Ridden: Manipulation of Beasts

Strike Six

~Jesley~

I adjusted the fit sleeveless nylon top I was wearing and fixed my shorts as well. Everyone present in the Gamma Field, or the field for tyros, had to wear PE, which is what I’m wearing: sleeveless top and shorts with rubber shoes.

“Alright, people!” a man’s heavy voice thundered across the field, “Y’all probably know what’s happening today, don’t you?” Various murmurs of yeses echoed.

“Well then get your weapons and start training! The weekly match is coming again and you don’t want to come home with a shameful face because of loss, do you?” the man asked. Students shook their heads.

“Then put your bums to work! I myself wouldn’t like to hear a student who lost in a duel because he didn’t train enough. All of you are elites! Train and fight like one!” the man’s voice boomed.

“YES, SIR!” the students answered in chorus as I yawned. This man’s talking like he’s sending us to war or something.

“AHA!” the man appeared out of nowhere. “Freaking banana buggers!” I said in surprise and turned to the man who freaked me out.

“Would you mind not popping out of nowhere like a mushroom and suddenly yelling like you found some lost artifact?” I asked, almost in an irritated way. The man squinted his eyes as he looked at me closer while I backed away.

“You are Jesley Saber, aren’t you? The very first student to talk back to Clevis,” the man asked in a low tone. “Yeah. What does it matter?” I asked casually, thinking about the probability that this guy will scold me as well.

But my eyes widened when he patted my head. Thrice. “You did well, lass. I prefer students with hard personalities, not letting themselves fall into fear and intimidation,” the man said, nodding his head with a look of approval.

“Uh…thanks, I guess? Are you the teacher for combat lessons?” I asked. The man laughed in delight. “Yes, I am! Sir Xenon Kingsleigh, at your service!” he said then looked at me again with squinted eyes.

“You know how to use weapons, don’t you?” he asked. “No. Why?” I asked disinterestedly. Sir Xenon’s eyes widened.

“You don’t know how to use weapons?!” he asked in disbelief. “Well, I can use the knife but I don’t feel good with it,” I said with a shrug.

“Then how do you defend yourself from thugs and get away from danger?” sir Xenon asked. “I know karate and judo,” I blankly replied. Sir Xenon huffed.

“That’s enough you lack as a descendant. HAWTHORNE!” he yelled, making me cover my ears. Pierce, who was sparring with someone I don’t know, looked at our direction and jogged towards us.

“Yes, sir?” he asked. Sir Xenon pointed at me, making me look at his finger emotionlessly. “I want you to train this unfortunate lass on how to use every basic weapon we have,” he said.

“What?” I asked. I was gonna work on using swords, spears, and all those shimmies? Ugh, so uninteresting.

“For how long, sir?” Pierce asked. He’s actually okay with that? Much more uninteresting.

“Train her until she’s ready for the weekly match. It’s very obvious they’ll want to see this newbie on the sparring field to see her capabilities,” sir Xenon replied.

“But the weekly match is only three days away,” Pierce said. “Then let her learn how to use one weapon at least. It will be a disgrace to the clan name if you lost, Jesley,” sir Xenon said. My face scrunched up in disapproval.

“Not that I really care,” I said. “The only people I knew from my clan was my dad, my mom, and little sister. No one else. So I don’t really think they’ll care whether I won or not. They probably think I don’t even exist,” I added with a shrug.

Both of my parents are dead and my sister hasn’t talked to me for nearly five years so…

“Even so. You will train with Pierce for the remaining days until you can handle a weapon just fine,” sir Xenon said and nodded at Pierce and me.

“I’ll leave the two of you so you can start then,” he said and marched off to another pair of students, instructing them on how to handle the weapon and stuff.

“He’s asking for the impossible,” I said in disbelief. There was no way I can learn how to efficiently use a weapon in a short time.

“It’s the teachers’ job to ask the impossible and we, descendants, need to perform a stunt close to impossible,” Pierce replied.

“This is stupid,” I murmured as we walked to a table of weapons neatly arranged on it.

“But it’s a job we need to finish. As of now, we need to find the weapon fitted for you,” Pierce said and gestured me to the table of weapons.

***

“This is so unfair!” Daphne whined as we walked out of the changing rooms. “I’ve been asking Pierce to help me but he refused. Then when it comes to you, he’s okay with it! I demand some justice here!” she whined.

“For the love of sabers, will you quit that? He only obliged because sir Xenon asked him to do so. Unless you want to be in my position, I’ll gladly hand it over to you,” I rolled my eyes and stuffed my PE into my locker, making a mental note to get it at the end of the day.

“But still! To have him elevate your arms so that you are in the right stance… It’s so cool~!” Daphne drooled as she stared into nothingness. I pinched her ears, making her yelp.

“You need to stop playing otome games, Daphne. They’re filling your head with nonsense,” I said, ignoring her protests at what I said.

How was having someone lift your arms while holding a weapon cool? It invades personal space for all I know.

And one more thing, it’s not fun having Pierce Hawthorne as a mentor. All he did earlier at combat lessons was give me a freaking whip (which was my weapon of choice) and let me fight a dummy. Then later on, he requests for a spar, and flipped me over.

I hissed as I touched the swelling joint on my left arm. I was gonna get him back for sure. Just wait. Freaking guy…

Well, next after combat lessons was enchanted ecology, all about life, plants, and animals. I thought I had enough with science in the human world. It looks like everything’s replicating itself in the Ethyrian realm.