I was born fast. In anything I did, I was always the first to finish; be it running, eating and what not, I was the fastest. Sometimes that speed became a disadvantage for me as others could not keep up with me, my friends soon stopped playing with me because according to them, "She's always too fast for us". I couldn't blame them, I even heard that from my family so it wasn't a new thing to hear but I knew I would find someone who could keep up with me in this life. I was certain of it.
"Stacy Walters!!"
"Here!!"
Years later I enrolled as a cadet for the resistance army and today was the day I got measured for my respective form.
I quickly ran to the machine and placed my hand and the number that appeared next was 4.8. That was sure to get me into strong high form or at most, weaker supreme form. Maybe I could finally find someone in the forms who could keep up with me.
Everyone else who measured after me didn't even get up to 4.5 and there was even a 0 from one of the guys. He must be weak as hell to not even get higher than a 0.
"From today, you are one of the weaker supreme forms Miss. Stacy"
"Thank you"
I was placed in weaker supreme form. Turns out with Mana stability measurement they also measure physical capabilities, and although I wasn't lacking in strength, endurance and the rest what carried me was my speed. A rumor started round that the only person who could best me in speed was the fastest man of the resistance, Sir. Brian.
"There she is, the one with both speed and high mana stability points" someone whispered.
Sheesh, the whispers around me were getting too much, I could hear them for heaven's sake. No one even wanted to speak to me, just whispering behind my back and it felt sort of saddening, reminding me of my childhood where I was set aside because "I was too fast" according to them. Well not that it wasn't true but at least you could still speak to me.
Well that aside, we were all put through the training regimen by the Guide System for a couple of years. After a month of doing the same boring training over and over again, the training suddenly felt slow for me but I could not opt out of it if I wanted a chance on the field and so I did extra training in addition to the old one.
Even with the training for the others, I still was to fast for them and only one person could hope of besting me in speed except Sir. Brian, Abel the Dancer. Called that because of his dance-like movements in fighting and while he merited both the name and position as one of the strongest high forms, he had an issue. He was too proud and I did not at all like proud people. And so, I spent the 4 years without anyone to call a friend.
Here we were in the mana stability facility, everyone's eyes on the screen where a 6 was shown, the second highest known scale. How was it possible? I'm sure that's the question on everyone's mind. A low form with the worst physical abilities and mana scale suddenly has the second highest scale in history of resistance. Some students went ahead to assume he cheated with implements and he had to redo the scale after the device which was going for maintenance will be said to have no issue.
I was not really sure why I felt like that the scale was correct but the results will be laid bare the next day.
And shockingly, the results that showed 6 the previous day now showed 6.2. The whole facility was in silence until Sir. Brian broke the silence with a laugh
"Haha, who would've though a low form of yesterday will become supreme form today. Such a shocking thing I'm living to witness ha-ha-ha" he continued to laugh and I even found myself smiling. Maybe I've finally found who won't say "She's too fast for me" or keep away from me because of my speed. Deep down I was happy for him.
"Now Now Dan you're going to be put into special training in hopes to at least defeat a monarch, but for now we're going to focus on your physical training-" Sir Brian continued talking but my mind was focused on what he said, "Special Physical Training", maybe I'll finally best him in speed.
Sir. Brian walked out of the facility and I bolted at him with immediacy.
"Sir. Brian, could I maybe participate in this special training?"
"Oh, so you're finally challenging me to a battle of speed huh. You're already good enough in your physical abilities so that will be the only thing left then ha-ha-ha, I'll be expecting you there"
"Thank you, Sir," I bowed with my face red. He had read me like a book.
To be completely honest, I didn't only go there to challenge Sir. Brian, I also wanted to see how that Dan Terry guy will do.
He was pretty bad in speed and technique; his performance had earned him rude words from onlookers. He couldn't even keep up with Sir. Brian talk more of beating him.
"He must not have any other talent except in mana then" I said to myself before going to my challenge. And yeah, I lost. I was fast but not faster than Sir. Brian. He moved akin to light and even though I could keep up with him for a while, he ended up moving faster and beating me. It was painful losing and more painful with the applause I received; "You guys don't know how painful it is". The pain had made me start talking to myself but I saw Dan Terry walking away and I rushed to stop him.
"Hey Dan, where are you going?"
Wait... I had been too eager, I just asked him to be friends yesterday and he flat out rejected it saying something about me pulling him down and stuff, maybe this match was worth it after all to show him I won't pull him down. What should I do, I'm panting too much.
"Umm, I'm going to do some laps round the mountain I guess"
Round the mountain!? This training took a toll on me and I'm sure it must have on he too, so why laps round the mountain? Maybe he's not so weak after all.
"Let me come with, since we're friends"
He already had started walking faster. Maybe I had freaked him out or something, and what did I just say about being friends!! He rejected it yesterday and I just blurted out whatever came to my mind. Ahhhh he must see me as a creep now.
Heading back from the morning's training I saw him coming from the stability facility
"Heya Dan. Didn't come for physical training?"
"Umm yeah I didn't, I just felt like going for mana stability today, welcome back"
And he started his way back to dorms. Is he trying to distance himself from me? but he said 'welcome back', I mean only friends tell friends welcome back, right? These thoughts are beyond me, I somehow wish I was fast when it came to matter of boys. Not that I talked to any all these years.
I don't know how Dan did it, but he suddenly became faster in a span of weeks. It can't have been the guide system which didn't even work for him for years, so how did he do it? To become even faster than Sir. Brian, faster than me. How? Maybe if I stick with him, I could improve, now that he considers me a friend. Now the only thing left is to join the field guys, The Army. To get into the army, you just needed to complete the 3 challenges; Place within 100th in the 100km endurance race, win in hand-to-hand combat against other participants and achieve a mana scale of above 4.5. I'm sure Dan would have been able to skip the last part with ease and the first part held no issue for us. By us I meant our circle of friends; Alex, Mick, Cain, and Dan. So, the main issue was the second part; hand-to-hand combat.
As expected, we all passed the first challenge and now the second was at hand. I was to face Davids Pearsons, and Dan was to face Abel the proud guy. I feared for Dan but I just had to trust in whatever training he put himself into.
My match begun and my opponent started with a jab which I dodged with ease. Boy was he slow, I followed up with a kick of mine which landed perfectly.
"What a nice kick you have there, you sure take pride in legs with your kick and speed, why don't I destroy em"
"Tee-hee I'll love to see you try"
And so, he began targeting my legs, but he was so slow that I could dodge all his attacks with ease. He tried to attack my legs again but I twisted and landed a kick, then a couple of kicks in the same spot
"I thought you were aiming for my legs"
And I began enjoying kicking him in the same spot. Boy did it feel good. At least Dan was better than this and only had to go with maybe two bones broken, but this Davids was weak and eventually he got incapacitated and I won the match-up, so weak and slow.
Dan and the rest of the circle went on to win their own respective matches and after the mana scale which we all aced, we were pretty much drafted into the army.
We went on for fittings which I know a certain someone was looking at me through out and then the announcement from Sir. Henry. It was concerning Merth which was an Ort infested stronghold. For equipment I chose a rapier and lightweight gear to match with my speed, not that I was going to use the rapier but it was there due to it being compulsory.
Our section consisted of Me, Dan and Abel with support teams and their respective guards. Altogether, 9 people on our squad. Directly focusing on mobility and technique.