That morning, David joined him for breakfast. They sat in silence. Xavier saw the dazed look in David’s eyes. He knew he was tired, but his curiosity won out.
“Why have they been waking you up in the middle of the night? Is there something going on that I should know about?”
David looked up and crossed his arms. Xavier could tell he wanted to tell him, but David withheld. He closed his eyes for a second and then looked up again. “It has nothing to do with you, if that is what you are wondering. I just had to handle some family business.”
Xavier read him like a book. He didn’t make direct eye contact, and his face was flushed. Xavier knew he was lying, but he didn’t understand why. David was never secretive. He had made the decision to follow him next time if it happened again. He was going to get to the bottom of this mystery.
Chapter 19
October 25th 2062 4:00 a.m. (Day Ninety-Three) Crimson Manor, Berlin, Germany
It was the first day the recruits would have the opportunity to spar with one another and be critiqued on it. All eyes followed Xavier as he walked in to take his place. The rumors had been at an all-time high when he left with Captain Walsh and never returned to training, and looks of confusion blanketed every one’s face. The group began to grumble as Captain Stanley stepped forward to give further instructions. He called everyone to attention. Their eyes were forward, but the distraction saturated the air. Captain Stanley sighed and then looked over to Captain Walsh who nodded at him.
“Good morning, recruits. Allow me to bring light to your confusion. Many rumors have been swirling about in regards to the status of recruit Phillip. If the only way we can get you to focus is to answer your question, then allow me to do so. He was never kicked out. He has been training in his discipline for the last four weeks. Only one person had the sufficient skill to teach him and they made it a priority to do so. We want everyone to have a fair chance here, and now he does. If you all are quite ready to stop acting like immature teenagers, allow us to return to our training. There will be no more conversation regarding this issue.”
Captain Stanley proceeded to give instructions and ordered everyone into their on guard position. Xavier felt supported but vulnerable. He clenched his fists, wanting to be angry, but the words of President Conrad echoed in his mind: No man is an island. There are more for you then there are against you. He bit his lip, looked up to Captain Stanley, and nodded to him to show his gratitude. He was not a fan of all of Captain Stanley’s methods, but he believed that he was for him.
They all went through their stretches and stances for the first part of the morning. After breakfast Xavier was partnered with David. He appreciated starting with David because it meant he wouldn’t have to answer any asinine questions about where he had been. As they approached one another, Xavier didn’t have the benefit of scouting other styles and wasn’t sure how the katana would stack up against other disciplines. After another moment of hesitation, Xavier initiated combat. David parried. A moment of hesitation passed, but David returned the strike. Xavier parried. As they went back and forth, their confidence began to build with every strike.
They were both confident, but David still attacked slow and hesitantly. Xavier sensed his hesitation and decided to hold back. As the training day continued, Xavier advised him as they went through their motions, but David struggled to focus. He was having a hard time balancing speed and power. He could tell David’s technique was pristine—this wasn’t a lack of skill. Xavier believed it was all in his head. He was going to try to bring it out.
Cecilia approached the two of them to critique them. She was shouting at David, telling him to get out of his own head. When she turned to Xavier, she ordered him to stop holding back. David got a little better and Xavier tried a little bit harder. Cecilia could tell that Xavier was still holding back but didn’t want to embarrass David. They continued for four more hours.
After lunch, the Captains wanted everyone to change partners. Commander Ribeiro trained David; she knew he could do better than he was doing. They partnered him with one of the weaker recruits hoping it would inspire confidence. David was partnered with Luis who was training with the jian, and Xavier was partnered with someone who he hadn’t had much experience with, Marco. He was an Italian that was training with the Dao. Both plans seemed to work out perfectly. Marco challenged Xavier, and Xavier was more aggressive against him.
Many of the partnerships would pause for a moment and watch Xavier wield his sword masterfully. The katana had become such a foreign weapon to their culture that they were all intrigued and impressed. Xavier was so focused on honing his art against a real opponent he didn’t even realize people were watching him. At the end of the day, Marco had been disarmed multiple times. The recruits crowded around Xavier to question and commend him. From the other side of the room, Charlie and Oscar’s eyes narrowed with disdain. They walked past Xavier and congratulated him, but Xavier couldn’t help but feel like their compliments were hollow.
After the excitement of the first training day had begun to wear down, Xavier saw David in a corner looking downcast. Xavier went over to David and they walked back to their room together. Xavier wanted to help David however he could. He had been an incredible friend and supporter through everything, and he wanted to return the favor.
“What’s up?” Xavier asked.
“I do not know if I am going to be able to make it through this round. I am not the most physical recruit here, and all of this is very hard for me. Maybe I should just quit and go take care of my siblings.”
“Absolutely not! You told me this was your dream since you were a kid. You have to work harder for it! You are way too close to quit now.”
“How could I possibly? I do not stand a chance in the tournament. I am going to be eliminated.”
“So we work harder. You showed me that I belong here, now it’s time for me to show you that you belong here, too.”
David looked up with doubt in his eyes. Xavier clapped him on the back.
“Just like in the hand-to-hand tournament, we’ll get up earlier, work as late as possible, and every day off we will train. And I guarantee you, David, you will not be in the bottom ten of this round. Deal?”
David looked up, with a bit more confidence, and grabbed his hand and shook it excitedly.
“Deal!”
Xavier pulled him in and put him in a headlock like a little brother. “I’m gonna kick your butt!” Xavier said jokingly.
Xavier reflected on his growth as he lay in bed. He had no idea that one person encouraging him and having full confidence in him would have such a positive impact. He felt as though things were looking up.
The very next day they jumped right into their training regimen. Xavier taught David everything that President Conrad taught him. After two weeks, David’s technique had improved and his progress had grown exponentially. Every critique the two recruits received they implemented immediately. David had become a solid contender. Oscar and Xavier were still head and shoulders above the competition—they were the ones to beat, and everybody knew it.
It was the night before the tournament, and once more David was being awakened in the middle of the night. It was the third time since training had begun. Xavier decided to follow them and discover what was going on. He gave them a small head start before trailing them. He stayed within eye shot of them, hugged the corners, and stayed in the shadows as he stepped lightly. His stealth skills were impeccable. Xavier followed them through the barracks and past the cafeteria without detection. As he rounded the corner of the Human Resources and Support department, he was interrupted.
“You are quite stealthy, recruit.”
Xavier whipped around, attacking in the direction of the voice. His attack was dodged. He missed Captain Stanley by inches.
“You have grown faster.”
“Captain?” Xavier exclaimed jumping back, his voice cracking and his face struck with awe.
“It is the middle of night, re
cruit. May I inquire as to why you are out and about at this ridiculous hour the day of the tournament?”
A smile spread across Xavier’s face as he regained his composure.
“All things considered, Captain, its evening in the states.”
A laugh escaped from Captain Stanley’s mouth. His face suddenly grew serious. “I asked you a question, recruit.”
Xavier ran his hand through his hair with a chuckle of embarrassment. “Truth is, Captain, I was just trying to clear my head.”
“By sneaking in the shadows while you track your roommate?”
Xavier looked at the ground and silence saturated the air. “Walk with me, Mr. Phillip. You seem to have come into your own very nicely. I have been very impressed with your progress. When I recruited you, I knew you were going to be great, but you have outperformed even my expectations. You should be very impressed with yourself. The only real concern was how well you would fit in, but even that seems to have dwindled because of your friendship with Mr. Friedman. Commander Bertelli has also spoken very highly of you.”
“Really?”
“Indeed. She has made a case for you on a couple of different occasions. The only issue we have is how well you will be able to cooperate with Mr. Thompson and Mr. Wilson.”
“I can work with anyone as long as I don’t have to be friends with them.”
A large smile flashed across Captain Stanley’s face. “I do believe you are going to make the cut. Of course it is not entirely up to me, but most people are satisfied with your performance. Do not let this go to your head. You still have a lot of work to do. No one is a guarantee.”
“Trust me. I’m a guarantee, but I’m not gonna just make it, I’m gonna come in first.”
Captain Stanley looked at him for a moment. He shook his head. “You are far too brash, but I look forward to seeing how you finish. Now…get back to bed, recruit. The tournament starts in a few hours.”
As he lay in bed, the words of President Conrad continued to ring in his head: There are more for you than against you. He had no idea he had made such an impression on Commander Bertelli. He wondered if he had also made an impression on Commander Fernandez. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, full of expectation for what was to come.
David returned an hour later. Against all his efforts, Xavier heard him and woke up. He looked up and was going to say something but decided not to. The tournament was in a couple more hours, and he wanted to be mentally prepared.
Chapter 20
November 15th 2062 6:00 a.m. (Day One-Hundred Fourteen) Crimson Manor, Berlin, Germany
David and Xavier woke up and stretched in order to get ready. As the two recruits made their way to the training room, they ran into Oscar and Charlie.
“It’s a good thing these blades aren’t real or you might end up with a sword in your back walking with this vermin, David,” Charlie snorted at them.
Xavier looked up with a snarky look on his face. “And a good morning to you, too, Charlie. I assume you will be polishing Oscar’s sword?” Xavier laughed and then looked over to Oscar. “That is so cute. Did you teach him how to do that or is it just part of the nature of man’s best friend?”
Charlie furrowed his brow and puffed his chest up, bumping into Xavier. Oscar put his hand on Charlie’s shoulder calming him down. He curled his lip and spoke with sarcasm.
“No need to get all uptight over a vagrant, Charles. Best of luck to you, gentlemen.”
“Looking forward to a competitive match!” David shouted excitedly.
As Captain Walsh stepped forward, the recruits took their seats. The rounds would be set up the same as in the hand-to-hand tournament with a few alterations. Out of bounds rules were reduced from two times to one, a neck strike with the weapon would win a round, and if a competitor was disarmed twice within the three rounds, they would automatically lose. If those situations did not occur, then points would be awarded by skill and technique. The brackets would also be double elimination, set up as they were in the hand-to-hand tournament. The judging panel was comprised of all the training officers.
They began with the lower-ranked matches and worked their way up to the top seeds just as they did in the hand-to-hand tournament. The first match was between Ben, from Germany, and Gabriela, from Brazil. Xavier had fought Ben in the last tournament. He was big and formidable, but Xavier felt as though he was overconfident in his strength, which was proven when Ben elected to learn the Zweihander, a massive two-handed sword that relied on big swipes that ultimately were intended to kill the opponent in one slice. It was Captain Stanley’s weapon of choice. Gabriela chose to learn the gladius, a short sword that paired with a shield, most commonly used in the old Roman Empire, and a truly talented warrior could even use the shield as a weapon. Xavier thought it was odd seeing a shield being used in the current century; he felt like he had been transported to the past. The match intrigued him. Both opponents were competing against David and Xavier in order to be the two picks for Alpha Squad.
The bell rang and Ben hurled a strong overhead strike. Gabriela rolled to the right, and he swung to his left. Gabriela deflected the blow with a loud crash of steel. She responded with two pointed slashes and Ben parried. The two recruits went back and forth for the entire first round. In the second round, Ben relentlessly attacked Gabriela’s shield arm, weakening her. Deep into the third round, Gabriela’s breath grew strained, but her endurance lasted just long enough to win by a points decision.
Hye and Marco were up in the next round. Both recruits knew each other well and were brilliant technicians. Hye had trained with the Spanish rapier, a long blade with a sharp point at the end, and Marco trained with the Dao, a medium-length blade with one sharp side that had a wide curve towards the end. Both weapons were made for swift and calculated strikes. Xavier was excited for the match up, knowing it was going to be a great exhibition.
Once the bell rang, the two inched in towards each other. Xavier felt Hye was more hesitant than usual. Both of the recruits picked their spots carefully. The matchup was as entertaining as Xavier had hoped it would be. Xavier’s eyes widened once Marco was announced the winner. He thought for sure that Hye was going to win. It struck him that this tournament was going to be tougher and more unpredictable than the last.
David had the next match. He was up against his friend, Matheus, who went an unconventional route and learned the sai, which looked a bit like a large dagger shaped like a trident. It required great speed and smooth motions. David approached the ring with a fire in his eyes that he hadn’t had before. He seemed far more confident than he had been all throughout training.
As the bell rang, Matheus charged at David, launching a long combination, and David deflected every attack with ease. Matheus’ face was red and he let out a ferocious cry as he grew visibly annoyed. David dodged, weaved, and parried each and every attack in seamless motions. Matheus slipped and in an instant David’s sword was at his throat. He won the round.
The second round began and David executed a chain of quick slashes without stopping, clearly dominating. In the third round, Matheus lacked discipline, raging with every attack and lacking any form. David was awarded the clear points decision. He was unable to contain his laughter as he stepped out of the ring.
Charlie’s match was up next. His opponent was Antonio from Spain, who had elected to use the European rapier. The shape and design was similar to the Spanish rapier but had a different design in the pommel and guard. One method was side steps while the other was forward and backward steps. Xavier knew Antonio was barely keeping his head above water in the last two rounds. Xavier was hoping for an upset, but he knew it wasn’t going to happen. Whether he liked it or not, Charlie was one of the best recruits there. He made short work of his opponent and disarmed Antonio twice by the end of the second round.
Xavier’s match was up next, and he would be squaring off against Victor. He trained in the moplah, which was a sword shaped much like a machete but had a longer h
andle and a sharper edge. Xavier was unable to contain his excitement. He was ready to prove that President Conrad did not waste his time in choosing to work with him. He felt as though he hadn’t been pushed to his limit yet, and he was ready to switch into the next gear.
The match began and Xavier inched in towards Victor. Victor started the action by slashing at Xavier and he parried, but as he parried, Victor was already spinning into another attack. Xavier leaned back to dodge it, the blade inches away from his neck. Before Victor had finished his slash, he was swinging a low strike. As Xavier was falling, he deflected Victor’s attack and spun on his knee. He tripped Victor and was on top of him in a flash with his katana at his throat.
Victor started the second round by leaping at Xavier, hoping to catch him off guard. In one swift move, Xavier dodged and bounced into a side slash that disarmed Victor. A large smile shot across his face as his confidence grew. The only way Victor could win was to connect on twenty moves in one round or force Xavier out of bounds. The sweat began to pour down Victor’s forehead. The two carefully inched towards each other, Xavier paying close attention to his footing. With hesitation, Victor initiated Xavier. Xavier read his move and met his attack with a back flip that disarmed him.
Dawn of a New Era (Crimson Blue Book 1) Page 15
