Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 28

Ash

Leon stood opposite Ash who held a semi-automatic rifle nervously on his shoulder. The rest of the class fidgeted behind him. Rose casually leaned against the wall to his left, throwing him an encouraging smile.

My rock of strength...

"You sure about this?" he ask Leon, who just nodded and grinned. Leon pressed a remote control in his hand and a large black screen slowly whizzed its way down behind him, stopping just before the material hit the floor. Ash looked through the crosshairs of the gun like Leon had taught him and aimed for the big man's head as instructed. His hands began to tremble, he took a deep breath to try and steady them.

"You sure about this?" Ash asked for the fifth time.

"Yes! Yes! And for the last time YES!" Leon shouted back. He placed himself just in front of the screen at one end of the barn and Ash stood at the other.

"Ready?" Shouted Leon.

"Yes, I guess so," he replied.

"No you're not knucklehead," chuckled Leon.

"Huh?"

"Safety off?"

The whole class laughed.

"Oh, right, sorry." Ash flicked the safety off, his face burning.

"Ready?" Ash asked.

"Fire then, you're not supposed to tell the enemy when you're going to fire." Leon grinned his arms wide and inviting.

"I hope you are aiming at my head, as it is more of a challenge."

Ash could not believe what he was doing, aiming a loaded weapon at his friend's head, all to prove a point about why the Holy Order doesn't carry guns.

"Umm, did you want me to tell you when I am to fire, like a countdown or something?" Ash just had to give Leon a chance.

Does he bloody realise how traumatic this is?

"For the love of Uriel!" bellowed Leon.

Ash fired, and the weapon's kick rocked him back. A tingling crawled along his arms the instant he squeezed the trigger, just before he lowered the rifle and stared in wonder at where his friend had been standing moments earlier. The black screen swayed on its ropes, to reveal that the bullet had missed its target. Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath to ease his racing heart and churning stomach, relieved he had missed. He grinned to himself.

"You're behind me, aren't you." He said as he turned, but no one was there.

The rest of the class peered around the barn looking for Leon as well. Ash was sure he felt Leon's presence near and spun back around. He caught Rose's gaze and she nodded above him, just as a familiar humming resonated from above.

"So, now do you understand?" boomed Leon from the rafters above.

Ash laughed with the class as they all looked up at Leon hanging from an oak beam, grinning.

"I do...but how did you get up there?" Ash asked as he turned and flicked the safety lock and put the rifle down. He spun back just as Leon swung for his head, a white gleaming Katana sword stopping inches from his nose. The crystal did not ignite in warning, but his skin crawled with that odd sensation again.

I wish people would bloody stop doing that with their weapons!

Ash swallowed down the sick in his mouth and stared at the blade cross-eyed.

"Another point Ashy," he spun the blade in his hand and back in its sheath on his back. Ash released his breath and fell back against the table for support. "Bloody hell Leon, you could have..."