The Battle of Euangelion: Reborn

Chapter 6: The Last Prodigy

Alexis ducked after a blunt spear nearly made contact with her head - instantly snapping her out of her daydream. Training was first on Tuesday's agenda. As usual, the Red House session was being conducted in one of the fields closest to the castle. Thereafter it would be Battle Strategizing and Euangelion Theory for the rest of the day.

In Alexis' head, she was already cross-referencing and milking her instructors for any bit of information they could share relating to the Prophecy she was still preoccupied with.

"Are you awake now?" Gerald growled.

"Sorry, I- I don't know where my head's at."

"Well, let me remind you where you are -," Gerald struck her abdomen and pulled back to sweep the back of her legs. Alexis fell and took a few seconds to recover her breath. She pushed her body up between the coughs, "you know, there are less violent ways to sweep a girl off her feet," she tried to mask her cringing.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You mean like this -," Gerald scooped the arm she was leaning on from the ground.

"What is your problem?!" sprung from the surface almost as quickly as Alexis did.

"Is this a joke to you? Is being here a joke to you?"

"No, but -"

"But but but... What we're training you for - that which you're going to face in the field is a lot bigger, meaner, and uglier than I am. If I were to send you into the trenches today, you wouldn't last five minutes before losing that witty little head of yours. If you don't have the stomach for this truth then quit. Bench it out till the end of Orientation. Just know that the coming war will not be restricted to this Kingdom. Earth will go up in flames, and once you leave you may never come back."

A grimacing Alexis reached for the spear she had dropped. Just as she was about to turn around, another strike came from the back. Instead of falling she only gave a couple of steps forward - and before suffering a second one, she managed to react in time to successfully block Gerald's blow and kick him in the gut. The kick pushed him back long enough for Alexis to assume a firmer stance. Gerald continued to elicit all that she had to offer with each proceeding jab.

The 18-year-old fought hard but it didn't save her from all of the trainer's strikes. She finally landed on her back with Gerald's spear pointing to her throat. He lowered his weapon and stretched out his hand to her. She briefly hesitated, but then took hold of it.

After helping Alexis to her feet, Gerald instructed everyone to put their spears away and grab bows and arrows to start warming up while they waited for their archery trainer. Dozens of red robes did as they were bid. Alexis had shot three arrows toward her target before being pulled to one side by Gerald.

"Not you. Here," he handed her a spear again.

"But we just -"

"Backtalking are we?"

Alexis instinctively backed up. The remainder of the lesson which had been designated for archery was now consecrated for one-on-one training with Gerald. Given its intensity, she believed it was her punishment for not paying attention earlier. If her bruises hadn't healed as soon as they were inflicted, she'd be black and blue with a fat lip. The Red House training spears might have been blunt but they made fine rods all the same and stung more than enough to get a point across.

Gerald knocked her to the ground yet again and jogged in the opposite direction until he was about 60 yards away. Alexis steadily stood up and looked at him.

He was standing still. "Throw it at me!" he yelled at her.

"Are you crazy?" she yelled back.

"I'll heal from whatever damage you actually manage to cause. What are you so afraid of?"