"How did you go about managing your heavy workload while also being able to keep up with physical training and workouts?"
"A lot… and a lot… of patience, determination, crying, and company and help from your peers. After working out, you gotta' hurry up and take a bath, then find your study buddies, and get your work done before 'lights out' is called." Katsue answered with a nervous giggle.
"Are the exams difficult? And are the books big or small? Oh… and what languages will we be learning?"
"The exams are stupidly difficult, yeah. I uh… I suppose they're easier if you study. So… that's recommended, for sure. The books are large, typically more than three hundred or so pages. And… you'll be learning Icelandic and Japanese, assuming you already know your Latin." Apollo replied, with a small cough. He didn't study much back in his schooling days.
"Will we be allowed outside the barracks, or will we be supplied with everything we need to live in here already?"
"You can go out at certain times of the day. But… honestly, after the first month or two, you won't have the time to go out. The grounds are already big enough, and… with how busy you'll be, exiting will be less frequent than you may think. After all, you'll have everything you'll need and more all in one single area." Cindra said firmly, her arms crossed.
"What was the most painful thing you all went through during your training, like… did any of you get hurt, or… how did you deal with soreness and such."
"Hah! One time we had to complete these mobility courses with all our equipment and armor, right? And this douchebag was behind me while climbing this… pseudo-wall and he somehow messed it up and ended up falling forward, onto me, pushing the both of us down about ten feet, or something. Not only did he dislocate my shoulder, but I couldn't breathe. It hurt, bad. And… for the soreness? Two things. Ice baths and sleep." Cyrus proudly answered, with a bright grin.
"What's served for lunch here!?"
"A lot of things! It can vary from beef stew to freakin' noodles! They got food from all three Faction lands, and the dining hall is open whenever, so you'll never go hungry!" Elea yelled out cheerfully.
"Can we hang out with friends outside of the barracks, and if not, can we at least spend time in the dorms of other people?"
"As Cindra said, you can go outside the barrack grounds at specified time intervals to visit your other friends, and yes, you're all free to visit one another's dorms. However, after a certain time, you're required to stay in the building of your sex." Cinder explained, his voice was amicable and smooth.
"Will we be able to use real weaponry and armor during training drills? Oh, and what about reenactments, or mock battles? What can we expect in terms of combat training and strength building, too?"
"You'll first be training with wooden tools that are lightweight and safe, as well as extensive martial arts training so that you're not defenseless without a weapon. Eventually, you will begin to use blunt versions of real weaponry. And weight training and sparring will occur often." Alban answered, simply.
"Did any of you ever have the thought of quitting cross your minds? Like, did any of you just lay there in bed at night and just wish to go home, and give up on it all? And… if so, how did you stay focused and determined to keep pushing forward?"
"That thought crossed my mind many, many times. The training was grueling, painful, and exhausting, the studies were stressful, rigorous, and overwhelming, but… I guess what kept me going was what laid ahead. I didn't miss my home, for personal reasons, so… I just did my best to stay hopeful." Emora said, her golden eyes sparkling.
"What're physical trials? Will we have masters? Are we going to be practicing with all weaponry or just the weaponry that's related to our Hero type?"
"Physical trials are things like the push-up, sit-up, and pull-up tests, along with timed obstacle courses and mile runs. You'll have instructors and teachers that will act as your 'masters', and… you'll mostly be training with weapons that are related to your Hero type, though you'll also be learning how to use other types of arms, such as bows, crossbows, knives, and shields." Airi explained, her voice clear and vibrant.
"Do we get to wield weapons around the Barrack grounds?!"
"Nope! No weaponry allowed anywhere besides training areas and armories!" Cyrus beamed with his hands on his hips.
"Uh… how many outhouses are there, and where are they."
"There's an 'outhouse' building that acts as a public privy near the horse stables. It's aired and frequently cleaned out, and there are two buildings, one for each sex. Each building has twenty stalls, so it should easily be enough for most of you to do your business. There are rolls of cheap cotton cloth there for cleaning as well. Be sure to discard them afterward, though. Please." Cindra replied, rolling her eyes, since the trainee who asked looked like they needed to go.
"What about bathhouses? Do they have warm water!?"
"The dormitories have a large indoor area that serves as a bathhouse. Multiple large tubs are run by workers that typically don't bother boiling up water for warm baths, so… if you want warm water for yourself and your peers, you might have to do it yourself." Cinder chuckled, shaking his head with a smile.
"Is there any specific, uh… teacher, or instructor here that we should all be aware of? Like… a teacher that likes to assign a lot of bookwork, or… maybe just one that's uptight? Y-You know, it'd be a nice heads-up!"
"Oh yeah, for sure. There's this one, man… her name still gives me shivers, but uh… Ms. Peachbottom is a real… uh, rigorous woman! Lots of homework from her, and she hates fun. Good luck if you have her for Latin." Apollo said with a heavy sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing his arms.
"Will we be allowed to go home to get personal belongings we may have forgotten when moving into the dormitories? Oh! And… are we allowed to request roommate changes."
"Yeah, as Mr. and Ms. Alphus have stated, you can exit the Barrack grounds at certain hours for whatever purpose you may have. And yes, if you truly do have a personal issue with a roommate, changes can be made." Alban spoke up with a powerful tone.
"What's the most difficult physical trial we'll have to face?"
"All of this is a trial! Focus on beatin' all of it!" Elea yelled with her fist in the air.
"Did you guys cry a lot on some nights? You know… f-from the stress and exhaustion, of course! If you cried for other reasons, then… disregard the question…"
"Mm… tears are part of life, so… yes, I personally cried a lot during my time here! For academic, physical, and… emotional reasons regarding matters of the heart. But… hey, don't focus on that, alright?" Airi nervously answered, her hand slowly drifting to her other hand's wrist to rub it.
"Will we get to ride horses?!"
"Yes, yes you will!" Katsue responded with a spirited laugh.
"Can we date our fellow tra—"
"H-Hey! Let's not worry about that here, okay?! There's a lot more to do, and that isn't typically high up on the priority list! Or… a-at least it shouldn't be!" Emora stammered, her eyes squeezed shut as her cheeks gradually reddened.
The group of 60 trainees and Emora's fellow Heroes all began to laugh. Even some of the teachers and instructors let out small chuckles as they watched. The girl behind the armor stands giggled into her hand as she listened to the questions, taking note of the important ones, and having quiet chortles at the sillier ones. It was relieving to the girl that the Alphas were such amiable people, as groups of elite warriors were typically very stern, demanding, and often overly hubristic.
The Warden laughed along nervously, her golden eyes glimmering with glee as she looked at the trainees that she was so hopeful for. But of course, the Heroes were there for more than just a simple session of questions and answers and a debrief of what was awaiting the trainees in the future.
The trainees needed to be evaluated before beginning their time at the Hero Barracks, for the teachers and instructors to get some sort of idea of what kind of teenage warriors they were dealing with, and how fast they should hit the ground running. If they were crummy, then things would start off easier. If they seemed capable, then lessons would get difficult quickly. This was also a chance to humble any overly confident trainees who would likely get caught off-guard early on and inevitably drop out.
The group of Alphas all glanced around the silent courtyard at the teachers and instructors at the sidelines. The trainees all watched as the adults all silently communicated through their expressions and gazes. They grew excited for whatever was about to happen. The Alphas all turned to one another, whispering amongst themselves.
"So… who's gonna do this?"
"Not gonna lie, I want to. But… I feel like I might go overboard by accident."
"I'm not interested."
"Someone with good control and a genuine, honest way of evaluating the trainees."
The Alphas went quiet for a couple of seconds as they all turned to look at a singular Hero amongst themselves.
"Then it's obvious who should go."
"Yeah, fairly obvious."
"Indeed."
"But—I thought we all agreed that—"
"Hush! We've chosen you, so get out there and give them a taste of what their futures might look like someday."
"Okay… f-fine."
The Alphas all turned back to the crowd of trainees, standing back in a straight line. The trainees stood at attention, watching them closely as the courtyard fell silent momentarily. The teachers and instructors all took a couple of steps back, making the courtyard seem more spacious. They all stepped off to the sidelines, the girl behind the armor stands shifting uncomfortably as she watched a few of the instructors come near her location.
The girl tucked her head back behind the armor stands and stack of weapons, holding her breath. She couldn't risk getting caught, but she knew something was about to happen. The girl very slowly shifted onto her knees, to make an escape easier if something were to occur. She around the corner of a Lawbringer suit's butt, to see three instructors all discussing quietly amongst themselves, looking inward at the courtyard, their backs turned to the girl. She couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.
With a small inhale to gather herself, the girl turned back to the courtyard, her bright diamond blue eyes watching closely through little gaps in the stands. She waited in anticipation, listening to her heartbeat inside her chest with anxiousness. "What're they going to do…" She wondered to herself.
The Alphas all turned to one singular Hero, the one they had chosen to "evaluate" the group of 60 trainees. The trainees all watched as Emora Ryon stepped forward, the rest of the Heroes backing away to the outer rim of the courtyard, joining the rest of the teachers, instructors, and staff at the Hero Barracks. Emora raised a hand to all of them, a small smile on her face. As she did so, the trainees all clapped for her, more politely than the more casual, celebratory manner they were doing so before.
"Heh… hello! My name is, as you already know, Emora Ryon, and I would just like to take a second to say that…" Emora paused for a brief moment, taking another gander at the group of trainees. With a slowly growing smile, she put her hands to her heart and let out a small laugh. "That all of you look absolutely wonderful. I have so much hope for each and every single one of you, and I commend you all for working so hard to make it this far. From the bottom of my heart, you're all truly remarkable!"
In response to the praise, the trainees shot back with their own compliments, quips, and comments. Some shouted back positive retorts, while others simply laughed with rosy cheeks at the kind words. Emora politely bowed to the trainees, in which all 60 did the same in return. The Warden stood tall, beaming in the sun.
"Now, I would like to ask you all… one very simple question. Back in your prior years of training at your Quadrant or town's Hero Academies, how many of you actually partook in true combat practice. As in… unprotected, full-contact sparring sessions?" The golden-eyed Hero asked, her hands on her hips as she spoke. As she looked around, very few of the trainees raised their hands. Of course, Emora knew that the Hero Academies did very little true sparring, as Academies were mostly focused on learning fundamentals, Hero roles, responsibilities, and purposes, and intermediate combat training.
As the trainees put their hands down, Emora nodded to herself slowly. She then put her hands out in front of herself, motioning at the trainees. She began to open her arms outwards around herself, a little smirk on her face as the trainees looked at her. She continued to repeat this motion, the trainees slowly catching on.
"Yes, yes, good. Make a neat little circle around me. Leave some space between yourselves and myself, of course." Emora spoke politely, watching as the trainees all evened out, forming a large circle within the spacious courtyard, surrounding the singular Warden. The blonde woman put her arms down, beginning to turn to the trainees as she continued to speak.
"So! You all may or may not have noticed what your teachers have asked you to wear today for your first day here at the Barracks. If any of you remember your first day at the Hero Academies, two years ago, normally… you would all be sporting your scholar uniforms. But that is clearly not the case here, right…?" Emora said loudly, projecting her amiable voice into the ears of the eager trainees. The young Heroes-in-training all exchanged glances, some looking down to their armor sets, before looking up and shaking their heads.
Emora nodded, raising a thumbs-up that was accompanied by a wink and perky-sounding: "Yep!" The Warden returned to her formal mannerisms as she crossed her arms, her blonde bangs gently waving sideways above her eyes, the cool wind providing a rush of relief from the warm sun above. "The reason that your wonderful instructors ordered you to this here courtyard wearing your armor is that your very first trial will be to experience what it's like to engage in full-contact combat, wearing your full suits of armor and all." She explained, with a pair of exuberant eyes.
The trainees all exchanged glances, the low rumbling of murmuring could be heard from the young future Heroes as Emora examined all their reactions. All their armor mirrored one another's, all including a pair of dark brown leather boots, dark tanned pants, steel, bronze, or silver shoulder pads, shin guards, knee pads, and forearm bracers, and finally… robes, brigandines, and tunics of the wearer's preferred colors, which could range through different shades of blue and purple.
After examining them all for a bit, Emora noticed that the trainees were all staring at her in anticipation once again. She cleared her throat, raising her voice so that she could be heard properly. "With this first little taste of combat, your instructors will evaluate you all for the very first time, checking to see what you all need to improve on as a group. Fighting with armor is more difficult than you all may think. Sure, standing in it like you are now is quite comfortable, but when you're in active combat, frantically looking around, running, dodging, jumping, out of breath, sweating, and filled with panic, it can get very stressful."
Emora walked along in small circles, her hands moving with her as she spoke. The jingles of her bracelets helped ease the tension for the trainees, for whatever reason. "So, in preparation for that, your instructors want to view how you perform as first-timers. Don't worry, this won't jeopardize your entry into the Hero Barracks, you're all already here, right?! So, there's nothing to truly stress over. Just do your best, as that's all we really want from you."
The girl behind the armor stands watched carefully, her ears at full attention. She slowly brought a hand to her lips as her finger edged towards her teeth as she opened her mouth a bit to unconsciously nibble on her fingernail. She stopped as her mind jumpstarted, the girl looking away as she curled the hand she had raised into a fist. "A demonstration… it's a real demonstration! But… wait…"
She turned back to the courtyard, the trainees all standing in their circle, looking around and nodding. The girl narrowed her eyes, gazing at Emora, who stood in the center of it all. "They're… n-no way. They wouldn't do that, would they?"
The girl then watched as a pale, soft hand was raised in the circle of trainees. She squinted to try and get a better look, and let out a quiet gasp as she recognized the voice that rang from the hand. It was her friend, Amybeth, who was the one who had told her of this fateful gathering with the Alphas. "A-Amy…?"
Emora turned to look at the ginger-haired girl known as Amybeth. She looked up to her hand, and let out a small giggle as she turned her full body around to face the young teenager. The Warden nodded her head, signaling for Amybeth to put her hand down. "Yes? What's your question?" Emora asked with a warm gaze.
Amybeth put her hands together in front of herself respectfully, lightly dipping her head down to the Warden before she began to speak. "Excuse me for interrupting you, but… I believe I speak for all of us when I say that we're quite confused. Are we going to be choosing partners and sparring with one another, or… is something else going to occur?" She asked, clearing her throat shortly after finishing her question.
Emora tilted her head to the side with a confused smile. She turned to look at the rest of the trainees, who all had expressions akin to Amybeth's. The Warden let her arms fall to her sides, scoffing desperately. "Wh-What? You're all meaning to tell me that it isn't obvious who you're all fighting?" She asked, with a surprised grin.
The trainees all exchanged glances, before simply shaking their heads at the blonde Warden.
The girl pouted curiously as she gently moved a bit of her hair out of her eyes, focusing in on Emora.
The golden-eyed Knight closed her eyes, shaking her head as she let out a small sigh. She brought a hand to her eyes as she raised the other, Airi rushing forward through the trainees, scrambling through the trainees with a flurry of Excuse Me's and Sorry's. The Nobushi walked up and waited, Emora putting her arms down and resting them in Airi's hands. The trainees watched as the other girl took Emora's bracelets, wedding ring, and jacket.
Emora stood wearing her black boots, dark brown pants, her blue neckerchief, and a gray "sleeveless shirt," or tank top, made of cotton. She looked down at Airi with a small smile, whispering a quick remark.
"Thanks, Airi." She'd say, with a soft look.
The Nobushi nodded as she slid the bracelets onto her own arm, and tucked the Warden's ring into a little cushioned box she had with her. Airi looked up and placed a light peck on Emora's cheek as she gave the Knight a smile. "Be gentle with them." She'd whisper back, before fluttering away through the trainees and back to the Alphas on the courtyard's outer rim.
The Warden then turned to the trainees, who were all slowly beginning to catch on. Some of them had wide eyes, some had hot necks, others had parted lips, while some others simply had accelerated heartbeats. Emora grinned at the trainees as she cracked her neck and knuckles, on top of performing a couple brief stretches for her arms and legs.
After she was done, she rose to her full height, placing her hands on her hips. She let out a cheerful huff as she gave the trainees a gleeful stare.
"If you haven't figured it out just yet, then allow me to simply announce it!" Emora laughed, raising one of her hands to rub her nape.
"Your opponent for today… will be yours truly!"
I'm actually quite glad I was able to update within two months. That's a new record for me, I think. Anyways, stay tuned for more. I'm really tryin' to be consistent here… oops.
