Chapter 7

7

 

Setup was easy. Nobody was there to give orders. I had access to everything. I was the only one there. The ropes still hung miserably from the frames, as if they were begging to be used accordingly. I wasn't interested in them though; I had other training to catch up on.
A small target stood just below the ropes, half broken on its side. I picked it up. It was in a better state than I predicted; it was only split and cracked down the middle. The thing was, we hadn't used them for so long, that they seemed to be rotting to the core, leaving just the remains of old wooden disks.

"Cheapskates," I muttered, eying the other targets hidden in the shadows.

This broken disk was certainly better than nothing though. It was the only thing I hadn't used so far, and I needed to train myself with unused devices at some point. Nobody else would teach me that.
"So much for good services," I muttered, walking to the edge of the cliff.

From what I could see, it was pitch black; no light in sight. The moon hadn't greeted the kingdom just yet, so I was forced to stand in a shadowed embrace, my lips turning blue.
"This better be worth it," I shivered, considering to turn back and wait until morning. Then I remembered our national motto: 'suffer or survive. It’s your choice.'

It was right. I either had to train myself in the bitter dark or leave it to the academy who offered no guarantees. I would have to suffer either way, so my decision was almost instant.

"Let's do this," I whispered.

It didn't take long to begin. I instantly started with real warm-ups; punching leather sandbags and climbing the frames ten times over. My heart pumped and my muscles burned like fire, but I knew this was the true feeling of genuine training. It gave my body a sense of satisfaction and reassurance; a feeling I hadn't felt in so long.
Breathless and smiling, I moved onto the original task. Seven broken targets stood aloof and forgotten beside the frames, all with the desire to be handled. One by one I threw them in the air, splinters of wood spraying the sky like burnt confetti. Then three targets met the tip of my blade at once, all descending to the ground in shattered halves. Two more entered the sky and cascaded towards me like spinning disks, smashing themselves on my metal defence. One last target remained, revolving in the air as I threw it into the sky. It span round and round, gaining incredible speed, almost setting itself on fire. Then it dropped. Like a meteorite it fell towards my hand, smoke rising from every crack. My eyes watched it steadily, locking on my flaming target. It got closer. I got into position. 
It fell in a flaming fury and smashed into my hand. The rim burned between my fingers, forcing me to hurl it into the darkened sky. It spun again and entered the air like a rocket, making glowing rings in the atmosphere. My hand smoked and burned, but I wasn't at all bothered. A small smirk crossed my face as I opened my wings to full size.
"Time to finish up," I whispered, flying after the flaming target.
My wings beat against the cold air, every breeze working its way through my feathers. It was a relieving feeling that everyone deserved, but one that only I were able to experience.
Lucky me.

Then the cold air got colder. Snow wasn't falling, but it was cool enough to send an unpleasant aching through my body.
"What a way to end my training," I groaned, looking up at the miserable clouds.
They started to cover my view, hiding the target in their misty figures. There was no way I was going to get it back now.

"It was useless anyway," I convinced myself, turning back and flying home empty handed. It's not like I was going to get in trouble for lost equipment; the coach couldn't care less.
More clouds consumed the sky, making it very hard to fly in a bloody straight line. Life clearly wasn't in my favour today. I twisted and turned around the mist, considering to do a triple somersault while I was at it.
But just as I had made the twentieth turn in a row, the weather cleared and I could see again.

"It's about time," I said, completely exhausted from flying in zigzags.

With my path cleared, my wings beat faster and I flew home, surrounded by darkness.
Maybe if it was lighter, it would have been safer. For I heard that noise again. That ominous whirring noise. It was faint and far away, but I couldn't help but feel uneasy. At once I stopped in my tracks, my eyes darting around in panic. A noise heard more than thrice was one to consider. But I didn't dare to call out. It would give away my location, and I couldn't have that. It kept going, still faint but all the more concerning. Then it stopped. Confusion struck and I quickly flew the rest of the way home, not daring to look back or follow the sound.
But as soon as I landed on the ground, the noise returned. It was getting louder and more alarming. My heart beat faster. My eyes watched the sky in concern. Sweat trickled from my face. Why was I so worried?

Then I saw shapes; dark silhouettes of unknown objects moving ominously between the clouds.
I squinted. They seemed a blur amongst the mist, but I could just make out the shape of...
Helicopters.

"No..."

My eyes widened in terror. They had come. The humans had arrived and we weren't ready.
In a blink of an eye, their machines edged closer, now only a few hundred metres away from the kingdom. There was nothing I could do.
I ran for my life, screaming at the top of my lungs.
"THEY'RE HERE! THEY'RE HERE!"
But it was far too late.

 

Author's Note

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