Pirate Assassin

Page 31

"Hey guys did you hear?" Carvin asked excitedly and Zack wondered at it. Carvin's nervous nature usually meant that he hardly said a thing over the table but not so this time... "What is it that's got you so excited?" Corby asked, chuckling. However, Zack couldn't help noticing that the cafeteria seemed more animated of late with a lot of guys whispering excitedly making the place sound like a windy plain. "Elyss! Elyss Masters is coming back!" he whispered fiercely with a grin plastered on his face. Corby whistled softly, "That would explain why all the jackals around here look like they're preparing for a fortress assault or something." Zack coughed and the both of them turned to him. He looked helplessly at them, "Hello? Ignorant outsider here? Who the hell is Elyss Masters?" Carvin blushed. "She's a third year, like us and she's... well," and he fidgeted uncomfortably, "she's really pretty and stuff," he mumbled. Zack looked at him askance and Corby guffawed in laughter. He put a hand on Zack's shoulder, "What he means to say is that: she is damn hot." Carvin blushed even harder. "She's every guy's dream girl. She's sociable and not that judgmental, not to mention that she looks like a supermodel out of a magazine or something. You know, with all that WOMANLY features, if you know what I mean." Carvin gave him a withering gaze, "Is that all you think about, Corby? She's got that, too but...."

"Ah, frigginsonofagun. Enough girl talk man! It's so.... Seriously!" Zack exclaimed waving his hands in the air. Unfortunately, Bradsfort was passing by when he said that.

"Awww, what's the matter, Outsider? Sad that no woman will give you even a FIRST glance?" and he laughed with his posse.

"Better than you, Bradsfort. I heard the receptionist sighs at your picture everyday." Corby exploded in laughter, clutching his stomach whilst thumping his fist on the table. Even some people at surrounding tables chuckled when they heard that comeback. Bradsfort's face turned red, whether in embarrassment or anger, Zack didn't care, and he snarled at him, "I hope I'll be seeing you in the Academy Tournament, Outsider dirt! So that I can wipe your face in the dirt in front of all the VIPs."

"I'm sure my face will be in the dirt, actually... I don't think I will be able to stand laughing at how you lose to me in one hit."

With a growl, he and his posse turnes and left. Zack looked at Corby and Carvin. "All right, girl talk aside, what the heck is the Academy Tournament?"

"You would like me to be your Supporting Officer for the upcoming Academy Tournament?" Sgt Troffs asked curiously. "Yes sir." Zack replied, "To tell the truth, sir, you're the only officer I know besides Officer-Overseer Portyer and he's already been asked. Another factor is that you, sir, know what I'm capable of better than any other which makes it perfectly suitable." Troffs stared silently out of the window. "Who's in your team?"

"Corby, Carvin and I," Zack said a tad ruefully, remembering the old Russell Peters joke

"Well, there's a myriad of problems." He was still looking outside but now he was tapping his fingers on the desk. "We'll start with the least to the most obvious ones." He turned and laced his fingers together. He lifted up a finger.

"Firstly, your team is handicapped by the lack of variety. I know that hardly anyone wants to be in your team and that's why its imperative that you need one of each faculty!" He raised a second finger. "Secondly, not to sound cold hearted, but I question the ability of your team. Corby refuses to adhere to the curriculum and Carvin is not qualified to even be a marine." Troffs raised a third finger and gave Zack a crooked smile. "Lastly, and the most obvious hitch," and Zack had the feeling he was almost laughing at him.

"You need four people in a team."

"I say we go for it anyway! We can just leave the last slot as 'pending'; so many other idiots do it, why shouldn't we?" Corby asked animatedly. "Okay, so we got that... But what about the whole 'variety' thing?" Zack asked. Corby shrugged, "I'm a melee fighter, you're accurate," pointing at Zack, "you can probably catch on some sniper tricks and Carvin is quite an engineer, so he can play demo." Carvin's eyes bulged. "Me d-d-demolition? Are you crazy??"

"Dude, I've seen you with that machinery. They leap to your fingers or something.... Its the same with a steam mine!" Carvin didn't look convinced.

"We get a wish granted by the High Commander General right?" Zack asked. The two of them suddenly grinned.

"From Commander General Flounders....." Carvin said wistfully but Corby was shaking his head.

"He doesn't appreciate beserkers... We need good tactics, man."

"Especially since we're such a tiny team," Zack interjected, "but don't fret. I've got the perfect place in mind...."

"Hulloo Mr. Ying. What can I do for you? Its nowhere near Endsday," Jarc asked good-humouredly. Usually during Endsday, cadets would go to the temporary housings by the outskirts of the academy where their parents were staying. Zack had stumbled upon Jarc's guardhouse while wandering aimlessly since he had nowhere to go. Corby usually went on mysterious trips and, Carvin returned home to his overbearing parents who continuously forced him to return for another month of marine training, no matter his pleas that he was horrible in it. Jarc had taught him a game, which seemed like 3d chess mixed with the Warhammer tabletop game. It was a three-tiered, 50cm by 50cm board with numerous counters which represented ships, troops and artillery. He had sat with the old but friendly guard learning this new game while chatting with him. The first round, he had obviously lost, but not as bad as most would have on their first try. Since then, he had regularly frequented the place every Endsday as well as at random intervals when he was alone. "Jarc always said that this game contains every strategy one needs to know," Zack said, looking at Jarc mischievously. Jarc didn't play into the jibe but smiled and nodded. "That indeed I do say, kiddo. The many different kinds of play of many people keep your mind sharp and open. War is the same. It is unpredictable. You must be flexible and quick in your thinking. That is how you win." Zack waved his hand dramatically at the readied board and the grandmaster sitting behind it with a thousand strategies running about in his head. "So, who wants to be first?"

Over the few weeks till the last month of the year, a month called DecaPrimus, which completely escaped Zack, the three began an intensive regiment. Zack began high level sniping techniques from an old friend of Jarc's who had bagged an insane number of 179 sniper-to-sniper wins, though the last one costed his legs and Carvin was secretly increasing his visits to the mechanical section of the academy and it was taking a toll on the poor boy. His parents were quite well known and so a lot of his movements were monitered. Luckily, a sympathetic ship engineer took him under his wing and Carvin was quite surprised to know that some of them had bomb knowledge which was known to higher level demolition practitioners. Corby assured them he was doing all he could to brush up his swordplay and rudimentary gunmanship. However, though their skills were honed to new heights, the main problem of a team member was still not solved. As the day drew nearer, it weighed more and more heavily on the three-man team.