Chapter 52

Angela isn’t as hopeless as Beau makes he seem.

She actually gets a few jabs at me before I grapple her by the collar and throw her over my shoulder. She lands on the gym mat with an “oof.” Her hand goes to her stomach as she heaves breaths.

“I think breakfast may come up,” she grunts.

I laugh and give her my hand. I help hoist her up. Her hands immediately go behind her head, breathing shallow. I look around as I allow her to catch herself.

True to my word, I started training Angela that morning. She took us to a gym on the outskirts of class. I was initially confused when we walked up to the plain building. But then, we walked in. Towering sculptures of each of the current warriors were flanked with sculptures of the past ones. We walked down the hall, me in awe and Angela laughing, until we reached a sculpture of Warrior Archival.

I stood slack jawed as Angela laughed next to me. She nudged me slightly then looked back u at the statue. “Hey dad,” she said softly.

I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

We walked further as Angela told me that the gym we were in was for specifically warriors in training, warriors themselves and their families. Angela was allowed to be there because of her dad. She just brought me along as a favor for me. Mainly to be able to train her without the eyes of everyone else in the normal gym.

By the time I’m done marveling at the architecture of the gym, arching ceilings and beautiful marble vaults, Angela has caught her breath. I look over at her and smile.

“Again?”

She nods and immediately drops into a fighting stance. I follow suit and pull my hands up. Angela strikes first this time.

She’s getting more comfortable with me and trying all sorts of sneaky maneuvers because of it. Unfortunately for her, however, Greendale trained me in the art of cheap shots. She tries to swipe my legs out from underneath me. I hook my heel around her knee and drag her down. A swift elbow to the gut and she’s on her back, breathless, again.

I laugh and give her my hand again. “Know how to stop that from happening?”

“No,” she grunts as I hoist her up.

“Watch where you put your right foot,” I say. “It was too close to my left one which made it easy to sweep under you. If you place it farther back, I can’t get to it.”

Angela nods once. We both take our positions again. This time, she goes to sweep my legs and I let her. I could reach her foot that far back, but a less experienced fighter wouldn’t be able to. I’m on my back in a second. Angela continues her assault. She tries to dig her heel into my gut but I dart out of the way.

She huffs an incredulous laugh and then tries a few hand strikes. I block them and then step around so I’m facing her back. I drive my elbow into the top of her shoulder then kick into the back of her knee. She lands on the ground with another “oof.”

She lays there for a few moments and I’m worried I’ve taken it too far. Then, she rolls over with an incredulous laugh. She shakes her head at me from the floor.

“You’re good,” she breathes.

I go to give her my hand to help her up. My guard’s down and she yanks me down to the ground. I yelp as I go with her. We both erupt into laughter. I give Angela a smile that she returns.

“Weird question,” I ask. “But why didn’t you ever persue becoming a warrior?”

“Chloe, you’ve pinned me to the ground like three times,” she laughs. “I have no future as a warrior.”

I laugh and sit up on my ass. Angela follows me, brushing off her pants as she goes.

“Plus,” she adds. “I’ve seen what it truly means to be a warrior. Good and all of the bad. It’s not for me.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Angela scoffs. “Gods, I mean, there’s been so many times we didn’t know if my dad was coming home,” she says, softly. “He’d be shipped off to warring territories and would write so solemnly. Most of my childhood felt like I didn’t have a dad.” She pauses and sighs. “But then he got higher up, got pulled off the front lines. That was better but still, it’s not for me.”

“It does seem stressful,” I say.

I’m not sure what else to say. I’ve heard stories of warriors going missing. Warrior’s coming home so exhausted they lapse into comas. Warrior’s heads being shipped back to their families. None of it sounds good but it’s still what I want.

Angela sighs again. “There’s a reason why they only recruit men.”

“You don’t think a woman could do it?” I ask.

“I think women can,” she rephrases. “But would she want to? I don’t want that torture.”

I bite my lips. “I do,” I whisper.

“Do you?” Angela raises an eyebrow. “Explains why you’re so good at combat.”

“Yeah,” I say softly. “I’ve wanted this since I was old enough to know what it was. Warrior Kent came to Greendale with a squad. Seeing him there, all wrapped in gold armor, it was magical.” I breathe. “I’ve only ever wanted that since. Being here at Moonriver is my own chance to make it. Greendale didn’t have a warrior program. Plus, they were far too sexist to even let women into combat class.” I shake my head. “All I want in my life is to be the first female warrior. To command all of the territories under warriors and junior warriors. That and to show people that woman can fight too.”

I look at Angela. She smiles brightly at me and I return it. It feels odd to voice my biggest dream to someone. Let alone, to someone who I barely know. Sure, Navis had heard me speak about it over and over but those were pipe dreams to us. Now being at Moonriver, it feels a bit more real. Especially being in this gym.

I turn my head towards the ground and shrug. “It’s just a dream,” I mumble.

“Well,” Angela sighs. “You’re doing a pretty damn good job thus far. I think with some fine tuning on your societal skills and knowledge, there’s a chance your dream could become reality.”

I snap my head towards her. “You really think so?”

“Duh,” Angela says. “But throw me to the ground a couple more times just so I’m sure.”

I laugh and push myself up to my feet. Angela does the same. She waves her hand.

“Alright now show me how you did that shoulder thing,” she says. “I’m gonna be feeling that tomorrow.”

“Good,” I grin. “Okay so it’s all about the swipe of your arm…”