51 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
51 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
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# Chapter 1
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Alicia scanned across the clearing. The battlefield was a wide open grassy field
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without any good spots to take cover. Their team was losing. Badly. Their flag
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was solidly in the hands of the enemy and every attempt to wrestle it free had
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failed. They saw the possibility of an opening among the chaos and gestured
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their squadmates to follow their lead.
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They sprinted down the battlefield, the noise of their approach alerted their
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teammates of the plan and they joined in, creating a phalanx with their wooden
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shields. The other team realized what was going on and attempted to block it.
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It almost worked, if only the force of Alicia's impact didn't knock two of the
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blue guards on their backs. Alicia ground to a catlike halt and raised their
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wooden sword to the flagbearer. The poor person looked terrified but raised his
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sword back to fight. Alicia struck the flagbearer in the leg to make him lose
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his balance, and Tistus came in from the side to claim the prize, snatching it
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and holding on for dear life with his claws.
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In the confusion, the blue team turned towards Alicia, thinking some of the
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blood they had spilled from an earlier fall was the flag on their hip. This gave
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Tistus room to escape with the real flag in his paws. Alicia grit their teeth
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and braced for impact as the blue team's swords were raised all around them like
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a pack of hungry wolves. Zekas, the blue team leader, reared back to hit
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Alicia's weak side.
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The horn sound resonated throughout the area. Tistus had made it to the base and
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the exercise was over.
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Red team had won.
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Zekas growled at Alicia, "No fair you get to have the best sprinters and all we
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have are these burly hunks that can't run to save their lives."
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Alicia smiled back and looked down to their side, there was a red streak down
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their left leg that wasn't there earlier. "Some burliness would have helped
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here. Can you pass me a bit of cloth? I need to get this leg to an apothecary."
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Zekas begrudgingly gave Alicia a bit of cloth as they bandaged themselves. As
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Alicia dressed their wound they felt a surge of power to their right hand.
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_Nononononono, not around others._
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They focused their mind and let the surge subside. Alicia balanced herself with
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her tail and looked up at Zekas.
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"Thanks, let's go see what we messed up, eh?"
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Zekas laughed, "At least you didn't let a witch beat you." and lead the way.
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Alicia nervously laughed back and followed suit.
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