Chapter 23 - Relentless (1/2)
The next day, at the crack of dawn, Blair and Lydis were lined up at the makeshift training grounds staring intently at the flaps of a tent. The sunlight peeked through the tops of the trees, making them turn color from a dark green to a soft yellow. A few minuets passed when the flaps suddenly opened. Blair stood at attention while Lydis continued to drool a bit.
”Attention!” Valeri's voice boomed throughout the training grounds causing nearby birds to fly away. Lydis jolted awake while Blair flinched a little. ”You mutts will now undergo my personal training in combat! Rejoice!” This kind of Valeri, Lydis wasn't used to this at all. ”You, Private Lydis!”
”Um..yes?” Blair gave Lydis a pitiful look. Silently she whispered to Lydis,
”Hesitation makes the fool.” Confused by her words Lydis was about to say something when Valeri's loud voice exploded again.
”That's yes ma'am to you! And for contemptuous unacknowledgement of a superior, you must run one hundred laps carrying one-hundred pounds of weights! By the end of the day! Failure to do so will result in no dinner as well as a harsher punishment tomorrow! Are we clear, private Lydis?” Valeri's attitude had completely changed. Lydis was taken by surprise.
”Yes ma'am!” Upon hearing this Valeri chuckled and turned around.
”We begin combat training now. Lydis, what's the most important rule in any battlefield?”
”Yes ma'am! It's to kill your enemy until none remain!” Blair nodded along as well. Valeri clenched her fists and hit both of their heads.
”Fools! It's to return alive! What can you accomplish with a dead body? Live to fight another day! Even when death himself comes to get you, stand! Stand and fight until even the gods must strike you down! And even then, stand! Should your body be burnt to a crisp and your life fades, stand tall so that you may greet your ancestors with pride!”
”Yes ma'am!” Lydis was secretly awed at how much Valeri had changed. From a bleak stubborn maid into this strong captain who could inspire a flame in even her! Blair rubbed her head, how could she have forgotten her captain's very first lesson?! Feeling filled with a renewed determination Blair focused on the training wholeheartedly. For the next four hours Valeri trained Lydis in hand to hand combat and how to maximize the use of her small body. After the four hours Valeri left to manage the squad with Blair and Lydis was left to run her one-hundred laps. A small robot was left to monitor her. Lydis spent the rest of the day running her laps with the weights. Right as the sun was setting Lydis's foot finally crossed the lap line. The little robot on standby beeped a couple of times before dashing away.
”F**k this. I-” She stopped talking abruptly when Valeri walked into the clearing.
”Feeling cooler now private?”
”Yes ma'am!” Lydis stood up and saluted. Valeri nodded in approval.
”I have concerning business for you…” Lydis's soldier face faltered a bit.
”What do you mean by 'concerning'?”
”After Ami reviewed the results of Blair's scans she just couldn't figure out why and how you managed to do so much damage while taking quite a toll as well. No matter what, fracturing Blair's nose and sending the fragments inside to her lungs would require multiple blows, each with more power than before. Now, if Blair had just kept her slyphir barrier ready this wouldn't have happened…” Valeri continued to grumble a bit before realizing that Lydis was staring at her questionably.