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6
There was little time left before Harley was going to go against Captain Dent. She had hoped she could have spent those three days training harder than ever before, but plans changed when they were sent on a hunt in the forbidden forest. Now she only had a few hours, and the whole Kingdom was coming to witness the event. It was the talk of the town; as soon as she had left her shack to join the men in the cafeteria, all they talked about was the Captain having a shoot off against the only female soldier. Already they were placing bets, most of them betting against Harley as they expected their unbeatable Captain to win. She only grinned to herself. If only they knew that her victory was certain.
But as she was eating her meal and listening to the gossip, she noticed that Dustin was nowhere to be seen. She guessed that meant his injuries were as severe as she thought, if not more. She half wondered just how badly he was hurt, and when he might return to practice. But the other half of her couldn't care less. He was her biggest rival, and with him gone she planned to take advantage of the opportunity. He couldn't hold her back or put her down while he was healing. She would be able to soar and show just how capable she really was without any more obstacles. And Dustin was her greatest one. Captain Dent wasn't even a challenge for her.
After she ate her final meal for the day, Harley made her way for the tournament ring where everyone else was already gathering. The sun was beginning to go down, but there was still plenty left over for the competition. Instead of entering the ring, she went into the barracks where Major Nox was waiting. She blinked, wondering if he knew she would go there first. It was where she would get her guns, after all. Which she needed for the competition. "There you are," he greeted with a grin. He was standing next to the wall of muskets, particularly beside the one with her name engraved on the side. "When does it start?" Harley asked as she moved past him to take her trusted musket. He chuckled, "Patience, darling. Not everyone is here yet. We're still waiting for the King." Harley turned to look at him with a raised brow. "He is our guest of honor," Nox added.
She looked down at her gun and slowly rotated it as she examined its fine features. "So, what's the plan?" she asked. There was no way she could beat the Captain with skill alone. She was skilled, yes, but the Captain was the most skilled in the Kingdom. Statistically, she didn't stand a chance. And she already knew the Major wasn't going to play fair. He admitted that himself. He had something dirty in mind. He chuckled lightly and patted the top of her head like she was some innocent child. "Just leave that to me. You only need to worry about hitting the target, that's all." Harley frowned, but she said nothing more on the subject. And when his eyes moved past her and he stood with a grin, she knew they were no longer alone. "Ah, Captain," Nox said. "Pleasant to see you here."
"And where else would I be?" the Captain sneered. He didn't even spare Harley a single glance as he walked by her to his own musket. It looked just like hers, except it had his own name on it, and it was marked to keep track of his accomplishments along the shiny barrel. "A fair point," the Major said sweetly in response to the Captain. He wasn't going to stoop to Dent's level with curt replies and snooty attitudes. His pride wasn't so fragile. He then looked between Harley and the Captain with his chin high, "This will be fun. The strongest Captain, against the only woman among the King's ranks."
