A Flawed Alliance

Chapter 5- No Auxiliary Can Go Without Weaponry

"We will also be given weaponry and getting used to those before meeting our animals. Remember failure to follow the rules and inappropriate uses of the weaponry will result in automatic dropping of this class, and immediate incarceration. Any other questions?"

A man raised his hand. Aaron looked at him once before the man said, "Why weaponry? Doesn't that just provoke the animal even further?"

Aaron had rings all over his hands, silver and gold, all different types. As he cracked his knuckles, the rings brushed past each other and tinged small clear sounds. "No. It's only for safety purposes. As animals are a lot more diverse, their power becomes unpredictable. Your Phluids will know in time. It's not only physical endurance that make up your Phluid. Your mentality shapes it as well."

The slight tip of his nose suggested a hint of warning. A hint not to question his authority. He smiled and began the first step over the hill in front of him. Nothing promising a nice walk.

I stepped on the first ascent of the hill and walked. My legs were reluctant to move and after my passing out yesterday, I was surprised that I could walk for so long. The only thing that kept me going, I thought, was because of the cool breeze that whipped through my hair and the desire to do my best during training. All for the future. That was all.

Constantly my legs ached but I chose to ignore it, pushing along with the other group members aside me. Once we got over the hill, I saw a clearing, or a glade, with trees surrounding it. A small pond took over most of the clearing, reflecting off thousands of beams from the sun.

Grass circled the pond and all around the field were all kinds of weaponry from bows to arrows to halberds and even staves. The wind seemed to whistle across the grass, susurrating softly at first, then picking up and mellowing down, a feeling of summer air rushing past the whole group even though the air smelled harshly of packed moisture. From this view, it almost seemed like training was simple, peaceful even, but the human-made weapons in the center of the clearing distorted the overall image from natural to artificial. All for the future.

The crowd gathered around the weaponry, a sort of hushed blanket enveloping all of us. Aaron gestured to the racks, "Every person should start with one weapon."

Aaron came over to one of the racks and hefted a halberd in his hands from the largest rack. "These weapons are low quality but do well for defense and amateurs like you. Especially since these weapons should not be used to engage in any sort of battle."

The same man immediately raised his hand. Aaron spun his halberd over his shoulder and asked, "Yes? A question?"

The man closed his eyes. "Most of us aren't amateurs. Some of us have used these weapons before."

Aaron's eyes sparked. "Am I the mentor? Or are you?" He seemed much scarier when he turned his profile to the weapons. "As I mentioned before, Phluid can be heavily based on your mental state. Having a cocky attitude can alter your Phluid tremendously and your connection with your animal."

The man's mouth fluttered but he didn't reply when he saw Aaron's tilted head with that same authoritative tone. Then, he regarded the rest of us. "Choose your weapon. Make sure you choose the one you're most comfortable with because you won't have enough time to change and catch up with the others."

With everyone else, I walked forward and grabbed the nearest tool and instantly regretted it. The halberd dragged me to the ground and it took all my strength to haul it back on the rack without tipping it over.

Halberd: no. Next, I wrapped my hands around a staff and suddenly a burst of energy blasted, rocking my body from head to toe. I shuddered for a minute, taking in my surroundings. Some people already were on a roll, already waving their weapons and doing all sorts of aerobatics. Others, who had touched a weapon for the first time, were already on the move, learning all they could.

Halberd: no, Staff: no, Next: Daggers? I saw a pair of daggers lying on the ground, but just as I picked them up, something felt wrong about them. They felt too light. I discarded them back on the ground and picked up a sword.

Immediately, power and adrenaline rushed into my body. With such power, I felt unbeatable. I swung around the sword like a little child, jabbing the sword in the air and jeering with pride.

It went on like that endlessly. I lost track of time. I would pick up the sword and then release it just as it began to overwhelm me with surging power. All for the future. Was it my Phluid at play here? Or something else?

Only when Aaron told us to stop that I collapsed down on the grass and felt the pain. Sweat poured out and my ragged breathing made my lungs contract. A part of me relished the pain. The pain was evidence I was training and doing my job.

But the other part hesitated. If Aaron did this every day, there was no chance I would be able to catch up. I heaved myself forward and sat on the ground, growling and swiping grass away from me. I will make it. I had to. Progress. Future.

Aaron smiled at the crowd. "Well done. For the first day of weaponry. The other days will be much harder so brace yourselves. We will be with our animals soon enough."

Nobody peeped. Only rough breathing and coughing followed Aaron's words. Maybe in later days, we would get used to it. I breathed harder, my stomach groaning with muscle aches. That had to be the solution to this.

"Stand up," Aaron ordered. "We're going back."

Mr. Hrodvitnir bolted upright from where he was sitting with chocolate in hand and scrambled after Aaron who was already walking down the hill.

I crawled to a kneeling position and then stamped my foot on the ground for balance, bringing myself up to a stand. I almost buckled but seeing everyone already leaving, I had to race to catch up to them.

Going down the hill might have been a little easier than going up the hill, but with depleted energy, it felt ten times worse. My boots hitched with every decline and soon I lagged behind, skidding dirt as I bumped across the slope.

Occasionally, I would trip on a rock and had to tilt on a tree to regain balance. Everything swirled, trees merging into one another and the sky creating a sensational effect.

Aaron shouted somewhere ahead, "Come on! Pick up your feet and let's keep moving!"

Through the daze of my eyes and brain, I chose to ignore his words. That must have been a warning for me to pay attention, but I was far too tired to even care.

The sun shone directly over my head and when I squinted, I could make out the torches of the beach. I heaved a breath and willed all of me to pump my legs to go faster.