OBTICEO

Chapter 12: EXAM

I can't believe what I am seeing right now. There are thousands of weapons in front of me. I don't even know what they are called but I am sure they are a lot, like really lot.

Not even for once, I imagined myself admiring a room full of weapons, what a sudden turns and twist of my life. Well, I never imagined that I will be sent in Erebus too but here I am now, stuck here forever.

"Enough site seeing, let's all go back to the business" everyone obliged to the work head's words. The training room is just an empty room with an annex for the storage of weapons used for training. Does that mean that there is more storage for weapons, the ones that the real Kavan guards use? I wonder where it is.

"Yesterday, I gave you the assignment to think about a weapon you would want to use more than the other weapons. And also the first five weapons you want to learn. May I know what your decisions are?" Not me! I didn't know anything.

"I guess, ladies first?" everyone’s eyes are on me now. My palms are sweating, I don't know what to say. I looked at Soren and saw him looking back at me. Those judgmental eyes, seriously. I think Soren does not like the idea of a girl as a Kavan guard.

"Well...uhmm..." what am I supposed to stay. I didn't know what they are called.

"A gun, maybe" I know Soren will make fun of me. I just know it.

"Maybe? You are not sure? Is that final?" See? He's mocking me. That smug look on his face says it all. Pretty sure everyone in the room can tell.

"Uhm... bow and arrow!" is the only weapon I know besides a gun. I think a bow and arrow are better than a gun. It also suits a girl, I think.

"Bow and arrow? You sure now?" Soren still smirking. Tss!

"Yes, I am" there's no turning back now. Now let's just hope that archery is not as hard as other hard-operated weapons.

"How about you guys?"

"Bow and Arrow" Ry and I picked the same. Well, I did not actually pick, I just said what I know.

"Gun" Gio

"Dagger" Chylus

"Sword! I bet I would look really cool with it" the ever-so-talkative Aes said. He sounded so sure, it would be funny if he won't be able to master his chosen weapon. Which I hope, does not happen to me.

"Okay! So the fighting techniques that I taught you would be of great help if you are not able to use your weapons and vise versa, weapons will be useful for you when you can't fight hand to hand. Before we start with the weapon training, you will have to undergo an exam. Now, what is that exam all about? Well it's simply to test everything you have learned these past few months. I am thinking of an exam in which you will go up against your co-trainees. How does that sound?"

That's just ridiculous, he never once thought of my situation, this inconsiderate man just does what he wants. What about me? I will fight against all of them who had enough training, I haven't even had a single formal training and such, and now he expects me to fight? I will fail for sure. If I fail, it would affect my overall grade as a Kavan trainee. I might even end up shifting to another work and worst, I will never be able to come back to Elletra.

I really wanted to shout at this inconsiderate man but I know it would just bring more trouble for me so I tried asking in a calm manner although the inner me is ready to explode.

I shyly raised my arm to gain his attention. He noticed me and looked in my direction.

"Yes?"

"Well you see, I'm new here" I stated the obvious. But I think it isn't obvious enough for Soren. He keeps neglecting that fact, a very important fact that could probably save my life if he just remember it.

"Yes, I know!" Oh? He does? Really? It doesn't show at all.

"Isn't it unfair to...you know...conduct a battle between me who hasn't even trained formally yet, against them who already trained?" I faked my tone, making it sound innocent but inside I am shouting.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Be back at square one?" Not even once I think that he would understand, of course, he would say something bad about it. That's just who he is.

"No of course not"

"You see, you are new here, you are supposed to be the one adjusting. You can't make us start all over again just because you came late. Your rank does not matter here" why the hell did my family's rank get involved in this argument. I wasn't even asking him to do that. I just need more time to adjust, he can't expect me to learn everything in such a short time, that's just impossible.

"Soren, maybe what she is trying to say is to give her more time to learn the things the guys learned before she came. She is not at fault here. We are not going to change anything for her but we could help her to adjust, what do you say? Can't we give her more time?" Caligo backed me up, explaining my point to this narrow-minded work head. Why is he the work head anyway? Caligo would fit the job better.

"Tss! What a load. You shouldn't have chosen to be a Kavan trainee if you can't keep up with this" How will I keep up to months of training in a couple of days? What a crap. This man is crap.

"Starting today I will give you seven days to practice, I don't care how you would do it, seven days is all you got, take it or leave it. The day after your two days off, the exam will start. We will not have a class until then. See you at the headquarters after seven days. Dismissed" I wanted to laugh so bad! Is he joking? Seven days against several months of training, we clearly know who will win. The result is clear even to those who are blind. I don't know if I should be happy that I will have seven days of training or be mad that I will go up against trainees who trained for months now. Great! Just great!

"Oh and I will announce who you will be up against right in the spot. We will be having a one on one"