War Angels: Fallen

14. Training

It's been three weeks since the last attack of the Molox. Our population number decreased noticeably.

I've been training day and night with only a couple of hours of sleep. Food became something that I have avoided thinking about surviving in the unknown circumstances that I will travel to.

'Who knows what I will encounter there?' I thought looking at the sky while my fingers were playing with the little transportation device. It was a pendant, made from Nibira's heart. This was our way to travel to other places.

"Invicta! Get up! You need to sleep more at night and stop daydreaming during your training!"

I look to see Octava scolding me. Zariel was trying to contain his laughter.

"Forgive me!" I said knowing that she is right.

"Everyone, please gather around!" She said in a loud and clear voice. "At the end of the day, we will have a competition. Each of you will be tested in different fields, then you'll have to fight another soldier. I will personally choose the pairs. The winner will fight another winner till I tell you to stop. All I want to know is how prepared you are! Especially the ones that will travel to find another place for us. I don't want you to go out there without being able to fight for survival. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" Everyone said in unison.

"Good! Now go back to your training! I'll be back in two hours!"

"What do you think of this, Invicta? Are you ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Only in your dreams' Zariel!"

My breath was heavy and my lips were dried from the lack of water. The dirt and sweat made me look like I was bathing in mud.

"You know? You should drink and eat more sister, otherwise, you will lose your energy way faster than you should."

"Calista? What are you doing here? Didn't you suppose to be with the other healers learning to tend to injuries and things like that?"

"Well, you can't blame me! Soon I will miss you so much! At least now I can sneak here to see you! Here, I bought you two some food. It seems that everyone else is taking a break."

"Your sister is right, Invicta! Come let's eat something, we need to regain our strength before the competition!" Zariel said hugging me from a side and winking at Calista. She blushed slightly and smile at him.

'There's something between these two for sure..."

"Thank you, Zariel! Now, what competition are you talking about?"

We ate what Calista bought us and talk for a while, joking and laughing about small, stupid things.

It was so good being with these two.

"Ok birdies, that's enough! Now get up and make a circle around me!" Octava shouts, making everyone follow her orders without objection.

"You will first use the bow and arrow, then the axe throwing, crawling in the made-up mud pool, race on ten miles running circuit, fly to the barrier and back and finally combat. Anyone has something to say?"

No one dared to question her, even if few were not that happy about this competition.

"Good! I expected nothing less! Now let's go!"

Three hours later we were all exhausted.

I was in first place at bow and arrow, followed by Zariel, then the couple that offered volunteers for travelling. For the axe throwing in the first place were the other two volunteers, followed by Zariel and the couple. I was in fourth place.

The crawling on the mud was pretty fun actually. The boys were first, followed close by me, Zariel and another three soldiers. The couple was right after us. For the ten miles me, the volunteer girl and another boy were first, Zariel and the girl's lover on second, and the other boy on third.

Next was the flying race. I'm wondering how many will make it.

"Get up soldiers! There is no break in the war! You give up, you get killed! The rule is simple: fight or die! Get in line!" Octava loud voice resonates in the air.

"Let's do this, Invicta!"

"Let's do it, Zariel!" I said to him nodding my head. I wouldn't worry about this race if I wasn't this tired.

"Soldiers get in position! At the count of three, I want to see you all flying!"

Everyone get in line, opening their wings and bending their knees.

"1! 2! 3!"

Wings slicing the air was everything that was heard. To fly to the barrier and back should take us about eighteen minutes. But due to our condition, it will be for sure more than twenty.

Cold raindrops hit my face, making it harder to see where I was heading. At this speed, it was feeling like blades cutting my skin. My wings were so heavy now, being soaked.

It was raining so much that I barely could keep my eyes open.

"Invicta! Where are you? I can't see you!"

"I'm right here, Zariel! How are you holding up?" I said aloud.

"I'm struggling a little. But I'm fine. Keep going, Invicta! You can do it! I know you can!"

His words made me push harder. I could see the barrier.

"That's it! Half of the way is done!" I said to myself.

I see my father looking at me with pride on his face. He gave me a thumb up just before I land.

We needed to touch the ground, otherwise, it will be count as cheating.

I push my feet on the muddy surface and went high up in the sky again. I notice that I was the second to reach the barrier. Zariel was right after me.

"Come on Zariel! You are better than this!"

"I'm coming! Do not worry for me, I'm just catching my breath a bit!"

As soon as I was able to see Octava I push myself harder. My wings were sore and my eyes were stinging.

I was in the first place now with Zariel on my tail. The soldier that was first was now in third or fourth place. I didn't care too much.

I land graciously, being proud of me.

"I did it! We did it, Zariel!" I said, turning to face him.

"Yes! We did it, Invi!" He replied to me, lifting me in the air.

"Well done, soldiers! You all did good! I'm proud of all of you! Even with this weather, you didn't give up! Now let's see who's the best of you!"

We all were curious about this.

"So there is not an actual first place! All I can say is that all our volunteers did great. Better than I expected. In a time so short you were able to finish all of the tests before the soldiers that were training for months or even years. Well done all of you! You can go rest now! I'll see you at the transportation field tomorrow."