She woke up with a freezing bucket of water. "Get up. You're Late."
"Late for what?" Maria grumbled as she got out of bed and pushed the curtain of the white tent aside. Her mouth hung open as Agent 004 moved aside, revealing the camp site. In the middle of the night, the campfire had been cleared and replaced with a dozen targets. About a hundred people were practicing gun handling and archery or swinging swords wildly at each other as they danced back and forth. A duel with death, Maria thought.
Around the makeshift training arena, the last of the tents were being packed up and stashed into cars, making her's stand out. She approached one of the pegs and lifted it out of the ground, trying to copy what the others were doing. She removed the peg from the other three corners and the tent fell onto the ground. Up ahead, Agent 004 was walking briskly towards the targets, "alright MATH, this is what-" she turned to face the grass, "great where is she now?" Her eyes scanned the camp until she saw the royal attempting pathetically to fold the tent. "Ara, Math!" The young royal looked up, "leave that. Right now you're training is more important." She gestured to various weapons lying on the table. Maria did as she was told.
The girl's hand hovered over various firearms, before she picked up a small dagger on the corner of the table. "Not to sound vain or anything," Maria said frowning, "but how is a knife going to help defend me against a bullet?" The Agent's arm whipped forward and Maria felt a sting in her forearm. She brought her fingers to the red line of blood that was now trickling from the cut. Maria glared at the girl, "was that necessary?!" The Agent swung the dagger forward again and Maria stepped back, "Stop that!" Maria stepped around 004, facing the table as the dagger swiped at her side. She stepped back. Another swipe. Another step. Maria felt the edge of the table pressing against her back, her hand clawed at the table as the dagger came closer and closer to her face. She felt a rough leather hilt beneath her hand and wrapped her fingers around it. The dagger slashed at her face. Maria closed her eyes and braced for the impact. When she realised it had never come, her eyes flash open to a knife millimeters away from her face - her knife - parrying against 004's dagger. The Agent nodded, a quick, slight movement, and stepped back, lowering her hand.
Maria did the same, her hands strangely stable as the knife came down to her side. The asian-iris girl stood straight, her eyes narrowed. The royal looked around her, until she realised the girl was waiting for her to....? The girl rolled her eyes, "An agent must always be attentive. Whether that be with the correct posture to those superior to her," she raised her eyebrows. Maria quickly looked around and straightened her back, bringing her arms behind her as she copied those around her. The girl's exasperation was evident in her voice, "or whether it be in a ba'le situation. In war, a gun or anythin' really is not goin' to save you if you don' know how to use it." The girl slashed her dagger forward and Maria jumped to the side. "You can not be clumsy. You've learned how to handle guns in England, man-to-man combat in Lisbon and now you are going to learn how to be agile, stealthy, fast. How to crawl in the shadows without anyone noticing, how to sneak up behind the enemy. You're goin' to learn how to save ur own arse, without the rest of us having to be there." Why do we use daggers and not guns?" The girl flipped the dagger in her hand and threw it at Maria. The royal yelped and closed her eyes, hearing the whizz of the knife as it cut through the air next to her. She opened her eyes and saw the blade stuck in the middle of a target behind her. "That's why."
Three hours later Maria was panting as she sprinted for the 20th time from one side of the clearing to the other. "Okay.... okay... is that... are we done?" She doubled over, her hands on her knees.
"Not yet." Agent 004 threw Maria's dagger at her and stroked forward. The royal let the dagger fall to the ground, careful not to let it cut her and picked it up. She felt cold metal press against her back. "Never let your guard down." The Irish girl shoved her to the ground. Maria quickly turned to face her opponent, dagger pointed away from her. "The enemy could easily turn your dagger towards you and stab you." She illustrated her words, turning the knife in Maria's hands toward her and pushing down until the tip touched her sternum.
YOU ARE READING
The Royal Resistance
Historical FictionA spray of glass flew onto her as he broke the windows of the cabin. She heard the second ring come from the phone in her hand, the one clutched to her heart. He lunged and grabbed at her arm, locking it behind her back. The phone fell out of her g...
