Training Block Chpt. 1

*****

"Good! Again!" Kinage shouted, slithering among the training animals, new recruits for the animal army. "The Leader may come in and check on you sssssssorry excuses for animals! Make sure you get your attacks right! It'ssssss not every day the Leader graces you pathetic creatures with her presence!"

"Kinage." Sudo shouted, but calmly. The large black panther was sitting under the shadow of an overhang, watching the progress quietly with her bright yellow-green eyes. But only when she stepped out of the shadow, to where her pitch-black fur could shine under the setting moon's last rays was she really seen. "What are you doing training recruits so early in the morning? Did the Leader give you such an order?" she asked as she padded over to him slowly, her big paws and large claws scratching the earth as she walked on it. She was, quite simply, a huge cat.

Kinage turned to see Sudo the instant she stepped from the shadow. "Sssssssudo.." he hissed, narrowing his eyes at her. "For your information, she did." He turned his back to her and back to the recruits, who had temporarily stopped to watch. They were hoping Sudo would put Kinage in his place so they could go back to sleep. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" he snapped and they all jumped, instantly going back to training.

Sudo rolled her eyes and groaned in annoyance. "Kinage, not that it isn't obvious, but your frivulous attempts at impressing the Leader shouldn't have to include the backbone of the army. They need rest, to be at their full fighting peak. Stop this. Now." she commanded. Being a higher rank than him, she had clear control over him.

Kinage growled under his breath and turned back to Sudo. "Fine. But don't blame me when this incompetent army fails to impress the Leader and she goes to you for the answer."

"Enough, Sudo." A calm voice spoke from behind the two. It wasn't angry or loud, but it was somehow firm, and had a commanding touch to it. "It was my order. The animals will train at Kinage's command." The voice spoke again. Out of the shadows and into the main field's floodlights, stepped a beautiful lynx. She padded gently on the floor, her steps seeming as calm as her voice with no rush. Her fur was heartstopping, it seemed to be almost as white as the moon. The Leader's piercing blue eyes looked to the hundreds of animals who had all stopped and bowed their heads to her, the instant she had walked into the training field. Dogs, cats, birds, forest animals, all of them seemed to respect her, and almost fear her slightly.

Sudo hadn't moved, still watching Kinage. Even though her face didn't show it, her eyes were cursing him for being right. "Leader." she said in both greeting and respectful understanding.

Kinage grinned widely and in satisfaction. "Leader! Pleassssssant surprise." he hissed, bowing his head to her as best he could. "The new recruits are almost ready to fight."

"Good." The Leader said, even calmer still. She looked to Kinage slightly before turning back to the animals, eyeing them carefully as their heads were still bowed low. "Well? What are you waiting for? Continue." The lynx demanded, even though her voice didn't rise in volume at all. The animals raised their heads in a flash, and continued their sparring with each other. It was the strongest of the army who would be the true fighters. The Leader wished for nothing more but to have true, strong soldiers in her army. She then moved to Sudo silently, her eyes dimming a little. "Sudo, I must speak with you." She said tonelessly.

"Yes, Leader." Sudo nodded quietly and tossed Kinage a bragging glance. Her eyes clearly laughed at him as she turned away.

Kinage glared at her, then hissed to himself as he went back to watching and training the recruits. It didn't have to be said. A lot of the other high-ranking animals were jealous of the one-on-one time Sudo always had with the Leader. It was because they were both endangered cats. They had something in common.

Sudo grinned to herself, then looked to their Leader, standing. "What is it, Shariah?" she asked softly.

The panther was the only animal out of the whole army who the Leader allowed to use her real name, simply because she was the only one who she was close to really trusting. Shariah glanced back at the training animals before looking back to Sudo. "Three have escaped." The Leader's eyes almost flashed. "Why wasn't I informed of this sooner, Sudo?"

Sudo's eyes widened. "Three?!" she asked in a hushed whisper. She growled under her breath. "That damned wolf! He informed me that none had escaped! But he said he heard it from-" she stopped, thinking about the trail of information before it reached her. She pursed her lips together unpleasantly and glared back over her shoulder at Kinage. "How did Kinage get hurt so badly? The medical assisstant filed a report for more of Dokuja's antidote... Kinage's up to something, Shariah." she whispered, low. "I can smell it. As for the three, the reason you weren't informed may be because I wasn't informed of this either. Who were the three?"

The Leader made an 'ugh' sound, showing that she was simply disgusted by Kinage's disrespectful actions towards her. "Dokuja believe it or not. The fox girl, Kitsune, and him. Our first." Shariah's eyes were flashing now as she looked over her own shoulder and watched the huge snake closely, her eyes narrowing darkly. "He will be punished for his actions." She said, her voice calm yet again.

"Unpleasant. A real inconvenience." Sudo growled to herself. "Dokuja will be hard to catch... She's just as elusive as Kinage, himself. I knew it would be a bad idea to turn her with his DNA. The fox girl won't be tough to catch, she's nothing special. Shimauma.... we have yet to see his true strengths and weaknesses, but chances are he's still disoriented from all the medicines and anesthetics used on him. They would only just now be wearing off." she said, thinking more out loud now. "They can't have gotten far."

Shariah had still been watching Kinage carefully while Sudo had answered her, but she had taken the panther's words into account, however. "Alert Kasshoku. You and him will search the forest. If the bear refuses, I give you my permission to claw him until he agrees. When you return, you will have the three with you." The lynx turned her head back around and looked at Sudo directly. "Do I make myself clear?"

Sudo looked back at Shariah full-on and nodded. "Crystal, my Leader." she said softly, trying to hide the grin that played under her lips. "We'll leave immediately."

The Leader bowed her head slightly as a signal for Sudo to leave. It would be a sign of disrespect if the panther just left without Shariah's consent. "Do not fail me, Sudo. I expect a lot from you. Kasshoku will be difficult to persuade, and you are both at the same rank. But do not leave until he agrees." Shariah said without blinking.

"I will not disappoint you, Shariah." Sudo said as she bowed her head again and backed away slowly. After five steps, she turned and left, keeping her tail low. Kasshoku... here I come. she thought with a grin. She looked at Kinage out of the corner of her eye and when he looked back she wrinkled her nose at him. Damn snake.

The Hybrids are escaping. Why do I feel weak? My army must be stronger. Much stronger. Shariah thought to herself after she watched the panther disappear out of the field and towards the dorms. She turned to look at the animals again, noticing that some of them were attacking rather lazily. "Kinage. Push them. Hard." The Leader commanded the snake before leaving the field herself.

"Yessssssss, Leader." Kinage grinned and turned back to the animals. "YOU HEARD HER! HARDER!" he shouted. The animals gave small whines and groans of protest, but did as they were told.

*****

Back to: Shi-Rudo
           Training Block