The armor enveloped me perfectly, made of the same gleaming metal that adorned all the other warriors. As I stepped back after donning it, I was struck by the rich variety displayed among us. Each warrior wore armor distinctly tailored to their physique, every piece a reflection of the individual beneath it.
Some gleamed with intricate engravings that caught the light. In contrast, others featured beautifully crafted crystal accents strategically placed to enhance their overall design. It was fascinating to see how, despite our diverse appearances, the uniformity of the metal and the shimmering crystals created a feeling of connection.
What I noticed about the armor I wore was that it was slightly different. The helmet was somewhat different compared to everyone else's. My face was more visible with it on. My whole head wasn't covered, as it was hanging above my eyes and wrapped around my head. It could cover my face if I wanted it to, but it was slightly tricky to tell what was right in front of me, so I kept it up so I could face Arden.
The tall angel hummed in approval. "It's slightly bigger than I expected," she said as she moved to my side. Grasping the armor, she pressed it tightly against my body. I let out a slight groan of annoyance as she tightened it further. "But it fits."
"She's very small." The same warrior with pink dreads said. She came over, crossing her arms to give me a look.
"Compared to everyone else, of course she is." Arden nodded to them, walking back over to the others while I stayed still. It felt heavy, I wondered how they could battle with such heavy things weighing them down, but the others walked around like it was easy.
I guess I need to get used to it.
"I'll introduce everyone to you, Vienna." Arden's voice called me over, forcing me to make my way to them. They stayed perched near the trees. Some warriors sat beneath the trees with their helmets off, while others practiced with their Branches off to the side. "Everyone, form!"
At Arden's strong command, everyone got up and formed a line. I stayed still, slightly shaking in my armor. "Everyone, this is Vienna. She will join the adolescent group."
So these were adolescents? I could kind of tell. They all looked young and uncomfortable in their armor. They listened well, but I could see the unfamiliarity of the environment on their faces. I did notice that I was the smallest out of them all, as the dreads angel had stated.
Speaking of that warrior, she was close to Arden's side; she was definitely more of Arden's age and status.
The blonde turned to me, motioning me to stand in between the tall warriors. I hid my fear and did so, feeling the metal scrap my body as I moved. "Vienna, this is everyone in your group. Introduce yourselves."
I watched as the angels bowed as their names were listed. Twelve warriors of different races and genders stood in line. Their voices strayed from deep to high, all in various accents. They were all so different, with nothing similar about them except the white wings.
"This is Apollonia. She is my second in command and is the main teacher of this group." Arden was now talking to me, motioning to the woman just to my other side.
Apollonia stood firm and made her presence known by my side; her hand landed on my shoulder, startling me. "I'm excited to see what you bring to the table, little mouse."
Mouse?
I looked up at her, seeing a very happy grin on her face. My face burned, and I glared back up at her. She didn't seem to notice how the name impacted me, turning away and back to Arden. "Now everyone is introduced. May I show her the rules and responsibilities?"
"Yes," Arden nodded to the other. "I will stay and watch for my own entertainment; I don't have any plans for now."
"Great!" Apollonia released me, motioning for me to go and stand in the line. I did so, standing at the very end next to a boy who was slightly taller than me. I paid no mind to them, watching the warrior in front clap her arms together. The metal clinked together as she watched us for a second. "I will explain the rules of being a Warrior for the Goddesses and the protection of our home. Rules are simple and stern; you must follow them, or you will not be allowed back on our field of combat."
When the warrior began to list the rules, the other adolescents straightened their backs, and I followed suit. The strong posture made my wings feel slightly stiff and uncomfortable, but I kept my focus straight ahead.
"You are not allowed to use the combat you learn here anywhere else. You are not allowed to let emotions rail you off track when training. You are not allowed to take a Heaven Wolf out of the field. You are not allowed to speak about the goddesses amongst yourselves in this field, only we are allowed in training. You are not allowed to fight outside of this field. You are not allowed to invite others while training." She kept going on as the rules became more and more uninteresting.
I tried to focus and understand the rules. Some made no sense to me, but they were easy to follow. I wondered if anyone actually broke any of these.
"Not only are these the rules, but they are your responsibilities in being a warrior. It is no easy job; you must follow them all if you wish to stay." Her hand went down to the Branchie on her side. "These are the only weapons you can hold. You will all have your own, along with a Pedal by your side." She took the shield and held it upright. "They will be both offense and defense weapons. Nothing else."
Only those two?
The pedal was the shield. It was big and strong, held by the warrior with a grin on her face. She turned her brown eyes to me. "You will get your own when the time comes, little mouse."
Stop calling me that.
"Yes," I bowed my head and kept my thoughts in check.
Apollonia continued to list requirements and more rules. She showed a few moves and ways to hold the Branchie. She told us the importance of both things. The strong wave of the Branchie and the wind rushed past us. I saw the boy next to me slightly stagger when the Branchie swung close to his face.
Apollonia noticed it as well, and her smirk grew wider. "Arthur, would you mind helping with demonstrating how to use these?"
The boy, Arthur, nodded to her. He stepped forward, taking the Branchie off his belt and the shield from his other side. He held them strong, facing them off and towards the rest of the warriors. Apollonia nodded her head as he did so, commanding him to wield them and swing at her.
I noticed the difference in the way they did them. Arthur was much more stunted. He held it strong but swung it lightly, which was different from the woman's. She soon took her own out and stood side by side next to him.
We watched as the two did the same thing over and over again, Apollonia voicing out the strikes as she did so. Arthur was a beat behind, his face sweating slightly with nervous moves. He kept a straight face, though, doing what the warrior told him to do until she commanded him to stop.
He bowed before coming back into the line. He was slightly shaking, his wings slightly sagging on his back. I could tell it took some out of him, but the straight look on his face told otherwise.
The explanation of the Branchie and Pedal soon came to an end. The warrior turned around to the other end of the field. "Now it's time for the wolves." With that, her fingers came up to her lips, and she whistled. It was loud and made my ears slightly ring.
The sun was obscured overhead as a massive form of fur and muscle stepped into view in front of her. My eyes widened in shock; the wolf was much larger than I had anticipated. It stood tall, towering over Apollonia as it huffed a greeting. The woman gently touched its snout, running her fingers through its fur with a soft coo. "You will each have one by your side," she said, moving to its side and gliding her hand down its flank as the wolf let out a slight huff.
She stopped beside the wolf and reached out to its neck. The wolf let out a sound, standing up and shaking off its fur as light enveloped it. Gradually, the world around them became clearer as armor started to materialize on its back and head. The beast was now clad in armor similar to Apollonia's, which covered its vulnerable areas. The armor shone in radiant gold and silver, contrasting beautifully with the wolf's light gray coat.
"It will need protection, too." She giggled as my face lit up in amazement. To my surprise, Apollonia jumped up onto its back. The wolf crouched slightly, spreading its enormous wings for the angel to quickly jump up. She held onto its coat, a place on its back where the armor moved so that she could sit comfortably and safely on it. "You will need to know how to fly, but that comes for a later time."
They jumped up, the wolf's strong wings hitting us away. The other angels beside me in the line watched in amazement and shock. They hadn't seen this yet either, and they were as surprised as I was.
Honestly, it was incredible. We watched the warrior on top of the wolf fly around in the sky, blocking the sun with the massive animal before flying back down at lightning speed.
Arden came to stand in front of us. "She is showing off like normal." Her eyes found us, "the wolf can be named whatever you want. But you need to be ready when it chooses you."
The angels all nodded, clearly excited at the news of having their own Heaven Wolf by their side. A slight nudge pulled my attention down to my side. Casper met my eyes with his big blue ones. He looked a bit weary.
How did he get behind me without me noticing?
Either way, I patted his head to calm him down. He nudged into it, making a slight whining sound that made me smile.
When I turned back around, Arden was staring at me and then down at Casper. "A heaven Pup, huh?" She looked on with interest at the two of us. Just as she did so, Apollonia came down. She stayed on top of the wolf, who sniffed the air. Its big eyes spotted Casper behind me.
The pup growled behind me; I could feel his wings spike up and fur stand on end. The wolf gave its own growl, its ears flattening with a threatening eye.
"Casper, no.." I kneeled down to him, giving him comforting pets so he could look at me. He did with a whine.
"Becklewood, cut it out," Apollonia slid down its back, petting the beast who huffed and turned to her. The warrior's eyes came back to Casper and me, a low sneer in her eyes. "A Heaven Pup shouldn't be this close to the wolves. Get it out of here."
I looked up at her, my body shaking slightly as all eyes landed on me. "He followed me here. He will leave when I do."
"That's not what I asked, mouse."
"I am not a mouse," I stood back up, glaring at the warrior who made a face at my words. The small, slight gasps from my side only added to the shock of what I had done; it made me curse inwardly at myself and my stupidity.
Instead of shouting or being rude, Apollonia chuckled lightly. She removed her hand from Becklewood and turned to me. "Strong voice for a mouse. Alright, if you won't make him leave, how about you start this session off with a one-on-one?"
"A what?"
Apollonia laughed out loud, turning to Arden, who was smirking. "This is gonna be fun."
Instead of explaining, the warrior motioned for the wolf to leave. It did so, the armor on its body fading as it leaped into the sky and flew back to its den on the far end of the field. The angel came forward and put her hand out to Arthur. "You, come here."
The boy stiffly came forward, turning to face everyone. Apollonia then motioned for me. I held back a groan and came forward to stand on the other end. She put her hand on my shoulder and Arthur's, her voice loud and strong. "Who is up for a one-on-one with these two mice?"
The other adolescents made some encouraging sounds, their hands up in the air and eyes bright at the idea. I felt betrayed yet not surprised at their reactions. I barely knew them, so of course, they didn't care if I hated this.
The boy I was fighting with looked as small as I did. He was still taller, but even with the armor on, I could still see how skinny he was. He showed no fear when the warrior moved out of the way so that both of us could stare at one another.
"No weapons. Only hand combat."
Arthur took off his weapons and set them to the side. He then came back to stand in front of me as we faced one another. He put his hands up, his feet digging into the ground, and his wings slightly trembling. I could tell that the angel was nervous, that he didn't want to do this.
I didn't either. I had never actually fought with my hands. It was sort of uncomfortable without a Branchie. How was I able to fight off and win against this boy who actually had training?
It was clear Apollonia and Arden knew this, so I was standing here facing off against one of the warriors with training. She wanted to embarrass me.
"Start!"
With her voice loud and clear, Arthur's eyes widened, and he lunged forward. He swung his fist, aiming for my stomach. I ducked out of the way, sliding onto the ground as my wings buckled slightly from the sudden movement. Arthur pulled his hand back and lowered his body, preparing to swing his leg down toward me.
I couldn't escape the attack in time. His leg landed on my chest, pushing me back down into the grass. Thankfully, the armor I was wearing prevented the usual loss of breath; I only staggered slightly. I quickly got back to my feet, but the boy was already coming at me again.
I blocked the fist aimed at my chest, gripping his hand, which was stronger than I had anticipated. I dug my feet into the dirt, feeling the ground shift as he tried to push me down. Determined not to be forced into the ground, I stood my ground and grounded against his strength.
When he realized I wasn't going to move, he kicked at my feet. The blow landed on my ankle, causing it to buckle and sending me down to the ground. I lost his grip as he pulled away quickly. He used his wings to propel himself back before delivering another kick, this time striking my chest.
I let out a hard breath, falling over onto my hands as the pain was slightly prescient. His kick was stronger that time, making my breath come up quick and painful. It wasn't so strong, enabling me to ignore and stand back up. Instead of waiting for the boy to make another move, I rushed forward.
He did the same, spreading his wings to boost his speed—the same thing Rory had done to fly quickly.
Arthur quickly charged at me and delivered a kick to my chest. However, I anticipated his move; I ducked down and slid on my knees, slipping under him just as he realized I had disappeared from his view. In that brief moment beneath him, I planted my wings firmly on the ground and, using my arms, propelled him behind me. As he was thrown off balance, I stood back up, completely unscathed, right where he had been a moment before.
Arthur's wings wobbled, preventing him from catching himself. He fell to the ground and tumbled, his armor clanking around him. As he rolled, I turned and bolted back toward him. The boy looked at me, our eyes meeting just seconds before I threw my fist at him. He raised both of his armored forearms to protect his face. My knuckles stung slightly on impact.
"Err..." Arthur groaned slightly after receiving a hard punch. His eyebrows furrowed, and he forced his knees into the dirt, pushing his body forward in an attempt to knock me back. I managed to stay upright, my hand landing on the ground to stop myself from being thrown off balance.
I heard the body rush forward, looking up at his hand and bowling forward to my face. I dodged to the side, suddenly feeling familiar with the action. I took his arm into my hand, pulled my elbow to the side, and knocked the boy in the face. He let out a groan, releasing his arm so he could crumple back.
He held his face, turning his eyes up to me with mild surprise. When he moved his hand, he went back in his stance. The mark disappeared right before my eyes—it was so quick. He didn't seem to feel anything, only the weight of my elbow knocking him back.
I still had a slight sting in my chest from his kick.
That wasn't fair.
He waited for me to approach. I could feel the stares of the surrounding warriors as we faced off against each other. Eager to put an end to this and move on to the test, I rushed forward without any clear plan. I drew my arm back and struck out at his open chest. Arthur spun away, dodging my attack, before turning to advance into the fray and landing a blow to my side.
I let out a yelp when he landed a hit in an area my armor didn't cover. The pain was sudden and intense. As I fell forward, he moved away, and I quickly stopped myself from hitting the ground by grabbing at my side with my eyes closed. The pain took my breath away and made my legs wobble beneath me.
I heard wings flutter behind me and turned my head just as the boy struck my cheek with his fist. I couldn't stop myself from falling. My arms reached out to catch me, but I still crashed to the ground. My armor pressed into my skin, causing me to yell out in pain.
That was another hard hit. My breath was lost in my throat, causing my body to cough. I expected to hear his wings flutter for another attack, but it didn't. Instead, I heard the clanking of armor as a shadow stood over me.
"I didn't..." It was Arthur who was stumbling on his words.
"I understand. But you know better than going for the face." Arden's voice shook to the core, rigid and hollow.
"I understand..." He said before the small steps moved away.
I stayed on the ground, feeling my body shake as the pain was holding me down in the first. I bit my lip to suppress the cry, the gnawing coming from my side and face held hard. "Stupid..." I managed to mumble as I picked myself up. I hovered over the ground, biting the inside of my cheek.
Casper's whine came from my side. He moved under me, helping to lift my body from the ground. I found my feet, holding my side while my other hand went out to Casper's back, who stayed by my side. Now, I had to face Arden, who was standing next to me. The other Warriors were in the line. They watched on with confusing stares. Arthur was on the end with a guilty face and ears tucked down.
My eyes found the tall warriors. "You good?"
No.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I kept my voice firm, but she could tell by the slow quirk in my eyes that I wasn't.
"We have a code about not going for the face. You broke it first, but Arthur should have done it." Arden smirked, crossing her arms. "I hope you understand why we didn't go easy on you, not even on your first day."
"Yeah, I could tell..." I replied with less enthusiasm. I groaned slightly, pressing my hand onto my side as it stung.
Arden came forward, turning to the line of angels, and looked down at Arthur. He came over to my other side. "Take her back to Angels Cove and apologize."
The boy nodded his head, ignoring my glare. Arden turned back to me, the smirk still clear on her lips. "I'm looking forward to seeing you at our next session. Or did this scare you off?"
I scoffed out loud, my eyes hard on hers. "When is the next session?"
Arden's smirk grew wider.