Running From fate

Chapter 6

Manielon, it seemed, needed much more training than Shoftiel and Keithan. So for the first week and a half, Zenobia left them spar against each other while she spent one on one time with Manielon to get him up to their speed, then they would all start on the harder part of training. Though, Zenobia didn't mind working at a slower pace all too much as it gave her time to adjust to the schedule and truly see where they all were at. Also, it seemed Shfotiel and Keithan managed to make pretty large progressions after only sparring with each other. But after those initial technically two weeks, everything picked up. Kinda like how classes in school always picked up right before exams. Only here, the exams would literally cost your life if you failed. This was always her least favorite part, picking out the weak and only letting the strong live and remain. It was another job of hers back in the guild, another harsh reason that led her to leaving the guild as quickly and quietly asd she could. Because she knew that as soon as her master found word of her leaving, he would hunt her down and have her killed. That hunt should be starting in a few days. Even when in her mind she had left the guild, she still would always send word of her newest jobs and how she always got them done, usually just making up fake and grand stories to feed to the head assassin of the guild. He would always buy anything she gave him right up.

"I need a break." panted Manielon.

"I'm sure you do, and I would love to give you one, but we simply don't have the time."

"How come the first two weeks were slower paced than this?"

"Because those first two weeks I was assessing where you were at and getting you up to speed with where they are. And if any of you aren't up to speed with where I am in two more weeks I'm going to have to kill you in the final exam." As Zenobia said those last few words, all of their eyes widened. "Exactly, which is why we need to get this training done quickly. It's already been a month, you guys are making great progress and if you all keep it up I'll be able to slip another week of training in before i give the final exam."

"Why are you rushing our progress so much? You weren't rushed." Keithan was right, in some ways.

"True, I wasn't rushed. And I shouldn't be rushing you all. But now the assassin's guild knows I've left them and lied to them for the past few years, the government knows I'm somewhere in hiding, and really all hell is breaking loose before is should even be thinking about breaking loose. I need you all to have top notch performance as quickly as possible should an occasion arise when we have to fight." Zenobia fought all the rising panic that coursed through her as she spoke all the words, Fought the urge to speak faster and let any sign of her fear show. Fought every tear that threatened to slip out of where they were being held.

"The assassin guild knows what?! I thought that was settled the year you decided to leave! How could they only just now be finding out when we clearly have more pressing matters to attend to?!" Shoftiel it appeared, didn't have the same skills at remaining calm under pressure.

"If it had been settled then, I wouldn't be here to make this revolution happen now."

"And none of us are going to be here as soon as they find you! Do you know what they're capable of?! They'll tear us all to shreds and make sure we're alive for as long as possible during it. Hoping the entire world can hear our screams as we're slowly ripped apart and roasted over a fire, screaming in agony during every. Last. Grueling. Second of it!" Shoftiel fell to her knees with her hands in her hair, shaking her head violently while even Zenobia was at a loss for words after her description of their fate soon to come.

"Keithan...."

"Yes, Zenobia?"

"Take her....Take her back to the base. She needs rest. I'll stay here and work a little more with Manielon."

"Okay." Keithan scooped Shoftiel up in his arms and walked away, only murmuring a weak "see you later."

Zenobia and Manielon only got in another hour of training. She had decided it best that they all rest for a day, Shoftiel perhaps longer after her mental breakdown. Her anxiety was always the one thing about Shoftiel that Zenobia for some reason failed to remember. Not that it was too much of an excuse to skip training, she knew it was severe and had never seen the girl have an anxiety attack so vivid and detailed. That alone was enough nearly knock Zenobia on her ass with how much Shofitel shocked her. Her, Keithan, and Manielon would resume training the next day and Shoftiel would rest unless she deemed herself healthy enough to train again. Come to think of it, Zenobia needed to learn more about Keithan and Manielon in order to avoid any other medical issues. She wanted her friends to be as prepared as possible, but that didn't just mean physically prepared for whatever came at them, but also mentally prepared. Zenobia's personal favorite part of training because it just allowed a lot more down time than the physical part. And none of them had ever been to war before, so even she didn't know how to mentally prepare them for that one. She had witnessed gang wars, but knew those were barely anything compared to the kind of war they would be in, and with their disadvantage of currently having no allies, Zenobia could only pray that one of them was blessed by the gods, as this would be one hell of a war to go into the history books should anyone at all even survive it. Hell, even the school systems needed to change. Zenobia had only gone to school because the head assassin was loaded and was able to pay for her education, deeming it necessary. But she knew how few kids ever went to school because their parents just didn't have the funds. Every child deserved an education large enough to give them a successful future, with that amount of knowledge and experience there wouldn't so many poor families. Everyone would be eligible for jobs decent enough to pay for a family of four and still have enough left over to perhaps save up for vacations or leisure items. She has seen too much tragedy in her life to let her abilities and intelligence go to waste. She even went to college because of how much the head assassin deemed education necessary. She learned every language of the land, and in her own free time decided to take up music lessons. She was probably the smartest person in Kraseon and she would use that to her advantage when the time was right. But only one thing at a time, she wouldn't get too ahead of herself with hopes and dreams that will never come true unless she gets through step one of finding allies. As if the thought had summoned aid, a slip of paper peacefully glided under the door to their base. Zenobia picked it up and read it as Keithan and Manielon came up one either side of her, seconds later Zenobia was grinning like a child on The Day Of Joy. One call for aid had been answered and it was the one she was hoping, out of all of them, would answer. The organization's army nearly doubled the assassins guild she had previously worked for. Which she already had no hope of winning over to join her cause as they were likely already searching around the city and surrounding kingdoms even just to kill her for lying and leaving.

"So, what does this mean?" Asked Manielon.

"What this means is, we have a chance at winning this revolution and changing the way this kingdom is run for good. This means, we have an even better chance at gaining allies with the force of this army already gathering to aid us. This means, you guys get an extra month to train. This means, our force against the government is soon to be an unstoppable force. No allies the government makes will be able to even compare to what we'll have in just a matter of weeks, maybe months at most."

"This means, we've already won." Keithan murmured the words Zenobia hadn't dared allow herself to speak.

"Indeed it does Keithan. Indeed it does."