Gabriel's Armada

Chapter 18: Combat Training

Gabriel changed into a white tunic and brown gaiters used for combat training.

Looking at his reflection in the large mirror that decorated the dormitory's hallways and smiled, pleased with himself.

“After all those months of waiting, I get to wear this.” Gabriel kissed the neck of his tunic.

Slicking back his hair, Gabriel thought he looked like a warrior-in-training in some of the old time movies he used to watch on earth.

When something hard pushed him out of his position, he cursed, “Who the hell?”

It turned out to be Duncan, who was preening like a peacock and admiring his own training uniform which was similar to Gabriel's.

“Calm down, earthling. You were hogging the mirror.” Duncan smirked, smoothening non-existent wrinkles from his sleeves.

“I was not.” Gabriel snapped and narrowed his eyes, “what did you just call me?”

“Earthling. You don't like it?” Duncan asked innocently.

“Pea brain,” Gabriel spat, before he remembered Dina's words. They were to meet her immediately. Knowing Dina, she would blow a gasket if they came late.

Deciding not to risk annoying Dina, Gabriel said nothing else to Duncan and hurried away.

Duncan followed suit, laughing annoyingly.

When they got to their destination; training arena IV, an indoor arena which was the smallest in the academy and for that fact, mostly unused.

Gabriel opened the old but solid wooden door and looked inside to see Dina, practicing some martial arts moves.

His breath caught at how beautiful she looked wearing nothing but a tunic and gaiters like him. Her hair bounced gracefully and silkily whenever she moved, and her moves were clean and precise to the point of beauty. Gabriel had always thought himself something of an art connoisseur, and looking at Dina now, Gabriel concluded she was nothing less than art in its purest form.

He was knocked out of his reverie by Duncan, who shoved him out of the way again.

Gabriel growled under his breath and grabbed Duncan's tunic from behind, drawing him back.

A scuffle ensued as Duncan tried to extricate his tunic from Gabriel's tenacious grip.

In the process, Duncan's tunic ripped loudly at the seams, drawing Dina's attention to them.

When she saw Gabriel clutching onto Duncan's ripped tunic, Dina scowled.

“What's going on?” She asked fiercely as she walked up to the men.

Before any of them could offer an explanation, Dina held her hand up for silence and the men complied.

“Before we start, I just want to say a few things,” Dina announced.

Gabriel sighed inwardly. He was here to train, not listen to a speech. Looking at Duncan, Gabriel saw that his rival was obviously thinking the same thing.

“I just wanted to say that I have been against training you two before your time, and my stance has not changed. I will train the both of you but don't expect me to go easy on you because you skipped other classes.” Dina warned.

“Don't worry, General. We didn't expect you to go easy on us.” Duncan replied, impatience leaking into his tone.

“Fine. Now that we understand each other,” Dina tied her in a ponytail and looked sternly at them, “come at me.”

“Wait? What?” Gabriel asked, shocked. He had always known in the back of his mind that one day he'd have to fight Dina but it still took him unawares.

He knew it was just training, but Gabriel found himself not wanting to attack Dina. What if he hurt her?

He knew she was a trained military personnel with tons of experience in the field, but that did not ease Gabriel's mind a bit. Why was he worried about hurting her?

While Gabriel was having his internal debate, Duncan seemed to be having none as with a battle cry, he charged at the general head first.

Without breaking a sweat, Dina easily leapt out of Duncan's reach, and he tried to stop himself.

Before Duncan could turn around, Dina gave him a good kick to the rump which caused him to crash into a nearby wall comically.

Gabriel burst into laughter at the spectacle, his debate forgotten.

Dina rightened her tunic a bit, and gracefully walked over to where Duncan lay and extended a hand to him.

“Get up, Duncan. All those talks of joining Ramiel, and I kick your ass in less than a minute?” Dina asked cockily.

To Gabriel's satisfaction, Duncan's cheeks bloomed pink as he stuttered, “I—I— I have been training. You just took me by surprise, is all.”

“By surprise? I sure didn't.” Dina scolded, “I was right in front of you. Those demons you're itching to get your hands on are masters at ambushing their enemies. You of all people know this.”

Duncan's eyes narrowed and he accepted Dina's outstretched hand to lever himself up. Suddenly, he tried to pull Dina to the ground.

Gabriel's hackles rose at Duncan's underhanded play and he found himself hurtling towards Dina, trying to save her from losing her balance.

Dina did not need his help. Before Gabriel reached her, she'd already balanced her feet steadily on the ground, and using the edge of her hand, she hit Duncan's grip on her as hard as she could.

Duncan withdrew his hand with a yelp, and Dina staggered back, crashing into Gabriel.

Gabriel fell to the ground, taking Dina on top of him.

For a moment, the two lay there, barely breathing. Gabriel looked into Dina's iridescent eyes and felt his heart accelerate.

How had he never noticed that Dina's eyes had beautiful brown flecks that gave them a mysterious touch? Those eyes must have seen a lot of loss, Gabriel noted sadly.

He snapped back to reality when Dina placed her hands on his chest and pushed him, nimbly getting herself off of him.

Without offering him her hand the way she did with Duncan, Dina scowled at him, “What was that?”

Gabriel stood up, “What was what?”

“What were you doing?” Dina asked angrily, her brow furrowing.

“I thought he was going to hurt you so I—” Gabriel stopped talking when he realized how stupid his words sounded. Dina was a general, of course she'd know how to handle herself in a training session.

Why hadn't he listened to his brain instead of his instincts? Gabriel asked himself.

“So you what?” Dina echoed frustratedly, “Is this what's going happen? Are you still going to find any and every opportunity to disobey me?”

“Wait a minute,” Gabriel said, confused, “What did I do now?”

“I asked you to come at me, and you didn't.” Dina vented.

Gabriel thought fast and smirked, “Of course I did, how else did you land on the floor with me? It's because I took you down.”

After that, he snuck a look at Duncan, who was watching them with his mouth open and added, “Unlike Pea brain here.”

Dina looked to be short of words for a moment before she recovered herself, “Of course, of course. That's good.”

She walked back to her spot and began, “Most times, unconventional means work best in battle. When you're in the heat of the fight and it's your life on the line, fighting honorably must be shoved aside. Do whatever it takes to win.”

Duncan retreated to his spot next to Gabriel and whispered maliciously, “Say what you like but I know your secret.”

Gabriel laughed quietly, knowing that Duncan wanted to get back at him, “What secret, Pea brain?”

Duncan sneered, “That you have a crush on General Dina.”

“What are you two talking about?” Dina asked disapprovingly.

“Nothing,” Gabriel replied immediately before Duncan had the chance to speak.

Gabriel glared at Duncan who only continued, “That's messing with the chief's woman.”