the field. Because | expect all of you to not only function as a unit but to be able to command any unit. But those who are placed eleventh are not ranked above those who are ranked fifteenth." This time he very pointedly glared at Silvermane, who looked away with flattened ears of embarrassment. "You are simply more likely to achieve the Lieutenant Commander rank. Understood?" There was rumble of agreement. He smiled and clapped his hands. "Then let's begin."
It was just like their training but suddenly more intense. Instead of running together, Severus ran alone, racing around the wall at his own pace and as long as he wished. Desperately hoping to impress, he ran as long as he could, lapping John again and again until he slid to a stop, gasping for air. He looked up, wheezing harshly. John gave him a sweet smile, made a note on the evaluation board he held, and pointed to the next station. Severus's heart sank. This was going to be a long day.
From there, he did strength tests, lifting weights and hurling the lead balls as hard as he could. Then came the dreaded obstacle course, which resulted in him falling into a mud pit and sliming three other creatures by accident. With each test, Severus felt his spirits sink lower and lower. He could tell he was performing horribly, but every effort he made only seemed to result in him performing even worse. He moved too slow, reacted too late, stumbled over his words, and just couldn't seem to keep up. And each time he saw John or another of the Olander judges watching him and make a note on their little board, it made his heart sink a little more.
At last, Severus arrived at the final station. He saw the white, outlining ring, and his heart sank.
"Your final test," John shouted just behind him, "is single combat. You will draw lots for your opponent. You may choose whatever weapon you wish to fight; we have wooden substitutes for almost everything. Let's go!" He shook a canvas bag, and every fighter stepped forward to pick out a sliver of paper. Severus was shaking as he opened his. Scrawled in neat numbers was "11."
"Please also note that the number you've chosen is the order you will go in," he heard John say. He sighed in relief. Now he would have a breather.
"Number one!" John called. A Bear by the name of Kris stepped forward. So did Gervasius. They bowed to each other as a sign of respect. Kris settled into a wrestling stance. Gervasius crouched with bared fangs.
"Begin!" came the signal, and the two clashed with roars like thunder. Severus cheered for Gervasius, and he heard calls for both Kris and Gervasius echo around the gathered warriors. Kris fought well, but his grappling proved ineffective against the sheer size and strength of Gervasius. In the end, the huge Dog managed to slip from the Bear's paws and snag his neck between his fangs. Kris made a startled, gurgling noise and signaled his surrender. Severus and several others erupted into cheers while Kris's supporters groaned. The two dusted themselves off and touched foreheads, grinning. John stepped forward as they left the ring.
"Number two!" he called. It was then Max who fought Maryam, and, though the hare had power on his side, Maryam was simply too nimble for him to catch. Even when he got close, her curved, wooden sword kept him at bay. At last, she cracked him on the head with a lightning-quick slash, and he keeled over, unconscious, to be carried off by Olander healers. Next was Regis, and Severus thought at first that the small Dog was lucky. His opponent was a massive, nervous-looking Bullfrog by the name of Leo. Even Regis looked smug walking in. Until Leo summoned a huge fireball while firing off several magic blasts. Their battle lasted a long moment as Leo held Regis at a distance with a barrage of magic, both elemental and energetic. Eventually, though, the Frog's magic sputtered out, and he was left gasping and winded. Regis seized the moment to whack Leo with his sword, promptly ending the fight.
The fights continued long into the evening until the sun was almost down and the first Moon was starting to crest. Severus even had time to grab a bite of chicken and beans for supper. Then he heard it.
"Number eleven!"
Severus swallowed his food and stood. His heart pounded like crazy as he made his way to the ring. He looked around to see who his opponent was. There was sinister chuckle that made his skin crawl. A Dog slunk into the ring opposite of him. It was Silvermane. Severus felt his mouth go dry as he fumbled for the padded gloves he had become accustomed to using.
"Scared, little puppy?" Severus cooed mockingly. Severus gritted his teeth as he yanked the leather into its proper seat.
"Shut up, mutt," Severus retorted, settling into his fighting stance. He heard a few calls for Silvermane. Only Max cheered for him. Silvermane crouched at the ready and licked his chops. Severus could hear his heart pounding in his ears. His breathing was harsh and unsteady. Skittish energy raced through his veins. His vision narrowed. All he saw was Silvermane, snarling at him with glittering, smug eyes. Faintly, he heard a voice.
"Begin."
Silvermane launched at him like an arrow, his jaw yawning open to bite. Severus skipped back to avoid the gnashing teeth and almost slid out of the circle. Silvermane chased him, scratching with blunt claws. Severus hissed as several scored on his arms. He was afraid, so very afraid. All that flashed through his mind was those jaws closing around his throat and feeling his blood pump out of a torn jugular.
"Gonna keep running?" Silvermane taunted. Severus growled in irritation. The fear bled a little into his anger, and then those terrifying teeth snapped neck to his ear, sending an icy jolt to his heart. He lashed out wildly, but his fists hit only air. Silvermane laughed.
"Lookit da liddle puppy," he crooned. "Too scared to actually fight?" Pure rage poured into Severus. He stepped in as Silvermane leaped and slammed his fist into the Dog's middle. He bellowed with pain as those terrifying teeth sank into his shoulder. Fiery pain ignited in his shoulder as blood poured out of his shoulder and into Silvermane's chuckling mouth. The Dog's weight fell, and Severus was dragged down. He punched over and over again into Silvermane's ribs. The Dog grunted and bit down harder. Severus bit off what he knew would have been a scream. He lashed out even harder and heard a rib snap. Silvermane's chuckle turned to a snarl, and he released Severus, hopping away gingerly. Severus swayed. He could barely think he was in so much pain, let alone see. He could feel his blood seeping from the bite in his shoulder, dripping down his left arm. He groaned and tried to push to his feet. He dimly heard John calling to him.
"Severus! Can you continue?"
"Give up, puppy," Silvermane sneered. Severus looked at him blankly. He clenched his right fist. He could still fight.
"Come on, you mangy mutt," he rasped. He raised his right fist. Silvermane growled in annoyance and launched himself with a snarl at Severus. But if the blow came, Severus didn't feel it because his consciousness slipped away before Silvermane landed on him, and all he knew was darkness.