Dellings Secrets of The South

Chapter 4

Sakura

The rain was a balanced element. It gave water to our plants, and a relaxing night of sleep when falling on the roof, but it also gave a tiring, drenched day when we had training and it kept on pouring.

I walked over to the training field, squinting from the rain drops falling into my eyes, soaking my clothes and pilling up in mud around my boots.

My eyes strain to see past the fog up ahead, my steps naturally slowed as an ocean of people appear standing across the whole field. It took me a millie of a second to realise who it was but I couldn't understand what was going on.

I stared at all the trainees standing in their proper age group, from the five year olds still running around, to the older kids either fixing their uniforms or chatting with their friends while others were already lining up beside them based on their heights. The only real indication of their ages were the coloured uniforms they wore.

Southside had everyone train in the morning but they gave each group a designated area. Some trained inside the halls, other at the back or side of the camp and my group trained on the front field. Apart for the punishments of late comers, our groups never merged.

Curious as to what was going on, I scanned around me until spotting Tom's face in the crowd. He waved at me before dashing to come meet me half way, his uniform hanging loose around the muscles he still hadn't obtain.

"What's going on?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Beats me. We were asked to come here and line up from shortest to tallest."

My brows pinched together with more confusion.

Why wasn't I asked to do that?

I didn't get the chance to voice the question before the loud bang of the bell sent everyone running to get in their places. I scurried to my group too, using my hand to measure the height of the first people in line. I passed the first four before falling short on the fifth.

Internally grunting, I took my place in line, pushing my shoulders as far back as I could and chin as high up. A new sense of anxiety was building up in my chest, one that I did not understand the source of and couldn't examine before the doors of the building entrance flew open and out came walking tall figures dressed in black.

Commanders and Dellings.

The distant fading of the bell almost fell in synchronisation with their striding steps, their every movement screamed confidence and power, resembling that of an army going to war. One that would trample down on its enemies just like the way they trampled down on the people they were supposed to mentor.

A gritted sound snapped from my mouth, making me realised I was unknowingly clenching my jaw.

I hated Dellings.

I hated Commanders.

I hated everyone.

Even though, I held my composure, blinking away the rain drops in my eyes when there was a small movement beside me. I watched from the corner of my eye at a little boy trying to find his way to his group in the crowd. Sheer panic already screaming on his face as he tried to poke his head around the people that were too tall for him to see past, but thankfully too tall for the ones approaching in front to see him too.

My fingertips stretched towards him in reflex to respond, fighting the voice in my head telling me that I was in plain sight of the Commanders but before I could do anything, another hand grabbed him. The boy beside me shielded him behind his back and slowly and carefully the person beside him did the same, passing him on to the others until I could see him no more.

And hopefully the Commanders didn't catch on to anything, I had no single doubt in my mind that they wouldn't be any more merciful than they were with the girl.

The commanders finally reached up, all of them stopped just a few feet away as they gazed out into the crowd. The commanders stood with their back straight - a practice they participated in only on special occasions - all except Travis who had his usual lean.

The Dellings on the other hands, couldn't care less about looking proper.

Why would they when their very presence lurking in the air was enough to send chills down spines? Just like the way their nasty smirks and piercing eyes made my skin crawled.

And what I hated most was that even when having the ugliest energy dancing around them, they were still beautiful. Like sheer devils masquerading as angels.

The wandering eyes of the skinny blonde standing in front of me, bore into everyone, taking in all the details before finally landing on me and I immediately look away. I could feel his eyes shooting at the side of my face, watching, observing, waiting for me to mess up and look back at him. But I didn't.

I fought the urge to do so, staring straight ahead past his shoulders and suddenly there was a frail, little voice whispering near my ear. One I couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Look." It half said, half sang in an eerily playful tone of a little child. "Look at me."

The gushing sound of the rain faded into the background and this new itching sensation in my mind was forcing me to look. All traces of thoughts were gone, all there was was the want and before I could understand what was happening my head began shifting into his direction. But it wasn't by my command. It was like someone else had taken over my controls and I was just there looking through their eyes.

I clenched my jaw, tightening my gaze ahead and fighting the urge that seemed to have gotten a mind of its own. I could hear my heartbeat pulsing in my ears, everything within me knew to not look but my head did not stop.

"Listen up." The leading commander shouted and the gushing of the rain came back. I physically felt my body get released by something.

"We're gonna do things differently today. Each of you will be put to battle against someone in another group. Doesn't matter size nor the age. We want to see how far you've gotten in your training. So unless you're curious about the consequences of losing, I suggest you win."

He walked off to the far left side and the commanders started pulling trainees out of line and placing them next to the person they were gonna battle. I wasn't fully able to breath until the blonde did a small self-satisfied smirk then carried on with his task.

I quietly watched as he joined another black hair dellling and drag out a young girl from the crowd. My mind didn't get the chance to add two and two together before someone was placed in front of me and all the confusion I had evaporated.

Fucking James.

My eyes narrowed, wishing I could slap that damn smirk off his face but the strong glare of the bald guy from yesterday prevented me. I guess this was his revenge.

"Told you your time would come, Cripple." James hissed under his breath, I on the other hand didn't care about keeping my voice low.

"Should be embarrassed that they have you fight a girl. They don't think you can take on someone your own size."

And just like that the stupid smile got wiped off his ugly duckling face.

James walked around all tough but he was as easy to piss off as a baby without his bottle. If only he was as cute, maybe I'll rethink snapping his arms in two. But he wasn't.