The only way to keep track of time was when there was a knock on my door and a meal tray was left in the hallway. I picked it up and it was quite filling. Fresh fish, some fruit that was green, and some pasta with some alfredo sauce.
The portions were cat sized, which was really nice. I would finish my meal and leave it outside the door, only taking a quick look up and down the empty hallway before closing it, not daring to venture out. There were two meals a day and the rest of the time I spent stretching and working on my skills.
There was a knock on my door, and I quickly got to my feet and was about to head over when it was opened without any further warning. Mes had disappeared as well. There was a wall of gleaming metal and a black and white snout looming over me, a cat. The badger had to be taller than my father by a head and twice as large. His gleaming armor made him look even more imposing. The symbol of the Covenant Church, the sword and sun, emblazoned on the front.
“Gather your things. Leave that orange badge here. And follow me. Do not speak unless asked a question.” The voice was deep and strong, like an earthquake about to explode. I quickly grabbed my pack, which I kept everything in already. I left my orange visitor badge on the bed. The armored badger turned, and I followed him down the hallway. Eventually we went up some stairs.
Another hallway and a set of doors and we entered a large indoor gymnasium. “Put your pack over there. And then get in line with the other applicants.” I didn’t say anything and quickly followed his instructions.
I noted a range of creatures. Some mice, shrews, and voles. But there were also bad creatures as well, two rats, a fox, and stoat. They all looked quite young and fit. And now a cat since I quickly got in line with the rest. “Good, everyone is here,” the armored badger said. No one said anything as he gazed at everyone. I kept as still as possible.
“I am Paladin Bloodclaw. I will be your primary instructor. The fact that I am assigned as your primary instructor should convey the seriousness of this place.” No one made a noise.
“I am not your friend. I am not your parent. If there is a situation you cannot solve, then ask me. But be warned, it better be for a good reason. I will tolerate no nonsense, pranks, or sabotage of other applicants.”
“Right now, you are just applicants. The lowest of the low, not even Neophytes. Not even worthy of any respect. If you believe that is in error, speak up.” No one spoke up. I kept my mouth firmly closed. The fact that Mes had disappeared when Paladin Bloodclaw had showed up was worrying. I didn’t want to know what the Covenant Church would do if they found out about Mes.
“Hmm, normally there is at least one foolish creature. Perhaps the youth of today have some hope yet. You will train until your bodies are ready to break and then train some more. To push beyond the limits you have shackled yourself with in your minds.”
“Once you are broken and reforged. You will be physically tested. If you pass you will be granted the rank of Neophyte. At that point you will be instructed in the knowledge and procedures of this organization and trained in techniques suitable for you.”
“After that you would be apprenticed to a Master Assassin as a Journeymouse. Who will supervise and evaluate you before you are promoted to the rank of Assassin.”
“While this is a competition. I will say again, there will be no sabotage of any kind. You do not have to help other creatures and do so at your own expense. But you will not undermine them. The goal is that the competition for advancement is based on self-improvement and personal performance.”
“I will be the sole judge of your performance while you are applicants. If you believe my judgement is in error, then you are always welcome to speak up.” It was obvious that was a trap. I was keeping my mouth shut and not saying anything no matter what. Any creature that fell for that was a complete idiot, which was probably the point.
“The first test will be endurance and determination. I will not say how long you will run for, but the applicant that runs the farthest with the requirements I give in the time allotted will receive one bonus point to your final evaluation score. These bonus points will give you a great edge in placing higher than the other applicants. But you do not need them to pass.”
“You will run clockwise around the track. After each lap, take one pebble. They are resting on the table. You may not pick up dropped pebbles even your own. You will only carry them in your paws, not pockets, packs, mouths, or stomachs.” Think Mittens think, what was the thing he was doing, and the real test. There had to be more. “Now start running.”
I set off at a slow to medium pace. Paladin Bloodclaw had said it was a test of endurance and those pebbles were small but would quickly add up. I noticed the fox was just walking. I kept up my slow jog. The other creatures took a pebble ahead of me.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
I reached the table and looked over the pebbles. They were all about the same size, but they were slightly different shapes. I picked the flattest one I saw and then kept going. There were windows to the outside at the top of the indoor gymnasium letting in the light.
We started early in the morning after breakfast and the day kept going and going. Creatures that had been going faster than me had slowed down considerably. A couple of pebbles had been dropped as well. There was no timer and Paladin Bloodclaw kept looking at everyone as he stood in the center of the field, facing the table.
At first, I had tried to keep track of everyone’s respective positions, especially the rat at the front. But after an hour, it was impossible to keep anything straight while making sure not to drop any pebbles. I just focused on avoiding others, moving forward, and keeping all my pebbles in my paws.
“The run is now over. Line up in front of me immediately,” Paladin Bloodclaw called out. Everyone returned to stand in front of him with their pebbles. “You all pass. No one stopped or gave up. That is the bare minimum requirement to remain here under my supervision.” No one said anything. No one wanted to be the first creature he targeted.
“Let’s go from left to right. You there at the end. Step forward, say your name, lap count, and pebble count,” Paladin Bloodclaw pointed to his left with his gauntleted paw.
The male shrew stepped forward. “Shiversnout. 213 laps. 201 pebbles.”
“Good, step back. Next.” This time the male fox stepped forward.
“Knaves Swiftpaws. 140 laps. 140 pebbles.”
“Next.” The next applicant to step forward was a female mouse. The only other female creature in this group besides me.
“Mary. 187 laps. 124 pebbles.”
“Next.” Several voles, shrews, and mice went next, but nothing stood out about them. Either their lap, appearance, or pebble count. Then it was the first rat to step forward.
“Grizzle. 231 laps. 149 pebbles.” He clearly had an accident and dropped a bunch.
“Next.” The second rat stepped forward.
“Sharpfang. 252 laps. 233 pebbles.” That was the highest lap and pebble count so far.
“Next.” The stoat stepped forward.
“Blackfur Shattertooth. 248 laps. 248 pebbles.” I could sense the tension between him and Sharpfang. They had stayed neck and neck for quite a while during the endurance test. The glares they sent each other also made their distaste for each other clear.
“Next.” I was at the end of the line and the last to go. I stepped forward and spoke up.
“Mittens. 261 laps. 261 pebbles,” I said. There was silence at that. I could feel everyone’s stares on me and waited for Paladin Bloodclaw to say something.
“Does anyone doubt her words or believe her placement unfair?” he asked. I wondered why he asked that. I had counted and just kept moving the entire time. It was a bit unfair since I was the biggest creature here and had a longer stride. There was nothing I could do about that.
“I object Paladin Bloodclaw,” a mouse said and stepped forward. “She is a cat and bigger than all of us.” My heart clenched as Paladin Bloodclaw nodded at those words.
“Does anyone else agree with this mouse’s statement? Step forward.” Three voles and a shrew stepped forward as well. “So, all five of you believe her placement as first is unfair?” They all gave affirmatives and Paladin Bloodclaw nodded.
“You are all excused. Fairness is not part of being an assassin or this organization. And you violated the rule about sabotaging others. Your success depends on you. If you are weaker. Train harder. If you are smaller think smarter. There are other tests and challenges more suited to smaller creatures such as our obstacle course. We don’t need complainers here. Go out that door and someone will be-“
“This isn’t fair!” The original mouse that had spoken up shouted. My danger sense flared, and it took everything I had to not retreat. Paladin Bloodclaw moved, and the mouse’s face was ripped in apart. Blood and bits of bone hit the training field. Several creatures let out screams and stepped backwards. I turned to face the scene, my hair standing straight up and my tail twitching. My breath caught in my throat. It had been so sudden. One moment the mouse had been alive, the next he was dead.
“Thank you for proving there is always one idiot.” The corpse collapsed to the ground. He was allowed to kill us!? “You four that were excused. Take his body with you.” One vole threw up. “Or you will be next.” They quickly moved the corpse out and through the doors Paladin Bloodclaw had indicated, leaving a trail of blood behind.
He had pulled a rag from somewhere inside his armor and was cleaning off his claws and armor that had some blood and viscera on them. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. You are training to be assassins.”
“The job itself is unfair. You have to overcome those odds with the abilities you possess. Yes, Mittens is larger, stronger, and faster. But what if you face a cat cultist? Or may the Warrior protect you, the Snake Ancestral Spirit?” I had already seen something like that, and my ears and tail twitched at the memory.
“Will you just lay down and complain about the unfairness of it all. Or come back crying, asking me to clean up your mess? Answer.”
“No Paladin Bloodclaw,” we all said.
“Now you are learning. Too many soft creatures nowadays. Spoiled rotten. Congratulations Mittens, you are the first applicant to earn a single bonus point of your training cohort.”
“Thank you, Paladin Bloodclaw,” I quickly said when he paused to look at me. He gave me a nod and I stepped back into line.
“Put the pebbles on the table and follow me,” the Paladin said. We quickly listened. The stoat Blackfur gave me a nod of respect which I returned. The rat Sharpfang moved a finger up to his eye and pointed at me, indicating I was in his sights. I gulped. I couldn’t let my father down. This was already getting intense.
We made our way outside. There was an outdoor track, but this one had a series of obstacles. The climbing and balance ones were doable, but there was one that required a creature to crawl under some wire from what I could tell. That would be tough with my size.
Everyone lined up in front of Paladin Bloodclaw when he came to a stop a turned to face us. He gave us all a look as we stood in front of him quietly. His black eyes scanned each and every one of us while his armor glinted in the sunlight.