Chapter 4: Projection

In the north, beyond the administration block was the combat training grounds. It was massive and sprawled across a plane, dominated by a circular coliseum that rose like a titan of stone and metal. The arena itself was a marvel of strategic design, it's floors a complex terrain of varied landscapes: jagged rocky outcroppings with snow caps, frozen sandy patches, shallow water channels, and elevated stone platforms created a dynamic battle ground that would challenge even the most seasoned combatants.

The colossus floor was about two hundred meters in diameter, it's terrain shifted between training and climatic seasons. Massive hydraulic mechanisms beneath the ground could raise and lower sections, creating new topographical challenges hence testing different skills. Volcanic rock formations jutted from one quadrant, while another section featured a miniature ravine with treacherous slopes and hidden passages. Tiered seats surrounded the arena capable of holding upto five thousand spectators. Four grant entry ways punctuated its circumference: northern chute-a reinforced tunnel with multiple containment locks. This one usually let in monsters thus the extra precaution, eastern gate - a reinforced archway of dark iron, adorned with training academy crests, southern portal - a more organic looking entrance with rocky formations that could camouflage massive creature containers and the western gate - slightly wider with mechanical iris doors that could close in milliseconds.

Adjacent to the arena stood the comprehensive armoury, a wide, five storey building with reinforced stone and pristine metal. Each resident registered within the school had a locker in this area where they stored their signature weapons and plague suit, there were also extra weapons kept within its storage units.

On this particular morning Eli was taking a class through combat practice and weapon mastery. His long sword sheathed and vertucally positioned on his back. There were forty-eight students seated on the first and second rows of the coliseum behind him while two sparred in from of them.

One of the combatants had a cutlass sword while the other had a sokka blade. Both went at it like professionals yet, no one cheered. One could not tell whether it was due to the morning cold of the winter season, the presence of Eli and his aura engulfing the premise or an unimpressed audience.

At some point, as the two clashed, they disarmed each other, both blades flying past them. The sokka blade wielder was now closer to the cutlass while the other combatant was now closer to the sokka sword. For a moment, they stared at each other as if calculating something, and they were. Quickly, they dashed past each other diving for their weapons before turning back at each other, swords up and ready.

"Stop!" Yelled Eli as he walked towards them, his face emotionless while his voiced expressed evident disappointment, "What was that?"

The two got off their battle stances and turned to him as he approached them, seeming slightly confused. He strode quickly and reached them in a spur of a moment before stopping.

"That was a poor and unrealistic depiction of what would happen in actual combat, in here it's just practice, you fool around and make rookie mistakes. Out there, you won't get the opportunity for such, it's a matter of life and death, you adapt or you die. This goes to show you children are not well versed in using weaponry other than what's primarily assigned to you. For that reason, beginning now until the end of the month, you will all exchange weapons with the person next to you and use their weapons for both practice and missions, is that clear?" He said aloud. They immediately responded as they began exchanging weapons with their adjacent neighbours. He stared at them for a moment as they did it.

"You two, back to your seats," he said to those who were within the battlegrounds before turning to those seated, "You and you, step into the arena."

He had pointed at two individuals sitting next to each other. For a moment, they turned to each other as if making sure they hadn't caught Eli wrong. A moment later they had already gotten onto the arena and jogged up to him.

Eli unsheathed his blade and twirled it once into a reverse grip before digging it into the ground next to him. He then turned to the two and said,"I've been a plague doctor for longer than you've probably been alive. And one of the key skills you gain is vigilance, nothing gets past me. So here's what's going to happen, the two of you will attack me with your weapons, and this will go on until one of you or both decides to be honest with me."

Upon hearing these words, they both immediately began to beg. Their voices almost trembling with clear dread, one going as far as almost kneeling. "Sir, we are sorry, we didn't know..."

"Didn't know what? You thought me a fool right,? I give instructions and you choose not to follow them because I won't find out right? You chose not to exchange your weapons like the rest, good, then fighting me with your primary weapons, that you've practiced all this while, and mastered should be easy for you. Now attack or I will," Eli said to them his voice getting gritty and low like a rageful growl. The two knew there was no escaping what was about to occur and it terrified them. Eli was well known as one of if not the best practicing surgeon and plague doctor. Even unarmed he was still a force to recon with, far more terrifying than any monster the two had encountered leading to that point, the man had honed his hand to hand combat skills to such a degree it almost made no significant difference to fight him either way.

"Begin,"he said to them, the resident to his right wielding sickles while the other held two daggers. They had no choice, he was dead on fighting them. It was either fight back and get pummled or get pummled either way.

At once, they dashed for Eli who did not move a step foward or back. Their strategy seemed to be attacking at the same time, assuming he'd be unable to defend himself from both simultaneously. What they failed to account for was, he, was Eli Jones.

In a spur of a moment, he bent down throwing a right hook at the individual with sickles. The attack landed on his ribs and shook his left kidney, immediately Eli retracted the blow to the right digging his elbow into the dagger wielders side, a liver blow. This completely disoriented them both, the fight was done but Eli wasn't.

He proceeded to step on the knee of the sickle wielder forcing him to genuflect before swinging another right hook at his face. The lad dove to the ground completely disarmed and almost unconscious. The other one, still recuperating recieved a spin kick that sent him flying and sliding on the ground.

"Get up! Today you will learn respect!" He said aggressively, like a father penalising his child. The two groaned in pain, twitching like beheaded bodies on the verge of death. They thought him merciless, treating them like he would the actual enemy.

"Dr Jones, you're being requested for by the Chief Surgeon," came a voice to his right. It was a janitor. She wasn't surprised by the mangled mess that was two the residents lying on the ground. But why would she be, that was an everyday occurrence in that premise.

"Right away," responded Eli as he followed her, "Everyone in the arena, practice, I'll send a substitute teacher in a moment."

A short moment later, he was in the Dr Willems office seated down. The two were rather fond of each other. Not close friends but Eli had grown to respect and even care for Willem. This is especially due to similar views of matters like morality. Willem trusted Eli too, this led to him sending Eli on missions he would priorly go on himself.

"Dr Jones, I have a request," began Dr Willem almost smiling. Their relationship from the outside would seem one sided, Eli wasn't the kind to get excited about anything. In fact, in such instances he'd rather Willem just spill whatever he had to say at a go but he could not speak to such authority however he wanted .

"I'm listening,"

"Right, so I need you to escort quite a few people out the country," said Willem. He was slightly hesitantly from the way he said it as his demeanor changed. It was as if for a moment, Eli was the one wielding authority over him.

"Out the country? You mean..."

"Yes, I want you to escort some elves and orcs back to their home countries. Just past their boarders and leave them there," said Dr Willem. He was now as serious as he could be, slowly realising how grave the matter was even for for this trusted ally.

"But they're fugitives of war..." responded Eli, just as hesitant as Willem had been a short moment before.

"And you believe that?" Asked Willem staring into his comrades eyes.

"Who's coming with me?" Asked Eli. Immediately Willem smirked, all that while, though not entirely sure, he still had faith in him. He knew to trust Eli and clearly he was not at all wrong.

Back at the Glassman residence, Ayaan and Adele were having breakfast together. The soft hum of steam powered machinery filled the air, mingling with the warm comforting scent of freshly baked bread and pastries. The sisters sat at a small wrought iron table in a corner of their bustling bakery, steam curling lazily from their tea cups. The walls were adorned with brass pipes and gears, hissing faintly as they powered the ovens and mixers.

A large, ornate frame stood just a short distance away showing an array of their creations: golden loaves of bread, delicate pastries dusted with powdered sugar and towering cakes adorned with intricate frosting designs that gleamed under the warm glow of the gas lamps.

"I still can't believe they actually gave you lot a week long holiday, they always seemed so uptight," said Adele as she leaned back in her chair, her fingers idly tracing the rim of her teacup. Her dark curly hair was pinned up into a loose bun, a few strands escaping to frame her face. She wore a high-collared blouse with lace cuffs, paired with a long skirt and a leathered apron dusted with flour.

"Yeahh..." answered Ayaan hunched on her seat, her shoulders slumped as if carrying invisible weight. Her hair done just like her sister's and her eyes, usually bright and lively, were dull and downcast fixed on her teacup. The room felt heavy, air thick with the weight of her guilt.

"Its not everyone who pursues your line of work comes back home in one piece. Last week the Olsen's had to bury Andrea," said Adele her spirits slightly dimmed down. Her empathetic nature forced her not just look the part or act it but feel it too.

"Andrea?" Asked Ayaan, Andrea was her roommate. The girl who seemed to have been out and away the entire time Ayaan was in crisis was apparently no more, dead in her line of work.

"Yes, fortunately or not they brought her body back. I saw it, she'd been mummified, reduced to skin and bone, her eyes sunken deep into her sockets, her face frozen in time expressing the fear she felt in her last moments. I know its selfish but after seeing her, all I could think about was you. I prayed everyday for you to be okay, to be safe. And here you are, I couldn't be happier," said Adele as relief washed over her in waves. She had for a while imagined a hundred different and terrible accidents that would've consumed her sister yet, there she was safe and whole. The weight of those fears dissolved.

Ayaan stayed quiet, so many questions sparking in her head. Wondering how and why she received no news of her roommate's death prior to her sister informing her. Even though Andrea was no loved one, even a distant friend would be a stretch, she still thought it fair to know of her demise. For a moment she felt small and undeserving, she felt herself an entitled brat. Why would she who was still alive and kicking, cry so much about a mere discontinuation while her roommate lost her life, while her family had to cry from the loss of a child? When she was home safe and healthy with her sister.

"It wasn't just her but so many others...anyway, enough of all that death talk. I know you love what you do there, it's your calling and I know you're as good as they come at what you do. So I won't try to stop you from going anymore. I just want you to know that whatever happens, you are loved," added Adele smiling faintly staring at her baby sister. Ayaan stared back, the guilt still consuming her being. She wanted to tell her the truth so bad but at the same time the thought of being a disappointment was profuse.

"Ding! Ding!" Rang the bakery bell, a customer had approached to purchase some pastries. Adele swiftly got off her seat and dashed for the front frame ready to serve them.