What If

Chapter 11

“Line up, class!” Mr Varg shouted. Heard by everyone here, they line up accordingly. And I was at the rare end, knowing I don’t know what to do, I need to follow their movements for this.

“Voughn.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Razzien.”

“Sir!”

“I’ll leave our lady over here under your care.” He said, hands gesturing to me. Why do he need to choose this two? I don’t think they get along together. Nor do I think I’ll get along with them.

“On what orders, sir?”

“Train her with weapons and martial arts. Anything you deem appropriate for her to learn. Is that alright with you both?”

“Yes sir!” They answered in unison. Sir, you ain’t gonna ask me? The master nod his head at me and I smiled awkwardly back. Both men he called turned their head at me, both seemingly as serious as ever. I don’t think I’d be in good hands here. I feel like I’d have my body curse me once we started. And we are about to…

“Please don’t be too hard with me…” I whispered the moment they were by my side, or rather in front of me. “I can only take too much.”

“You are not going to learn if we’ll go easy. This is going to be hard and wearing.” Razzien explained. I mean, I know that. But please! Don’t overdo!

“Lady, we need your whole cooperation in this one, please.” It was Voughn, I suppose, who spoke back to me whilst as holding up a sword for me to take. A freaking metal sword! And I’m grinning- what the heck is wrong with my smile?

I took it from his hands. “Why are you smiling like that?” Voughn asked. I supposed he saw how my lips curved to a smile when everything he said should put me in distress. I mean, it did but do I really need to show it? The excitement I am feeling is a lot higher than the possible stress I might get by going through all that.

“I can’t? Is it bad?” I asked back.

“Yeah… I feel like there’s a hidden meaning behind that kind of smile.” He said, voice not as cold as the first time he spoke to me. I grinned at him. Come on now, I don’t think there’s something behind my smile… “Do you like me??” He asked. He concluded that because of a smile? And I though he was something else.

I just stared at him. Long, longer than usual. And he stared back at me.

“Do you like me??" He repeated, now with seriousness in his voice and his eyes. I took a deep sigh and stare at him with this smile I never know I could give to someone. No one ever said that to me, like in person.

“Can you hear yourself?” I said, smiling sweetly as ever.

“Huh?”

“I do not know you…” I intoned, still smiling sweetly as ever. He looked confused. As if asking what I mean at I don’t know him when I’ve been under their care for days now. My smile widen this time as I walk behind his personal space. “Besides, you know we ain’t for each other.” I whispered, looking behind him.

He stared at me quite shocked and took three steps away from me. Dear, you cannot foul your maker. The one you want to have is not me, I am sure of it.

“Yeah, right.” He said, slightly blushing. Is that because I invade his personal space, because of shame, or because he saw who I’m looking at? “Ho- how did you know?” Oh, I guess that answered the question, eh.

“Be careful playing with destiny, dear love. You do not know when time runs out…” I once again whispered and walk pass him, taking the sword from his left hand. It felt limply beside him. Is he rethinking my words? “Don’t think too much, Voughn.”

“What are you two talking about?” It was Razzien who asked. I was now beside him. I think he was the one supposed to teach me the martial arts. And since it was Voughn who gave me a sword, I recon he was for the weaponry. What fun…

“Just something.” I chuckled. Maybe we are having fun now, but there will be a time that we’ll need to take things seriously. But at least, when that time comes, we know we have nothing to regret. It would be painful. The end would be painful, it will be slow and cooking, simmering under the pressure of time. But the thrill here is that we do not know how it will happen, when and why. The most important thing now is that we are happy.

I held the sword on both my hands. It is not that heavy, but certainly is not light enough for me to handle with only one. If I dare try, I would not be able to raise it high enough for an attack. Don’t they want to start me off something lighter? Like maybe something made out of wood? This one has intricate designs in it, as if crafted to be a royalty’s indeed.

I saw how Wade made a water sword, how Zyrhine created a crossbow out of thin air. Razzien made a whip that glimmering with fire. Voughn has guns; huge guns that uses I suppose is earth type magic since that is his fortress. Scarlett has a wand that has very glistening designs I’ve never seen before. And of course, the groups leader, Phoenix, who I thought will pull out something like a flaming sword or something that will explain his name, but no, he has the most normal sword someone could ever have, only that he’s holing two.

“You do not know how to wield a sword, do you?” It was Razzien who asked. He’s the one beside me right now, so I think hearing him speak is reasonable in this distance.

“Not even a single idea.” I answered. “And this one is heavy.” I reckoned. “Don’t you want to start me off something a little bit easier to hold?” This one is huge, I dare say.

“How about archery first?” Razzien asked. From the side of my eye, I saw Voughn came closer to us.

“Don’t you think that is more complicated?” Voughn asked, taking the sword from my grip. I tried not to react but I felt the relief in my hands the moment I released it from my grip. That one really is heavy.

“More complicated if her eyes cannot reach a long distance. Reaction time could be practiced, and a bow and arrow is considerably lighter than a metal sword.” He explained, and then snapped. On his hands were now a set of bow and arrows. I reckon there are twelve pieces, a dozen.

Voughn did not argue back. But then he flicked his fingers and bunch of targets appeared in front of us, in like, a seventy meters away from us. That’s too wide of a space to reach!

“Don’t you think that is… too wide of a distance?” I whined, well at least almost.

“Oh, you’ll be fine.” Voughn spoke and Razzien nodded. I took a deep sigh.

I looked down to the bows and arrows in my hands. I wrapped the belt of the quiver around my waist. I’ve watched and read one too many explanation of how to use one of this, but I really do not think that is enough for me to even make and arrow reach it’s target. Nevertheless, I tried. And failed miserably.

I heard someone giggle, and that literally raised the tension in me. To know someone is watching me do something I'm doing FOR THE FIRST TIME?! The anxiety, please!

“Do you know how to fly an arrow?” It was Voughn who asked, Razzien is busy looking for something on the sides.

“Not as much, but I know some basics.” I answered. The moment I noticed that he didn't gave me a reaction is when I concluded that maybe, he's asking me to demonstrate the basics of archery.

So, I did what I think is appropriate to do. I clipped the arrow right into the bow string, as I held the bow, with one finger above arrow, and two below. I brought my arms up together as I drive my right hand, the one holding the bowstring, all the way back till it reached my ear level. It took me a moment to actually release the arrow. But to no avail, it didn't hit the target.

I sigh. This is bad... The arrow didn't even hit the board. An abomination!

“That’s fine. Just try and try, maybe it will work.” He said once again. I rolled my eyes as him the moment he turned his back. It took me time to gather myself up again and try to fire another arrow. By the distance I was given, it took several tries before I actually even hit the board. "OH! YES!" I almost shouted as I rejoice my achievement.

Again, just like earlier, I heard a giggle. Only that this time, I'm confident enough to fly another dozens of it. Until I hit the center most part of the target, and proceed. Maybe the next one is harder, but who cares? Like they say, if you surrender from the first tries, you’d never reach anything. The offer will not last long, so as long as it is there, do what you can and do your best. Wish that every time you fire that arrow, it will be closer and closer to the right spot, to the main target.