Marines: Origins

Chapter Two: Jack

Brin and Lucy trained for the rest of the early morning, the sun was beginning to rise flooding light into the canyon which the training school watched over.

Brin walked over to the large door which led to the steps down to the village. He stepped out and looked over the village, everything was made of stone or wood.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah you are." Lucy replied snuggling up to his arm.

"The suns coming up, we'd better get to practicing and start acting like we're not together." Brin said pulling away from her and readying his Hammer.

Lucy readied her own Hammer and they began to spar. Brin managed to get a few hits in but he knew that it was because Lucy was letting him.

Everyone got up relatively quickly after sunrise and met on the training yard to watch Brin try the test.

George, Cameron and Scott each sat on the stairs while Michael and Lucy were arguing about something. Master Ying come out a few minutes later and addressed everyone.

"Everyone we are gathered here to watch young Weapon Wielder Brin attempt the Acolyte Test. If he succeeds he will advance to the rank of Weapon Acolyte and join the rest of you. If he fails he will stay the rank of Weapon Wielder and will have to take the test again. Next week will be Michael's turn to take the test but he will be going for the title of Weapon Master. Now Brin, are you ready?"

"Yes Master Ying" Brin said bowing to his Master.

"Very well then Wielder Brin, you may begin whenever you are ready"

Brin began to swing his Hammer around with his hand, as it began to pick up pace he begun to make more movement and swing the Hammer around himself. Time slowly began to pass as Brin went through his routine, but now came the hard part. A true Master was able to control his Weapon even if it wasn't in his hand, this was the last part of the test. Wooden cutouts of enemies sprung up around the yard, Brin threw his Hammer at the first one without looking. It smashed right through the wood but now Brin had to control the Hammer with his mind and make it smash the rest. Brin moved his hands left and the Hammer flew past him through another target, he kept controlling the Hammer but as time went in he could feel his control slipping.

It came down to the last target, everyone was in edge. Brin's Hammer was heading straight for it when a scream came from the village, it threw Brin off and his Hammer flew off toward the others. Everyone dived out of the way but Master Ying put his hand up and  stopped the Hammer by grabbing it by the head with his palm.

"Sorry Master." Brin said as he recalled the Hammer back to his hand.

"All is good Wielder Brin, but I am afraid that to have failed your test." Master Ying said to the disappointed Brin.

"But Master it wasn't his fault." Lucy said defending him.

"It is clear Wielder Brin does not have inner peace, he would've failed even if the scream had not come. We must put the test on hold as I fear that there is an emergency down in the village. Go and investigate."

"Yes Master" the six of them said running into the village.

Brin and the Wielders arrived at the village to find a man standing in front of them with a large Sword in his left hand and a Hammer in his right.

"Are you the Weapon Wielders of this village?" The man asked in a deep voice swinging his Hammer over his shoulder.

"Damn right we are, and we're here to protect this village from the likes of you." Michael said readying his Knives, he had a Knife in each of the gaps between his fingers.

"Guys I don't think that he's the-." Brin tried to say before Michael threw his first Knives at the man. George unsheathed the Sword from his back, Lucy readied her Hammer, Cameron's Chains loosened and dangled down his arms and Scott readied his Staff in front of him. Brin took his Hammer off his back but didn't follow his team in attacking the man.

Instead Brin looked off to his right and saw a woman, probably the one who screamed, running from a different person. Brin thought about telling his team, who were too occupied fighting the other man, but he thought that stopping this other assailant by himself would prove to Master Ying that was worthy of becoming a Weapon Acolyte.

Brin ran after the woman, he soon found the man that was following her. Brin threw his Hammer at the man who fell over.

"Why the hell are you attacking me?" The man said sitting up. "He's the one you should be attacking!" He said running off.

Brin looked to his left and saw a boy, around his age, walking towards him. The boy had  brown hair that flowed to just above his eyes which were abnormally white. A cannon rested under each arm. The boy took one look at Brin before firing both of the cannons at him, it didn't fire cannon balls, instead it fired balls of blue flame. Brin dodged one of the fire balls and blocked the other with his Hammer.

"Who are you?" Brin asked swinging his Hammer around.

"I could ask the same of you Hammer Wielder. My name is Jack. So, who are you and how do you wield the Hammer?" Jack asked.

"My name is Brin and I am a Weapon Wielder, I have been using a Hammer for years and it'll be what defeats you."

"Damn, I must've missed a few, never mind I'll just kill you and any other Hammer Wielders that still live." Jack fired his Cannons again, this time not at Brin but at the buildings around him. The fire balls shredded up the walls around Brin causing him to put all of his effort into blocking the shards of rock and not focusing on Jack.

Jack ran for Brin while he was distracted by the debris. Jack swung both of his Cannons at Brin but another Hammer flew at him and stopped him in his tracks. Jack looked up and saw another Hammer Wielder, this one a girl, standing on top of the roof of the building next to them. Jack pointed his Cannons at her, ready to fire, when Knives flew out of the dust behind Jack, puncturing the Cannons and rendering them useless.

Jack fled while Brin's team helped him out from the rubble.

"Who was that?" Scott asked using his Staff to get rid of the rubble at Brin's feet.

"His name was Jack. He said something about killing the rest of the Hammer Wielders" Brin responded.

"Never mind him, he couldn't kill the both of us" Lucy said jumping down from the roof.