For the first time in months, Vayu had slept soundly, no nightmares, no restless thoughts just deep undisturbed sleep. When he finally woke, the sun was already high, streaming through the wooden slats of his window.
His body felt light, refreshed too refreshed, his eyes widened as realization struck he was late!
Throwing on his training clothes in a rush, he sprinted toward the training grounds. By the time he arrived, the open field was already filled with the sounds of clashing weapons and focused shouts.
A total of nineteen students were in his batch, students were grouped into four parts
Trainees – Those who are still under fifteen and learning the basics, and are not abide by any duties.
Guards – Those who have just reached fifteen and are now eligible for the guard duties as they first step to work for the village
Challengers – The group consist of people aged between sixteen to twenty, those who train to compete in the Annual Competition, that was still eight months away. The winner would earn the privilege of being trained directly by one of the village elders.
And finally, The Hunters – The elite fighters of the village, those who had defeated one of the existing hunters in combat, because the number of hunters was limited ,so only the fittest were allowed to be the hunters.
As he made his way to the changing area, he took a moment to observe his classmates, something he hadn't done in a long time. Usually, he arrived before everyone else completing his physical training and fighting the imaginary foe in his mind, preparing himself for the fear that waited beyond the boundary. But today, as he stood among them, he saw how much they had improved, but he had improved too.
Their stances were stronger, their movements sharper, he noticed subtle improvements in their techniques the way some of them adjusted their grips, the way they pivoted on their feet more efficiently. They had all been growing, just as he had but watching others learning, he observed many new things, and saw different way to approach things, that a with just the gripping style of the weapon you can guess the type of attack, how to fluidly moved from attack to defense just by changing your center of gravity and stance.
But to them, Vayu was just slacking off, they were used to watch him arrive early, sitting alone, lost in thought. They assumed he wasn't training like the rest of them, because not everyone can become a hunter, nor everyone wanted to become one, but there was one thing that was common, everyone tried to become a hunter, and in their eyes Vayu was not even trying to become a hunter he was slacking off and that made many of his classmates as well as many challengers angry with him.
But the fun part was, Vayu was not even aware of it he was too busy himself.
No one acknowledged his arrival, No one cared that he was late, Everything was normal, but Vayu felt something was but didn't paid much attention to it and started to stretch himself, being ready for the run, as they lived in mountains, stamina was important not just for training but for others things too like running uphill and downhill helps a lot in improvement of leg muscles as well as teaches you about how to control your bodies center of gravity and positioning.
As he completed his run ,Vayu barely had time to catch his breath before a voice called out across the training field.
"Look who finally decided to show up!"
Aspen stood out among the trainees, he was 15 fifteen but he was already as tall as a full-grown man, his broad shoulders and muscular frame making him look older than he was, his short dark brown hair, and his feral eyes held hunger for battle, for challenge. He was the grandson of the Third Elder, Unlike most who trained to protect the village, Aspen trained simply because he loved the fight he thrived in combat, relishing every sparring match as if it were life and death. Defeat only fueled his desire to grow stronger, and victory only made him seek an even greater challenge.
His fighting style was raw, aggressive which matched his personality unlike others he used small axes that fitted his hands instead of daggers. To him, Vayu was the worst kind of human who was not even trying to try become a hunter and simply gave up, to Aspen someone like Vayu didn't belong on the same training ground as him. Aspen folded his arms across his chest, his gaze darkening with disdain.
"Tch… pathetic."
"Did you oversleep because you were so exhausted from all your mental training?" he sneered, a few of his classmates chuckled. Vayu ignored the remark, He wasn't interested in pointless exchanges, without turning around Vayu started walking towards the mental training area, readying himself for training.
"Why bother showing up? You're not even aiming to be a Hunter?" someone said and a few heads turned toward them, waiting to see how Vayu would react, still he said nothing.
"COWARD "said Aspen.
Before the conversation could escalate, someone arrived and a sudden silence fell over the training ground. It was Shen.
Shen, the youngest ever to win the Challenger Competition, as he won the 2nd elder took him in under his wing. At just sixteen, he had already surpassed many seasoned fighters, his talent and skill undeniable, his reputation was unmatched.
His long, dark hair flowed freely, a face that was calm, almost unreadable. His slender build made him appear less imposing than some of the bulkier fighters, but that was a illusion, a deadly trap. His sharp, wise eyes held the weight of experience far beyond his years, always watching, always calculating, he was not what he seemed.
Those who underestimated him based on his appearance had all learned the hard way that Shen was not just a fighter, he was a predator because the last competition results were nothing but shocking to everyone. He was like a wolf in sheep's skin.
But his legacy was not just his own, Shen was the son of the last Captain of the Hunters a man who gave his life saving a comrade when their squad was ambushed by wolves in the dead of night. His father's sacrifice had left a permanent mark on him. He carried the weight of that legacy with quiet determination, vowing to reach higher heights then his father.
He walked toward the training grounds alongside his younger sister Mei.
"Something is wrong with this family" Vayu thought.
A prodigy in her own right, while Shen look disciplined and composed, Mei was fiery and relentless, she had a small hair and bright eyes she looked like a energetic bunny.
This year, everyone knew the competition would come down to two names, Aspen and Mei.
As he approached, Shen barely spared Vayu a glance, to him Vayu was insignificant as everyone present their, he was here just to send his siter off, he turned around and left.