Days went by quickly after that. Soon a week passed, then a month, and then two months. Severus continued through the routine of training, but, at the end of two months, he felt like nothing had really changed. Maybe he had gotten a little stronger, a little faster, and a little more nimble, but he still lacked in comparison to his comrades. And even the great food could not comfort that.
His friends, however, did bring him some comfort. Leo, Roshni, and Lizard all were on the lower ranks with him, but he still thought the world of them. They spent nearly all their time away from training together, talking and laughing, and, in that time, Severus grew close to the three.
Leo was very non-athletic, being slow and having to gather energy just to perform a regular hop, but his skill and prowess as a magic-user ("A wizard!" he had clarified proudly) was incredible. Severus soon discovered that he had a library of spells and charms memorized, from simple elemental casts to complex and dangerous spells of teleportation and scrying. He also knew basic first-aid healing spells, which came in handy for all of them as they recovered from various bruises and aches.
"How did you get invited into the Regiment?" Severus asked him one day as Leo healed a particularly painful fracture in his arm. "Did John catch you performing some amazing, secret magic?" Leo shifted, suddenly awkward. "Not exactly," he mumbled hesitantly. "Then what?" Severus pressed.
Leo sighed and finished the healing spell before answering. "He caught me doing a double heel-kick to a City Guard who was teasing my little sister."
Severus's ear cocked in surprise. "Nicely done!" he praised, but Leo shook his head. "I think i gave him the wrong impression," the Bullfrog admitted.
"Why? Did you just knock the guy over or something?"
"No, |...." Leo swallowed hard. "I kicked him through a brick wall. Put 'im in the hospital for three months, or so! heard. But it was just a freak incident. Quite unique, I'm afraid." Severus stared hard at his friend. Leo hadn't shown anything close to that kind of strength in their training. He was impressed. Severus flexed his newly healed arm and then clapped his friend's slimy back.
"I think you'll find a way to harness it," he said. Leo blushed and pushed him away.
Roshni, on the other hand, was strong and hardy. Several times Severus witnessed her outperforming her comrades on pure strength alone; however, she was the definition of a klutz. Where Maryam was swift and nimble, Roshni was clumsy and uncoordinated, which, combined with her gargantuan strength, made for disastrous accidents. Once, during one of the games of tag, she had tried to dodge Kris and Silvermane from tagging her. She had promptly lost her balance, fell over, and knocked down part of a wooden platform, pinning two of her teammates beneath her. Silvermane had roared with laughter as Kris easily outed all three, to Roshni's shame and her teammates outrage.
"I'm so humiliated!" she had wailed afterwards, sobbing rivers of huge tears.
"To be so easily overwhelmed by some sun-baked males! It's a scandal!!" "Take it easy," Severus had soothed. "And what do you have against males?"
Roshni sniffled. "We Cats are a matriarchy," she explained through quiet hiccups. "In our culture, to be bested by a man is a great shame."
"But you do best Silvermane and the others," he had pointed out. "There's only a couple that can even compete with you in terms of raw strength. By the Shadow, you could probably take on Boris in a wrestling match and win!" Roshni had given a watery chuckle and squeezed his hand, which made Severus feel proud of himself. It was strangely gratifying to comfort even a girl as tomboyish as Roshni.
And Lizard... was simply odd and uninterested in performing better. As far as Severus could tell, the creature was powerful and quick, and his natural form was perfect to overcome any obstacle. Lizard simply had no interest in doing so. Their talks had also been the most painful as Lizard could only speak in broken and gargled words. From what Severus could piece together, Lizard had simply wandered into Olander City by pure accident. The City Guard had promptly overreacted and tried to kill him, where Lizard had discovered his unique ability. Unable to kill him, the Guard had brought him to John, who had been positively ecstatic and immediately offered Lizard a position in the Regiment, and that was the whole of the tale. Or Lizard had been asking Severus for more lunch, which had been pasta and grilled chicken covered in a wonderful cheese sauce. Severus still wasn't sure.
At the end of the second month, another evaluation was held. Severus again tried his hardest but felt himself slipping up even more despite his efforts. Max had grown incredibly; where at first he had stumbled and hesitated, now he pulled forward at breakneck speed. Even Silvermane could only gnash his teeth as the hare sped past him as little more than a blue blur. His strength had increased as well: he had been assigned to spar with Boris--the Bear that John had trounced in the last evaluation--and could now easily stay on par with the giant's monstrous strength. Regis also made significant progress, his swordsmanship now a match for the Olander Commander as the two dueled regularly. Severus was proud of his friends, but he couldn't help the bitter sting that ached in his heart as he watched them.
Finally, the one-on-one battles were all that was left. Severus reached into the canvas bag and pulled out the slip of paper. His heart sank when he saw the number "2." The first duel was Silvermane and a Bear named Mikhail. The Dog finished it in minutes, with Mikhail screaming his surrender as blood poured from his mauled face and shoulder. It gave Severus flashbacks and a great deal of nausea. As his opponent was dragged out of the arena to the medic's tent, Silvermane locked eyes with Severus and smiled, his maw still dripping with scarlet droplets. It made Severus break out into a cold sweat.
"Number two!" John bellowed. He glared at Silvermane, who trotted off with a snort. Severus took a shaky breath and stepped into the ring. He settled into his fighting stance as his opponent came forward. It was Maryam.
Severus's heartrate skyrocketed. He couldn't keep his eyes on her, and he felt butterflies bouncing around in his stomach like marbles in a bag. She bowed and gave him a small smile before turning deadly serious. He swallowed hard. He didn't want to fight her. He really didn't want to hurt
her!
"Begin!" John shouted. Maryam leapt at him, her curved wooden sword a streak of brown in the air. Severus ducked just in time and felt the wood brush the fur on the back of his ears. On instinct, he returned fire with an uppercut. He froze a breath away from her face. Several emotions flitted across her face in an instant: confusion, realization, and then annoyance. She brought down her sword on his head with a skull-rattling CRACK! His balance wavered for a moment, causing him to stumble a step. Maryam seized the moment and drove at him, weaving her sword in a dancing pattern of cuts and slices that battered every piece of him. He threw a couple more blows out, but they went wide and only seemed to make Maryam angrier. It all ended when Maryam's blade caught his temple and sent him whirling from the ring.
"Enough!" John called. Severus sat up with a groan. Maryam's wooden
sword tapped his cheek, forcing him to look up. "What in the Seven Moons was that?!" she yowled, eyes flashing. "Wha--?" Severus said blankly.
"You threw that match!" she yelled. "You had several shots at me, and you blew them! | even gave you a couple openings to bait you, and you didn't even seem to notice! Why?! You can't be that bad of a fighter!!"
Severus looked away, embarrassed and flushed. It was John, though, that answered.
"Maryam, that's enough. Severus, as noble as that was, in my Regiment, all members are to be treated the same. Including the women." Severus felt his heart sink as Maryam's eyes flashed. Quick as a serpent, she reared back and smashed her sword onto Severus's head, snapping it like a dry twig. Severus didn't even feel it. Maryam stalked away, muttering what Severus assumed to be swears and curses in her own language. John watched her fora moment before turning back to Severus.
"l expected better from you, Severus," he said, shaking his head. That was the worst of all for Severus, and he bowed his head glumly before retreating for the evening.
The next day, Severus gloomily went to the board at breakfast as everyone chattered around him. To his surprise, he found that he had risen to number thirteen, beating Bryce. The Dalmatian had not looked very pleased with it. Maryam was still at number two, but, most startlingly, Silvermane had reached number four, earning him the temporary title of Lieutenant Commander. Regis and Max, however, earned the most cheers: they sat at the number six and seven slots, right under the name " Malikah" that acted as a placeholder for fifth. They were primed to try and take the Lieutenant Commander positions.
Severus had pounded them both on the back, shouting congratulations in their ears as they grinned proudly. Only after he had slipped away did he slam his fist into a nearby wall. He barely felt the throbbing pain. He was happy for his friends and was glad they were doing well. But that only made the guilt for the well of bitterness he felt for them sting even more. Maybe if he had been more ruthless--! But even as he thought it, he brushed it away. He liked Maryam. To be honest, he didn't see how actively hitting Maryam would win her affection. Nor did he see how that would have earned him points with the judges to be a good leader. No, he just couldn't accept that he beating Maryam up would get him further ahead. He just had to be better. He thought about it for a minute. He looked down at his hands and thought some more. Then, he had an idea.
Later, after their daily practice, Severus pulled Regis aside. "| want you to teach me the sword," he said softly.
Regis's eyebrows lifted. "The sword?" he repeated. "What for? You're a mean brawler for sure. In fact, i think only a few here would be more than a match for you. Why learn something like the sword?"
"Because i don't know if i can kill with these fists," Severus replied. He took a deep breath. "Listen, we're training to be soldiers, right?" "Yeah?" Regis said slowly.
"Then we're gonna have to fight and kill like soldiers, right?"
Regis nodded, looking like this was the first he had thought of that.
"Well, i can drop a creature as good as you like," Severus said, "but i don't know if i could kill them. I'd need pinpoint accuracy and a great deal more strength. But wouldn't it be far simpler to learn a weapon?" "And the sword is that simple?" Regis countered.
"In the end, it is. 'Cause whatever fancy flourishes and techniques you learn, you cut, and you stab," Severus pushed. When Regis hesitated, he continued, "|'m not asking to be the War God or anything. I just want to be able to hold my own against a team of Wolves. So?"
Regis thought for a minute. Severus bit his lip, anxious. At last, Regis gave a slow nod. "I'll do it," he said. Then, he held up a finger in warning. "But you better be ready to bust your chops."
Severus shook his hand firmly, grinning. "I already planned to," he said.
The next morning, Severus crawled out of bed long before the first bell rang. Immediately regretting his decision, he stumbled over to the arena, where Regis awaited him, bright-eyed and awake.
"Good morning," Regis said with cold cheeriness. Severus mumbled something back. He was pretty sure it was a curse, but he was too tired to tell. Then his knee was hit painfully hard, and he barked out a word he was sure was a curse. "Pay attention!" His new instructor waggled a wooden sword in front of his face. It was cut in the rough shape of the Olander's standard-issue blade: short, stout, and straight that was cut into a diamond to form the tip. Regis tossed it to Severus. He caught it easily and gave it an experimental swing. It was comfortable, though a little more weighted than what he thought it would be. Regis readied himself and tapped Severus's sword, flat-to-flat.
"Let's start from the basics and go on from there," he said. From there, he began to work Severus through each of the basic forms. He showed him how to stand, how to cut, and how to thrust. He slowly showed Severus the blocks to deploy and when. Carefully, they slowly moved with each other, swinging their swords in agonizing sloth. Severus was quickly covered in
sweat, and his arms and hands ached with the weight of his practice sword.
CLANG!! CLANGH CLANGI!
The sound of the bell startled them both, and they turned to find John standing by it, his newly-washed fur and hair gleaming. He grinned at them.
"Good to see your initiative, Severus," he praised. "You've made up for your blunder on the last evaluation." He tossed something to Severus, who caught it. It was a glass vial filled with a glowing, green liquid that sloshed sluggishly when Severus swirled it.
"Stamina potion," John explained when Severus opened his mouth. "Drink it all, and you'll have bursting energy for the full day." Severus stared at the Commander. Such a concoction was no doubt expensive, yet John was willingly giving him a bottle?
He bowed to John. "Thank you, sir!" he called. John waved it away, and Regis gave Severus the call to stop. As he stumbled towards the barracks, he was about to down the whole bottle when a thought struck him. He thought better and allowed himself only a single sip before stoppering it back. Instantly, he felt revived enough to go about his day. After breakfast, he made sure the precious bottle was stored away and out of sight.
Starting the next day, the two of them woke before the first bell and met in the arena. There, Regis drilled Severus in the art of swordsmanship with a severity that rivaled Gervasius's. Now he went to bed every day even more exhausted and covered with even more bruises. When he woke before dawn even broke, he sometimes thought to give up and tell Regis to forget it. But he gritted his teeth, rolled out of his bunk, took a sip of the stamina potion, and grabbed his practice sword.
About a week after he started practicing with Regis, Severus was eating lunch alone when Leo, Roshni, and Lizard came and joined him.
"Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully. Instead of a cherry response, all that greeted him was some dull grunts. He frowned. Looking more closely, he noticed that each of them had injuries of some sort: Leo had bite imprints and claw marks on his slick skin, Roshni had a blackening eye and red marks across her arms and face, and Lizard had scraped and torn scales, indicative of a fight.
"What happened to all of you?" he asked. Leo shoved a mouthful of porridge into his mouth, silencing himself. Roshni tried to do the same but yelped as her's was too hot. She sipped some cold water to soothe her burned tongue. Severus stared at her fixedly until she squirmed.
"It was that mangy mutt, Silvermane, and his two cronies," she said at last. Severus jumped to his feet, blood boiling.
"That gutless scavenger!" he snarled. "I'll--!!"
"Do nothing," Leo snapped, yanking the big Dog down. Severus stared at him, bewildered. Leo sighed. "I'm sorry, friend, but I just really don't expect you to be able to do much against Silvermane. He has rank on us and you."
"Commander John said there is only three ranks," Severus replied. "Commander, Lieutenant Commander, and Honorary Captain! We're the same as him, the butt-sniffer!" Roshni giggled, and even Leo chuckled begrudgingly. Severus stabbed angrily into his porridge. "What I'd give to make him eat dirt and then his own words! I'd make the mutt choke on 'em!"
"Is that so?" a snarling voice said, and they all jumped and turned to see Silvermane standing behind them, flanked by Bryce and Kris. The Dog eyed Severus evilly. "Do you have an issue with how | treat the lower ranks, maggot?" Severus growled and jumped up, but he was immediately bowled over by the other. Silvermane pressed a paw to Severus's throat. Severus gagged, squirming to move the heavy creature.
"Worm-riddled roadkill," he gurgled. Silvermane gave a barking laugh and was quickly joined by Kris and Bryce, though Bryce looked decidedly uncomfortable.
"Isn't that what your mother would be?" Kris taunted. "Or was she too busy with mates and new litters to properly school you?" Severus felt rage course through him like molten iron, and he snapped a boot up, catching Silvermane just beneath his ribs. Silvermane yipped and rolled off. Severus rolled over, gasping hard for air, but he summoned enough strength to glare with all the hate he could at the Bear. Kris flinched, which made Severus curiously proud. Silvermane staggered to his paws, trembling with fury. He took a menacing step forward. Kris did as well, Bryce a step behind him. Suddenly, a terrifying hiss made all three of them freeze.
"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSStO00000000000000000000'," Lizard warned, his forked tongue flickering out. Silvermane snarled at him. Lizard responded with another butt-clenching hiss of his own, baring rows of needle-sharp fangs that glistened wickedly. Silvermane's ears flattened back, and he hesitated.
"Forget this!" he sneered and stalked away, Bryce and Kris stumbling to catch up. Lizard watched them go before turning to look at Severus. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it, looking confused. He did it twice more before finally trying.
"'Rrrrrrrrrrrrrieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnd." Severus cocked an ear.
"Friend?" he asked, gesturing between the two of them. Lizard grinned and nodded vigorously. Severus smiled back and shook his head. "Friends with a miniature dragon. Sure. Why not?" Roshni and Leo chuckled before pulling Severus to his feet. Roshni dusted off Severus's tunic.
"Thanks," he said, and she blushed scarlet, mumbling and fidgeting. He cocked his ear again before deciding to leave it alone. "I think we should finish up and get back to it, yeah? They murmured in agreement and finished eating, their spirits somewhat raised. Severus watched them go, still thinking. A phrase drifted through his head.
Numquam iterum tyrannis obtemperabo.