Shadow hearts

Two of the three

   The first one he gave me was an obstacle course. Easy enough, it was just like the training ground in Charteria, only in a snowy landscape. I started off where he said I had to, and I ran. I climbed up a small rock mountain, which was a little slippery but I was able to get up. Immediatly after I had to get off, but it was too high to just jump off and not get injured, so I had to put on a grappling buckle. I slid down, which was a little bit of a challenge because my foot kept slipping but I got through. I had to dodge logs of spike, go under barbed wire, dodge hallucinatary bullets. Just like most obstacle corses, I was able to get through as this was a necessity to becoming a soldier. He called this the "endurance" test.

   His next challenge was a little bit harder, as he said. I had to go into an arena, and fight a monster one of his people found. I waited in my cage and I saw a small pluff ball jump around in the other, and I assumed it was some kind of character test on what my emotions on cute things were. I was trained to not care about my emotions, so I was ready to kill it. I was very wrong. 

   I drew my blade and shield and I walked up to it. It bounced around in the arena for a little bit and it stopped, and stared at me. I walked towards it, and I found out it wasn't nice, as it hissed at me. I still walked towards it a little faster and reached up my blade to strike it down, when suddenly it pushed me off my jumping off my chest. It then began to grow, two times, for times, sixty-four times its original height. Its arms grew as well, bringing out giant hands and claws to match. Its puffy fur started shrivelling inside and its skin grew muscular and tough. Spines grew out of its back as it roared in my face.

   I was stunned, I stared at it in amazement, when suddenly I heard Yuni's voice in my head. Don't let it discourage you! she said. For all you know, its still that samed puff ball!  She was right, I couldn't underestimate nor overestimate my opponents. I drew my blad and stared coldly at it, to give it some intimidation. Whether or not it worked, I didn't care, so I ran up to it to strike it. Its claw came down with brutal force. I dodged out of the way, but it cut my arm. I looked at it, as my clothes and arm were cut, blood coming down. It came at me again, but I moved quicker and farther and was able to successfully avoid it. I ran up and ripped my blade across its hip. It roared in anger, and  ripped its tail against my own. It made a large gap, but I tried to seem stronger then I felt. It brought both its claws down and I jumped out of the way. I immediatly ran towards it, jumped and drove my blade threw its throat. It roared and fell to the ground. I jumped out of the way, as it layed there breathless. I took my blad out and turned around. I heard a roar of neighs, snarls, and men cheering.

   I looked at Grisham, and he nodded and smiled.