Warriors of Animus

Chapter One

I lay on the ground, my face on the hard gravel.

"Ouch." I groaned. I felt something warm dripping from my face. I lifted my finger up and saw deep, red blood.

"You're making me bleed to death!" I over exaggerated.

Right now, I was training with my instructor, Barbara. She was Middle aged, dirty blonde hair with dark blue eyes that stared intently at my injured wound.

"Get up." She demanded. "You're the one that lost your balance."

I was going to protest that she kicked me, which is why I lost my balance and fell head first roughly on the ground but she interrupted and said, "You need to learn how to keep your balance. Even if your opponent kicks you on your legs, you need to stay on your feet and fight back. I thought you knew this. Now get up."

I obeyed and lifted myself up. I stumbled a little bit but finally caught my balance. I stared into her deep blue eyes and said, "I do know how! I'm just distracted. You know why. And you also know that I can fight better than this. It's just difficult for me right now."

Barbara's intense, focused face turned into sympathy. But then, like that. It turned hard again, like the determined Barbara Wilflow. During practices, she was the hard mean instructor but on her normal hours, She was nice but always had that determined spark in her attitude.

"Rosalie." She called me by my full first name. I usually just go by Rose. "Every Animus Warrior gets split up from their family."

My sad face turned Into something hard. I knew my face had looked tough and angry because Barbara flinched and she stepped back. "But it's just not fair!" I was yelling now. "Why does my brother and mom get to have the same mission together. And for all we know, I can get assigned with some total stranger or some person I hate. It's stupid."

Every time an Animus Warrior graduates, they either go off on a mission with their instructor(my mom was my brothers instructor) or with another student. Animus is a non-existent city to normal, average humans. Animus Warriors, for one, weren't exactly normal. Our past ancestors were Animus Warriors and so their family line would become one.

Seventeen or Eighteen year olds would go to Animus Academy to train. Once they've finished train in for a year they get their Animus tattoo to prove they're officially an Animus Warrior. Only a couple more days and I've been here for a year now so this was my last practice with Barbara and time to get my Animus Tattoo. I would really miss Barbara. Unless there was the slightest chance I will get assigned with her. As much as I will miss her, I wouldn't want that. I really hope I would get assigned with my best friend, Chris. When you get assigned with a partner, you two go somewhere in the world(where the Animus Government assigns you too) and protect the natural humans. We protect them from everything supernatural. Demons. Vampires. They're all real. All evil.

"I'm sorry. But the Government assigned them together. You can't fight with that." Barbara said reasonably.

I knew she was right. I hated it. "I hate this." I argued.

"Nothing I can do about that." She sighed. "Practice is over. Go to your room, get some sleep. Only two more days and you'll be off to maybe, Paris, or Hawaii." She chuckled.

Or at least it seemed. I noticed it was a fake laugh. She was trying to make me smile, to brighten up my mood. I couldn't be happy now. I gave her one last look before grabbing my bag and walking towards my room.

I was halfway there when my friend Chris stopped in front me of me. To get to my room, I had to pass his and wasn't surprised to see him staring at me. "Rosie. Why is that beautiful face of yours so dull. Smile." He shot a winning smile at me that showed his teeth. "See?" He said through gritted teeth and pointed at his smile.

I playfully forced a smile on my face. Although I was feeling depressed at my last encounter, Chris always seemed to make me smile. "Rose. Just call me Rose."

"I like Rosie," Suggested Chris.

"No. For some reason, it just sounds girly."

"You are girly."

I shot him an offended look.

He laughed and said, "Joking. You are the most un-girly, strong, smart" He hesitated. "Most beautiful girl I have ever met. Rose." He shot me another of his winning smiles.

Chris was actually a really cute guy. He had brown hair with hazel eyes and had just the most amazing smiles I have seen. He had swarms of girls lining up for him, but me? I just loved him a best friend. Never really thought about dating him.

I smiled back. "Thank you."

His eyes left his my own and stared at my forehead. He had a worried look on his face. He moved his fingered on my head and said, "What happened? Your foreheads, bleeding?"

I totally forgot about my head. I reached my fingers toward it. The blood was dry now, but I knew that it would leave an ugly scar tomorrow. "Rough practice."

"Come in here." He led me to his room. I say on his bed and he walked towards the bathroom. I heard the cabinets opening and closing until he came back with alcohol and a small towel. He poured just a bit of alcohol on the towel and dabbed it on my forehead.

"Ouch. It stings." I managed to say.

"Sorry." He put the towel down and unwrapped a bandaid. "Ran out of the larger ones. But this'll do." He applied the bandaid on stared with satisfaction. "There you go."

I laughed, which turned into a yawn. "Okay, I'm done playing Doctor Chris now. Thank you."

"Thank me later. It's late. You look exhausted. Go to bed."

"Goodnight."

I abruptly turned when he grabbed my arm and pulled me in front of him. "Meet me at the café tomorrow morning. We have a lot to do before we leave. Good night."

I walked towards my room and when I got in, I was exhausted with today's training so I collapsed on my bed and fell into deep sleep.