Cleo's Game

2. Aftermath

Cleo stepped back, in awe of what just happened. She didn't know if she was awake or dreaming, but when she put her hand on the punching bag, it felt as cold as can be. She had only intended to throw some punches, lose some energy, and chill out. However, she wasn't the one who ended up chilled.

She walked over to another bag that was close by. She threw a similar punch, only for it to fail to cause anything special. Yet again, another inconsistent and useless showing of her life power. Out of spite, she threw another punch towards the bag, filled with frustration and anxiety that control of her power was slipping out of her hands once again.

Sure enough, the punch generated the same ice crystals as before, encasing it in cold. Was this a completely random occurrence? Is it down to chance whether it activates? No way, Cleo thought. She thought about what was different between the punches, before an idea came to her head. "On the first and third punches, I was... angry?" she said to herself, confused about the findings.

Not wanting to be caught, she wanted to remove the traces. She tried to punch through the ice, but the ice was as hard as steel, and she couldn't dent it. "Fuck," she mumbled, hurting her hand. Her next attempt was trying to melt it with hot breath. The ice was so cold that it chilled the air around it, making the attempt futile. She grew paranoid, wondering about being caught breaking curfew.

"I guess there's a chance it thaws by the morning," she thought, before sheepishly leaving the scene. She quietly stalked back to her tent, making sure to avoid detection. She woke up that morning with mixed emotions. She was worried that she was going to get found out, but she was also excited for the events planned for that day. The participants of some upcoming missions will be announced, and there's a good chance she will get to tag along. She eagerly got dressed and out of the tent before being confronted by the commotion outside.

"Did you hear? The training equipment froze overnight! There's a huge block of ice down there," gossiped one soldier to another, which was overheard by Cleo. "Huge block of ice?" she mumbled to herself, curious about what they were referring to. She made her way down to the training facility, following the ambling crowds who had come to see the commotion. She arrived to see quite a different sight than how she left it.

The ice had grown and stuck together, creating one iceberg that encompassed the entire training area. The sub-zero temperature emanated into the atmosphere around the ice block, chilling the air into a frigid breeze. The grass had frosted over, making crunching noises as it was walked over. Cleo watched from afar as a commander approached the ice.

The commander was dressed differently than the other soldiers of the same rank. They were wearing tight, flexible clothing, like a gymnast. A colourful orange sun hat sat atop their head as they casually strolled within touching distance. With one swift motion, they chopped the ice with their hand, causing a crack. The crack creeped across the ice in a straight line, before a spiderweb pattern emerged and the block shattered into crystals.

Cleo watched in awe alongside the rest of the soldiers at the strength of the commander. They went by Commander Orange, but usually just Orange. Unlike the elemental-based power that Cleo possessed, Orange's power worked a little differently. It wasn't something that they channelled through them; rather, their power was permanently a part of them. They share DNA with that of a frog's and take a unique hybrid form. They walk on two legs and stand upright like a human, with the gills, long tongue, and agility of a frog.

The extra flexibility and more nimble movements helped Orange go from a simply a competent fighter to a different beast entirely. They have a well-respected reputation for their ability on the battlefield, earning the respect of comrades and adversaries alike. "How did the ice form? Is this a threat from the Northern Army?" a soldier asked. "Doubt it. It would be strange if they found our encampment and all they did was freeze some punching bags... somehow. If this wasn't some sort of freak weather event, then I think it's more likely that the culprit is from our side." Orange answered, without even turning towards the soldier.

Cleo is fortunate enough to know Orange well. In fact, well enough to get combat training directly from them. It certainly didn't hurt to have her older brother in a high place, but Orange wouldn't be the sort of person to waste their time on someone they didn't see potential in. They started training together six months ago, and it's certainly having a positive effect on Cleo. Well, as much as an effect that six months of training can have. Cleo is a capable fighter, but still comfortably in her humble beginnings.

"The ice is cleared now; you can all go to breakfast." Orange ordered, dispersing the soldiers. While the soldiers left, Orange caught up to Cleo, with something to say to her. "Cleo, as impressed as I am that you were able to draw out your power, I did have to clean up your mess, so you have to do double the amount of pushups today," they told Cleo, revealing that they knew all along with a sly, mischievous grin. There was a moment where shock and fear struck Cleo's facial expression, soon followed by acceptance. Orange is quite chilled out and relaxed compared to a lot of the other commanders, who tend to be quite full of themselves.

While the other soldiers were sitting and eating their breakfasts, generally a bowl of oats and some fruit, Cleo was hard at work, making it up to Commander Orange with double pushups. With the big ambitions that Cleo holds of being a strong warrior like her brother, she needs to put in more work than the average soldier. A lot more.