Hedgesville, West Virginia
Harbinger Academy
Thursday, August 22, 1996
12:06 PM

Standing in one corner of the gym, Jennie watched as Diver paced back and forth in front of the group she was in. "Looks like I'm going to have to separate those who have had weapon practice before to newbies," Diver said as he looked to a clipboard. "And it would seem that most of you are experience with weaponry."
"Oh no," Jennie whispered to herself as her hands clenched tightly together out of frustration.
"It would seem that there is only three of you that have no weapon skills," Diver replied as he tapped a pencil against the clipboard. "Would the three with no experience line up against that wall please."
Jennie sighed to herself as she moved to the wall and watched as Ashlee was close behind her. "You never used a weapon before?" she asked Ashlee as Ashlee nodded.
"I like using wrenches and screwdrivers," Ashlee said as she smiled. "Swords and daggers are more for Rem and Riley. Even Janiston refuses to use weapons. Logic is the best way to go. If you can best your opponent with your wits alone, then you have it made."
"I suppose," Jennie whispered, staring at the ground. "But isn't this one of those classes you have to take?"
"Yeah," Ashlee sighed with a slump of her shoulders.
The third student finally stood beside Jennie and Ashlee. Jennie peered past Ashlee to a young boy who she seemed to have joined the their class that day.
He had black hair that hung thickly over his eyes and framing an overly feminine face. A light blush washed over Jennie's face as she found him looking at her with red eyes.
"You weren't in class yesterday, were you?" Ashlee asked abruptly as the boy nodded. "I'm Ashlee. And this is my cou…friend Jennie."
Jennie blinked for a moment. What had Ashlee stumbled over?
"Kaj," the boy replied softly. Jennie choked at his name. His voice had been so soft and delicate. "I just enrolled today. I was a little late in starting."
"Are you staying in the dorms?" Ashlee questioned.
"No, staying in an apartment with some colleagues," Kaj replied with a sweet smile. "You might know them. Diver and Rowen?" He pointed to Diver who was talking with the rest of his group.
"You're staying with them?!" Jennie asked in dismay as she felt a heavy sickness in her stomach. "Why?"
"I'm Nahele's replacement," the boy said with a boyish chuckle.
"Oh…" Jennie stepped back in order escape the boy's gaze. Another Sanction member had shown his face and it was a young boy with an extreme girlish cuteness.
"You three!" Diver shouted as he walked toward them. "Have you decided on your weapons?"
"The Shinlu bow," Jennie whispered as she watched Diver scrawl something down on his clipboard.
"I just want your basic sword," Ashlee said with a shrug. "Nothing important. Maybe just steel."
"Sure," Diver mumbled as he began writing again on the paper.
"I want the scythe," Kaj said quietly as Diver looked up at the boy with uncertain eyes.
"Kaj, that may be a little much for a beginner," Diver stated. The two seemed to stare at each other until Diver gave up and wrote down what Kaj had said. "Alright, but I wish they would‘ve trained you a little more before they sent you to us.”
It appeared Diver was a little annoyed with his subordinate. He glanced up, gazing at the three.
“Sometime tomorrow your weapons should come in. It's customary to name your weapons, so think about that tonight. Now I want Ashlee to join that group over there for swords and, Kaj, you can join the spear group. As for you, Jennie, you're in a league of your own."
"What?" Jennie asked as she blinked.
"You're the only one who picked a bow," Diver said.
"Really?" she asked in dumbfounded confusion.
"Looks like you and I will be working one on one," Diver said. "Alright, get moving!"
Ashlee gave Jennie an apologetic smile then rushed off to join the others. Kaj paused where he stood, looked at Jennie with calm eyes, then dashed off to his group without saying anything. Diver just stood there for a moment, writing on the paper, then held up a finger to signal for her to wait.
"I know you first years already have partners in your daily classes!" Diver shouted. "But in my class you will have different partners, depending on your weapon. Pick out someone in your group to partner up with. And if there are in spare kids, hook up with a team to make three. Do you understand me!?"
"Yes!" all the students in Diver's group yelled as Jennie blinked. This man was very loud and commanding.
And creative.
A flash of her father's body in the garage hanging broke her thoughts as she shook her head, rubbing at her forehead in determination to get rid of the vision.
"As for you," Diver said, turning his attention to Jennie, "you will be working one-on-one with me. My specialty happens to be bows. I daresay I should make you into a fine fighter for schooling reasons, but then I shouldn't even lift my finger to teach you out of my duty to Sanction."
"You don't have to do anything for me," Jennie said abruptly. "I can teach myself!" She looked away with confidence as she heard Diver snort.
"Teach yourself?" he asked. "Listen, you'd be bleeding by the end of day with a Shinlu bow if you didn't have a teacher. The string would cut right into your flesh if you don't know how to hold the bow properly. Trust me, kid, it's better with me around."
"I don't want you as my teacher!" Jennie shouted uncontrollably as everyone in the room turned to stare at them. Her face flushed as she backed away from Diver who only stared at her with a disdainful expression.
"I only follow my orders," Diver said, turning away and heading toward the other students.
Dropping to her knees, she stared at the ground. The man who killed her father was going to be teaching how to use a weapon. He was going to teach her to fight, to kill like him. The thought disgusted her as she gagged on the sensation of vomit in her throat.