Chapter 10: VIII

George

"Hello there, Tiny," Sophia smirks at me as she points the sword at me. Her two hands grip the handle tight while she stands strong in the fighting stance.

I remove my sword from the case as my fingers nervously wrap around its handle. Lifting my gaze, I see range through her eyes as if I'm her prey that she is waiting to devour.

"Alright, show me what you learned yesterday!" Fatima, our female instructor, yells.

"Brace yourself," Sophia speaks with a wicked grin across her lips.

She attacks me with her skills. While I, on the other hand, only take steps backward. I continued stepping back, but I tripped over a rock behind me. I fall on my back. The sword in my hand falls to the ground. The cold metal tip of her sword touches my chin as I lie on my back.

"Sophia!" I hear Clarkson yell. He leaves his spot and runs to us. "What are you doing!?" he yells.

Clarkson shifts his furious gray eyes from Sophia to me. He put his sword back in its case. He bends his legs and offers his hand. A few strands of his red hair fall on his forehead.

Everyone stops. They look at us with their curious gaze.

"You should be teaching her!" Clarkson angrily yells.

"It's not my fault that she didn't know the lesson yesterday!" Sophia turns and faces Clarkson.

"What's happening there in the middle?" Fatima asks. "The three of you are interrupting the class."

Clarkson scoffs. "What's your problem?"

"I don't have any problem!" Sophia yells and buries the tip of her sword between them.

"Quit lying to a werewolf!"

"Clarkson, stop," I finally find my voice and speak.

"Liev," we hear our female instructor warn.

"Ma'am, I want to switch partners with–"

"No switching of partners, Liev. Back to your spot," Fatima points at Clarkson's spot.

"I see. Some of you did not understand the lesson yesterday," Fatima calmly speaks.

"Georgina," our instructor calls my name.

"M-Ma'am?" I stutter. This is my first time meeting her. I have no idea what kind of werewolf she is.

"Join me here, please," Fatima says.

I nod and walk in front of the class with my head facing down. My hand plays with the hem of my suit.

"How can you fight with me if you don't–"

"I-I'm sorry, Ma'am. I was absent yesterday. I don't know how to use a sword. I didn't set my alarm. I'm really really–"

A chuckle escapes her mouth. "What I mean is, how can you fight me if you don't have a sword?"

My gaze drops to the sword lying in the middle of the ground.  I quickly look up to meet her gaze. She smiles at me and motions me to pick up my sword.

"Right," I nod and jog to the spot where I left my sword.

"You're good," Clarkson says as he sits beside me under the winter trees. Its naked branches are adorned with snow.

"I am not," I huff while drinking some hot chocolate.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asks as he wipes his boots with the palm of his left hand.

"No," I shake my head and quickly stand up.

"Where are you going?" Clarkson stands on his feet. His long legs shuffle with the big steps to catch up with my pace.

"Practice."

"Hiya!"

The clanging sounds echo in the middle of the woods. For the sixth time, my sword falls to the ground.

"Damn it!" I kick the sword with my boots and ball my fists.

"Georgina, calm down," Clarkson holds my shoulders and faces me.

"I don't think I'm the alpha," I whisper while looking down.

Silence.

"You're not," Clarkson's manly voice echoes in my ears.

I slowly lift my head to meet his gray gaze.

"W-what–"

"You're not yet the Alpha," he breathes out. "But you'll be. It's you, George. You're the one who'll finish those fanged monsters and end this war," he stares at me with sincerity in his eyes."

"Clarkson–"

"I believe in you, George," Clarkson hugs me tight.

I take a deep breath and step backward.

"Alright," I say and pick up the sword. "Again."

"Okay," he says while nodding.

"By the way," I firmly wrap my fingers around the handle. "Fight me like a real werewolf, Liev."

He smiles after hearing what I say. His smile grows wider when I smile back. He lifts his sword and prepares for my attack. I run towards him with the sword in my right hand.

"Alright!" Elis yells. "Our activity for today is to aim for the bull's eye," he walks with his hands clasped on his back. "You have five arrows there, right!?" he yells while standing in front of me. The veins of his neck almost popped. His angry yell booms in my ears.

"Yes, Sir!" we yell back in a military like tone.

"You see the five targets over here," he walks past me and continues taking steps in front of Clarkson's line. "Five bull's eye. You won't go home until you accomplished all five of them. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Focus on the target!" Elis yells again.

Only twelve of us are left here. The sun is setting, and yet I only did two bull's eyes."Okay! That's good!"

I miss the target when Elis yells beside me.

"You three," he points at them with 'W' sign fingers. "You can go home."

I watch them jump in joy. The darker the night sky turns, the harder it is for me to see the target.

"Sir, can we please let them go home?" Clarkson asks politely. He waits for me the whole time. I told him to go home without me, but he insisted.

"No," Elis firmly answers.

"But it's getting dark–"

"Then you can go back. You're the first one who finished the activity. Why are you still here?" Elis asks seriously. "It will be very unfair for others, Liev," Elis says with his arms crossed over his chest. "Besides, they are the last two," he gestures his right hand to us.

"I guess it's unfair to me, Sir," I say and stare at him.

"Excuse me?" Elis quickly turns his face at me.

He steps forward and scoffs. "An unknown half-breed raised in the mortals' land, who didn't have an idea that werewolves exist but suddenly became the next alpha, is saying that this is unfair," he laughs loudly.

"Max! Aren't you supposed to be hitting the target? Not watching us like a movie!?" he yells at the guy who is two targets away from me.

"Y-Yes, Sir," Max stands up straight and aims for the target.

"You see, Miss. I'm just checking if those witches didn't give us the wrong oracle," he turns his back and faces the target. "Why can't you hit the target, Miss Alpha? It's just eight meters away–"

"Sir, I think–"

"Liev," he cut Clarkson's word and face him. "Don't you think you brought the wrong mortal?"

Wrong mortal?

I scoff after hearing all of his words. My hand grips the bow tightly. I stretch the string with an arrow. My furious gaze stares at the bull's eye.

Wrong?

I let go and watch the arrow buries at the center.

"Bull's eye!" Clarkson cheers. He claps happily and runs towards me. "She did it. She can go now!" Clarkson yells with a grin plastered across his lips.

"You look so cool," Clarkson nudges my elbow.

"I don't," I leisurely walk to my house.

"If only your eyes were red, they could've been flame throwers," he laughs loudly. "You're furious."

"They said I'm not the Alpha," I say as I open the door.

"What? Are you hurt because of what he said?"

"Yes," I nod as I untie my braids.

"Well, I thought you said you're not–"

"I'm hurt because I feel like they're saying that you didn't find the Alpha. Doubt, they doubt you. They have no idea what you've been through just to have me here." I brush my fingers through the strands of my brown hair.

"Thank you for believing in us, George. But I hope you also believe in yourself," he says and sighs.

I don't think I'm doubting that I am the Alpha. It's that I am questioning... why me? Of all people, it is me.

Just like what Elis said, I did not know that this world existed then all of a sudden I am expected to be the next ruler of these powerful creatures.

He became quiet.

We became quiet.

Clarkson removes his topknot.

"Wait a minute," he suddenly speaks and brushes his hair with his fingers. He looks around as if something is missing.

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"Where's Tuna?"

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