Reverse Chronicles

The Team

A blanket’s warmth covered my entire body. I could feel a soft pillow against my head as my shoulders subtly rose up for every breath I took. My arms feel stiff. My legs are the same. I am awake but I can hardly open my eyes. My eyelids are heavy, even moving a single finger is very difficult as the weight of my body crushes my consciousness.

Am I paralyzed?

I forcefully move my fingers forcing them to clench and fist. There is still no movement. I force a kick, yet I could not do any. My breathing hastens as I begin to panic.

Move!

My pinky finger suddenly moves, and in a sudden jolt I could feel my strength surging back. I could move everything. My eyes open wide as I forcefully bolt out of slumber. It feels like I was drowning while I was paralyzed, as I catch my breath.

“Alan, you’re awake,” Vale and the others from the party are beside my bed. They all look drained as their eyebags hang and their eyes red.

“How long was I out?” I ask looking around to determine my location as the room I am in is very different from my room. Like a hospital, there are beds covered in white sheets that lined up in the sides. However, there are no medical apparatus in sight, not even drugs or medicine. Facing the beds is a shelf that contains books. There was a woman who arranged the books as the others scramble because of my awakening. “Where am I?”

“You were unconscious for two days!” Paul replies. The injury that he sustained from the fight with the lizardmen horde was not visible. He is wearing his uniform and from the looks of it, he has worn it for days.

“You’re here in the academy infirmary,” Vale smiles. His eyes disappear as the eyebags under his eyes hid them as he showed emotion.

“I’m so relieved that you’re awake, Alan!” Rose exclaims. She is in the same situation as Paul, wearing the school uniformed that is uncleaned for days. However, she looks as fresh as a newly bloomed rose.

“He needs space, students.” A woman wearing a brown dress with a white apron approaches us. Her hair is tied like a bun and her face is pale and rosy, a contradiction that I have never seen before. “Run along now, I have to check Mr. Lancaste’s injuries.” She shoos the others out of the room. Thereafter, she checks the bandages on my arm and my leg. She removes them retrieving the crystals which are inside. “Your injuries are fully healed. Do not overdo things, though.”

“Thank you for taking care of me,” I answer her bowing slowly.

“You should thank your friends,” she replies looking at the door. “They did most of the work. You’re so lucky to have such caring comrades,” her smile illuminates the room. “Well, you can’t possibly stay in bed for another day. You should go to your classes.”

As I exit the room, the students outside look at me. Their gazes, I feel, are both cold and worried. Perhaps they are thinking that I am not worthy of being Wisterion’s Squire? Or are they worried that I got injured badly?

“Alan!” Mathilde shouts from the other side of the hallway. She runs toward me as fast as she could shoving the students that got in her away aside. She stops before hitting me panting. I-I’m s-so,” her pants almost made her words unintelligible, “r-relieved th-that you ah-are ah-awake.”

“Thank you for your concern,” I smile to ease her worries.

“I’ll catch up with you later,” her pants disappear as she peeks in the next room. “I have to get to this class! The teacher is a terrorist,” she whispers as she enters the room.

I make my way up the dorm building. I am about to climb the last flight of stairs before my floor, but Luke sat on the steps blocking the way. He laughs when he saw me standing up as he comes down towards me.

“Pathetic!” he shouts in my face. “You are not worthy to be Wisterion’s Squire. Trash like you should be left in the streets!” He runs down as soon as he uttered those words.

He’s right. I’m too weak to be Wisterion’s Squire.

I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling, when someone suddenly knocks.

Is that Luke? Has he come to mock me again?

“Who is it?” I ask before opening the door. It’s better to ignore Luke than listen to his hurtful comments.

“It’s Vale,” his voice resonated beyond the door. “May I come in?”

I slowly open the door to reveal the face of the man who took care of me while I was unconscious. A man whom I thought wanted me to disappear because he hates the empire. Was it all a ploy to gain my trust? Does he really hate the empire and me along with it? What is he thinking about?

“Alan, remember my invitation about joining my team?” he reminds me as he enters my room.

“Are you declining that invitation?” I reply as I close the door.

“No,” he shakes his head. “Declining that invitation is like throwing away a golden desert rose in the middle of the desert. I’ve come here to invite you again and perhaps this time compel you to join us.”

Time stops as my mind ponder for an answer. The games are happening soon, and every Squire must participate. I still don’t have a team.

Saying no to Vale is an insult, after all he did. Or was it another ploy of theirs?

My mind fills with doubt as Vale walks around the room waiting for me to reply. He gazes outside from my window, as he switches his gaze to me back and forth.

“I’ll join you!” I utter without another though. It is as Vale said, declining that invitation is like throwing away a golden desert rose in the middle of the desert not to be found again until the winds of change blow on the sands of time.

“That’s great!” he bows his head. “Thank you for choosing us.”

“I’m thankful for your invitation,” I make him stand erect.

“We’re training in the greater dojo after classes,” he says as he opens the door.

“I’ll be there,” I answer as he closes the door behind him.

There was nothing I could do for the entire day than wait. It was already high noon; Strategy class should be over. I’ll meet up with Luke if I go to Physical Education and Magic classes. I should stay here in the pretext that I am still recovering. Although, the doctor from the infirmary did say that I can go to class.

When classes ended, I made my way to the greater dojo. It was beside the dojo that we used for training. It was bigger than our dojo and looked very similar. Aside from the old and limited array of weapons in its arsenal, everything was very similar.

“Alan, over here!” Rose calls me from a corner. She carried her bow. She is with Vale and it seems that they have already begun sparring.

Rose is on the offensive shooting a barrage of arrows towards Vale. However, Vale’s mastery of magic made Rose’s assault completely futile. He is able to change the direction of the arrows with wind element magic, block using earth element magic, and even freeze them with ice element magic.

“No fair!” Rose shouts as she runs to the arsenal to refill her quiver. “Magic is for cheaters.”

“My turn to attack,” Vale raises his staff. The crystal on it shone and plants began growing around him. Flowers bloomed and their petals flung on the air. “Grace!”

The petals moved to the direction where Vale’s staff was pointed. They came flying towards Rose, who is able to dodge every last one of them. However, Vale made them circle back as Rose was still regaining her balance. At the last second, Rose jumped high and flipped releasing an arrow towards Vale. The arrow hit Vale’s staff.

“Vale, lost!” Rose jumps with joy. “I won, I won!”

“Well fought!” Xin jumps in front her.

“That was a great spar, Rose. You did well!” Vale acknowledges her win.

“That battle has gotten me all fired up,” Paul taps the floor with his spear. He points them toward me. Everyone else backed up as he prepared his stance.

I grab one of the spears from the arsenal. Fighting fire with fire is the best course of action I can take for now. Paul’s skills are topnotch. The way he defeated the monsters in the dungeon was flawless.

“Brace yourself!” he rushes toward me. Before reaching me, he stops and slightly twists his body using Horizontal Smile as he reverted back. I jump back to avoid his s***h.

What was that? Horizontal Smile is a horizontal s***h, but that was too powerful for such a simple skill. Or did he just?

“I combined my Horizontal Smile with that twist,” Paul says as he rushes toward me again. “The result is a powerful s***h capable of destroying your weapon.” He jumps before reaching me and does a powerful vertical s***h that made his spear appear big.

I was mesmerized with the skill that I froze on the spot. However, I dodge at the last second jumping to the side. A hole is left on the spot where Paul's spear descended.

Is this still training? He’s clearly trying to kill me!

His spear was stuck with the impact and pulling it seemed impossible. This is the moment for a counterattack. I move in for a Disabling Thrust to prevent him from using his spear, but the stuck spear was all just an act. He did a Horizontal Smile incorporating a twist. His spear did not reach me, but my spear was flung away. It hit the wall and broke into pieces.

Is this how they train? This is so intense. I have to keep up!