"So... How's training going so far?" Jacob asked, looking at how lethargic-looking I was. All I had was a hazy recollection of laborious and taxing physical groundwork with Edward. Even though today's training had wrapped up a couple hours ago, his roaring voice continually echoed in my ears.
"Don't even talk about it," I groaned, currently sprawled onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling, the recollection of laborious and taxing physical training from Edward coming to mind…
"Can you even throw a punch properly?" Edward grumbled, stepping to the side and evading my blow effortlessly. Even though I had earnestly invested all my effort into this, everything just came to naught. I slumped to the ground in fatigue, driven to the point of tears. "Just look at how pathetic-looking you are."
"C-Could I… Take a b-break?" Wheezing uncontrollably, I looked pleadingly at my mentor. Sweat dotted my forehead, and I was pretty sure that I resembled a wet puppy in this current state.
"No," Edward answered simply, not a single hint of concern in his voice. "Stand up. Now."
"I-I can't," Legs aching and numb from all the prior workouts, standing up was impossible.
Edward, with a cynical smirk on his divine features, squatted down in front of me. "What a useless princess," he mused aloud. "How will your parents react if they find out that you are such an incompetent leader?" He chuckled darkly.
For some peculiar reason, I found my hands balling into fists, my mouth quivering slightly. "Oh look," Edward mocked while pushing himself upright on his feet. "I see that the inept princess is angry."
"That's enough," I spouted, my pent up frustration bubbling to the surface. "I channeled all of my energy and effort into this, so you better stop complaining and be the 'good' mentor you are!" Slurring words that were incoherent came spewing out of my mouth in a paroxysm of anger. Seemingly possessed by some unseen force, I summoned the newfound strength, raising both hands and watching in a mix of awe and terror as I, unable to control myself, drew a massive globe of water and lobbed it towards a stupefied Edward. When he was completely submerged, my fingers bent inwards, causing a sheet of ice to gradually cover the surface of the globe, subsequently freezing the entire hunk of water with Edward in it.
"Ouch. That must have hurt," Jacob winced, bringing me out of my trance.
"Wait… Did I just say all of that out loud?" Apprehension clouded my voice. Jacob nodded in acknowledgment, an amused glint in his eyes. Placing my face into both hands, I groaned. "How embarrassing!"
"So Edward's still in the training hall?" he asked, bemused.
"I towed him to the fireplace," I answered, "I think the ice should have melted by now. "He's probably going to kill me." Just as I said this, cross-legged on the bed, Edward came storming in, his hair and clothes damp. "Eek!" I dug under the covers, intimidated by his presence.
"You have some guts, Bella Miller," Edward pronounced, every word articulated smoothly, like how a cheetah awaits elegantly in the grass before pouncing on an unsuspecting prey. Still hiding, I took a little peek from a gap to see Jacob wink at me before excusing himself from the room. All the best, he mouthed imperceptibly. That betrayer! The eerie echo of the closing door caused a shiver to run down my spine. "Come out from under the covers now."
"A-Are you going to kill me?" I enquired softly, staring at his calm and composed expression. Sauntering over towards me, he clicked his tongue and plopped himself onto the bed, poking my hips incessantly, causing me to squirm and wiggle out of the way and smack my head onto the bed frame with a thud.
"Hey are you all right?" Edward's eyes widened as he stalked even nearer to me and caressed the discolored bruise that was forming at the back of my head.
Feeling utterly uncomfortable with the sudden proximity between us, I shrugged, ignoring the throbbing pain as I assured him, saying, "Don't worry, I'm totally fine." Meeting his golden eyes, I could have sworn that my heart stuttered by a few beats. "J-Edward."
"Sorry to intrude," Jacob burst in with a frantic expression on his face. "The Garden's under attack."
"By whom?" Edward's tone turned solemn, shifting his gaze away from me.
"The Crawlers," Jacob responded, not missing a beat. "The King and Queen have sent out the elite soldiers to facilitate with the evacuation of the citizens, but they are making their way to the Palace."
Edward hopped up from the bed and landed on the soft carpet that laid the foundation of my room. "I'll settle this. In the meantime," He turned to me. "Stay here."
"Hold up," I crawled hastily out of bed. "Why can't I join the fight?"
"It's not safe for you, a rookie trainee. Besides, you tired yourself out just now," Edward clipped.
"He's right," the blond agreed, following him out and leaving me behind by my lonesome self.
Grunting under my breath, I strode back onto my bed, flipping a book on the history of the Gardens of Hesperides. Engrossed by its vast history, sudden tremors could be felt close by. Wanting to see what the commotion was about, I walked over to the window, immediately tossed into hysteria. Just outside, where a lush balcony used to be, was a colossal-sized being that took the form of a grotesque black spider, it's beady eyes fixated onto my helpless self. Rooted to the ground, the spider-like organism (let us just call him Bob for the time-being) stretched out a stick-like limb and smashed the window – the only protection between me and the monstrosity. Stray shards of glass sliced the surface of my skin, causing me to snap back to reality.
For some reason, I managed to garner my courage and sprint towards the one place I knew best – the lagoon. Thankfully, it was in the vicinity so it reduced the risk of others getting harmed. Using the extra time that Bob had to spend fully breaking the window to make his grand entrance, I rushed to the lagoon without looking back.
Though the route took only mere seconds, it seemed like an eternity. My t-shirt drenched by cold sweat, I scampered to the wall farthest away from the training doors. "Anytime now," my chest heaved up and down at a fast pace as I took a stance I was now fairly familiar with.
It all happened so quickly. The entrance to the training hall burst, the debris shrouding the monster I had no affiliation with. Only now, as Bob's teeth crunched menacingly, did I realize how dangerous my position was. Be brave, I told myself. You can do this.
Summoning globs of water from the lagoon, I bombarded them at Bob mercilessly, freezing them once they had made contact with it. It screeched brutally in my ears, raising a leg in an attempt to slash away at me, but I hopped up just in time. My semi-conscious mind reminded me to thank Edward for teaching me this move the exact morning. That's only if you manage to live long enough, I told myself.
The pattern repeated itself over and over again – Throwing and freezing the water globs until finally, Bob was completely covered by ice. All the energy drained from my sentience, I slumped onto the ground, my back supported by the wall behind. Thinking that everything would be all right was too naïve of me. "I did it," I heaved a triumphant sigh before realizing that something was really wrong – I could no longer hear myself. Trembling at the unfamiliar silence, I watched in added horror as a crack formed and slid down from Bob's ice sculpture. Bursting out of captivity, it inched towards me in an exaggeratingly slow manner, as though it took pleasure from seeing me petrified.
As Bob closed the gap between us, I closed my eyes, giving up on all hope. I guess the rumors about your life flashing before your eyes before death were true. Literally smelling the putrid breath of Bob on my face. Waiting for the pain to set in, it came as a surprise when it nothing happened. Startled, my eyes shot open to see Bob splayed on the ground, with around seven to ten arrows piercing its back.
Jacob and Edward appeared from behind, Jacob having a worried look on his face while Edward remained deadpanned. Rushing over to my side immediately, he started mouthing words that I could not comprehend in my state. Edward, noticing my lack of response, trudged over and said something to Jacob. The latter finally understood my plight and reached out for my hands, encasing them in a firm and protective gesture.
"Don't worry," He mouthed slowly. I nodded, a tear sliding down my cheek from the trauma. Unable to fight the fatigue any longer, I succumbed to a well-deserved slumber.
