章 16: Exam Two
The cadets gathered in a large and spacious hall. The green lanterns complimented the pearlescent walls. They were bright enough to fill the great space with light, preventing it from becoming a dark and creepy place.
The Colonel stood at the front of the group of kids, he was turned around talking to the scientist Jazz. She held a clipboard and the two appeared to be choosing which beast would be paired with which cadet. Jazz excitedly nodded her head and stormed off.
"Today you will fight on your own—" the Colonel addressed the group, "I know there are some of you who are scared. Who are frightened. Who believe they can't. Can't defeat their opponent, can't overcome their obstacles, can't rise to the occasion. I'm here to tell you it is possible. You do not need a good gift to become greater, you are already great. Now prove me right."
The exam this time around was fairly simple. An individual would be sent into the combat room where they would fight against another individual creature. The cadets were allowed to use their weapons and gifts, but the cadets were not told what creature they would be fighting against beforehand.
They were expected to have memorized the qualities and traits of every known monster they've discussed in class prior. The creature they face will then be something they should be familiar with regardless of if they've ever seen a real one.
The first cadet began their exam while the twenty-one other students sat in the gallery and observed. The first to go was one of the four guys from the combat specialized team, the guy who could probably manipulate his weight.
He stepped into the empty room. It looked the same as it always did. The cleaning crew did a magnificent job making the room look like anything but a battlefield. The floor of the room was divided into a grid like a chess board. The instructors would use this grid to review the moves and tactics of the students.
The monstrous, silver gates slowly began to rise to the ceiling and a creature as wide as the hallway emerged into the light. Its bulbous body was a bluish green and its shoulders were riddled with sores. The massive beast walked on two legs and its two arms had gaping holes where its hands should have been. One of the holes opened to reveal an endless sea of razor-like teeth.
The behemoth continued to trudge into the room. The light glistened on its slimy skin. The boy took a step forward and then leaped into the air. His body kept going higher and higher until he was crawling on the ceiling towards the behemoth.
The beast used its leech hands and sucked one of the tumors off its shoulders and then launched it like a cannon towards the man crawling above him.
The man plummeted to the floor dodging the vile puss of the beast. Then he began hopping around the room, gliding through the air like a gazelle, ricocheting off the floor gaining speed as he went.
The boy pulled dual daggers from his waist and slid them between the folds on the creature's stomach. Crimson blood streamed down the belly of the beast as the boy launched himself back up to the ceiling.
From there his body plummeted onto the creature. The behemoths head sunk in on itself like a turtle retreating into its shell. More blood splattered around the behemoth's head as the cadet slid down its body.
The behemoth slowly wobbled back and forth and then crashed onto the floor. The boy turned away from the rancid mountain of puss and blood then casually walked to the door to leave.
Meanwhile the cadets stared, starry eyed at the performance they just witnessed. When he entered the observation room a crowd formed around him, giving him empty praises. As he entered, Colonel Leo sent Emma out to fight next.
The lights dimmed as Emma entered the combat room and the room quieted down. The gates rose and instantly a winged creature flew into the room. It looked like a green blur moving around the room.
Emma carried her spear and began stepping backwards. The oversized moth eventually landed on the wall. Its light green skin was covered in scales, it had four transparent wings. Its tail was half its size and ended with a large talon.
The small dragonfly looking creature looked towards Emma and roared radiant yellow flames into the room. Emma pulled her arm back and released the spear at the creature. The spear tore through the air, but the dragonfly avoided it and began circling Emma again.
The creature's mouth sparked and flames rained down on Emma. Emma doubled her speed and slammed into the wall her spear was stuck in, she moved too fast to stop herself. She took hold of her spear and readied it for another attack.
Meanwhile, the dragonfly continued its golden onslaught of flames. Emma kept running around the room, barely avoiding the flames. This game of tag continued without rest.
Emma's legs ached, her heart pumped furiously and burned in her chest. Her breaths grew heavier and heavier until she began choking on the fumes in the enclosed room.
Her movements became sloppy. Sometimes it felt like she was falling and she had a hard time following where the dragonfly was.
Emma slowed to a stop and leaned back against one of the walls. Her eyes drooped low until she looked up and saw raging flames coming towards her. With everything she had left she multiplied her body by as much as she could and smashed into another wall.
The marble cracked and Emma slid onto the floor, a trail of blood left on the wall behind her. The recruits watching were stunned. Emile stood up and ran towards the door, but Colonel Leo got up and blocked him.
"She'll die!" Emile yelled.
"Watch."
The Colonel grabbed Emile's shoulder and walked to the window. Emile looked into the room and then looked up at the Colonel. The Colonel stood there, unmoving, unresponsive.
"I said watch." He repeated.
Emile looked back into the room and saw the vibrant creature motionless in the air, as if it was hovering. Then one of its wings bent back. Its legs snapped in half, then the creature's whole body folded in two. Blood exploded out of the compressed carcass as it dropped to the ground, nothing more than a pile of unrecognizable parts.
The door to the combat room burst open and a team of four ran over to Emma and put her body on a gurney and stormed back out of the room. Emile tried to go after them, but the Colonel tightened his grip on him.
"You don't have to worry, she'll be fine, Emile. And besides, you can't leave now, you're going next." The Colonel said as he pushed Emile towards another door leading to a combat room.
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