My first mission meeting, well, team meeting. Everyone sat in what I think are random seats, except Yuna, who always seems to be seated at the head of the table every time we are here, team leader privileges, I guess. Remen sat to her left and Siri to her right while I sat at the foot of the table. In front of my favourite window.
The meeting was short; apparently, the mission was straightforward as far as the objective goes. Retrieve Maya, a simple task, but I know it's never as simple as it sounds. My first mission with Maya was even easier, yet it got derailed to nowhere.
We leave tomorrow morning, so I think we can't spare more time here.
Yuna crossed her fingers and relaxed in her chair. "Now, time to discuss you."
"Huh?" I looked around, then pointed at myself, "me?"
"Yes, you, one, you are not aware of how we do things and two, we don't know what to expect from you. Listen, Nero, we work in the shadows, out of the public eye. Especially those of the officials, so that means for no reason can we bring your dragon with us."
Who would have thought the people who employed me because of Bella couldn't bring her on missions?
"So you're expecting me to just leave her? I thought you wanted her?"
"Yes, you will need to leave her," Siri said sharply.
"My guy" remen with a hint of exasperation, "if we are working in the shadows, we are trying to avoid as much attention as possible, right? Why bring something that can shake up an entire country?
Everyone would see us coming."
He has a point. There are no surprise attacks with her; she is swift, but she will leave an impression on any battlefield.
Yuna rested her head on her hands as she continued, "It is also going to leave a huge trail for anyone trying to track us down. We do have enemies.
Our plan for Bella is to make her a trump card for the faction. So do not think of bringing her unless i or the faction leader says so. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yeah," I guess it all makes sense. Convincing Bella is another thing. What if I'm gone for days? Weeks? Months? My days, she might come looking for me. I need to get her to stay somehow.
"Now, for you nero. You are–"
"Weak. You are so weak." Cutting Yuna off in a flash was siri. He is at it again.
Remen chuckled at his remarks, but I don't see what's funny. Not everyone is trying to cut up everything with one swing. Granted, it was very impressive.
"Our mission plays out in one of three ways," Yuna said as she held 3 fingers out to me. "One, each one of us is assigned a task, so therefore we act alone. That is called unus.
Second, we move in pairs. That is called duo.
And lastly is called cuncti, this is when we act as one, as you saw when we first met."
"Easy enough to understand. What does that have to do with my strength?"
"Depending on what way I choose to do things, you might just die."
"I don't like the sound of that. You are saying I'm too weak to be left alone."
"I mean, if you want to put it that way, yeah," remen said with a cheeky smile.
"I'm not sure why you would join an organization that is actively in battle, yet be so easily blinded by a woman," Siri said as he held up his sword, caressing it. "Living a frivolous life while ignoring the one thing that will guarantee your life is rather stupid."
"I–" I can't really argue with him. I know how to survive and scrap it out if I have to. I have been doing it for a while, but I almost died against the ehktars. How am I supposed to survive this time to save Maya?
I never really had to confront my strength before, so when I came here, it never crossed my mind.
"No fear, my guy, that's what we are here for," remen said as he came to pat me on the back. "Today we are going to test your limits, teach you a thing or two and get you in shape."
"Go get your sword, since that's all you use," Siri said, as assertive as ever.
The others stood up and went straight for the door. I wonder what they have planned.
****
After getting my sword, they took me to the training room located in the lower levels of the base. There are multiple of these rooms, just extra-large rooms with glyphs drawn on the walls. I wonder what they are for.
"Go over there," Yuna commanded.
I walked to the other end of the room, facing Yuna, Siri, and remen. What is this lineup?
"Fight us"
"Pardon?"
Yuna smirked at my confused expression. She smirked? A smirk? It's so rare to see her smile, not to mention a smirk?
What's happening?
Siri, who held a wooden sword, stepped forward in front of them. "Your task is to land a single blow on any one of us. Do not hold back."
"Wait! Wait! How am I supposed to–"
"Go!"