21: TRAINING TRIAL
1978 Words
“Well, it was like checking your skills to be a qualified mate of the alpha’s daughter,” Mikyle answered before adding something. “To be honest, there’s nothing like that but Dad, the alpha put it in case somebody tried to be a mate with one of us, especially with Jennie.”
“I see…” He nodded in understanding before Jennie suddenly leaned closer to him. “What is it?”
“Impress me.” Jennie challenged her mate before turning her heels since she still had something to do.
‘I will.’ He whispered to their private mind-link while smirking to himself.
“Lemar, come with me, it's time for your training.” Welhima took Lemar to the training area after the announcement and some of the pack members went there to check on him.
Arriving at the area, Lemar was not surprised to see typical training radial ground. It was spacious enough to move around with the right equipment for building the right fit body and to be able to shift. But when Welhima stopped in the middle of the training area, she sternly looked at Lemar.
“Warm up then after come back here so we can start your training,” Welhima told him and Lemar did not utter any question which made some pack members murmur to themselves since they were nothing like him.
Lemar knew what to do around his warm-ups and one of them was combat warm-ups. He wanted to try it but he knew no one would be able to spar with him, so, he just stuck on typical stretching or lifting some equipment around. He does them for a couple of minutes before returning to where Welhima is still standing.
“Done, already?” Welhima asked and Lemar just nodded which she took as a yes before proceeding. “Alright, your first task never shifts at all costs.”
“That’s challenging for someone who suddenly shifting,” Lemar casually joked and some of the members growled since he spoke back to Welhima casually.
But Welhima chuckled and winked at him. “That’s the thing about this training.”
“True, are you my opponent or somebody from the pack?” he wondered.
“Well, if there’s somebody in the pack willing to check on you then they were free to do that.” Welhima shook her head and looked around the pack who were with them to watch Lemar’s ability.
“Okay.” He just nodded.
“So, anyone of you want to join, feel free to spar or test him?” She asked the others who were with them. “Don’t be shy and fight him if you want.”
They waited for a few minutes when finally one wolf lady stepped in and it was the weakest among them. It caused some snickering among each other. They were bringing someone's confidence down and Lemar did not like it one bit - he hates bullies but he didn't retaliate instead, he focused on the young lass before him.
“I’m impressed with your bravery young lady.” Lemar’s voice boomed around the training area as he injected what the other pack member was trying to say to them before asking. “What’s your name?”
“Dianne.” She answered as she reached their spot.
“Nice name. Sounded like the moon huntress, Diana, don’t you agree?” Lemar tried to boost her confidence and Welhima noticed that.
But not the others since they were busy making fun of them. They were still talking about how weak they were and how they were compatible while laughing at them.
“But like they say I am the weakest,” Dianne answered timidly.
Lemar and Welhima looked at each other before sighing. Welhima patted her shoulder encouragingly and Lemar told her something. “If you’re the weakest one, why you’re still alive?” that caught the young lady’s attention. “You’re strong but maybe not in combat or something but with proper training you can manage to survive death.”
“I am not sure.” She looked hopeful but still had a weak resolve.
“Then let’s find out.” He smiled assuringly.
“How?” she curiously wondered.
Lemar started to grin. “Spar with me and I will teach you something that they might not know.”
“Sounds interesting.” Dianne slightly chuckled but agreed to his terms.
“Shall we?” he offered and Dianne took a deep breath as she nodded. “Alright, do your warm-ups then we’ll start.”
Dianne took her time on her warm-ups and when she was done, she nodded at Lemar who returned the favor as he cracked his knuckles.
“You’ve got this. Lemar is a fighter. You’ll be in good hands.” Welhima whispered directly to the young lady wolf before starting the training. “Let the training begin.”
The young lady wolf started on applying what she learned from Welhima’s training and carefully studied her opponent. Lemar liked how Dianne carefully studied him as they encircled each other but the crowd around them was not letting Dianne focus on what she was trying to do.
“Ignore them. Clear your mind, young lass, and focus on your opponent.” Lemar noticed that Dianne started to shake which made him charge at her. “You need to focus on yourself. You need to survive death.”
Dianne quickly blocked it. “What?”
“If you’re out there there’s no trial and error or senior that will save or correct you.” Lemar gave Dianne a different kind of sparring training since he was also giving an idea of what was going on outside the training grounds. “Out there you’ll be facing death and survival your only ally is yourself.”
“Then how can I do that?” she wondered while blocking and dodging Lemar’s attempt whether it was a sudden kick or combo punches.
“First, know what you’re good at then know how to use it in your surroundings,” Lemar answered her and Dianne understood by quickly changing her body movement into flexibility that impressed Lemar.
Dianne did a backflip that almost hit Lemar’s chin before she went to use the post to step on and tried to make a counter. But Lemar anticipated it and easily dodged it but Dianne was not stopping on making a counter against him. Lemar was now on his defensive move.
“That’s good. Now, think carefully how you will use your ability and the surroundings against your opponent.” He taught her while blocking her attempt before reminding her not to be obvious about what she was thinking. “Be careful not to let your opponent read what you’re trying to do. Be quiet as much as you can but be a deadly killer whenever you have to.”
“That’s difficult.” She growled but liked how her training was going around Lemar. She felt like she could do things better than she usually does.
“Nothing will be difficult if you don’t see it difficult especially when there’s something you truly want to protect even if the return favor was your life,” Lemar told her which hit something in Dianne. “Is there anything like that in your life?”
“I do,” Dianne responded as she kept giving Lemar some hard time blocking.
“Then use it as your inspiration to do what you have to do.” He told her and shifted his gear double things up their training.
Dianne sensed the sudden change in Lemar’s attacking pattern. He quickly but easily changed his fighting style in a split second and Dianne needed to back away to recover. She wanted to think carefully about what to do next but Lemar saw that and quickly dashed to her side catching her off guard.
“One more thing that you should remember in a fight is never let your guard down no matter what the situation is,” Lemar told her and gave her a quick butterfly knife kick that surprised everyone but Dianne managed to block it yet she could not stand still. “You okay, young lass?”
“Yeah, just a bit dizzy. I feel like I was electrocuted from that kick.” Dianne was panting while still sitting on the ground.
“Well, that’s my wave which is very rare to have but it doesn’t mean that you can’t learn it. It was just rare.” Lemar smiled at her. “Still, I’m impressed since you blocked it because if not, you’re knocked out already.”
“Remember what you feel about your training with Lemar. He was not using his full potential but let your sparring with him be a stepping stone to get you strong.” Welhima handed water to the young lady wolf before she asked the others. “So, who’s next wants to try sparring with Lemar?”
“I don’t think they want it,” Lemar told Welhima but it was to provoke the pack who was watching them.
“WHO SAID WE DON’T?” a group of youngsters shouted but one of them was overly confident in his gang. “You’ll take a group training?”
“Oh, you're that wolf from the hospital.” Lemar recognized that wolf who growled at him. “If that’s what you want. Feel free then.”
“Are you sure, Lemar?” Welhima asked since she knew that those kids were tricky whenever they ganged up with someone.
“Well, do you want me to be serious with them since you don’t want to fight me yet?” Lemar stretched as he teasingly asked Welhima.
“I’ve seen you fight and I don’t want to feel it.” Welhima dismissed the idea of fighting him in a one-on-one battle. “It’s deadly.”
“If you say so.” He shrugged his shoulders and finished his stretching.
With one signal from Welhima, the young wolf stood in their position while Lemar was in the center. Lemar sighed because it was a typical form of ganging up on somebody. He knew that they were all thinking that they could beat him up but instead of finishing things easily, he decided to check on what they could do first.
“Ready?” the overly confident wolf asked with a smirk.
“Get over with it.” Lemar only responded and it annoyed them.
They started ganging him up which he blocked or dodged but some of their attempts made him stumble down. But he was still standing and not feeling anything from their attempts. Jennie Sage, Mikyle, and her parents saw that when they passed the hall where the training area could be seen clearly.
“Is that how weak he is?” Mitchel wondered. “So, his wolf was just a joke?”
“Dear, don’t say something like that or you’ll regret it,” Zamarah told her husband while her eyes glued on how careful and calm Lemar was.
At the training area, Lemar was not having a good time with them. Each time they managed to bring Lemar down to the ground, they were laughing as if their training was just a foolish subject that didn't need attention. He sighed and got up on his feet before dusting himself.
“Oh boy, Lemar is serious now.” Samantha, the hunter who had the hunter code-named Foxie noticed the sudden change in Lemar.
“What do you mean, Samantha?” her mate, Lina wondered about it as they stood in the same hall where Mitchel heard it.
“Just watch. He’ll be going to send them to the hospital in a few seconds.” Samantha grinned as she answered her mate.
- Writer
