657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWL7u7uAG4
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIWyUAVhan
WEEK 1657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBQHXomTYuW
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyMFn6NTdh
Tristen opens his eyes to a horn that rings. He wished that he could scratch his eyes out. One though, it would not benefit him. Two, the big boss might kill him for clawing out what he called precious. He honestly thought that Tristen was a super soldier without any modifications other than the fact he was brain damaged.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaJINUHMD3
Though the general believed him and saw him as someone that should be used, Tristen felt was exactly the way his brain was, worthless and damaged. The General couldn't know that Tristen was the type to flake when situations arose.
Though he was trying his best, in heart, and soul he was still who he was. He was ready to run away. But he couldn't run away now. He was stuck.
So Tristen slaps his feet on the floor, saying goodbye to the extra he would have gotten if he was an unnoticed grunt. He puts on his clothes and walks outside. There the big dog was waiting on him.
“Welcome back Mr. Forrest.” the general barked. Tristen rubs his eyes. The general slaps his hand out of his face. “SOLDIERS DON'T WIPE THEIR EYES SON!” he yells at Tristen. Captain Hayne smirks at the discipline given.
“Yesterday, you ran two miles. We're going to bump it up. Today you will run 3 miles! 3Miles down the line and 3 miles back! You have until after breakfast to get back here.” the general says spitting in Tristen's face.
“Sir, yes, sir!” Tristen says with a dying feeling inside of him. He knew the purpose of the exercise that had him sore and tired now. He was building up stamina. What was worse was the fact that he had more training coming up and he would be expected to keep doing what he was doing. He wished he hadn't gotten into the armed forces of the Alliance for Freedom.
The General, completely ignorant of his feelings, led him to where he would begin his run. Tristen reluctantly beings to move his feet, allowing them to carry him to and back.
When Tristen returned, he saw the disappointed face of the General. He didn’t care at all at how long it took him. So, instead of joining the other men for target practice, he was ordered to do it again. In dismay within himself, Tristen follows the orders given to him.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Wy9aTb0ft
WEEK 2
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytXWCdmF47
The same sound of looming death overtook him as the General awoke him. Now, he had his own tent to sleep in, in order not to disturb the others from getting, what was now two hours of extra sleep for Tristen.
“You keep sleeping. WHY!” the general throws at Tristen. Tristen blinks a few times. He opens his mouth to respond but he closes it as the General slams his clothes into Tristen’s chest.
“LET’S GET MOVING! We begin combat training after your daily run maggot!” the general tells Tristen. So, he sucks it up, pushes all his flaky feelings to the side then walks out of the tent a sad dying man on the inside. He starts his run that was building his stamina up in an incredibly slow rate, it couldn’t go any faster for him.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yNIUDTRFk
Tristen completes his run tired out completely. The drain on him and the pain in all his bones and muscles was enormous. The general bends down to the leaned over man trying to catch his breath. He spits in his face.
“I PITY YOU MAGGOT! SHOW SOME PRIDE! GET UP!” he orders. Tristen stands up straight, struggling to catch his breath. He is then handed a proper sword.
“You like blades, I’ll teach you to use one as they should be handled. A man who knows how to survive with a sharp edge can survive in any situation. You’ve experienced this yourself. We will hone your…abilities, to quickly adjust and adapt to any form of attack. We start you blindfolded.” The general says drawing his own sword.
“Blindfolded? Are you mad?” Tristen says softly. “WHAT?!” the general says standing on his tip toes to be higher than him, “I didn’t quite hear you there?! Were you complaining maggot?!”
“No sir. I’m ready sir!” Tristen says taking a proper stance. “I’ll make a soldier out of you boy! Let’s begin! Blindfold him Captain.” The general says turning to the ill prepared woman.
She wraps the blindfold around Tristen’s eyes then backs away. She gives the General a look telling him to be easy. The General ignores the look. He brings up his blade and slashes Tristen in the leg.
“MY LEG!” Tristen says grabbing it. He dared not let out a yell of pain though. The General struck him in the other leg, bringing him to the ground.
“What did you do wrong?” the general asks. “I let you blindfold me and slash me up!” Tristen says holding his bleeding legs. “No, you didn’t trust you natural and enhanced sense. Two… you let go of your blade when you were injured. Never let go. It’s your only shield. Patch him up Captain. I can see I am working with a worthless MAGGOT!” the general says backing up and slamming his blade in the ground.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCfPUwQwMg
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZADkLJLX5y
WEEK 5657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWvPSJP84d
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLEIeSAjgr
Tristen sits at a table with Captain Hayne. She watches him as he reads very slowly. He was making fine progress to her. He was moving faster than anyone she had ever seen. Then he stopped reading. She looked at his frustrated face.
“I can’t do this.” Tristen said putting the holobook on the table. She sighs and holds her head down. “I’m tired of not being able to get it. It’s just difficult for me. The letters keep changing.” Tristen says. “You said it yourself there is a pattern in how they change. We only need to figure it out.” She says to him.
Tristen’s breathes become aggravated. She pushes the holobook back to him. She then grabs his chin then turns his head to her. She pierces her strong eyes into his.
“Mr. Forrest… I can see in you the want to quit every morning you hear the general wake you up. You keep wanting to flake out but you don’t. You have no explanation for the reason you are still here. I do. You know you’re stronger than what you feel. You’re not going to abandon something like this… this war… without fight. You have… the old word… gumption. No matter how flaky you feel, you always have the stronger sense to fight. So don’t give up on learning something I know you personally enjoy. You would have never complained if you didn’t care to read so much. So pick up the book Forrest, and read to me.” she tells him in a commanding but soft voice. Tristen lets loose of his aggravation in a huff. He then lifts the holobook to his face.
Tristen begins to read again… slowly figuring out what in the world he was reading. Captain Hayne smiles as she looks on into the men conducting their combat training and listening to him read.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OiAaDBsRp
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzoU2IB2rh
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCOMddmLNV
WEEK 14
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUtjfnAqy5
Tristen blocks a sword attack from the general. The general kicks Tristen in the leg and tries to run him through while he was blindfolded. Tristen hears the movement of his hand and rolls out of the way. The blade sticks into the ground.
“Getting better Mr. Forrest. But stop being the maggot you are and be the man I know you can be! STRIKE BACK!” the general orders him. Tristen leaps to his feet. He back bends under the swing of the General’s fist. He tries to hit the general in the side with his fist but the fist is caught. The general twists his hand then throws him into the ground.
“WHY DO YOU SUCK?! COME ON! GET UP MAGGOT!” the general yells. Tristen gets to his feet. He slides back from a punch meant for his nose. Tristen tries to grab the general but he wanted to much to trust his eyes not his other senses. His head is grabbed then his whole body thrown in the dirt. The soldiers all around laugh at him. He had become a spectacle to watch.
Tristen snatches the blindfold off. He looks up from the dirt to the general. “I’m a laughing stock! I can’t keep this up!” he says. “Are you a quitter maggot?” the general asks loudly. Tristen sucks his pride in and stands up. “Not anymore. But I’m not doing this now.” He says slapping the blind-fold in the general’s chest.
Tristen begins to walk away. The General looks into the eyes off all the whispering soldiers. The fear of him was waning in the eyes of those who had been watching. The general knows what he needs to do.
“You fight me…eyes open if you want. We’ll see what you can do.” The general yells to Tristen. Tristen stops in his tracks. He turns his body towards the general and walks back. Captain Hayne blocks his pathway to the general. She looks up at him.
“Forrest, if you know what is good for you, stand down. The general is going to make an example of you and you’ll be worst off.” She tells him. “You scared Forrest?” the general says beating his chest, “All these fine men want to see is a real fight.”
“I’ll give them the fight they want. But not today.” Tristen says looking into Captain Hayne’s eyes. She nods to him then turns to the soldiers. “Alright… that’s enough. You…” “What’s the matter Forrest? You need Captain Hayne to protect you now? She’s a shrimp… 5’7. She’s the thing keeping me from punching you in the face? She’s not tall enough to even protect your face!” the general taunts.
“General!” Captain Hayne says offended by the remark. “How dare you make such a remark about me? Last I checked, I’m the best around here. I earned my place as Captain. A woman can fight. You remember that.”
“Quiet Hayne.” The general says. “General!” “That’s an order!”
“Fine! You want the fight…” Tristen says appearing beside him in the blink of an eye, “You’ve got it.” “Go ahead… hit me. It’ll be your only shot.” The general says.
Tristen starts to come across his face. In two simple moves, the General had Tristen on his back. Before Tristen could get up, the general stepped on his stomach, grabbed his arm and started to pull. “YOU WILL FALL IN LINE LIKE ALL THE OTHERS BOY! Maggots don’t make demands! Anyone stupid enough to talk to me the way he did will get their arm pulled out of the socket and sent on the front lines! UNDERSTOOD?” the general yells. “Sir yes sir!” the soldiers said saluting him. They then leave the area Tristen and he fought. The general bends to Tristen’s ear.
“I went soft on you because I need to train you. But don’t do that again maggot. I don’t like it when my boys start doubting me. Keep your feelings to yourself like every other solider.” The general says in a whisper. He pulls Tristen up then looks to Captain Hayne.
“Round up the troops.” He tells her. “You’re not going to apologize?” Tristen asks him. “For what?” the general says walking away. Tristen looks at Captain Hayne. She huffs under her breath but keeps her stalwart appearance. She walks away.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiReGHutMfu
Later that night, in his tent, Tristen heard a small whimpering noise. He crawls out of the tent o find where it was coming from. He walked for two miles before he found it. There she was, Captain Hayne, sitting on a rock with her head buried in her knees crying.
He places his hand on her shoulder. Captain Hayne brings Tristen to his knees grabbing his wrist and twisting it. She stands over him with red eyes full of tears. Her teeth were clenched together in fury and readiness to kill. He just stares at the warrior woman though, with no fear in his belly… this time.
She calms down seeing it was only the maggot. She releases him from her bear grip. She wipes her eyes and turns away from him.
“What’s wrong?” Tristen asks. “You’re not supposed to see me like this.” She tells him controlling herself. “How? Crying? Everyone cries.” He says to her. Her hair flips before her eyes could come around to look at him.
“You don’t understand. You never will. And it’s not your fault Mr. Forrest. You just don’t know what it is like to be me. I’m in an entire regiment that only has men. I’m the only lady and I choose this one on purpose.
The guys here see me as only a woman. They can’t see that I am equal even more than them. I… am a lady… I cry… and they would see it as weakness. At the same time, I don’t have a problem slicing a man or woman’s neck and laying them flat on the ground dead. That is the only thing they understand. So… excuse me if I have to come out here to cry because I don’t want anyone to see me.” She says coldly.
“What he said was wrong.” Tristen says softly. “Doesn’t matter. That’s life of a lady who wants to be on the front lines. Half the men die because they are too busy staring at behind. I don’t put myself out there to fuel their imaginations… I believe in this cause of war. No one else cares to see that. And though Mr. Forrest, you are about to say I do… and I would believe it in some manner, it matters not to me. Go back before someone wonders where you are. They usually pay no mind to me being gone because I bathe elsewhere. Men like to pry.” She says turning her back to him.
Tristen walks away leaving her to cry. He stops just within her hearing distance. “You can turn the water works back on whenever you want. Your secret is safe with me Captain.” Tristen says barely loud of enough for even her to hear. He then continues on his way.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGwgM0HnYw
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPxMQ2CrOt
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBRSninsRfa
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngTAl2Cvsz
WEEK 47
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStLA3sqdVQ
Tristen stands on one hand and fights with the blade in the other. He is still blindfolded but he is doing much better.
He had just come back from another successful strike against the enemy. Now he was back to practicing with the general. He had come a long from the days of getting beaten up.
Now he was able to fight standing on one hand, while blindfolded. His stamina was increased by at least ten-fold from what he had been taught. Now, he was nearly complete and ready to graduate.
“How old are you Forrest?” the general asks being pushed back by Tristen clashing his sword against the general’s. “Nearly 19 sir. I was barely 18 when you met me.” “Captain Hayne is almost 19…” he says. Tristen squints with his blind-fold still on. “19?” he asks. The general smiles, “Yes. You’re wondering why she is a Captain. Someone high up of course, but mainly it is her hard-core talent. You’ve seen her on the battlefield. She is ruthless and hard to kill.”
“That she is.” Tristen said jumping up with the push of his hand. The general’s blade swing goes under. Tristen then kicks the general in the head knocking him on the ground. The General gets up with a smile. “You’ve come a long way pupil. We are done for the day.” “Yes sir.” Tristen says.
He plants his feet back on the ground. He removes his blindfold and places it on the pedestal that had been placed for him. “Tristen… live your life. Don’t let the war consume you.” The general says. “I won’t.” he responds. He then leaves with a quick pace.
657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDUc8eMGpf
Late that evening he arrived to the rock Captain Hayne had found for the new area they were at. She turns her head back to him and gives him a faint smile. Tristen sits on the ground beside her chosen rock.
“What are you doing out here Captain?” Tristen asks of her. “I was practicing before I was sitting down Forrest.” She tells him continuing to look ahead.
“You weren’t crying were you?” he asks. “Assuming things?” she asks. “It’s not that time is it?” “What? NO! What business of yours is it?” she says finally looking at him. “None… I just thought you might not have want to been bother by people of my gender?” he says. She sighs. “No, I’m just thinking Forrest. I’m just thinking. Forrest, do you enjoy making the weapons you do?”
“No. Why would I?” Tristen asks. “I see it on your face. Pride and disgust. Your heart is conflicted. You make weapons of mass destruction and that must pain you but you pride yourself in being an efficient engineer.” She says looking ahead as she was.
“And I can’t?” he asks. “Maybe not if it destroys you.” She says. “Captain, why would it destroy me?” he asks leaning into her peripheral vision. “Call me Jessica when we are here and in front of dignitaries.” She tells him.
“That’s you name?” he says with surprise. “Yes. Get up.” She says. Tristen gets up and stands near her. She backs up facing his side and he turns towards her.
“There are ancient arts that I know of in Chinese legend. I cannot execute them. It is said you must see beyond. But I can teach you to use the one art that may come in handy. It is called Shou zhenfeng or hand gust. Follow my movements and tell me what you see.” She says to him.
She rolls her arms around each other, then wave motions one to the right with the palm out. She returns this time rolling her hands around each other, then wave motions the left with the palm out. She brings both back together continuing the rolling motion with both hands. She slows the rolling motion then brings her primary hand back. She pushes forward but nothing happens.
She then looks Tristen. He just stares at her. “What did you see Forrest?” she asks. “Just air waves…” he says to her. “Well…try it yourself. Maybe you can execute it properly. There is a point where the air flow created stops.” She says to him.
“There was… how did you know?” Tristen asks. “My father tried to teach it to me in case I was ever in a touchy situation. He himself could see but he could execute. He said I cut myself off.” She responds, “Enough talk. Execute.”
Tristen copies her movements and then throws his right hand towards the rock in a gust of wind strikes it. He laughs and looks at his hands. He looks to Jessica who was smiling. “Is there anything you can’t do?” he asks her. “There are many things I can’t do. For one, I can’t build weapons like you can. That there is enough. You should return to camp. I need to go back to thinking.” She says.
“Alright Cap… Jessica.” Tristen says. He begins to walk away. The general comes out of the shadows.
“He can do it.” The general says. “You taking a perfectly good man and turning him into a monster. My father burned those scrolls for a reason. They are dangerous and they turn innocent men into killers. The hand gust far enough. It can’t kill anyone.” Jessica says. “But he can do it Captain. And honestly, Jessica?” the general says. “It’s my name and I didn’t invite you to use it. Leave him alone. You’ll make a killer out of him if you don’t and for the wrong side.” Jessica warns.
The general frowns and turns away from her.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVAmKCdqkR
