Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series

After a few more minutes of Enyo talking about the minutes, he finally lets us go and I stand from my chair stretching out from sitting so long. The group separates, some going to the kitchen other’s wondering off. “Clare, I’m going to get some air.” I turn to her beside me. Before I can even turn back around she call’s after me, ” Actually, its abut time for your practice.” She informs. My head falls back in slight disappointment at her words. By practice she meant putting me through the ringer to see if my health has deteriorated yet. Its one of the things, I've dealt with for the past year. It does allow me to stay fit and healthy which is going to come in handy with the mission including fighting but I hated it. I think it just gave her an excuse to yell at me.

“Today, really?” I resentfully ask, thankful that no one else is in the room. “You know we do it everyday, if any today is further reason to do so.” She says referring both to the mission and my odd side effect. I cant help but sigh in acceptance, theirs really no need for me to argue. In fact most of this year has been step after step of being unable to resist or argue.

We walk outside the morning, now warmer then it was yesterday as the sun shines down. I take in a full breath happy we are outside and no longer doing this in a makeshift gym in a lab somewhere.

We gat half way to the tree’s where an opening sits, I would guess its where they practice their hand to hand combat with the lose slightly muddy ground. “Okay, we will do it here, first off stretch.” She says paying little attention to me as she pulls out from her back pocket her little black book jotting down her thought’s I presume. I start to stretch, first stretching out my legs and moving on to my arms and torso. By the time I’m done Clare has finished writing in her book and has slipped her sweater off, tossing it to the side.

“Okay, first off we need to test strength, so like usual do you 200 push up’s.” She instructs. I fall to the ground getting into position, I start with my push ups, Clare calling out the number’s. After about half an hour, I breathing heavily as she finally calls out 200. I roll onto my back breathing heavily as I stare up at the cloudy sky.

Suddenly Clare appears into my view standing over me. “It took you five more minutes then usual to do those push up’s.” She informs me as she jots down the number’s. I hated this, the way she judges me like a lab animal. I finally pull myself up from the ground standing, I pull my hair up into a pony tail. When I look over at Clare I don’t see her but 3 people standing on the front step staring at me. “Clare, you aware of there eyes right?” I ask her my eyes looking between Enyo, Orion and Foxglove.

“Yes, I am. but we will be around them for a while so they better get used to our odd daily habits, should they Aspen?” She says jotting down her last notes as she look’s up to me. “I feel like we should tell them, their putting their lives on the line we should be honest.” I argue with her. “I got that, and if we are out their and they decide letting you die to save themselves then that would be okay?” She retorts. I grown in frustration, “And if they ask about this?” I say, nodding to them.

“Well, we will just say we are keeping in shape for the mission.” She simplifies. Be grudgingly I nod sighing.

“Okay start with you run, go ahead through the forest, its good to see your agility in the woods.” She explains. I nod my head turning towards the forest. “Go. She orders and I begin my run. I make my way down the small trudged path. I hate running but at the moment, being alone and without eyes on me, it felt nice. I jog past tree’s and over twigs and large rocks, I cant help but enjoy being outside. The birds flutter about completely ignoring my presence. About half-way through the jog I start to hear rustling behind me as I run. I slow looking up behind me in the tree’s listening intently for anymore unexpected noises. After a moment I turn back around and continue my jog, listening for the sounds again. As I move so does the sound on top of me. The sound bens to get ahead of me and I keep my senses heightened.

With a plan popping into my head I suddenly stop, turning off the path to the left. After a moment the nose begins to come after me and I duck behind a patch of tree’s crouching between a large bush. The rustling grows closure and finally stops right above me, when I’m sure whoever it is, is right on top of me I stand up moving a little farther, knowing full well that whoever it is eyes are on me. I listen intently as the person drops down behind me. My heart races as the grow close quietly, suddenly turn around my fist going straight for their face, I don’t pay much attention as they duck down and I kick out. The person stumbles back at my unexpected hit to their chest. They come after me and I duck as they through a fist towards me. I flinch back avoiding their second to my stomach. I jump forward and tackle the person, their large body tumbling to the ground as I sit on top of them.

It’s only then I realize who I’m on top of. “What the hell are you doing!” I yell out shocked.

“I just wanted to take a look at what you were up to.” Enyo says smiling up at me.

I crawl off of him and stand as he stands up as well. His hand rubs his chest slightly nodding his head surprised. “You got me with that kick.” He says. I roll my eyes a bit agitated. Mostly because he scared me to death and because I’ll have to explain why I fell behind my usual time to Clare.

“Well, maybe you deserved it, popping up out of nowhere like that.” I say scowling slightly at him. His hands fall into his pockets as he look’s over me. “Out there, anything can surprise you.. I was just testing your reflexes.” He explains. I turn beginning to walk back towards the path, Enyo follow’s behind me, “Now why would someone as pampered as you know to fight, even the limited amount you do?” He asks walking behind me. He’s curious, and curiosity killed the cat, or started the virus anyway.

My uncle taught me as a child to fight. For the past year I've been kept to be watched and observed by the request of the Health General. The first moment's they began putting together their plans for the mission they also started training me. Basic combat abilities, they watched me like a hawk every moment of it. They said it's a great way to judge my odd capabilities but to me it was just another time they wanted to see how they could use me for their own experiments.

“I think a girl should be able to defend herself.” I simply fill in. I finally reach back to the path and stretch a little.

“You make me very, curious.” He says standing next to me looking out further into the forest.

I turn to him. “Curiosity killed the cat, and thousands of people.” I say. Enyo tilts his head slightly shaking his head in agreement.

"Well, I guess I should be careful then." He says and I cant help he meant more to it. I shrug it off, I don't need anymore on my mind except the mission and the part I have to play.

I begin jogging again hopeful he stayed behind. Only he doesn’t and pretty soon he’s jogging next to me. For the rest of the jog he doesn’t say anything, and neither do I until we finally reach the end of the path that has circled around to the house. When we get back, the team is sparring one another as Clare stands next to Orion the two chatting about something. When she see’s me, she jogs over to me and I stop quietly breathing heavily, as I try to keep my breathing controlled.

“That took you an hour Aspen, 10 minutes longer then before.” She says pulling out the black book.

“I would like to blame that on the captain here, he thought it best to surprise me on my jog. I say looking at Enyo as he nonchalantly folds his arms watching he small exchange.

“Well, then I’ll excuse the time difference.” She says looking towards Enyo.

Enyo look’s between us then speaks up, “I would like the two of you to do some training this next week, we may be their to protect you but you should know how to defend yourself if we cant get to you.” He says. This time he’s lost the lazy curious voice he carried in the forest and his voice is now firm. He sounds like a captain in the military, as his statement seems more like an order.

Clare thinks for a moment and nods her head, “I think that's a great idea.” She responds. I mentally grown at that. This is going to be a longer day then I had thought.