The Annex

Chapter 17

I had spent the evening once more with Atlas and we had talked into the wee hours of the night. It made waking up this morning all the more difficult. I made sure to wear a long sleeved shirt as I was certain I would be eating dust at least a few times during training. If I could avoid any skinned patches, I would. My palms had healed nicely but my back was still covered in bruises, while there were no more sharp pains, my back still ached.

I met the Commander at the training grounds. He stood in the center of a fighting square. He assessed me as I stepped in before using two fingers to gesture me forward.

"Begin," he said. He didn't assume a fighting stance, nor did he pay particular attention to me. I decided to dart forward with a punch to his jaw. His movements were incredibly fast and my fist met his palm with a resounding thud. He used my arm to twist me into immediate submission. I was utterly humiliated.

"Try again," he said as he released my fist. He had managed to completely disarm me with one hand. I tried again, this time with a fist intended for his abdomen. He grabbed both my arms and spun me before crushing me to him, locking me in an inescapable hold. The contact of my back against his solid chest sent pain radiating through me as I gasped for breath.

"You can be fast, but you aren't strong. And you hesitate too much. Trust your instinct," he said, releasing me with a shove against my arm. I steadied myself as I swelled with anger and humiliation. I feigned to the left before barreling into him. I think I had caught him completely off guard, but not for long. As I tried to place a kick, he jerked my leg upwards, causing me to land unceremoniously on the ground. This time, the pain forced a whimper out of me. The Commander bent down on the ground next to me and rolled me onto my side in a swift motion as he lifted the back of my shirt.

"Hey," I exclaimed as I rolled away from him.

"What is that from," he demanded.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He clenched his jaw before sighing.

"Then don't let it affect your training," he said. "Get up. Try again." He sparred with me over and over until I couldn't even crawl onto my knees anymore.

I had been hoping that today would go like yesterday. That the Commander would offer me tips and turn me into a skilled combatant. I was wrong. He had decided to let me learn the difficult way. He showed me my weaknesses by exploiting them, and I was left scrambling in order to cover them. When the Commander finally dismissed me, Tomas was waiting on the sideline. He rushed over to help me stand and let out a whistle.

"You are not looking good today," he chuckled.

"Oh shut up," I grumbled. I let out a groan as I tried to stretch my stiff and aching muscles. "I just received a royal beating, about forty times over." I hobbled over to a water station as Tomas and I rested.

"Are you hanging out with Atlas this evening," Tomas asked.

"Yes, by the way, Mimi is going to be starting today," I nudged him playfully. He perked up immediately, making me laugh.

"So when I'm hanging out with Atlas, I'll let her know that you've volunteered to show her around the Palace," I smirked. "Yes, you can thank me for being an incredible wing woman." I noticed that Tomas couldn't hide his smile. I really should go meet her now.

"I'll walk you to your room," Tomas popped up and I laughed. He really was a lovesick boy.

"Alright, lets go," Tomas all but skipped up to my chambers where I found Mimi waiting beside the closed door. "I'm sorry, am I late?"

"No, I'm just early. Oh hi, Tomas," she smiled shyly. I could practically feel the sparks flying between the two. Mimi tucked a blonde curl behind her ear just as Tomas ran a hand through his hair, glancing down at his toes as he rocked back on his heels.