The Training Field
664 Words
The four of them made their way across the wooden bridge, the river singing beneath their feet as morning sunlight flickered off its surface. The training field lay just beyond, nestled in the clearing where the elders prepared warriors and magic wielders alike.
Seraphina inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the creeping sense of doom settling in her stomach.
"Why do I feel like this is going to be painful?" Jungo muttered, stretching his arms behind his head.
"Because it will be," Seraphina replied flatly.
Elena snorted. "Come on, we survived the kitchen disaster. Weapons training will be easy."
Jungo shot her a skeptical glance. "You spent half the morning in an emotional crisis over a wink."
Elena whipped around so fast she nearly tripped, her face instantly red again. "You—I was NOT in crisis!"
"You also threw cheese at me."
"I REGRET NOTHING."
The twins sighed, clearly losing patience with all of them, and quickened their pace toward the field.
Marvin was already there, lining up training hay figures, adjusting their stance as if they were real opponents. His back was straight, focused, but the moment they arrived, he turned and offered them a small smile.
Seraphina’s eyes flicked toward the weapon display. Short swords. Daggers. Spears. Bows—but no arrows.
Her fingers twitched at her sides. She had never truly thought about wielding a weapon—magic had always been the focus. But Marvin’s next words shattered that illusion.
"Well, shall we begin?" His tone was light, but his stance was firm. "Today, we train with weapons. We all tend to rely on our magic, but let’s not forget our fighting skills."
Regina crossed her arms, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
"Should we not be focusing on mastering our elements and practicing runes?" she asked, her voice edged with frustration. "We will be getting our druid marks soon on our fifteenth birthday. How can we prove to the elders that we’ve mastered our elements if we’re wasting time playing with weapons?"
Seraphina tensed slightly, expecting Marvin to simply brush off the complaint, but his expression darkened instead.
"Magic won’t help you as much as you think when your veins are poisoned with dark magic," he said, his voice steady but cold. "And your limbs are shackled in obsidian chains."
The field fell silent.
"Your weapon would be your friend then."
His gaze flickered between them, waiting for the lesson to sink in.
"Now—" he stepped aside, gesturing toward the weapons, "all of you, choose."
The twins immediately moved toward the short swords, handling them with ease.
Jungo tested a spear, spinning it with surprising dexterity before settling into a stance that suggested he actually knew what he was doing.
Elena, determined to replace her bashfulness with arrogance, circled the weapons with dramatic intrigue, making a show of considering each blade. Then, to everyone’s surprise, she picked up a rusty shield lying forgotten to the side.
"That’s not a weapon," Regina scoffed, eyeing it with disdain.
Elena arched a brow. "Oh really? Why don’t you fight me, and we shall see?"
Regina rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore her entirely.
Seraphina, meanwhile, was completely undecided. She moved toward the bow, then hesitated, shifting toward the daggers, then back to the bow.
Marvin, watching patiently, finally spoke.
"Pick what feels right, Sera." His voice was gentle but firm.
Seraphina let out a slow breath and, finally, reached for the daggers, placing one in each hand.
Marvin clapped his hands together. "Right, let’s pair you up then. Jungo—you are with Regina. Elena, you are with Revina. And—"
Seraphina already knew what was coming.
"Sera, you will be fighting me."
Her soul left her body. Somewhere deep down perhaps in the core of the earth itself her heart collapsed into a pit of despair.
Elena stifled a giggle. Jungo looked far too amused. The twins looked thrilled at her misery.
Seraphina swallowed. "You hate me."
Marvin smiled innocently. "Let’s begin."
- Writer
