Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
9
Harley trained hard. Every day she practiced with her musket and knives from first light to dusk. All she could think about was her duel with Dustin. And as each day passed, he grew closer and closer to being healed enough to hold his weapon again. She dreaded it, but it was already too late for her to back out. She didn't want either one of them to die. But she had plans. Goals. People that needed to suffer for what they did to her. And she worked her ass off just to be accepted as a recruit. And after training for five whole years, the ceremony was quickly arriving for the recruits to graduate as soldiers. They would be stationed someplace, either as guards or war dogs. She couldn't afford to lose that chance. So it was either her, or Dustin, and she would do whatever it took to make sure it wasn't going to be her.
She was on the training grounds once again, working long after the other recruits had retired for the evening. She had her blade drawn, slashing and stabbing her stray dummy with great speed and accuracy. A musket wasn't all she was skilled at using. It's why she was the best on her team. But even though the dummy was wrapped in a blank and boring corn sack, all she could see was Dustin's face on it. Her body moved with the dagger, while her mind planned for spots she could hit with her gun that might be fatal to him. The head was an easy target. The heart a little more difficult to hit. The lungs would surely do it, but that would cause a slow death as he would choke on his own blood and drown. But no matter where she hit him, it didn't sit well with her. She didn't have it in her to kill him. She just couldn't. She wasn't against playing dirty, but not that dirty. She wouldn't resort to murder.
As she paused from her training, she panted and tried to catch her breath. She stood beside the dummy and opened her canteen to drink some cool water. When she was done, she noticed Major Nox was standing in the distance, watching her. And beside him was Colonel Lucious. Instantly she took position and stood up straight, putting her hands behind her back in recognition that a higher rank was in her presence. Nox and Lucious seemed to share words, then together they approached her. "At ease," said Lucious. He was a much older man with white hair and a hat atop his head. Many metals adorned his chest; a display of his accomplishments. "I see you've been training hard these past few days," Lucious added. Harley blinked at him, and his mustache lifted as he gave a small smile, "I have been watching you. Did you not expect me to scope out the one who stated that they want to take my place?" She winced, but somehow he was rather calm about the idea. Almost as if he accepted her as a worthy replacement. Or perhaps he admired her ambition as the King did.
"Forgive me, Colonel. I did not mean to offend you nor challenge you," Harley clarified. He shook his head, "Nonsense. You are not the only one who wants to be Colonel. But you are the first and only woman to try to take my place. And for that, I find you intriguing. I shall be keeping my eye on you. So far, I have not been disappointed." Harley resisted a smile. That was high praise coming from the Colonel. "Thank you, Sir," she said with a dip of her head. "I love chit chat as much as the next guy, but that is not why I am here," Colonel Lucious' smile faded as his expression became very stern and serious. "King Silas wishes to see you." She blinked, wondering why the King would wish to see a lowly recruit such as herself. She may have captured his attention when she defeated Commander Dent in the tournament ring. Or, perhaps it was on some other matter.
