Horsewhip

"Let's just say my human friend over there is a witcher freak, you can say he's one of the biggest fan of the witchers," he replied nudging his head at a human boy who was standing with another human boy from a close distance as they talked about a book the elf's friend was holding.

"Hmm," Luisa responded ignoring the boy as her eyes went back to the book she was holding.

"What is a petite girl like you doing in a place like this, is it true that-"

"Get lost!" Luisa cuts him off and walked a little bit away from her previous position.

The elf boy grinned, she was petite but sassy indeed, he moved closer to her.

"Maybe that was a wrong start, my name's Heron. What's yours?" he asked.

"Go away and leave me alone," Luisa replied softly as her attention was already captured by the drawing of the medallion, her eyes went to look at Zeke, he really had it on and so as the other witchers, in fact now that she thought of it, all witchers did have it on.

It was a flat and round object made from silver and it had the witchers symbol on it and it was attached to a silver necklace.

"I won't leave you alone, we are the only elves here so as the same kind wouldn't it be best if we get to know each other better," the elf boy continued to bug her. Her eyes glared at him but as much as she didn't want any friendship with him, he was awfully right.

"Luisa," she finally told him and he smiled.

"I heard you volunteered, is it true?" he asked and she nodded.

"You are really brave," he responded with admiration.

"What about you?" she asked him

"Well law of surprise, when your parent don't have anything to use in paying a witcher, they give you off as payment," he antand they both chuckled softly.

"Did your parents approve of you volunteering?" he asked and she halted in her movements, he noticed it.

"They are no more," she replied before she continued with what she was doing.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"No need for you to apologize," she replied. 'It's not your fault but the vampire's,' she thought.

"Senior Witcher Zeke...Is it true that witchers live longer than most of the other creatures?" asked the boy standing with the elf's friend excitedly. It seems as if they were having an argument about the issue.

"Yes, as long as you don't get your ass killed by the monsters, you are good to go. Just look at me I'm over seventy," Zeke chuckled.

'Wow, and he looked as if he was in his late twenties,' Luisa thought.

Everyday was a usual routine over and over again. She got better and her knowledge improved, soon she will be out there implementing the things she's been taught.

Yet, it felt as if nothing changed. She was even more tormented and tortured by the memory of the night her life changed both physically and even in her dreams, the screams, the gore. Her hate for the vampires grew as she grew up rapidly.

***

Years later...

"Arghhh..." a male voice growled as his sword clashes with Luisa's. They have entered the second stage of their training, which was to test and improve their physical capabilities.

Just weeks ago they had started training with swords and now they were instructed to spar with one another, today was Luisa's turn and she was sparring with the vampire, Gideon.

Not all of them were able to move to the next stage, two of them weren't able to, now they were eight in number. One died due to the punishments he was given for slacking while the other that could endure the punishments still remained in the first stage due to his incompetence no matter how hard he tried.

Luisa has grown taller, she still had a petite figure but taller and beautiful to behold even at that young age of fourteen. She had cut her long blonde hair to shoulder length.

Gideon bared his fangs at her, his red eyes blazed at the elf girl, instead of striking fear into her, he just reminded her so much about what the vampires did to her parents and clan.

They let go of each other and began walking in circles, the other cautious of each other's moves.

"Is that really all you've got?" she asked infuriating the vampire even more. He launched at her and she used her sword to block the attack.

Their swords continued to clashed until hers slashed his right arm. He eyed the injury and Luisa just smirked victoriously happy she finally got him.

In anger he took advantage of his vampire speed and knocked her out across the room, her body clashed against the wall.

"Luisa?" Heron rushed to where she was. He helped her to stand up, her hand went to the blood that gushed out of her mouth and nose. Gideon smirked at her making her to clenched her teeth in anger.

She was about to retaliate when Zeke's voice stopped her.

"Enough!" he ordered.

"That was a foul" Heron defended Luisa.

"What's so foul about it?" Gideon smirked.

"You were to use just your sword, nobody was allowed to engage in direct combat," Heron continued.

"Says who?" Gideon replied.

"Says me," Zeke interfered. "And for what you have done you'll spend two days in the dungeon without food or water," he added.

"What? You can't do that to me because of this outcast!" Gideon responded angrily. Outcast as he always called her, because she was a girl not just any girl but an elf girl in the place met for men.

The dungeon was no place to go, it was like hell it self.

"Say that again?!" Zeke dared him and Gideon grunted.

"Outca-" Zeke hit the words out of his mouth, Gideon staggered backwards due to the impact.

"Lock him up!" Zeke ordered again and Gideon was taken away by some young witchers. Zeke's golden eyes trailed on Luisa and she stared back.

"Everybody! Get ready for your next task," he announced.

They all walked out of the sparring room to another room, where they met stones set in place on a burning coal for them. They all stood behind one each.

"You all see the stone in front of you?! You're going to hit it until it breaks," Zeke instructed.

"Huh?"

"What?"

They all had a puzzled look on their faces. The so-called stone looked more like a rock it will be impossible to break it, due to the fire from the coal it was now very hot.

"You heard me right and you won't stop until it breaks, let's see how long you can endure pain, you will hit it until you become as unshakable as the stone. Begin!" Zeke continued.

Lately, their training had become intense, they were given less food and medical attention, they actually ate training for breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner, going days without food and yet they say; 'You haven't seen any thing yet!'

"Why aren't you hitting yours Luisa, the horsewhip in our hands are not for fancy," Zeke warned and that was when she finally noticed that Zeke and the other witchers were holding the horsewhip again.

She didn't want to be whipped with that again, she hasn't recovered from the last time that thing touched her skin and she has got the mark to prove it.

She began to hit hers, the pain and heat of it surged through her knuckles and nerves but she just couldn't stop, it was better to endure the pain from hitting the stone than to endure the pain from the horsewhip.

They continued to hit the stones nonstop, hours passed and they were still hitting the stones, their knuckles had become bloody tainting the stone with blood, most of them had reached their limits and some were now receiving horsewhips for pausing.

Heron wasn't spared as well, "Stop! Please stop," Luisa cried when the whipping had become too much for a human boy.

"Why? You want to take the whipping for him sweetheart?" asked in a sardonic tone, the witcher who was whipping the human boy.

"Stop!' Zeke commented.

The boy had already collapsed from the whipping.

"All of you...Leave?" Zeke said and all of them let out sighs of relieve.

"(To the other witchers)...Including you guys, we shall continue tomorrow," Zeke added.

"Should we take him to the infirmary?" one of the witchers asked, referring to the collapsed boy.

Zeke stared at the boy uncaring, "Take him to his cot,"

"What? He needs to go to the infirmary, just look at him," Luisa responded.

"Let's just go Luisa," Heron tried to convince her, but she was as stubborn and unrelenting as always.

"He would be fine!" Zeke replied.

"Now leave!" He ordered. Everyone began to troop out until..."Luisa, except you." Zeke said and she halted.

Her hands clenched, 'What does he want now?'

...