OIT VII

Our Intertwining Tale, chapter seven: Training

When one of the PHA members came to get me for my first training session, it wasn’t Aria like usual. Jason and his obnoxious smile peered through the door. He was ordering me to do something. For the first brief seconds, I hadn’t listened.

“…So that he is going to show you how to use that…” He paused, his smile dimming down, “thing.” He said it as if the metallic rose that lies in my hands was ugly and vulgar. I glanced up at him, ignoring his statement about my beautiful weapon.

“He needs you in the beginner’s training area.” He turned around; ready to click my door closed, but paused for a brief second. “Also…” His pause was tedious. Eventually, when all the words clicked into his head, he spoke, “Maria is going to give you an elixir of age treatment.”

I immediately asked him, “What’s that?” Before he could answer me, he laughed loudly under his breath and clicked my door shut. He is such an idiot.

I carefully stood on my bed, jumping off onto the floor. There was a loud slam! That occurred, as I heard people jump from the lower level of the caves. I laughed at them, walking over to the mirror that was nailed to the wall.

I looked tired. Dark rings under my eyes were showing, and my face was pale as usual. I sighed, changing quickly. When Nolan gave you an order, it better happen within five minutes. I dug through a pile of clean clothes, coming up with a sleeveless gray shirt with a hood, and a pair of purple sweatpants.

“Ah, comfy and ready for fighting,” I breathed out loud, “that’s more like it.” When I turned to go to the door, I slid two pairs of socks over my feet. He was strict, and it was cold out there.

–

“Why, hello again, Cassie.” Nolan beamed a white toothy smile at me when I entered the beginner’s training grounds. It was just a huge lush-like valley that trailed miles and miles. Nolan also trained elites here, so he needed a lot of space. The betas and the alphas trained together, separate from us, because there aren’t many second and third level paranormal hunters out there.

“Hello, master.” I replied. In front of his face, you never wanted to call Nolan by his name. He was the leader, and the master of everyone.

I paced quickly towards him, and he nodded towards a stack of training and fencing swords. “Grab one of the training swords and we shall begin.” Training swords were for beginners. They’re just light sticks. But the fencing swords are for the elite. They’re all made of crystal-like material so they’re hard to break.

I walked over to the stack, grabbing one of the many replicated sticks and stared at it. For some odd reason, one side was heavier than the other. But both sides were exactly the same dimension.

I shook my head and held the lighter side with my hand. There is no possible way one is heavier. I must be hallucinating or confused.

Nolan smiled at me, “Cassie, hurry up. We don’t have all day.” He huffed a sharp breath and stepped back, waiting for me to stand in front of him. When I stood there, he pointed at the stick in my hand.

“…Wrong way.” He exclaimed, gripping my hand with one of his and placing it on the heavier end of the stick, “You’ll snap it in half if you hold it heavier on the top.”

I blushed with embarrassment and switched the sides. Before I knew it, I felt a sharp pain in my ankle, and I fell on my face in the dirt.

“Don’t worry about it.” Nolan replied, shaking his foot. He must have kicked me. “Not one beginner knows how to do the correct stance. I was just proving to you that you don’t know it either.” He laughed, taking his fencing sword off his belt, “If I had hit you, you wouldn’t have fallen.”

And once I had stumbled back on my feet, I found his fencing blade pressed gently against my throat. He laughed louder this time, his eyes seeming more intimidating and creepy than usual.

“Dodge my attacks.”

My body felt a trickle of cold fear go down it.