Chapter 22: Chapter 22: THE GAME

Sagiri felt captain salka before he saw him. The man’s presence was always so domineering. He was even more feared than the discipline instructor. All the boys got into their most salute position, hands to their chest except of course Kaka, Kiuga and the instructors who were having a standoff. Sagiri was still in pain so he couldn’t move.Salka’s eyes swept the chaos, Sagiri almost unconscious and trembling, king Bami braced for a fight, instructors stiff with readiness, students white-faced and holding breath. Salka’s voice was deep, steady, impossible to disobey when he spoke.

“Cadet Kaka, stand down!” Kaka did not turn however because he was still watching his sides. Salka walked closer until his shadow fell over them. “I know you are not lying.” he added and the entire hall exhaled. “Now stand down all of you!” he repeated and everyone slowly fell into a salute stance, fists to chest, even the junior instructors. Kaka slowly, reluctantly, lowered his fists. The instructors visibly eased but stayed alert.

“All of you step out.”Salka continued, The room cleared in seconds leaving just the three boys, the junior instructors and Sagiri. who was now being held up by Lotaga who he hadn’t noticed was behind Salka. King Bami’s eyes flicked to Sagiri, and rage simmered behind his eyes. He was still angry at being accused.

“And cadet Kaka?” one instructor asked, carefully.

“He receives no punishment. He did not falsify his defense.” Captain Salka’s answer was firm, absolute. A ripple of shock passed through the hall. Salka turned his attention to Kiuga.

“You as well.” Kiuga saluted and bowed his head immediately.

“However,” Captain Salka continued, voice sharpening, “any further disobedience from any of you will result in consequences for your entire temporary units. This school does not reward unnecessary chaos. Kiuga and kaka you will stand on your hands till class begins for causing disturbance, junior instructors wait for me in the disciplinary room, in the central pentagon wing” Kaka and Kiuga accepted that with a stiff nod. Before they got on their hands, legs suspended in the air as if it was the easiest thing they had ever done. Without further undo captain salka hooked a hand around Sagiri’s waist and carried him like a bag.

“I thought you were only triggered at the sight of blood?” captain salka asked as he walked through several corridors. He didn’t seem to feel his weight at all as he walked at a normal pace. The pain in his skull had begun to dwindle but he was already tired again. The archive tied him out whenever it absorbed information just like the identity frame. The central wing was just as quietly busy as always with instructors going in and out. Captain Salka took him to the medical wing and Lotaga had disappeared midway.

“I am feeling better now” sagiri said but captain salka ignored him.

“What is wrong with you?” Captain salka asked one he dumped him on a medical bed beckoning a healer over to them. “Check him?” he said to the healer before his eyes now narrowed zeroed back on Sagiri waiting for an answer. Silence prevailed however as they watched the healer work and checked his pulse.

“He is healthy apart from his slightly faster than normal heartbeat.” the healer said, saluting slightly before leaving.

“That did not seem like nothing at all. Now speak and if you lie you are going to the suspension chamber.” Salka said eyes narrowed. Sagiri knew that if he told the truth he would be possibly going to put his life in danger. He did not know who to trust yet. And if he told lies he was going to the suspension chamber. If Kaka was ready to fight than go to the suspension chamber, then it must be a hellhole. He had already been punished twice and he did not want any more punishment. So he chose the middle, a polished lie that was partly true.

“You wont tell anyone.” he started and captain salka nodded after a while.

“If it is not something that is contagious or poses danger to the galka war academy then it’s fine. If it is then I will break you in half myself.” captain salka said and sagiri could only feel honesty. He seemed like the man who meant what he said and did not have time to sugarcoat or lie. He was neither sly or malicious. He was just deadly in battle. If Sagiri ever needed to have an ally by his side he could choose someone like him. He was someone who could be a good ally or the worst enemy, sagiri shattered remembering how quickly moved and killed. Definitely, the worst enemy one could possibly have.

“Now start talking.”

“Well its true blood triggers my headaches,” sagiri said. “But that is not the only thing, my brain just works faster than others and I can read what others read in weeks in just a day and remember all of it. Today I missed breakfast and I might have chewed more than I could swallow earlier on an empty stomach. When I ate, my memory of everything I read while I was hungry just started rewriting itself in my brain too quickly.” he finished and Salka’s expression had changed from that of anger to interest. It was a lie but it was the closest to the truth. He couldn’t possibly say. ’I have an archive inside of me that is hungry for knowledge and it absorbed an entire book while i passed out and it only started to rewrite them to memory after i ate and it hurts because there seemed to be a barrier in the archive’

“Interesting. Why do you want to keep that a secret?”

“People don’t like different people and me being an intruder has already caused too much hostility. “Sagiri said but he just did not want his benefactor to get wind of his abilities yet.

“They will eventually know. It is not something to hide if you are a genius.”

“I know, but…”

“Having a brain like that will be to your advantage, boy, it will even earn you respect, besides Galka is not short of geniuses, most will be satisfied to know that you earned the position because of your head and you are not completely useless.”

“Our boys are not just raised to be battle weapons, they love a challenge and you should make a few friends too. Now leave and don’t read more than your brain can handle again, I don’t want to keep babysitting you.” Salka added showing him to the door. “Your uniforms will be ready the day after tomorrow. Those clothes of yours are an eye sore” Salka said in disgust as sagiri walked out. He really hated his attire.

By the time sagiri got to the fourth year pentagon the 12 to 4 class had already started, it involved advanced tactics, team command, multi weapon theory and battle field simulations. They changed between the four depending on the day. Today was the team command unit and they were in the arena waiting for the team command instructor. Sagiri was only required to watch for this class to understand the rules so he could join in the next one. Most fourth year classes did not have theoretical units, most were practical. The instructor was dressed in a blue combat uniform and a blue overcoat. Her sash is gold-edged black for senior instructors. She is miss Lakiya saninka of the saninka clan of the Teshini tribe of the west.

“Move it penguins!” Miss Lakiya yelled, and students started to run laps around the arena. She looked like a model standing in the middle of the court with her PE costume. She could only be from the Teshini tribe and her figure was all too telling. The Teshini tribe of the west prided themselves on coming from a line of warriors. Even as Tagayia modernized most of them still joined military oriented schools and they prided themselves in being fit.

She was tall, standing at 1.82 meters. Her hair was cleanly shaven and in its place a tribal mark of an arrow was imprinted. In the middle of her forehead was a black circular shield branded into her skin. She was so beautiful that it made one want to take a knee and call her queen. It might have been so in the past that her tribe ruled the tribes of the west and if the world wasn’t modernizing she could be some kun or a chief’s wife.

(Kun_ A queen/ wife of a chief or Nginka)

Nginka_ Ruler of tribes_ they still held power in their respective tribes but they didn’t really hold power in the present world. Even so the have a say in the kaya

Kaya_ the traditional Parliament)

Miss Lakiya didn’t even wait for them to catch our breath after ten rounds before she split them into a game of hunters and prey. There was an evil glimmer in her eyes when she announced the game.

“Gather up into two teams. The class 4A, 4B and 4C will be the prey and class 4D and 4E will be the hunters.” Classes were split in four for lessons that required large spaces to be effective but almost all lessons were taught in none. She clapped her hands loudly. The voice echoed with command and the students cheered at the arrangement. She always loved the game of hunter and prey since she was from the western tribes. The western tribes however raised their daughters to be equal to their male counterparts unlike the north who raised men to be warriors and women to be docile. The best hunters became the queen or King. Strength mattered in the west, not gender. Unlike in the north where only strength mattered and only men fought. They however still prided in their women who only prided themselves in marrying and giving birth to the strongest men. It was also a known fact that Miss Lakiya always took every moment to assert her dominance above all men and she didn’t look like one who could cower. She always rose to the occasion if she sensed the chauvinistic bastards try to defy her. She was among the few female instructors in the Galka war school.

“May the game begin!”

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