Chapter 2

The Commander

“Who wants to move first?” Amelia asked. Her circular blades idly spun in her hands. “The girls with the Weapons? The gravity boy? Or the support?”

“How do you-?”

“Eddie, quiet!” Meredith said, the snap in her voice making Eddie tighten his lips and grimace. Amelia grinned, a rather feral, bloodthirsty one that existed only for the fight. Meredith gripped her sword in hand, glaring to their new opponent, waiting for her to make a move. Amelia was shrewd; there was no doubt of that. This was a woman that had read Eddie’s dynamic in the group before the fight even began, and Meredith could only imagine what would be gleaned when the fight actually started.

“If none of you will move, I’ll take the first shot,” Vivian said. Marcus had retreated to a far corner of the room. He leaned against a wall, amused and exasperated. Amelia didn’t change position, but Meredith stepped back, dragging Eddie with her. Emil floated up into the air, his translucent Gravity Blades extending from his sleeves. “Attack Enchantment, Tri-fortis.”

“Oh, honey, that’s not going to be enough.”

Amelia’s warning mattered none to Vivian, whose bow glowed red and then fired the rippling shot of enchanted air. It flew at Amelia and the woman held one of her blades forward. The circular weapon appeared to expand with the wind, creating a shield that blew the shot away. Vivian bit her lip, but Meredith took it as the sign to strike.

“Boys, now!” Meredith bent low, sword in both hands. Terrill’s soul was making the blade light, enough to fit her usual style, and she ran at Amelia with the fangs of combat bared. Eddie moved first, the air crystallizing around him into shards of ice. With a slash of wind, the ice flew at Amelia, a clear distraction for the woman. She continued holding her circular weapon forward, focused on that attack.

Meredith looked up, towards the now streaking Emil. He was ahead of her, not paying attention to any formation, but both had the same general idea. Wordlessly, the two flanked Amelia while Vivian’s bow prepared a different volley, her voice indicating a scattershot. Meredith dashed in, her sword swinging out as Emil aimed the same.

“Tornado Blaze.” Amelia’s simple command sounded bored. As Meredith’s sword nearly made contact, a wall of wind erupted around the commander, throwing her off balance. Terrill’s soul quivered, excited for the fight. Emil was flung into the air, spinning out of control as he tried to right himself. The only thing that did was a light burst of wind from Eddie that helped him regain control. Instantly, the dirty-blond began to form an orb of gravity-based energy. “You three kind of suck.”

“Suck on this! Gravity Force!” Emil fired his projectile. The dark orb spiraled into the windy shield and collided with it. The two attacks strained, black sparks coming from the point of impact. Vivian fired her arrows, the shots of light peppering the air.

This time, Amelia didn’t bother holding her weapon in front. She retracted it, slashing at Emil’s attack and breaking it apart. The wind barrier never fell as Amelia dashed for Emil. Her wind carried her upwards and with a single kick, punted the boy into the wall. He fell, cushioned by some earth that Eddie created. That same earth broke into tendrils that snapped out.

The scattershot finally struck, but did little good against the windy wall that Amelia had created.

Eddie’s erupting tendrils snaked out, looking to ensnare all of Amelia. The woman, however, gave no openings, slashing at the earth that got close to her. Meredith raised an eyebrow. That gave her a chance. With a nod and a wink from Eddie, Meredith made her move, dashing for Amelia.

All right, Terrill, let’s do this! Magic time! Meredith’s shout resonated with Terrill’s soul. Her own connected to his, grabbing hold of the steady core of rock that her new mentor possessed. Think different magic. Something other than what you used before…

Meredith’s body hesitated for a split second as a new attack came to mind. She slashed her blade upward, the earth churning before it split the ground as a giant spire. The pointed rock pierced the windy wall, right for Amelia, but the woman showed no worries. She just brought her blades together, let go of them, and sent them whirling around her body in a tempest that broke the rock apart.

I think you’ll want to block now. Use a shield. Meredith’s eyes widened as Amelia ceased her attack and did exactly as Terrill had informed, blitzing for her. The teen tried to change her mind and soul around, to create a shield as Terrill suggested, but knew she had no time to orient herself. Instead, and on instinct, Meredith switched the hold on her blade. She dropped it for a second, changing the angle of her hand to grip the sword in a backhand block. Seconds after she did so, Amelia’s blade made contact, gritting with the metal surface of her weapon.

“Can you get her off me, please?” Meredith requested of her two standing teammates. Eddie prepared to answer, but Vivian, as always, was doing her own thing.

That second of pleading proved to be Meredith’s undoing. Her hold slackened, unfamiliar with her new stance, and Amelia’s kick hit her chest. A burst of wind sent her flying into one of the padded walls and she slid down, sword dropping from her hand. Her chest was besieged by coughs, vision blurry from unshed tears of pain. Despite that, she caught the end of the battle.

Vivian’s body glowed blue with her defensive enchantment while her bow transformed to a sword. Amelia was aiming for her when Vivian slashed, failing to make a dent in the forthcoming wall of wind. Eddie was shouting something about increasing her enchantment level, but Vivian refused to listen. Amelia paid little attention, even to the ice that Eddie was forming around the woman’s feet.

Results and the reason spoke for themselves.

Amelia finished closing the distance, stowing away a single weapon before socking Vivian in the chest. The blonde girl hung for a moment and then a cyclone carried her off, slamming her into Eddie and depositing both on the floor.

The battle was over, and the commander hadn’t received a scratch.

“Well…that’s just…ridiculous…” Emil groaned, sitting up. Meredith agreed with the assessment, but she was more focused on Amelia’s reaction to their otherwise piss-poor performance.

The woman stood in the center of the room, placing the last of her weapons away. The bloodlust had vanished from her features, replaced with such a stoic face, Meredith would have thought she was a rock. Marcus was clapping, but it did little to change the overall expression on his subordinate’s face.

Groaning, Meredith grabbed her sword and began to stand. She could feel Terrill chastising her, but ignored it as the chief commander addressed Amelia.

“Well, what did you think, now that you’ve dealt with them firsthand?”

She offered no response. Not at first, at least. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in all four of those that Marcus wanted to represent the Corps. Each glance was appraising, and Meredith felt a lump form in her throat, wondering just what kind of judgment was going to be passed down. From the frown towards Emil and Vivian to the thin line directed at Eddie and herself, Meredith worried over what this vaunted commander would say.

After a time, she sighed.

“They’ll do, I guess.” Marcus clapped his hands once, satisfied. Meredith would have breathed in relief, but her body was still so tense, she couldn’t make any movement for fear she’d just collapse. “But there’s some heavy work that needs to be done here.”

“You can’t expect us to be at your level,” Vivian said. She was pushing herself off of Eddie, defiant in every syllable. “I’m sure even you weren’t as strong as you are now when you were our age. That’s an unfair standard!”

Amelia regarded the girl with lidded eyes. Whether scrutinizing or damning, Meredith didn’t know, but it surprised her to see a rather vivid grin cross the commander’s features. She suddenly thumped Marcus on the back.

“Oh, this’ll be great fun, Marcus.” To his credit, Marcus looked just a little disturbed by that. Not that it stopped him from allowing himself to be pushed out of the room by the very commanding Amelia. “I’ll handle these brats. You get back to running the Corps. Pretty sure I can take everything from here.”

“Amelia, that’s not-” She offered him no chance, shoving him outside the room the second the door opened. For a leader, he was either impotent against his commanders, or simply trusted them to do their best. His sudden response suggested the latter. “Fine. Train them well. Don’t kill them.”

“Bye now, Marcus.” A small wave and the door was shut, leaving the recovering teens alone with their new commander. She promptly faced them all, the feral expression back. Meredith’s skin tingled and her throat went dry. “All right, peons. On your feet!”

No one moved, except for Meredith, who gripped against the wall to help herself stand.

Amelia wasn’t waiting around.

“I won’t ask a second time, brats.” That got them all moving, forming a line in front of Amelia, each wearing looks between exhaustion, disgruntlement and wonder. Amelia gave them another once-over and then nodded. “Okay, then. Let’s finish wrapping up today’s training session.”

“That was training?” Emil asked. His incredulity was noted by Amelia flicking a gust over at him. He wobbled, but managed to stay on his feet thanks to Eddie propping him up.

“Yes, training to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie.” Amelia started to pace, tapping her chin as her hair came out of its bun and cascaded. “And you four are a mess. How the hell did you last this long? Did Childs have to bail you out?”

That comment hurt. Mostly because it was true.

It was a truth that had been on Meredith’s, and probably Vivian’s, mind since the events at the settlement, but to have someone speak it so easily just confirmed it.

“S-surely we weren’t that bad,” Eddie said. He was sweating.

“Hmm…well, from a support stance, you’re not bad. You helped your teammates pretty well, but you lack strength, and if you’d want to get through this tournament, you’re going to need more than playing support,” Amelia instructed Eddie. He looked down and nodded, but said nothing. Meredith wasn’t sure what else could be said; her best friend didn’t care for playing the role of champion. “You three, though…you were just sloppy. Montgomery, here, supported you, but you guys were all over the place.

“Baroné, what’s your deal with jumping right into action? Take note of what your team members are doing. Had you worked with Childs over here, you might have been able to successfully flank me. Speaking of, you’re slow, Childs. I saw that magic attack coming from a mile away. You gave me too much time to react. It needs to be quick…though the way you blocked me wasn’t bad. Needs some refining, but I think we can make it work.”

“Yes, sir,” Meredith said without thinking.

Amelia spared her no further words, and placed her gaze on Vivian. The girl looked smug, as if she didn’t have the same kinds of problems her teammates did. That notion was dispelled the moment Amelia opened her mouth. “You, Lacroix, were just weak.”

“What?” Her voice couldn’t have gotten any flatter. Nor did Amelia care.

“You have some magic that can boost you and others around you, but primarily use it on yourself at the lowest levels,” Amelia explained. She got close now, tapping Vivian’s chest with a look that could melt faces. “This is battle. The tournament will be a battle between teams. Do you think your opponents that aim to win are going to be so willing to let you try a mid-tier enchantment? They’re going to want to obliterate you and take the title. So, you pull out your toughest spells. You protect your teammates.

“Remember this: you’re not alone.”

The Earth-Splitter quivered in approval, and Meredith bit her chuckle back. At the same time, however, she couldn’t help but think that the four of them being on a team meant they were all very much alone. Regardless, Amelia was still speaking.

“You’re on a team here, and you need to get better as a team. Baroné, talk with your team. Childs, use your team to help you get faster or cover for your inadequacies. Montgomery, don’t be afraid to make it big and strong.” She paused before Vivian again. “And Lacroix, do whatever it takes to win, even if it means swallowing your pride. Don’t be as stuck up as your father.”

Everyone in the room knew the effect it would have.

Vivian’s fist tightened and scorn scrawled itself across her face. Amelia noticed, but didn’t care. It wasn’t her job to care.

Eddie chose to try and dissolve the tension. “Um, Commander? Can I ask, why exactly are we the ones chosen to take part in this tournament. Surely you’d like to win it for the ‘glory of the Corps’ or something like that. We’re not Guardians, so it’s not quite fair, and I’m sure someone like Ray…er, Captain Childs would be better suited to bring home a victory.”

“A fair point, Montgomery, but moot.” She didn’t explain why Raymond wouldn’t be chosen, but she did go on to explain the decision their chief commander had made. “If the Corps only cared about winning, there’d be none of us here. And while victory is most definitely the goal, there’s a deeper reason in Marcus’s mind. He wants to support the future. I’m inclined to agree.”

“Right,” Emil scoffed. His hands were fiddling with his scarf before going behind his head. “And we’re the future? That’s a lark.”

“Maybe you are. Maybe you aren’t,” Amelia said. “You certainly don’t have the greatest results looking at your trial ranks.”

It was Meredith’s turn to clench her fist. She hated the reminder of her earlier failures. Vivian didn’t take well to it, either. “Like I said; you’re holding us to impossible standards.”

“I’m holding you to mere standards,” Amelia noted. She crossed the distance between herself and the younger blonde to knock her over the head. “You want to be part of the Corps, right? Suck up the failure. Learn to listen. Maybe this tournament will be a good thing for you.”

“Is that why?” Meredith asked. Amelia abandoned Vivian, throwing a piercing stare towards Meredith. “You think taking part in the tournament will be a good thing for us.”

“Let’s put it this way, Childs,” she said, dusting her hands. “You’ve no idea what awaits you at this thing, but I think it’s safe to say they’re not going to go super-elite; not with a civilian team taking part. But the four of you as a team are weak. And this is your trial. Never forget that.

“Plus, like I said, Marcus wants to invest in the future. What better way than you four? Lower ranks but public notoriety. Perfect chance, and I’ll guide you every step of the way.”

That kind of logic was hard to argue with.

Whether Amelia was truly convinced they had what it took, or were even worthy participants for this tournament was irrelevant. She was putting some stock in them, and Meredith knew it was time to show what they had. The next mountain of their trials was before them, and she, more than anyone, wanted to show they had what it took to pass with flying colors. To bring her one step closer to that childhood dream.

It helped that she could make all members of her family proud and impress the Corps’ upper ranks at the same time.

Resolve steeled, Meredith looked to her relatively reluctant companions. Eddie was resigned to whatever affairs were going on, offering his support by way of silent acquiescence. Emil looked more skittish, but could tell he had no way out of this. The only real obstacle was Vivian, and at that moment, both of the teenaged girls let their eyes lock with one another.

Animosity was present, but a grudging understanding. They both needed this. For themselves. Too often they’d been forced together, and now they had to stomach working on the same side with neither trying to gain a leg over the other. They nodded.

“All right, then. We’re on a team,” Meredith said. Their intentions announced, Amelia gave off that splitting grin. Shivers ran down Meredith’s spine, joined by the boys.

“Excellent! Tournament’s in a week, and you can sure as hell bet we’ll be promoting the heck out of this. That means you train up, got it?” she said. She was walking now, weaving her way between each of their stationary bodies. “I’m going to make sure you reach the tournament stronger than you were before. When we leave for the Metropolis, you’ll be ready for the tournament of your lives.”

I like her, Terrill spoke. Judging from the non-reactions of everyone there, Meredith was reminded that only she could speak with that soul. Although, she continued to note that whatever soul was inside Vivian’s weapon was utterly closed off to her. Reminds me of someone, but far kinder.

You think we stand a chance? Meredith asked. She kept her tenuous soul connection activated, not vanishing into the soul realm, but instead witnessing reality unfold around her. You think we can win?

How would I know? Not like I know your opponents.

Yeah, but you’re…er…were a warrior, right? You can look at our team and judge. I’m sure you fought in a lot of tournaments, right? Must’ve won a lot. Terrill’s response was a chuckle. She couldn’t understand it; not quite. Still, he did respond to her shortly.

Not really, but I’m a fair player. I’m going to help you, but winning the tournament is your own thing.

Speaking of, I think that style shift can work, she told him. Amelia was saying something to Eddie and Emil, floating above them with her wind currents. It was some kind of explanation, but Meredith didn’t hear it, and Vivian had already gone back to her own corner to start shooting off angry arrows. I just need a firmer hold. Same with souls. Switching up is the easy part, but holding it long enough to make it work is the issue.

That’ll be down to your reactions. I’ll help you get the timing from here on out, but the heavy lifting is up to you. He wasn’t kidding; Meredith felt the blade she was holding get suddenly heavier. Her muscles strained with it, and she understood what Terrill was getting at. She bit her lip and lifted the blade, trying to change her grip, but the strain caused her to drop the sword.

“You’ve gotta get better at that, Childs,” Amelia was now saying, standing right in front of her. “Keep your elbows up, and try using both hands until you’re stable. Your combat style is different from your brother’s. Don’t try to emulate it. Think about what you’re doing, but think quickly.”

“G-got it.” Meredith nodded. She picked the sword up again with her usual stance. Then, she spun it, using her left hand as a brace while she gripped the hilt with her right hand. It steadied itself.

Time was all she needed now.

Like an announcement, Meredith spun the blade, sheathing it and then clapping loudly. Her companions’ attentions were attracted, all eyes laying on her as she threw a hand into the air.

“One week. We’ve got one week to get stronger than we were!” she called. They didn’t need to say anything to understand. “Guys, let’s win this tournament and clear our trials! Let’s make the Guardian Corps proud!”