Chapter 17

The training facility was the largest underground stadium in the known and unknown world. As everyone filed in through the tunnels they gasped and stared wide eyed and the impossible structure.  It was so vast in size that it was difficult to see from one side to the other, especially with all of the equipment filling every spare inch of the place. Xandria stood proudly dressed in jogging bottoms and training bra as she used her new sight to survey the place around her. Her gaze was most drawn to the ceiling and more than one person was watching her with a smile as a glee filled giggle escaped her lips.

“So pretty…” she sighed before slowly lowering her head, the image of the rainbow swirling above her head making her feel insanely giddy inside. It wasn’t seeing like everyone else but Xandria had already come to appreciate this new gift that was letting her catch a glimpse of the world around her with her own eyes for the first time in her life.

A rumbling sent everyone scattering away from its epicentre where a moment later a man erupted from the ground, his clothes immaculately clean whilst his hair was full of dirt.

“Good morning everyone,” the voice was chipper and spilled forth from a rather stern looking man, a complete contradiction in every sense of the word. “Baby bird, it’s nice to see you again.”

Xandria snorted but nodded her head in agreement. The man before her was always trying to give everyone code names and act like a tough army guy but he was about as tough as a teddy bear. It helped in fights because people would back off at the very sight of him so very rarely would he have to get his hands dirty.

“Now basic training, there are three rules and three rules only.” He held up three fingers as if to emphasise his point. “First, is kill or be killed. They won’t hesitate to run you through so don’t hesitate for a second, even if you know the face. Unless they are in this room right now, you do not trust anyone. Kill now, ask questions later. Got it? Good.”  A few of the group paled at his words but Colton and the other boys nodded grimly in agreement, they had seen enough films to know that in situations like this there were really only two choices, fight or die.

“Right, point number two, protect the chosen. At all costs. No matter the situation, even if you have to throw yourself before him so that he can walk over flaming coals then you do it. He is our hope; if he doesn’t survive then your life pretty much won’t be worth living.”

Xandria raised her eyebrow, is he bloody serious? She thought as he babbled on about protecting the chosen, surely he could have come up with a better example than throwing yourself on flaming coals.

“Finally, teamwork. Work as a team no matter what, if you get separated it is pretty much a death sentence. In a team you will have each other’s backs, you will be able to use each other’s strengths and defend their weaknesses.” He clapped his hands, dispelling the tense atmosphere that had begun to suffocate the group. “Right, now split up into two groups we are going to test how well you work as a team. Xandria come and stand by me please.”

With a huff, she reluctantly moved to his side and managed to duck his arm as he gestured about him only to swing his beefy arms carelessly in her direction.

“Faze one of training, the obstacle course.”  He wrapped an arm around Xandria’s shoulders as he watched the teens divide into groups. “Choose the person who you think is the strongest member of your team and get them to stand forwards please.”

Each group elected someone to step forwards, Colton for his team and Simon for his. In a moment the man stepped forwards and pulled strips of black fabric from his back pocket and proceeded to tie it across their eyes so that they could no longer rely on sight.

“Your strongest member is now your weakest. As they say, you are only as strong as your weakest link.” He waved his hands around a bit as he spoke and if you didn’t know him you would think he was being flamboyant, Xandria felt the hands wafting in front of her face and smiled. She knew he only waved his hands so much when he was nervous or when he was talking about something he was passionate about. “Right, go to the start of the course and you will all then lead your “blind” person around the course. Simple easy, go.”

When they just stood there staring at him, Caliban, whose crew cut made his face seem a hundred times more severe than it really was, glared at their unmoving forms before using his hands to cover Xandria’s ears and then proceeded to bark at the immobile teens.

“Get moving or you will all be doing a thousand push ups, is that clear?” He didn’t have to ask twice, in a moment both groups were scrambling to the start of the course, looking back only when their feet were on the first rungs of a wooden ladders. “On your marks, get set…GO.”

In a flurry of activity the group started around the course, taking time to usher the blindfolded member of their team yet the accompaniment to the whole task was giggling and laughing. Xandria groaned quietly as she remembered from past experience what the consequence would be but it was too late for them now, especially if Caliban’s laugh had anything to do with it.

Colton’s team cheered when they reached the end of the gruelling ten minute long course but it was quickly dampened when they saw Caliban who was stood, unblinking with his arms folded across his chest.

“Yes well done, now back to the beginning, it’s time for the proper go, that was a trial run.” With that he pulled out a handheld device from his pocket and pressed a button. In an instant the course which looked bad enough without the extras, was now a certifiable death trap. “Go now, again.” When they again stood still this time staring wide eyed at the wall of flames in the centre of the course he sighed before inhaling a deep breath and repeating, this time his voice so loud that after wincing, the teams propelled themselves awkwardly towards the beginning of the obstacle course.

By the end of the first part of training several of the team members had scorch marks or bald patches. Xandria wrinkled her nose at the smell. She had watched that glowing blobs that were her friends as they dodged through the magical minefield with great trepidation but she was relieved to see no serious injuries. She could remember the last time it had happened. The smell of burnt flesh is a memory that she would rather forget but it always made her careful and more aware of her surrounding as she knew the consequences.

“Do you think we’ve got a chance?” She questioned as her eyes roved over the multi-coloured array before her, taking in their exhausted posture and the areas of their colour that were glowing brightly as if damaged and their aura was somehow giving off its own warning signal.

“I don’t know, I think they are finally getting a hand on teamwork but the real question is can they fight.” He murmured in response, his own gaze wandering over each of the teens in pure calculation. “I think it’s time to find out don’t you?” he turned his attention briefly to Xandria before pulling out his little device that looked more like an old Gameboy than anything of superior technological workings. He pressed a few buttons and the obstacle course was gone in a moment, replaced instead by a basketball sized area covered completely in those blue mats that are common place in schools for PE.

Sound behind them drew the teen’s attention and they watched with open mouths as 10 people entered the arena with weapons firmly within their grasp. They all stood in a line some standing to the left of Xandria, some standing to the right of Caliban. What didn’t go unnoticed was the nod of greeting between each of these newcomers with Xandria. She smiled as they all took their place, her head returning to its upright position after being bowed in respect for so long.

“Now ladies and gentleman we are going to move on to hand to hand combat.” Caliban looked at the teens as he spoke before gesturing down the line of people. “Here we have 8 masters who each specialise in one kind of combat, one of us is a grand master who specialises in four weapons and one of us is barely a black belt in karate. I’m asking you, based on what we look like, who do you think is the grand master? Make your choice and go and stand before that person.”

Caliban bit his lip to keep from laughing. The majority of them had moved to stand before a stern looking woman who was incredible with the Sais or a man who looked like Mr Miyagi from Karate Kid. The results were always the same.

“Okay and will the grand master raise their hand.” He said smugly to which Xandria sighed and reluctantly raised her hand. He was still so smug that she had defeated all of her masters after only a few months training with each. Those months had been brutal but once she realised how to truly use her other senses then things became a hundred times easier. “Will you give us a demonstration baby bird?”

Xandria let out a sigh and folded her arms, reluctant to make a show of her ‘skills’.

“Aww bird, are you scared?” His taunting voice broke her and with a huff she stepped out of line and walked several steps away. When nothing happened she snarled over her shoulder.

“Well, are we going to fight or not?”

Sorry it's only a short chapter. It will probably get added to at some point but anyways, sorry for making you wait.