by Basia Pike
“Hey, thought you would be at the arena or on your way,” I said.
He turned to look at me. “I overslept. Let’s walk there together.” We walked down into the hallway in silence, each grabbed some food and headed out into the cool morning air.
“It’s been pretty tough going, hasn’t it?” Tom asked, glancing at me briefly.
“For me, yes, but you seem to be adjusting to the training well.”
“I’m alright, but you are better when it comes to sparring.”
I shrugged. Although Tom was fitter and stronger than me, he seemed to lack technique when fighting. It was one thing that I was actually good at.
“Are you glad you agreed to join?” I asked, wondering if he resented me for dragging him into this life.
Tom pondered the question carefully. “Yeah, now I’ve learned about the Kugarar and what they want to do, I’m glad I joined.”
“Good, I wouldn’t want you to resent me for it.”
“No, I don’t.” I nodded as we continued in silence. Andre was waiting for us outside the front of the training arena.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” we replied in unison.
“Today will be a little different. We’re going to meet a friend of mine, Jasper, at the lab, where you’ll be placed into a virtual reality simulator to practice your skills.”
“What’s virtual reality?” I asked.
“You will see. Follow me.” Tom and I exchanged confused glances before following him back the way we had come. We stopped in front of a small building with a tinted glass front. Inside, we walked into a room full of machines and lights. A small man with curly red hair wearing a lab coat was messing around with one of the machines and didn’t see us come in.
“Jasper,” Andre said, to get his attention.
He turned around looking a little startled. “Oh goodness, is it that time already?” He looked at his watch and then hurried over.
“Yes, I’d like you to meet Elijah and Tom.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, extending a hand first to Tom and then to me. I shook it firmly and then returned my attention to the plethora of odd-looking machines lining every wall of the room.
“Right, so virtual reality, isn’t it?” he asked. Andre nodded. I watched as Jasper hurried towards a seat in the middle of the room with gadgets affixed to it. Tom and I exchanged nervous glances.
“Elijah, you’ll go first,” Andre said, gesturing towards the chair.
“Take a seat,” Jasper said, as he messed around with cables. I reluctantly sat in the chair and Jasper began to attach cables to me.
“What the hell are you doing?” I asked.
“Oh goodness. What time is this one from, Andre?” he asked, not even acknowledging my question.
“He’s from 1958.”
Jasper tutted and shook his head. ”You won’t understand, as this technology didn’t exist in your time. Sit back and relax.”
I took in a deep breath and sat back in the chair. Once Jasper had finished connecting me to the machine, he went over to a computer and began tapping frantically.
“We’re sending him into the assassin virtual reality, is that correct?” Jasper asked. A moment later the room disappeared, and I was standing in a stone courtyard. I glanced down and noticed my clothes had changed.
How did that happen? Out of nowhere a man ran at me, and I dodged as he swung an axe.
“What the—?” I didn’t even have time to finish the sentence before a woman came at me with a sword. I ducked and weaved, and then noticed I had a pair of long daggers affixed to my belt. I drew both, and readied myself for the next attack.
However, the next attacker came from above and sank his dagger into my shoulder. I cried out in pain, pulling the dagger out and fighting the man who had attacked me. It didn’t take long for me to plunge my dagger into his heart.
He disappeared into thin air.
Another cloaked attacker came charging at me, but this time I was more prepared. The woman in front of me screeched and flailed. I dodged back, unable to catch up with the speed of her attack, and then rolled to the floor, getting away from her.
I looked at the dagger in my hand and then threw it, catching her through the throat. She disappeared and the dagger fell to the floor. I retrieved it, but when I turned back around there were seven attackers closing in on me.
Think, Elijah!
The wall I was next to had uneven stones I could climb. I jumped onto the wall and climbed, reaching the top and proceeding to free-run the rooftops. It appeared as though I was in an ancient time as I hopped across the terra-cotta tiled rooftops of the stone buildings.
I glanced back and could see my attackers in pursuit. How the hell was I going to escape? The sea was ahead of me, the busy streets below me. Two choices.
But which one do I choose? Water or land?
I made a split-second decision to descend into the busy streets, and pulled the hood of my cloak over my head, trying to blend into the crowd. I meandered along with the crowd through the dirty streets. The smell of manure and sewage assaulted my nostrils.
I turned a corner and found myself on a quiet street. With no warning, a man with red eyes sunk his fangs into my neck and started to drain me. I tried desperately to get him off, but I was pulled back to reality, my breathing labored.
“What the hell was that?” I asked.
“Virtual reality,” said Andre. “We simulate a situation in your mind to help you learn without being put in danger.”
“Well, it’s damn terrifying.”
“It would be more terrifying in real life if the Kugarar were in pursuit. You did well. We will use this method of training for your last week. It’s time for Tom to have a go.”
Tom advanced forward and I watched as he was hooked up to the curious machine.
15
I busied myself with the paperwork on the sideboard in my room. My hands trembled as I gripped my pen and wrote out cues.
Today was the day we would meet the rest of the Verndarar and I had to do well. After all, if I was going to lead them I wanted to make a good impression. I glanced at my watch. It was a quarter past seven. Forty-five minutes. Great!
I had gotten ready early to ensure that there was no way I’d be late. Now I tried to busy myself to take my mind off it. I stood and headed for the wardrobe to get my suit jacket out, slipping it on and pausing to look in the mirror.
My dark brown hair was neat and styled, my suit fit perfectly, and I had neatly trimmed stubble. Looking sharp! It still didn’t help me feel better.
My mouth was dry, so I poured myself a bourbon. Since joining the Verndarar I learned the hard way to lay off alcohol. With the rigorous training we did it was impossible to drink as much as I had been after Jo’s death.
There was a knock at the door.
I opened it and Tom stood there, his pupils dilated. He looked as bad as I felt.
“I was ready early … can I come in?” he asked, his voice a little higher in pitch than normal. I stood to one side to let him in, and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.
“Nervous?” I asked, trying to keep a calm demeanor. He nodded and took a seat, bouncing his leg up and down.
I laughed. At least I’m not the only one.
“Aren’t you?” he asked, standing suddenly.
“I guess,” I said, pouring him a bourbon, my hand trembling, spilling some on the side. I passed it to Tom and he knocked it back in a second. Of course, I was nervous, but I didn’t want to show it.
I grabbed a cloth from the drawer and wiped up the spilt bourbon.
“Has Andre told you anything about the other members?” Tom asked, speaking quicker than normal.
“No, I’ve no idea what to expect, but I would imagine they will be feeling just as nervous.”
Tom nodded and sat again, bouncing his knee up and down. It wasn’t helping me feel any calmer. Tom was great, but in this sort of situation I wo
uld have been better left alone.
“Would you chill out?” I asked, and his head dropped.
“Sorry, I’m so nervous.”
“How do you think I’m feeling? I’ve got to lead this group.”
“I know, but you will be great.” Tom stood again. I wished he would sit still for a moment. I ran my hands through my hair and poured myself another bourbon.
“What time is it?” Tom asked, pacing the floor, his legs wide apart. I shook my head and glanced at my watch.
“Seven-thirty. Should we make our way down?” I asked, Tom’s worrying was putting me on edge.
“Sure.”
I grabbed my notes, folding them and putting them in my pocket. Andre was already in the dining hall, as was Helen.
“Elijah and Tom, early today, aren’t you?” Andre said.
“Where is everyone?” Tom asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“They’ll be here shortly. Take a seat.” Andre signaled to two seats near the head of the table. Andre took his seat at the head, gave me a sideways glance, but didn’t speak.
The sound of footsteps entering the large dining hall echoed around us. My stomach churned as I turned to see a group of six people heading towards us.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you both,” Andre said, standing and walking towards them.
“Elijah and Tom, this is Deon.” Andre signaled to a large muscular man with bright blond hair. I held a hand out and he shook it with too much force.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, and Tom did the same.
“Deon is from ancient Greece. He was in fact a champion Olympian of his time.”
He sure as hell looks like one! I thought. He towered over me and had to be at least six feet four and his muscles bulged out of the shirt he wore.
“Luciana and Julius are married, and have joined us from ancient Rome.” I shook Julius’ hand first. He was a short and slender man with shoulder-length brown hair.
I went to shake Luciana’s hand, but she glared at me and wouldn’t take it. My brow furrowed at the frosty reception. It was even more curious when she took Tom’s hand. She had long wavy red hair and unique green eyes.
“Josh here is from Canada, 2023. He’s a bit of a genius,” Andre said, signaling to a man of average height who couldn’t have been older than twenty. He had black skin, short shaved hair, hazel eyes, and wore a pair of glasses.
“Casey here is from America, 2074.” A young woman with long dark auburn hair and green eyes stepped forward to greet me. She gave me a flirty smile and shook my hand.
“Wow, what’s it like in 2074?” I asked, intrigued by what the future held.
“Not nice to be honest,” she said, and I frowned.
“Why not?” Tom asked, before I had the chance.
“The world has been ruined by overpopulation and pollution. It’s sad, really, but humans are destroying the planet.” I nodded, and glanced over to a young woman who was trembling in the corner.
“Lastly, this is Mary,” Andre said. He didn’t mention where she came from as I approached the young woman. She had long brown curly hair and dark brown eyes.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said, holding out a hand. She looked at it with her eyes wide and then curtseyed.
“The pleasure is mine,” she said in a British accent.
“Everyone please have a seat,” Andre said, leaving me looking at this woman in bewilderment. She didn’t seem like the sort of person I expected on the Verndarar. Andre remained standing and cleared his throat.
“Obviously this is the first time you are meeting, so I want to make each of your roles clear.” Andre dug into a file he had on the table and pulled some papers out, shuffling them about.
“Elijah is going to be your leader, and Tom is his second in command.” I glanced around at people’s faces. They seemed relatively unperturbed by the news, other than Luciana, who was still glaring at me.
What on earth was her problem?
“Luciana, Julius, Deon and Mary, are all field agents. They have and will be focusing on combat and assassination training until it’s time to leave on your first assignment.”
I glanced at Mary in surprise. A field agent? She didn’t look like she would be able to hurt anything.
“Josh and Casey will also train in those areas, but will spend the majority of time in the lab developing equipment for the team.” Josh and Casey smiled at each other and high-fived. At least they seemed to be getting on.
The food was brought out and the other six members chatted amongst themselves. They were all well acquainted. Casey was sat the other side of me, and she turned to face me.
“Elijah, where did you come from?” she asked. My shoulders tensed. I hoped she didn’t want to know about my past. I hadn’t spoken to anyone about it.
“I was living in New Orleans in 1958 when Andre found me and recruited me.” She nodded.
“Where about in America were you living?” I asked, hoping to change the subject.
“I was living in Texas.”
Tom looked up mid-bite. “Where in Texas? I’m from Dallas,” he said.
“Austin. I was in the military, stationed there.”
I was surprised to hear that. It wasn’t common place for a woman to be in the military in my time. I noticed Josh was listening to the conversation intently.
“How about you, Josh? Where in Canada are you from?” I asked.
“Ontario. I was finishing high-school when Andre recruited me.” Wow, he was younger than I thought.
Over the course of the night everyone eased into conversation about where they came from. The only person who didn’t seem to like me was Luciana. The entire night she glared at me. I couldn’t understand what I’d done.
Andre pulled me to one side at the end of the night.
“Elijah, how do you find your team?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t understand why Mary is part of the Verndarar. She doesn’t fit.”
Andre shook his head. “I’m afraid the choice wasn’t down to me. I’m sure she will do fine.”
I sighed. I wasn’t convinced. “And, Luciana seems to have a problem with me. I don’t understand why.”
Andre frowned. “I’m sure she has nothing against you personally.” Andre waved his hand dismissively.
“May I ask when you will be returning my magic?” I felt odd being detached from it for so long.
“I told you unless you intend to tell the Verndarar you are a witch it can’t be returned” he asked. I felt my stomach sink. Could I tell them? How would they feel about being led by a witch?
“I would rather not tell them.”
“Then I can’t reunite you with your magic permanently. But, I already spelled it into your father’s ring a couple of weeks ago.”
What the hell, how does he know about my father’s ring?
It seemed there was nothing I could keep from him.
“Now, if you don’t mind it’s late, and I’m off to bed,” he said. I stared after him in wonder.
16
Mary was without a doubt the weakest recruit. I sat in the seating of the arena watching her spar slowly with Luciana. She’d improved ever since the first day I saw her, but the progress was slow. It had been two weeks since that night we all met, and I was glad Andre was still training everyone. I was relieved I hadn’t been plunged into the deep end and forced to take lead instantly.
“Elijah.” Andre walked towards me, “Can you give Mary some tips and take her through the basics again?” Andre asked.
I sighed. “Sure.” I grabbed my bokken off the chair next to me and headed towards her. Luciana hadn’t warmed up to me since the first day. The moment she noticed me walking towards them she turned and walked away. We were due to be leaving on out first assignment tomorrow, and I hadn’t plucked up the courage to confront her about it yet. I knew I would have to tonight.
“Mary, Andre’s asked me to run through some of the basics with you again.” Her cheeks re
ddened. It seemed anytime I spoke with her she became painfully shy. “I’ll let you strike me first, okay?”
“Okay.” She nodded lightly.
I advanced towards her with my bokken drawn. Mary looked at her wooden sword, then back at me, as if not sure what to do with it. “Strike,” I said. She moved her bokken towards me, and I blocked it with a gentle force, but she lost grip of the weapon.
The sword fell to the concrete ground; the wood hitting the hard stone floor echoed around the arena. I was shocked that she couldn’t keep hold of it.
I picked up her bokken and passed it back to her. “Remember to keep a good grip on the bokken. “Try Again.”
She tightened her grip on the handle and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. She struck for the second time, but with more force, and I struck the bokken lightly downwards. She managed to keep hold of it, but grunted in pain. Perhaps it was the way her arm twisted. She placed the bokken on the floor, and massaged her arms, before picking the bokken back up.
“That was better, but you need to use more force,” I said.
“I know. I’m so awful at this.” Her shoulders slumped. I could see the defeat in her eyes.
“You’re not awful. You just need more practice. Think how well you’re doing compared to the start.” Two weeks ago, the day after I met Mary, I’d seen them all train. Mary could barely hold the bokken in the right position let alone fight with it.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and she flinched. “Don’t be defeatist. Try as hard as you can to hit me.”
She nodded, a spark of determination in her eyes. She raised her bokken in position and went to strike in the same way she had done before. To my surprise she changed direction at the last minute and went to strike me on the other side. I blocked the move, but it was an improvement.
At last! It was the first time I’d seen some real fight from her. Perhaps she has what it takes after all.
“That was great!” I said.
