Chapter 19 Mock Exams - Part 1
In the early hours of the morning (4 A.M), a large group of knights could be seen making their way towards the lower regions, in lines of three.
Looking at them, Landon couldn't believe how much they had improved by. Their muscles were bulging and they had much more discipline and strength compared to their previous appearances. They all had upright postures, sturdy physiques and unfaltering determination.
Little Momo was the only one that didn't have that robust physique, afterall he was still a child. Nonetheless, he had all the other qualities instilled into him, so he wasn't very lacking as a soldier. He seemed more mature and had looked very confident for his age.
As the group moved, their footsteps were so light that one would think they were assassins and not knights. Landon had taught them the importance of camouflage and giving the enemy the element of surprise.
In this era, knights fought proudly and with honor... liked to show off their flashy moves to prove that they were powerful. They thought sneaking around was an act of cowardice and showed lack of strength.
But Landon disagreed. In war, finding the easiest and safest way to eliminate your opponent while protecting your comrades, showed true strength. The less casualties produced, the better.
Infact, Landon had taught them how to set up Booby traps and come up with different war strategies. He especially taught them how to knock someone out by hitting all their pressure points, especially the back of their necks.
Since swords weren't allowed in the first phase of the exams, they would have to use their hands and their brains. Hence, he taught them basic martial arts and self-defense tactics.
Two weeks prior to the military Exam, Landon had located three mini hills that were far away from the farmlands or any of the estates. Each hill was surrounded by trees and a lot of bushes, making it perfect for camouflage and traps.some parts even had sand pits, while others had little streams that obviously led to the sea. It was perfect.
Landon had given each team a mini hill as their base and told them to build their own base wooden sheds and booby traps for the upcoming exam.
Although he didn't tell them the nature of the exam, they immediately understood that each team would face each other in the upcoming exams. So they started preparing for the exam.
Once they arrived, Landon looked at the men lined up in rows of 3 and was very pleased. They now looked and acted like the soldiers back on earth.
"There will be two phases for the exam: Phase 1 will include stratergy and enemy infiltration, while phase 2 will be on swordsmanship. Today we will only focus on phase 1, while tomorrow will be on phase 2". Landon said.
While he spoke Commander Lucius and butler Nathan placed boxes in front of each team.
"The boxes in front of you contain each teams headband,ropes and flags. Josh's team will wear the red headbands, Mark's team would use the yellow headbands and Gary's team will use the purple headbands. There are also 50 pieces of rope in each box for tying up prisoners..... Each team should have 5 flags that have the same color as the team's headbands.....Your headbands can be worn on your heads, wrists, arms and even on your legs....wear them anywhere you'd like....Now, put on your headbands!!!!"
The team captain's quickly carried their boxes and distributed each headpiece swiftly. Landon was impressed. The men didn't break up their lines and just waited for their team Captain's to give them the headbands. Some put them on their legs, others on their waist, arms, and so on. No one put them on their heads. Landon smirked. They were smart.
These so call headbands were just pieces of clothes cut from very old peasant clothes.
Once Landon saw that they were done, he continued.
"Tonight each team should come up with its offensive and defensive sides. Your goal is to gather at least 1 enemy flag or at least 50 enemy headbands. I will not give any advice or aid on how to hide your flags or engage in this battle. DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND!!!!!"
They hurriedly gave a military salute and yelled out: "SIR, YES SIR"
"Good.... During the battle, Cammander Lucius and myself will be moving between each camps to observe you all from the shadows. And at the end of the exam, everyone will all be graded." Lanon replied
Once they heard what Landon said, they were filled with more determination to prove themselves.
"Here are the rules for the battle: The use of weapons like swords or blade's is prohibited, only martial arts or self-defense tactics can be used to disarm your enemies. Finally, Knocking your enemies out is also not allowed."
They all listened carefully as they didn't want to miss any major details.
"Those who loose their headbands will be considered as dead.....If you are captured and your headband is taken from you, you are considered dead....If you loose your headband by accident, you will also be considered as dead. Once dead, you cannot and should not continue with the battle. Aiding your team after pronounced dead is a serious crime in today's battle."
He looked at them and released a cold aura which made their spines shiver.
"Anyone who disobeys these rules will get a month worth of intense punishment at the end of the exam....You will also not rank up as a soldier for the time being. Hence do not disobey orders.... Afterall, Dead men tell no tales and should not affect the battle in any way.
Everyone felt as if the headbands given to them, had the same worth as a mountain of gold. They secretly asked themselves whether the position they placed the headbands were secure enough and well hidden from their enemies.
"One more thing, the duration of the exam is 2 hours...Once the time is up, even if the you haven't succeeded in the exam, you are all to assemble back here immediately. Failure to do so will also result in a week punishment for all soldiers, Irrespective of what team you belong to."
They were shocked. So if some one in another team was late, then they too would get punished?
Infact Landon did this to ensure team work with his knights. He wanted all of them to be their brothers keepers, or so to speak.
"Good luck men, You Exam starts now!!!!" Landon said