Daniel AKA Dan - training grounds

Looking at the 10 silent instructors, and remembering what happened to them, I didn't move or make any sounds, fearing any sort of punishment. I couldn't help but think: 'This is how you show your authority'.

Whip started talking: "So, it may be a little late but we will present ourselves, or I will present us, objection?"

Of course, there were none, not after the previous display.

"We are all instructors, going by differents nicknames, each representing our forte. We will be training you in the next years, while you'll get a 'main' (1) instructor that will control most of your training, you'll still learn from the others, as to at least have a basic mastery in whatever discipline they will teach." Whip

"Now I will explain who really we are. As you know sometimes, adventurers find the way in the mountain and arrive here, they are mostly killed, but some are captured alive and brought to the arena. We are some of those adventurers, the one that passed the arena, and showed their strength." Whip

"Gasp" could be heard around me, but silence back quickly.

After a few seconds, she continued, but she seemed to think about what to say, look like she can't say everything.

"After surviving the arena, we were made to make a choice between serving the village as hunter or instructors, whatever choice we made, we had to sign a...contract making us forsake our name, and that was saying that we won't ever try to cause harm to the village and that we will do our task with everything we had, in exchange we were to have a house and some relatively good conditions of living. You can surely understand what choice we made. " Whip

So that's where they come from...I will have to ask teacher about outside

"So you'll be stuck in the village until your death?"Carl said. I can't understand why it may be important to him, I mean, I'm not some egoistic bastard, but it means that they are wars prisoners right?

"No, there is only one way we can be freed. Well, two cases: the First we marry someone from the village, as you know marrying someone from the outside means to leave the village and never come back and never talk about the village except if a child is born, of course, it's only if the one married is a awoken. And the second way is if...the village is destroyed. So there is concretely only one way to leave the village." Whip

"To leave the village you have to marry someone, Whip marry me!" Carl

"..." everyone

There was a sudden silence, no one talked. I didn't know how to call Carl...hot-blooded, lustful? He is looking at her with a lecherous gaze right now while asking her to marry him. Moreover, we meet just 15 minutes ago, and while looking at the beautiful Whip, I can believe in love at first sight, I don't think it's part of his motive to ask her out.

A vine suddenly grew out of the ground only to slap Carl then disappear as quickly as it came.

"Another one..." murmured one of the instructors who was quickly silenced by a stare of Whip

"So NO" Whip

"Why don't you want to leave" Carl almost cried, slowly getting up, by rubbing his swollen cheek.

"I do, but for one, I don't like the way you look at me, just for that I don't want you near me. On this point, this one has a better chance with me than you." She said looking then winking at me. I feel my face blush so much that I must look like a tomato to everyone.

An angry glare from Carl changed nothing to the joy I felt at this moment.

"Secondly, you're too young, but that not even important, I said years earlier I will only marry the one that can beat me. And if you're wondering why I didn't marry the one that captured me, that's because 3 of your better hunters had to come together to catch me. After that, some tried to challenge me after becoming stronger, but I too became stronger, the only one that did beat me was Rogue but he wasn't interested in me. So if you can beat me, I will be yours! But look like you can't." She finished in a mocking tone.

Listening at this declaration, my desire for strength increased, even more, I wondered too what was the strength of my teacher and...was he interested in men? Shuddering at the thought, I choose to forget it, he must have a good reason to refuse...a very very good reason to refuse the pretty Whip.

"Now I will present the instructors, finally! It's the third time I try to!" Whip said exasperatedly.

"But firstly, they are here present as shadows because it's hard for them to quit their respective zones, I and Rogue being an exception as we can come and go as we please, a benefit of the strong I suppose. I had a shadow to support them, and Rogue it's because he is lazy I think. You'll still see them later when they come to pick you up."

"As I can't say anything about their life, I will only tell you about their nickname and what they will teach you, so if you have any other questions you will have to ask them directly. I will start with the one that already left, He was Rogue, the one that will teach you about stealth, traps, unlocking and how to survive in the jungle."

"As you can't make any difference between the shadows it's probably useless but" Now turning to the shadows that didn't move since, narrowing her eyes, she started talking again: " When I call your name, you walk two steps, understood?"

A loud and clear "MA'AM YES MA'AM" answered her.

"Hammer!" Whip

A shadow stepped out of the group, and with a loud and grave voice:

"I'm Hammer, I will teach you how to handle slow weapons be they hammer, claymore or anything, I will also teach you how to move in a heavy armor." He then went next to Whip, as if to let us know that he already talked.

"Blade!' Whip

Following the example of its predecessor, he stepped out and start talking with an equally grave and loud voice:

"I am Blayde, I will teach you about bladed weapons sword, axes anything."

Listening to these two it didn't seem like they were of a little height. He then went next to Hammer.

"Lancer, I will talk in your stead, or else you'll take too much time" Whip

The 'Lancer' in question stepped out but looked depressed and wronged.

"This guy can only teach you about the lance and the poll, that's it, next Archer will teach you about distance weapons." Whip

As 'Lancer' left to go next to Whip a second shadow that I suppose to be 'Archer followed him, with the same depressed air.

"Well, to speed up, I will simply say what you teach you will just have to walk out for the form of it."

"Frost, Wind, Fire, Rocky and Shadow will teach you about magic on the elements of their nicknames. Medic is surely the one you'll see the most after your main instructor, being the one that heals you in the case of injury, and also the one that teaches light magic. Shaman is here just to be here, as he teaches only to those having some potential in shamanism, and none of you have any." Whip

The shadows left as soon as they were called.

"To end things nicely, I'm Whip, pleased to meet you, I'm gonna teach you about the whip and other similar weapons such as the snake-sword. I will also teach you about poisons, how to make them and how to prevent them from affecting you." Whip

"That's it for now, I will let my colleagues talk to you, then there will be one final test that will determine your fate, do well because when John said that you'll stay with him if you failed, he was lying. They will refuse if your results do not keep up with their expectations. Do your best!" She said smiling cheerfully.

Somehow, this smile gave off an incredibly cold feeling.