Fangs

Chapter 1

Thud. Thud. Thud.
The bag dully received the impacts of her fists.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Every time she could hear the grating voice inside her head she hit it faster, harder.
Thud. Thud. Thud. 
"Not good enough"
"Disappointing"
"Burden to your unit"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Faye. Faye.  Faye!"
This voice was real, close, and impatient. She stopped punching, and turned to face Anna, the body to the voice.
"Captain wants to see us, right now, Main Hall. Come on Faye, could be good news, huh?" Anna smiled. Ever the optimist, Faye thought. She unstrapped the thinly padded gloves, carelessly tossing them to the side. She heard them land on the floor somewhere. Faye jogged after Anna, straightening her black T-shirt as she went. She laid a hand on Anna's shoulder, turning her head. Anna smiled.
"Bet you'll be getting that promotion any day now Faye. Your rankings have gone off the chart since the Training Academy, really." Anna worked in Executive Statistical, another term for lots and lots of paperwork. She and her team kept track of the entire Sydrigast, forms and filing and all.
"Anna, you know as well as I do that I've tried to forget the Academy, not even remember it think of 'how far I've come'. I know it was different for you, but those six years were the worst of my life. Even if what they told me only keeps me going now." Faye felt heat rising to her cheeks as she spoke. They arrived at the old oak door to the Main Hall, one of the last remnants of the old guard of the Syndrigast. Anna reaches forward, grinning at Faye,
"What are we waiting for, Faye? Let's go run an army." She was joking, but the thing was, Faye was tempted. Anna pushed it open. Inside the Main Hall, a man stood, leaning on the long table running through the middle of the hall, shuffling through papers. He looked up as they came in, scanning them over steel-rimmed glasses. He looked old, his face crumpled like old parchment, his eyes dull and tired. He wore the same uniform as Faye; heavy black boots, black T-shirt and red combat trousers, though Faye's combats were the fitted equivalent of the female uniform. He sighed when he saw the two of them. Faye could feel Anna tense next to her, her clipboard slipping slightly in her hands.
"Faye, come here, take a seat. We have important matters to discuss. Anna, you may leave." Anna nodded slightly, turned and hurried out of the Hall. The man gestures to a seat beside him. Faye slowly moved towards it, unsure of herself, as she had always been, in the presence of her captain. She lowered herself into the chair.
"Faye, I was your instructor in the Academy, I know how you struggled, and, in turn, I know how you essentially turned that around. You are, if you don't mind me saying, Faye, my best soldier..." her captain fell silent after this momentary outburst. Faye turned bright red.
"Well, no, no, I don't mind you saying. But, sir, why am I here, why did you call me here, is what I mean to say?" she stuttered.
"Faye, I have developed, against my better judgement, a soft spot, of sorts, for you. I...admire how you handle yourself. Use of past experiences, difficult past experiences, in making yourself a better soldier is a quality I hold in high esteem. I am more than willing to... to promote you. Although, not promote you, as such." He could barely make it through the sentence, Faye could tell he was uncomfortable.
"Sir? What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" Faye was trying to help him, but was as uncomfortable as her captain looked.
"Faye, I think you are captain material. I think you are the right kind of person to run this Centrigast." He was almost smiling now, he seemed genuinely pleased at the prospect of a suitable heir to run his contingent. Faye relaxed too.
"Sir, if that's all you wanted to tell me, why are you so nervous? Of course I accept, that's my duty!" She smiled slightly. Her captain, however, seemed less contented with her response. His face fell.
"Faye, you know what I think of you, how you hold yourself throughout the Sydrigast, but unfortunately, my superiors... don't agree. They are unwilling to accept that you have improved since the Academy. They will not authenticate your captainship until..." he trailed off.
"Until what, sir?"
"Faye, there is an enemy of the Syndrigast. A human hunter, who's family has targeted not just our army, but our entire people for generations. As far as we are aware, the latest in a long line is the only woman to ever hunt for the family Winter. Katie, her name is."
"I don't follow, sir."
"I'm sorry, Faye, really. The superiors require Katie Winter... dead. And you, Faye Donovan, will be the one to get her there."