34 A Fathers Pride (1/2)
Screams resounded from beyond a broken, crumbling dorm room that shook the hearts of passerby brave enough to approach it. Some wondered if a murder was happening before their eyes and others postulated that terrible, unspeakable acts existed past the hazy fog that obscured the room.
The shrieks they heard coming from the room made their blood run cold; it sounded like someone was torturing a pig or some other wild animal. It didn't sound human, at the very least. The poor creature's death throes painted a gruesome image in their minds about what was happening to it.
All they remembered seeing was a sudden flash of light and an explosion that rattled them to the bones. A figure cloaked in lightning released a thunderous yell that rippled across the dormitory, sending out waves of raging anima everywhere. Everyone felt their souls tremble in the face of the beast's horrifying display of power.
What happened after this, you ask?
In short: Pandemonium. Already on edge because of Axtorius's lecture, the raging beast turned their brewing anxiety into fully-fledged terror. It wasn't until they heard the beast's chilling demand that they realized who the terrifying figure was in truth.
When her booming voice called for a certain individual to present himself in front of her, they knew all was well, and let out a collective sigh of relief. The end had not come for them. No, it had come for that boy. Almost as if it was the natural order of business...
Who else could bring as much grief to the Winter Princess other than he?
”How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?” she asked.
”Not guilty! I'm an innocent man who has done nothing wrong — beset by an evil, cruel witc-” He couldn't finish his sentence and let out a wretched scream in pain. Every time Reed denied her, she would give him a healthy dose of 'shock therapy' in return. They were at an impasse; both of them were stubborn to the core, much to each other's dismay.
Violett already understood why she'd been 'summoned' here, as her prisoner described it and sighed. Exasperated, she finally let go Reed and took a seat amongst the shattered remnants of Astor's room.
”Don't you ever send me a message like that again, you hear me?” she growled. ”Next time you do something like this, I really will hunt you down and lock you up under Kingscrown Castle.”
Her heart nearly burst out of her chest when she read Reed's message — it was as if he knew how to drive her insane. The scariest part about it all was that she couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
Given the boy's previous track record, anything and everything was possible when it came to him. As far as she was concerned, Reed might have already been strolling around the Outer Reaches by the time he sent her that damn message.
”Ahh, it's been decades since that day, you know. Almost 80 years, give or take since I was in your shoes. The final trial is the same for all academies, but the location is different depending on the situation outside and instructor preferences, to be honest,” she said. She popped another chocolate in her mouth and crossed her arms pensively.
It'd been an entire lifetime since she'd graduated from the training academy she had been conscripted to back in the day. Most of her former classmates already died in battle, some disappeared abruptly over the years — only a few remained these days — not that she'd ever tell them that.
”If I had to tell you the truth, the whole thing was pretty uneventful despite being nerve-wracking. We encountered no Infested on the way to the outpost; spent a couple hours waiting for everyone to reach the designated zone and then we got picked up a by dropship,” she explained.
”So... nothing happened at all? That's surprising,” Horatio replied. He even looked a bit disappointed by Violett's story.
”Yeah, what did you think would happen? A crazy fight to the death or a thrilling escape from enemy territory? This isn't an action movie, or some suicide mission into the heart of the Infestation,” Violett stated.
She looked at Horatio as if he were an idiot and said, ”It's your first mission as real, genuine contenders. Who do you think you are, Rob Cruise? Don't get cocky 'cause you got a couple tricks up your sleeve, greenhorn. The Infestation is not to be trifled with, understand?”
Her face hardened and a dangerous gleam, piercing gleam in eyes struck everyone in the room. ”You probably won't see any Infested because we do a damn fine job of clearing the Inner Exclusion Zone, but if you do... never hesitate. Attack with extreme prejudice and use everything at your disposal.”
The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as she spoke about the Infested and their general behaviors and attributes. It was a lot to take in, but they all focused their attention on her explanation of the enemy. Suffice to say, Violett had done them a massive favor — one that they'd have to repay someday.
Violett, on the other hand, brushed such juvenile concerns away with indifference. ”Just come back alive, all right? You do that and we'll call the debt squared off,” she replied. She harrumphed in disapproval and said, ”You're all too weak to be thinking about repaying any kind of debts — stay alive and get stronger before you go around acting like adults...”
The group separated after Violett's ominous warning and went back to their own rooms; everyone needed some time to reflect and digest what Violett and Axtorius had told them. Reed shuffled back towards his room but found someone already occupying it, unconcerned with his entrance.
”Where have you been? You missed the meeting we had; also, this is my room, not your personal hideout,” Reed said. He took off his uniform and threw himself on the bed, shoving the inconsiderate home intruder out of the way.
”A maiden must have her own secrets,” Lu'um said. She tossed a pillow at Reed and continued browsing the Nexus on her tome.
”Is it that time of the mon-,” Reed blurted but was swiftly struck right where it hurt the most. He let out a silent gasp in pain as he bit the pillow she threw at him in desperation.