A Day At The Career Center. [Dom/Topher]
May 16, 2020 14:15:35 GMT -5
Post by bakabekkers on May 16, 2020 14:15:35 GMT -5
' T o p h e r
"Sometimes its not the strength
but gentleness that cracks
the hardest shells."
Topher groaned as his alarm sounded. The clock had struck 6 AM. It was a very cool Saturday morning. Topher pulled his jacket over his shoulders, and laced up his boots. He stepped outside and the coolness of the morning air bit at him like a rabid dog. He shivered. Most kids in District 2 wouldn't have risen this early. Especially for a Saturday. Topher was an exception, he had to be at the career center before his peers, he wanted to be the hardest working career in this years class.
He began on a slow trot down the beaten path to the career center, opting to go through the woods for a shortcut. He took a look at his watch by the time he got to the center. 6:30 AM, there was still another thirty minutes until the trainers arrived at the center, but Topher had access to the gym whenever he pleased. A smile parted his lips as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was perplexed when he entered the gym though, the motion sensor lights were already on. "Ah..." he smiled to himself. Domitia was here training already. Topher had noticed her activity was more frequent in the last month or so. Domitia had gone from coming once a day to being here almost all day. Interestingly enough, she was striking a dummy with such force that it took Topher back. She seemed to be a most formidable warrior. Their eyes met, and Topher smiled and nodded to the girl.
~
By the time the trainers had entered the center, Domitia and Topher were both warming up at their separate dummies, each had a glaive in hand, and each was equally drenched in a puddle of sweat. Topher had looked back, greeting the trainer Ajax as he walked through the door. Several other acolytes were here by now, all kids whose parents signed them up to be warriors out of paranoia that they would have a son or daughter reaped into the games. Topher was here on his own account, he could've quit the academy years ago, but he took pride in his fighting ability.
Ajax lined everybody up. "Good morning ladies and gentleman." Ajax's voiced echoed throughout the walls of the training center. "Today is going to be a fun day... Live combat!". The crowd of careers reacted mostly the same. Wide grins appeared on the faces of several children, for Topher, his face was stoic. "Topher, come forward please." Ajax ushered Topher to the front of the pack. "Topher has been in the academy for 7 years now, a veteran of the training center". Ajax clapped Tophers shoulder, and Topher gracefully nodded to the crowd of careers in front of him. "If there is anyone you can learn from, it is him. Who wants to volunteer to spar him, we've given you all protective armor, the only exposed limbs are your arms and legs. For those of you who've never been cut by a blade before... Today is your lucky day." Nobody had raised their hand to spar Topher, most of the people here knew that he was a master of the glaive by this point in his life. Just when Ajax was about to hand pick a volunteer, a voice spoke up.
"I'll do it."
credits: elegant & paul evans