Aurora is an 18 year old young woman from New York, New York. She visits a store on 37th street and is given a book that sends her spiraling into the darkness. She never reads the book and it just drives her insane. She discovers that she has the ab...
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I hear a loud noise that wakes me out of my deep slumber. It's the sound of the big stone door opening up. Mecius stands in the door way, blocking the sunlight. "Well get up. We must get started immediately. No time to waste. The queen wants us to train you and we will." I sluggishly raise up and walk through the exit of the door. We silently walk outside. The outside doesn't look like anything I remember. The skies are dark. The castle and the houses surrounding it lack color. The people are endlessly working. Working on simple tasks such as washing clothes and sweeping. Their faces expressionless and weary. Weary of Aurora's lingering presence.
We head towards this small hut located off the side from the midst of things. The hut is inferior to that of the castle. The tub is full of ice cold water. Ice sickles crowd the top of the surface. "Every other day, this will be your bath. You can choose to take on or not, but it's better than nothing. These will be your clothes." The clothes were durable. The shirt was a black long sleeved buttoned up shirt. The pants were black tights with stitching running down the sides. He laid a pair of shoes and thick socks on the floor. They were low cut boots. The clothes are fine, I was training while being punished all the same. Mecius walked me in and guarded the door. I begin to strip my tattered clothing off of my painful body.
I slipped gradually into the ice cold water. The ice sickles rushing towards my skin. I let out an ahhh sound repeatedly. I sat in the water cancelling out the coldness of the water. The bath was brutal, but I desperately needed one. My skin had to be cleansed of its blisters, dirt, and bumps. I lay there thinking and pulling myself together. I grab a piece of white soap powder that lies on the edge and soothe my body with it. I then allow myself to sit in the water. The water actually becomes warm after my body becomes tolerant of it. I treat myself to a few moments of relaxation and build the courage to get up.
I dry myself off with this thin piece of cloth and wipe away the impurities of my bloodstained skin. I begin to slip on the shirt first. Button by button. I slip on my pants. The clothes feel so good on my skin, I almost forgot what it felt like to have on anything resilient. I slip on my socks and strap on my boots. String by string. I run my fingers through my blonde hair and look at the tub and breathe out. I stand up straight and walk to Mecius. "Alright, I'm ready to train." He speaks without looking, but then comes to notice me. "Well let's..." He stares for a moment and finishes his sentence." Well let's get started."
We take a few minutes to walk to this open area. Weapons hang on multiple posts. Everything from swords, knives, and bow and arrows. "This is where we train the men and children. Today it will just be you." A guy walks up to us. He's a very strong, sturdy looking guy. He's a bit young, but tough. "This is Troy. Troy will help you with your balance and formation; occasionally sparring with you. I will help you with your hand eye coordination and you will mostly fight me. This task will not come easy. The queen wants you hardened. We will accomplish this, no doubt. Let's get started. We will start off with the basics. No weapons, just your hands. Now. Stand in front of me. Put your hands in a fist position. The key is not to let your opponent know where your about to strike next. If they know, you better hope they don't have a weapon. You'll be as good as dead." He proceeds to swing at me, smacking me against my head. I fall back instantly. I quickly regain my composure.
I put my fist back up and get in a ready position. He swings his left leg in a sweeping motion and I detect this swiftly. I counter his move by swinging from his right. He trips but uses his left hand to push me back. He charges and grabs me by the neck, not tightly, but enough to spark a fuse. I head butt him and he falls back slightly. He isn't fazed by my weak moves. He walks around in a circle around me. "If you want to succeed on this mission, you're going to have to do better than that. Now give me your best." He lunges forward and he attempts to swing. I gain courage and stop the motion of his hands by grasping his wrists. "You want my best, well here it is." I begin to feel tired. He catches me off guard and lands me on my back. The cold dirt flows over me in a dust cloud. Troy walks over to me, standing over me.
"You have the will, but you lack the nerve. You start off strong, but end weak. It's not the beginning move that makes the difference. It's how you finish it. When you face trouble on your quest, and you will, the way you're fighting now will lead you to your death." He stares and searches for comprehension in my eyes. "Well, stand up. Let's try a weapon. Let's see how well you can use a bow and arrow. Pick it up and aim for the middle of the dot on the target. You only have three tries for this weapon." "Alright." I pick the bow and arrow up. It's a bit heavy but not intolerable. I've never used one before but I knew the basics. I stepped up into position. I focus the bow precisely. I lay the arrow on the middle of my shoulder. I cock the string back and let it fly. I miss on the first try.
I step back and get back in formation. I cock back and let the arrow fly. I miss on the second try. Both arrows landed nowhere near the target. At this point, I'm growing frustrated. Pull yourself together Cara. I feel the cold stares of Mecius and Troy. They're anticipating me making the third one. I look at them and step back up. This time I take my time. I strap up the bow and arrow. I blur my vision of the target and allow my eyes to focus in place. I let loose the arrow. The shadow of the arrow is the only thing visible on the grey pavement. It flies in a slow motion towards the target. I begin looking with shock. Could I actually have done it?
The arrow overshoots the target. I drop the arrows by my side and just look. I say with anger and a new found sense of determination. "Next weapon please." Mecius walks over to me. "Don't overthink it. One of these weapons will be your calling or you will walk out of here with your fate lying literally in your hands. The next weapon is the sword. It's on the light side. It's far more versatile and good for close up range, you will fight Troy."
I nod with anticipation. He walks over to me in an experienced fashion. His sword is much larger and sharper. I look at my sword, staring into my reflection. It reflects in my eyes. Troy begins to speak. "Formation is everything when using a sword. Your feet placement must be absolutely perfect. Your hands must fluently fly thought the air striking your opponent. It's a kill or be killed game. Prepare yourself and let's get started." We stand in a sort of death ring. Like only one of us will walk out alive. I slide around the edge staring him down. We walk forward and place our swords one on top of another.
I can't help but notice how charming his face is. With his sandy colored hair and blue, arctic eyes. I snap out of it and make the first move. I hit his sword and the sparing begins. Our swords tap boundlessly as we step back. Step forward. Step back. Swing to the sides. Spin to avoid getting cut and get back in formation. Troy says, "Loosen up and maintain balance." I stare at him with wonder. I'm doing well and he says that? I must intimidate him. I begin to fight even harder. I amazingly slide my feet under his right leg, causing him to fall down on the cold stiff ground. I lay my sword at his neck and says, "You would be dead." I hold it to his neck for what seems like forever and then backs off. He cautiously gets up and stares me down with curiosity.
"Well, it looks like we've found your strength. That'll be all for today. We will try only one more weapon. It will be your secondary. A secondary allows you to have back up in case you lose a weapon or it's damaged. Mecius walks over wearing a half smile. He wants to hold his pride. "That was some nice fighting. The sword will be your weapon undoubtedly. You could be capable of great harm with a sword. Well done Cara. You may continue training alone with our supervision, but it will be self-guided. Or you can go back to your room." She speaks, trying to catch her breath "I'll keep training." I walk off proud, heading back into the ring.
