Fallen Angel of Light

Surprise

It's the next morning and I arrive on schedule for combat training with Rowan. I arrive in the room we've been combat training in to see Rowan, Jarolt, and Gelvain waiting for me to arrive. For some reason today they are all in their uniforms. White cloaked and armor shined. I set my backpack on the bench and stroll over to them. "Good morning," I say to the group. "No weapons today?" I see no targets set up or floor mats out today.
"You could say that," Gelvain chuckles to herself.
        "Put these on," Rowan throws me a training uniform.
        "Aren't I wearing one of these already?" I question him while gesturing to my clothes.
        "Just do as I say." I quickly go into the locker rooms and change as instructed. It is just like my training uniform, but I discover this one has a hood attached to it. I button the neck up making sure to secure my necklace. I walk back out to everyone muttering amongst themselves. "Follow me." I start to follow the group inside the training building through multiple empty halls and stairways. "Today I have officially instated you as a cadet in the royal army," Rowan starts whilst still walking eyes forward. "As a cadet you are the lowest trainee. Technically private is the lowest rank. Every cadet trains and fights to prove they are worthy of being a private."
"Every month," Gelvain shuffles in the group to be walking next to me. "I host the cadet challenge to become private. The Thursday of the challenge consists of every cadet thinking they are worthy of private showing up to a battle royal at the royal arena. It's a challenge in a spell barrier where you fight to steal sashes from other players. If you steal one that player gets forced out of the challenge by the spell." We begin walking up a flight of stairs.
"So I begin training for that?" I question the group. We stop before a door at the end of a hall.
"Somewhat," I hear Jarolt mutter.
Rowan turns around to face me. "Your concealment spell is undone," he pulls the hood over my face. "Talk to no one." What is happening. Rowan pulls a gold bow out from under his right wing, and a gold quiver full of arrows from under his left wing. Jarolt and Gelvain go through the door leaving me and Rowan alone. Rowan hands me the bow and begins attaching the quiver around my waist. The slight touch of his fingertips on my hips make me blush and I dip my head lower so the hood conceals me. I need more human interaction in my days. I should ask the Queen for a social lunch or something. Once he's finished he also ties a bright white sash around my waist as well.
"Look at me," he says to me once he is finished. I look up to meet his beautiful blue eyes. They almost have part of the day sky trapped inside them. "Be careful, think, I believe in you," what is he talking about? Rowan opens the door to the outside and pushes me through. He closes the door before I can question him. As my eyes adjust to the light I begin to see what's around me. I am now among a whole group of cadets with white sashes tied onto them as well. Some have it tied on their ankles, others their wrist, some the forearms. The group collectively stops talking amongst themselves and stares at me. I'm the only one in a hooded uniform. I hear some muttering, and Madam Wren's concealment spell that showed injured wings is gone. Everyone is asking what a human is doing here to each other. I keep my hood low.
         " ALRIGHTY THEN!" I hear Gelvain over a loud speaker. The group moves and I follow. I realize now we are all standing in the middle of what appears to be the royal arena. It's a huge circle with massive bleachers all around. "TODAY IS THE DAY CADETS!" The group turns and I see Gelvain in what looks like the King's balcony. I now notice Rowan and Jarolt walk up behind her. "THE PRIVATE ROYAL!" The group cheers. "AND TODAY WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST," Gelvain mentions behind her to reveal the prince. The group settles down and we all take a knee and bow our heads.
         "RISE," we hear Rowan over the loudspeakers. The group follows orders and stands back up. "I HAVE NO DOUBT YOU ALL HAVE NOTICED OUR GUEST PARTICIPATING IN TODAYS EVENT." I feel the whole group of about 50 cadets glare and give me the side eye. "AS SHE IS FLIGHTLESS WE HAVE GIVEN HER A BOW SHE CAN USE TO PIERCE YOUR SASHES. WE SHALL ALSO BE KEEPING THE GROUD OF THE ARENA TODAY. I TRUST YOU FINE CADETS SEE NO PROBLEM IN THIS." Now the feeling is different. I don't need to see their faces to know everyone is looking at me like a piece of meat. Grinning to themselves at the easy prey. Prince Rowan has lead me to a slaughter and I'm the lamb.
        Gelvain takes the microphone back and begins explaining the rules when I feel a slight breeze touch my cheek. "No wind," I hear Edward's smallest whisper in the wind. I follow its path and look to find Edward sitting in the bleachers about halfway up alone to watch me. My elemental skills have been improving, and I bet the King and Queen want rumors about me kept at bay. I don't even think Rowan knows anything about them. I grip my bow in my hand tightly and give Edward a slight nod before turning back to listen to Gelvain.
"TODAY WE WILL FIND THE NEWEST PRIVATE OF THE ROYAL ARMY!" As the group cheers their response a timer shows above us in mid air. A barrier spell cast over us like a glowing dome. Thirty seconds appear on the timer. "THIRTY SECONDS AND THE FIGHT TO JOIN THE RANK OF THE ROYAL ARMY BEGINS!" The loudspeakers cut out as structures rise from the clouded ground. I assume the obstacles of the arena. Three giant rectangles. One laying on it's side and two piercing out of the ground one slightly higher than the other. With one last rectangle that connects the two as a bridge in the middle. The group spreads out all preparing for flight. They make it obvious that I'm the first target on everyone's list.
I need a plan. I need a plan! They left me to fail! Think Aria, think! I have a bow and arrows. How many? I count about 25 arrows in total. As well as the short sword I accidentally stole from Rowan and keep on me at all times. After everything that happened I meant to give it back to Rowan, but I realized if I wanted a weapon for protection they weren't going to give it to me. I've been keeping it in my backpack and in the back on my training gear. I just need sashes, but more or less to protect mine. The hood blocks some of my vision. Wait a minute. I can't show that I can wield wind, but that doesn't make it useless to me. Edward has me feel the castle at the beginning of each class. The timer now says ten seconds. I quickly close my eyes and feel the arena. First the dome barrier and the air circulating it. Now the breeze. I feel one cadet move, and then two. Now three. Five seconds, hurry. I map out all 50 cadets in total and their wings. One second and I now have the image of every cadets full body in my mind's eye. Their footing, and muscles eager to jump. I don't need vision to see all of you. Your wings will give your moves away to me.
The buzzer sounds the beginning of the match. Everyone jumps into the air. Someone close to me guns right for me. I dodge his hand at the last second as I start to the middle of the arena. I need cover, I can't run forever. If I don't get cover I'll tire long before they do. Someone dips down from above me. The winds moves more around their left thigh, that must be the sash. I slide onto my back and grab an arrow I aim for the left thigh. Sure enough I see the sash. I don't want to pierce her leg so I aim for the edge of the sash. I hit it and she is suddenly no longer above me. I regain my footing and start running to the center again. I guess the barrier really does teleport you out. I feel someone else. He moves to side swipe me. I dodge below his wing, and grab his sash tied to his ankle. Another one out.
    I make it to the structures in the arena. I quickly climb on top of the rectangle laying on its side and slam my back against the shorter standing one. Now that I have cover I map out the shape of the rectangles and all the breeze moving around them from so many people flying.