A New Tale from the Shadowhunter Academy

5. Training

Every morning at the Academy started with a collective drill before breakfast, conducted by Delaney Scarsbury, who, Max was sure, acquired his training methods directly from the mundane barracks during World War I. The drill took place on a huge green outside. Nearly the whole student body was gathered already when Max and Alex arrived. Alex was silent and looked pale. He seemed to be nervous about their first lesson while Max was excited and couldn't wait to start. Obviously, he was not the only one. A few meters away he saw Cara, her feet on a fallen tree trunk, her hands on the ground, doing push-ups. Rafe sat a little bit apart from the others, his nose stuck in a book.

"Ok, assholes. Gather!" Scarsbury screamed at the students in a volume, as if to also wake up those, who were trained at their Institutes. "You may think that you already have what it takes to be a Shadowhunter, because you survived dinner last night. During the following term I'll demonstrate that you're a worthless bunch of rabbits. And rabbits flee. So we will start today with a nice parkour over the terrain. The route leads around the Academy along the lake to the forest and from there back here. Who returns last has to resettle the woodlouse clan from the teachers' bathroom. Go!"

All the students ran off simultaneously, being aware that the woodlice had the size of obese guinea pigs. And were carnivorous. Soon the mass split up in three groups: In front ran most of the native Shadowhunters and some of the higher grade Ascendees followed by a mixed group of every age, who seemed not to be to eager to exhaust themselves but still wanted to avoid the punishment. The last group consisted nearly exclusively of Ascendees with a few unhappy Shadowhunters. All of them were already gasping heavily. Among them Max discovered Alex. He had somehow fallen back far behind Max though they had started running next to each other.

During the run, Alex fell back more and more. He was visibly panting and stumbling every few steps. A few more minutes and he would be the one to clear the toilets, which was simply not fair! Alex may not be a good runner, but he had other talents. His knowledge of mundane technology was singular among Shadowhunters! And also among most mundanes, Max suspected. Anyway, Alex shouldn't be judged on the basis of something stupid like running skills.

Max slowed down until he was next to Alex. Then he tried to whisper as discreetly as possible while still being audible above the pounding around them: "Just run on, whatever happens. And try not to throw up."

Then he tried to cast a spell, which proved to be even more difficult than murmuring conspirative during a run. He needed to perform steady strokes with his hands and pronounce the correct enchantment precisely. Three times he failed and had to start again. He and Alex were at the very rear now, which had the advantage that nobody saw them disappear through a whirlwind of colors.

When they reappeared among the trees of the forest, Alex tripped over his own feet and pierced the mud with his nose. Max so desperately tried to suppress his giggles, he nearly choked on his own spittle. Alex staggered to his feed and mumbled while he wiped the mud from his face: "I feel like a Raum demon is tap-dancing in my stomach. What the hell has happened?!"

"We made it to the head of the crowd. Far ahead I daresay."

For a moment Alex's face continued to display its incomprehensive look. Then his eyes widened and he asked: "Did you just portal us? Where are we?" He looked around as if expecting to find himself on a deserted island in the Caribbean surrounded by cannibals.

"Never fear," Max replied. "I just sent us a few kilometers ahead, so we can have break and rejoin the runners, when they pass. Hear that? The first ones are nearing already."

He observed his fellow students approaching and grabbed Alex's hand to drag him along at right moment to secretly rejoin the squad. Alex still looked so bedraggled that Max would trust him to run in the opposite direction.