BOOK 3 - Destiny: House of Wolves (Shonen Anime Style)

Chapter 28: Initiation Test

Days later, at the Reef...

Things went back to normal. With the House of Wolves away, the Reef Awoken had some time to return to the Vestian Outpost. Obviously, major cleaning and rebuilt was necessary, but that was an easy gig for them now that they weren't scared for their lives. The Queen's Wrath made sure to protect its people, enhancing their defenses, and only allowing Awoken into the outpost, with the exception of a few people the queen trusted.

The destruction caused by Skolas placed some intense pressure on the Queen's Wrath. The need to grow even stronger was evident, so it's no surprise that Petra decided to intensify the training of all warriors, old and new trainees alike. That's what was happening at the training field at that moment. Petra supervised the training of her apprentices personally, making sure they stood up to the difficulty. In the end, at least 10 girls struggled to keep up while only a few were up to it. 

And of course, only 1 was fulfilling every exercise without a single problem: Milaya. 

"COME ON! SPEED UP THE PACE!" yelled Petra in a serious tone, watching the trainees running through an obstacle course of her own creation. "YOU CALL THAT RUNNING?!?! IF THIS WAS A REAL FIGHT, YOUR OPPONENT WOULD GET BORED OF HOW SLOW YOU ARE!! KEEP IT UP!!!" 

No weapons nor equipment for the training, only physical prowess which was already incredible in the case of most trainees. One can only imagine how tough Petra's training was to corner even the most prepared of warriors. Although, Milaya was the exception. While the rest of girls sped up, and slowed down frequently, Milaya kept a steady pace at every moment, surpassing most of the obstacles with ease. Focused. Determined. She didn't even blink, only seeing ahead of her.

"As always... Milaya is the most capable of all" said another Awoken officer.

"Yes, she's one of our best" Petra replied. "Although, she can't let her guard down"

"We all know that. After Skolas, we are all being more alert than ever"

"No, that's not what I'm talking about" the Awoken officer startled, Petra grinning confidently in return. "Some new recruits will join us today, so who knows? Maybe someone as capable as Milaya will finally show up"

"I... kinda doubt that. She's the best we've had in years"

"Well, like I said... she still can't let her guard down" 

Petra stepped forward, leaving the officer quite puzzled. Then, she called for all of the trainees to gather in front of her. It was time for some news. The trainees gathered as fast as they all could. Some panting heavily. Some sitting on the floor. And then, there was Milaya, who stood as still as a rock, not even flinching nor showing signs of exhaustion. She clearly could've ran the obstacle course for hours and hours.

"I can see some of you struggling with this level of training. I just want to let you know that things aren't even close to get as hard as they can be" most of the trainees sweat-dropped at this declaration, Petra smirking in return. "Although, it will get a little crowdier. Thanks to the recent incident involving the Fallen, the Queen has personally asked me to increase our numbers, and you all know what that means" 

Petra turned around, the trainees startling as they witnessed a good number of people entering the training field as well: New applicants for a place inside the Queen's Wrath. They were all girls of course. 10 in total. And all Awoken. Everyone examined these recruits in search of someone of great potential. Even Milaya found herself curious, so she too analyzed them in a superficial way, not like she was finding anything of interest.

Milaya's expression was a contrast to the innocent attitude showed by the new recruits. Most of them displayed smiles, some of foolish confidence, and some of nervousness. They were young, between 15 and 16 years old. Clearly unexperienced in what real battles concerned. After all, mere training is not the same as being in an actual battle. They all had a special suit for training only, carrying a helmet on their arms except for one last applicant who was using it on her head.