03 Training

The students were assigned bunks the first night of being summoned. While beds were being built the slept on makeshift beds of blankets wrapped around sweet hay in a common room together.

Teen boys and teen girls usually slept separately in their own world were forced together in this one. The group had over a hundred students.

Several cliches formed with groups of five to ten teens sleeping together. Teen girls on one side of the room furthest from the door. Teen boys closer to the to the door took furtive looks at the girls.

Wow we're sleeping in the same room with girls they thought and quietly discussed this among themselves.

After a not so restive night from the excitement of a big sleepover they were separated again going with different instructors to learn swordplay, archery, magic arts of life and healing.

For Bobby, one of the few recognized as tankers they went to shield arts learning to use a shield offensively. Sheila the shield maiden was their instructor. Abe was her young assistant.

Konigsdottir and several boys were sent to learn spear arts with a grizzled old dwarf named Bu Li.

Growing up in the Great Forest surrounding North Sylvania Konigsdottir was used to carrying a steel tipped walking around her travels growing up. Using the steel point on rocky slopes and checking depth while crossing streams.

However, her new spear was longer, heavier and denser with a leaf shaped broadhead tip and a cross guard a foot behind the edge. "Like the boar hunting spears the Sylvans used in the Great Forest" thought Konigsdottir.

Bu Li was a bully when it came to instruction. He started with giving his students backpacks full of sand along with water skins, their spears and had them run for five kilometers everyday. Since the most activity they did before being summoned was playing online chess his students collapsed daily.

Konigsdottir, however, was the exception. In no time flat this fact was found out by Bu Li. He replaced her sand with iron filings. When she still topped in performance, Bu Li added a second backpack.

Konigsdottir's father, Mr. Konig, had physically trained her and her best friend Mike together since they were toddlers. Thinking of Mike Konigsdottir nearly wished he was here with her. His fierce competitive nature made her try her best. Being better than chess players was hardly an achievement.

***

After two brief weeks of physical training Bu Li announced them ready for a combat trial against actual demons.

The demons were small creatures imbued with demonic essence. Such as bats, cats and cattle slightly demonified were brought to the kingdoms training arena.

The sword class slew a demon cat brilliantly but had difficulty with the bats and cattle. As each class took to the ring Konigsdottir predicted the outcome of each class's engagement.

She was one hundred percent accurate in her assessments. The key to success would be to mix at least two of each class in a group. Two archers, two magicians, two sword and board or two spear men in each group should do nicely.

Melee fighters at point or rearguard with archers providing mid ranged attacks before magicians long range area of effects.

After two days the students were weak and exhausted. A week of relaxing and enjoyable entertainment followed to build up their morale before the long journey began.