Chapter 518

"Oh," I say, stepping aside quickly so he doesn't bowl me over as strides out the door. And then I quickly follow as he moves down the hall, doing my best to stay at his side even if it means that I have to do a ridiculous little trot instead of a walk. "Where are we going?"

"Outside," the Captain says, glancing down at me. "I'm making the call, Shrimp. Your training record thus far suggests that you should focus on one weapon and that you can handle it."

My eyes light up as I glance down again at the bag over his shoulder, thrilled suddenly, dying to know what's in there.

But the captain's rich laugh brings my eyes back up to him as he pushes a door open and we step out into the sunshine. "Don't get too excited, Princess," he murmurs, shaking his head and beginning to stride across the field with me in tow. "Your training is about to get very, very monotonous." Desperate to know what he means by that, I follow quickly as the Captain leads us over to one side of the field with what looks like...god, I don't know, a telephone pole? With a big flat wooden deck on top? As we go, we talk quietly about my missing comrades - both of whom he informs me failed the Chemistry exam, to my chagrin – as well as the need for snipers within our nation.

"As you can thus imagine," the captain says, slowing his pace a little as we approach the pole. "Your training in this field is very important to us, Clark. I fought hard for Neumann to pass one of the other boys through, but he refused - said he wouldn't have a dummy in his classroom or up in the blinds."

I frown, glancing upwards, wondering if that's what this is - a blind.

“Welp,” The Captain says, giving my shoulder a little shove towards the pole, which has metal spokes sticking out on either side. “Up you go, Cadet.” My eyes go wide as I return them to him. "Me? All the way up there?"

"What," the captain says, laughing at me a little. "You're not scared of heights, are you?"noveldrama

I scowl a little, because the truth is that I am, just a little bit - they make my knees go wobbly. But, well, I guess it's time to get over that. I reach out for the first handle but before I do, the Captain stops me and slings the bag over my shoulder. I stumble backwards a little bit at the weight and he laughs at me.

"Gonna have to get used to that," he says with a happy sigh. Then he gives my shoulder another friendly shove and I start up the pole, pulling myself up arm over arm, step by step, secretly grateful to Rafe and Jesse for making me do so many pull-ups.

When I get to the stop, my arms are shaking both from the strain and also, a bit, from the dizzying height. I mean, I'm probably not even that high up...but god, it feels like it, on this tiny platform that only has a single very flimsy-looking rail all around it.

I quickly scoot backwards on my butt to make room for the Captain, who follows behind me. "W-why are we so high up?” I ask, reaching anxiously for the rail to steady myself.

"Because," the captain answers, looking at me evenly as he pulls his whole body up onto the platform and sits as casually as if he's having a picnic in a meadow. "The grounds around Atalaxia where the majority of the fighting is happening right now are rigid and cliffy with lots of vantage points that make it quite auspicious for a sniper - especially one who can shoot far and from great heights. I'd usually start a young Cadet like you on the ground, but if we have to send you to the front, I want you trained in the kinds of shooting that will best benefit the cause."

I look at the Captain seriously and give a single nod, letting him know that I understand, that I'll work hard at it.

"Good," he says simply, turning his attention back to the package in front of him. I lean forward, eager, as he unzips it. And when he finally pushes the canvas back?

Immediately I let go of the rail, forgetting all about my fear of heights. Because what's inside...god, it's just so...pretty.