The Shadow Within Me

Chapter Nine - Training

Crystal Raine Meadows

Our training was all about our cores and footwork. After we did all of that, I feel like I'm going to die already.

"Hey, Crystal, are you alright? You look pale," Liam worriedly asked, so Rowen and Jenny looked at me with worry etched among their eyes.

"Y-Yes, don't worry about me, I'm fine, I just don't train this hard," I admitted, so Jenny just sighed.

"This is just warming up Crys, you look like you're not going to survive on the poles later on," Jenny worriedly said, so I just shook my head.

She sounded so worried about me right now and I don't want her to be like that, it will stress her out, "D-Don't worry Jenny, I'll be fine, I swear," I reassured her, but I know that she's not convinced.

Ms. Brown is preparing the post on the far corner of the field, it's a tall sturdy post that contains a magic cannon in the middle that can summon different kinds of elements that human dragons can summon. I heard that it’s created by our ancestors to where we can practice our combat skills safely because those elements won’t hurt you. After all, it’s not real.

So our next training is probably going to be dodging and maintaining our stand using different kinds of elements that a human dragon can summon, for today, I heard that we’re going to train with ice.

"Okay students! The post has been set! All of you line up again!" Ms. Brown sprinted on our side, she's exceptionally a fast runner.

After human dragons lined up on the right side, we Mortals and warriors then lined up on their opposite side. Jenny and I were lined up in the middle. This is always the safest place to be when it comes to lines like this.

"We'll be first training our human dragons when it comes to their barrier summoning, are you ready?" Ms. Brown asked the students on the right side, so all of them cheered before nodding at her.

"Warriors please sit down and watch your mates where they lack and what's their strengths and for mortals, you have to take down notes of the things you need to consider once you've found your mates," Ms. Brown ordered us, so we just nodded at her.

"I'm so glad I brought my notebook here," I whispered, so Jenny laughed on my front like she found my statement funny.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Please proceed in the middle as I'll check your barrier summonings," Ms. Brown ordered, so we watched human dragons prepare themselves.

We waved our hands to Liam and Rowen when they looked at us, both of them just smiled before nodding at us.

It's amazing to see that some women are human dragons, there are only a few of them that are like that, so they're very powerful.

"Alright, let's start with you Mr. Ronin," Ms. Brown announced, so David Ronin moved forward with a smile on his face as he summoned a perfect barrier.

A lot was in awe because I know summoning a barrier is the most important part of the training for human dragons.

Ms. Brown smiled before summoning ice, I heard that she's part of the Sapphire District and a human dragon as well that's why she could summon that.

She threw that block of ice towards David Ronin and I wasn't surprised that the ice was the only one that broke, that barrier he made looks really sturdy.

"Excellent! That's one good barrier, Mr. Ronin," Ms. Brown complimented, so a lot of them clapped their hands as David bowed his head.

The rest of the three idiots were called on the front and they all performed perfectly right in front of everyone. This is not Section A for nothing. A lot of them performed well and some of them we're still having a hard time.

"Last but not the least, Calyx? May I call you in front?" Ms. Brown called, so all of the students glanced at where he was.

He just walked casually on the front with his hands inside of his training clothes pocket, he didn't wait for anything else as he summoned a barrier.

A lot of students gasped because he summoned a full barrier throughout his body, even Ms. Brown looked so surprised.

She summoned a block of ice and threw it at Calyx's barrier, but it disappeared before it could even hit the barrier, "Magnificent! Excellent work, Mr. Paraiso," Ms. Brown looks proud, so Calyx stopped summoning the barrier before nodding at her.

Some of the students clapped their hands because of his performance, everyone looks like they're adoring him.

"He's so strong, he's the twin of the Nyxerian Warrior after all, it's in their blood!" Jenny exclaimed, so I just shook my head at her.

"He can be strong even if he's not the twin brother of Mrs. Hailey," I softly hit her head, so she just groaned at me.

"I know, I know!" she pouted, I wanted to laugh, but I'm really nervous because we're going to be next.

"Okay! Mortals and warriors to your places! Human dragons you may sit down and watch where your mates lack and for some that haven't found theirs yet, observe and suggest some improvements," Ms. Brown ordered, so a lot of them nodded at her.

"Okay, Ms. Clara Vin Freudian, step forward as you'll start receiving the balls of ice that you'll dodge, here's your default sword," Ms. Brown threw the sword at her and Clara immediately caught it with her hands and moved forward.

She looks confident while I, on the other hand, is shaking to my death. Are we not going to be taught how to handle a sword?!

Clara swiftly ran after the cannon fired an ice ball, she professionally jumped in the air and slashed it, she avoided the two more balls and received praise from other students.

She's good but I think she has bad blood with me, "Good Job Ms. Fredian, next up is you Ms. Plates, move forward please!" Ms. Brown ordered and the next warrioress moved forward.

A few of the warriors and mortals took their turns and it's almost Jenny's turn and mine. Liam and Rowen were cheering at us and I couldn't help but get more anxious.

"Crys? Are you alright? You're turning pale again," Jenny worriedly asked, so I flinched before shaking my head at her.

"Footwork is one thing Jenny, but I-I...haven't held a sword before," I admitted, so her eyes widened in disbelief.

"W-What?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?! You said you were going to train for it?" she exclaimed that captured some of the students' attention, she looked so worried about me.

"I-I didn't, something came up until I forgot about training with swords," I honestly whispered, so she disappointedly shook her head.

"Ms. Redfield? Is everything alright? It's your turn," Ms. Brown came on our front, so we both shook our heads.

"Everything's fine professor," I bowed my head and pushed Jenny on the front, "Go on and do your best," I smiled at her, so she just sighed before nodding.

Rowen was really loud on the other side because it was Jenny's turn, he's a very supportive mate. Jenny looks like she's embarrassed about it.

After the cannon fired the ice balls, Jenny did a great job in her footwork and sword skills, so the professor also complimented her.

She looked at me one last time as she proceeded on the other side where all the warriors and mortals are placed once finished, she looked really worried about me.

"It's your turn, Ms. Meadows," Ms. Brown smiled at me as she gave me my default sword, I looked at it intently before biting my lower lip.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Ms. Brown asked, so I flinched before grabbing the sword in her hands.

I exhaled out a lungful of air before stepping forward to where I'm supposed to be to dodge and maintain our stand on those ice balls. I should be fine, I have studied about dodging things. It wasn't that hard, though, I haven't actually tried it before...

My hands were shaking when I raised the sword near my body, "Just dodge it, Crys!" I heard Jenny suggested.

The cannon fired an ice ball, so I swiftly ran and was about to dodge it when I tripped over the grass and didn't realize that I dodged it because of my clumsiness.

I heard some of the students laugh as I stood up to take the two more balls, I groaned because my face hurts again.

"Maintain your combat position, Ms. Meadows!" I heard Ms. Brown, so I just nervously nodded before facing the front.

I exhaled a lungful of air and faced what's before me. I focused my eyes on the last one before thinking about my strategy.

"Ice breaks easily when used with force, its weakness may come from all the parts of that circle," I mumbled before raising that sword on my front.

"Use force and gather up your power through running," I told myself and decided to run towards that ball and used my knowledge about physics when it comes to movements and directions.

I successfully hit that last one so I celebrated for a moment, but I was wrong. I thought it was my last one but that was my second ball.

"Crys! Look out!" I heard Jenny's screams and it felt like time had stopped slowly when I faced front, noticing that the ball was about to hit me.

I lost my consciousness before I could even know what happened to me if  I survived or I just died right there in the field.

Jennifer Redfield

"Crys! Oh my God!" I screamed when I noticed that she's almost about to lose her consciousness. I ran towards her but was stopped by Rowen on my wrists.

He's my mate that I just discovered a while ago. It was so sudden that I still don't know how to react to him.

All my life I just have had Crys on my side, she accepted me for who I am, and being with each other just makes our bonds as friends stronger.

So, I think it'll take time for me to be around him, but I'm sure the bonds between us will help us get closer.

"Why are you stopping me? I have to help my best friend!" I exclaimed, but he just shook his head before looking at me intently.

"Don't it's too dangerous plus look," he pointed on the front and my eyes widened when I noticed that Crys lose consciousness and was saved from falling by...Calyx? 

I glanced on the other side and saw that Liam was about to run, but stopped midway when he noticed Calyx came after her.

Calyx carried Crystal and summoned a barrier on his front including my unconscious best friend, rumors rose in the air and that was when the professor and I ran towards them.

"Are you alright, Calyx?" the professor worriedly asked, so he just nodded before giving my best friend to our professor.

"Give her an F, she still has to work on a lot of things before she'll step foot on the field again," he coldly said, so my eyes widened before glaring at him.

"She doesn't deserve an F! She did break one ice ball and you don't know why she's like that!" I exclaimed, but he just looked at me intently.

"Once you step out of the field, you must get rid of all those emotions and focus on what's before you or you'll die. I don't care if she has problems, all of us have those but we still did better than her," he firmly said before turning his back on us.

"Don't mind him, he didn't mean it, though he's right, Ms. Meadows has to train herself eagerly from now on or else I'll really fail her in this class," Ms. Brown informed me, so I bit my lip before nodding at her.

Crystal would faint once more if she heard that she's going to fail one subject, it would kill her more than what happened here right now. I glanced at her and she's just peacefully taking her rest well.

"Let's take her to the infirmary, she'll be fine if she'll get rest," I flinched when Rowen tapped my shoulders, so I just sighed before nodding at him.

"Let me carry her there," Liam volunteered, so I nodded and gave him Crystal as he scooped her legs and carried her like a bride.

My eyes peered one last time at Calyx who's looking at us intently together with his friends, or rather they're looking at Calyx intently.

Why did he save Crystal if he's going to say those words? I don't get it, Crystal was nothing to him, he even annoys her whenever we bump against those groups.

Is it possible? Is he interested in my best friend? I gripped my hands, he'll never get closer to her because of what happened a while ago.

I'll protect you from him, Crys, just like what you did for me before.

To be continued...