A Siren's Choice (Book One in A Siren's Series)

Chapter Thirteen: Beach Day

Lia

"Now everyone, get into position", shouts the instructor.

I watch from beside him as the students rush into their positions. Side by side they stand, a few meters distance in-between them. Subconsciously they all fall into their fighting stance, waiting patiently for their next instructions.

I study the young Sirens in front of me, all different sizes, builds, and appearances, some female and some male; all between the ages of eighteen and twenty one.

One of the students happen to be Proteus, who winks at me from his place in the line.

The instructor has been training the young Sirens as well as the warriors for many decades. He tells the students to go through their stretching exercises, like he always does before they start their actual training.

He walks up to every Siren individually to give them tips, all the while I follow along behind him, watching and learning.

After I had told Nathaniel what I had wanted to do, I confronted the instructor, who I know is thinking about retiring soon, and I had asked him if I could be his successor. 

He had said that he had been waiting for me to ask.

He told me that though I am a great fighter, and while that is well and truly good skill to have when wanting to train the young, and to lead as well as fight beside our island's warriors, he said I must know how to teach it; because everybody is different and everybody learns in different ways. 

So now, every training session for both the young Sirens and the warriors, I must shadow him, watch what he does and how he does it.

This is actually how Sirens tend to get their jobs on this island, not by getting a degree, but by shadowing the Siren that does the very job they want, and they will continue to do so until that Siren says they are deemed fit enough to have said job without any help.

My parents don't know yet, thankfully they have been too busy working to notice, and even too busy to pester me about applying to their company, but I know it's only a matter of time until they do.

Once they're all warmed up, the instructor has them split up into groups depending on their skill level when it comes to fighting. There are the beginners, the intermediate, the advanced and those that need help in either offence or defence.

We go around to each group, instructing them on what they must do. The instructor then asks for me to give them a demonstration. 

We then sit back and silently observe them as they train. If we think that any of the Sirens needs help, either the instructor or I will go over to them, and assist them.

We get them to run different exercises and try different combat moves in both offence and defence, with their wings in or out, before they perform the moves on a sparring partner. When the younger Sirens are exhausted, covered in sweat, the instructor tells them to do one lap inside the training facility before they can call it a day.

They all trudge out the door dripping sweat, muscles sore, some even look like they are about to pass out. 

Well, all except Proteus, who salutes me with his usual goofy grin before he marches out like he is a solider, causing me to shake my head and laugh at his antics.

I stay behind with the instructor to help tidy and clean up the equipment as well as to hear his feedback of what I'm doing right and what I need to improved.

After waving goodbye, I walk out of the training facility's glass doors. Today I feel like flying home, so I can get there faster. 

When I arrive mere minutes later, I jog inside the empty house and straight up the stairs, jumping right into my shower.