All That Glitters (Leon)

glimmer

even angels have their wicked schemes
so maybe i'm a masochist

Glimmer walked quietly to the Trident Station, taking deep breaths in and out as she rubbed her knuckles. They were sore, red and bruised from the Hand to Hand Combat station and they were starting to hurt like hell. But the day wasn't even close to being over. She was determined to keep training and use the day to its fullest capacity. She looked around the Training Floor, noticing the other trainees busying themselves at their chosen station. She scanned them, looking for one that was empty. She preferred to keep her training in solitary. Quiet with no distractions. At least, until Leon arrived. She waited impatiently for him, but she didn't want to waste any time. The Games were hers this year, and they were swiftly approaching. She couldn't be seen dawdling while she waited for her Mentor to arrive. No, she was better than that. She was smarter than that.

To her left, she saw one of the newer stations the District had only just installed; the Trident Station had been untouched. She'd never used a trident before. Raising an eyebrow, Glimmer approached the station with curiosity. Judging from the shape of the trident alone, she knew that the head of the spear-like weapon would be much, much heavier. She probably shouldn't be twirling it around like her sais as much as she would have liked. It wasn't a defensive weapon at all. Glimmer pursed her lips as she approached, zipping through all the information she knew. It would be heavy. But if she learned how to use it and did it well, she could be lethal.

The Trident that caught her eye was silver, much like her favourite pair of sais she had tucked underneath her pillow in her bedroom. It glistened in the light as she walked towards it. It looked heavy. And sharp. She kept her eyes on the three tips of the trident, being able to tell from that distance that they were indeed very sharp; much sharper than she anticipated a training weapon would be. Well, they were in the Career Academy after all, and they were all expendable. She would have to be careful not to injure herself - or others if they decided to show up at the station. Glimmer braced herself, wrapping not one but two strong hands along the metal shaft and gripping it tightly before giving it a pull. She frowned when it didn't budge. It was a lot heavier than she thought. With a groan and a heave, she pulled it out of the stand and set it down on the ground by her feet. With another deep breath, she lifted up the trident and held it horizontally, balanced in her hands as she took a few seconds to hold it still and get used to the weight. When she was ready, she furrowed her brow and tossed it an inch in the air, letting out a gasp as she caught it again. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Slowly, she let go of the trident with one hand and gripped it with as much force as she could muster with the other. It wasn't so bad. She could still hold it with one hand. And if she could hold it, that meant that she could kill someone with it.

Glimmer slowly walked towards the set of wooden dummies and targets, making the effort to keep her shoulders in line as she walked. She made her way to a wooden dummy first. She set the trident on the floor, sliding it towards the dummy to get a feeling for the distance it could reach. Glimmer grinned. It was a fantastic short ranged weapon and she was planning to learn how to throw it a little later. But for now, the dummy was her target. Picking up the trident again, she got into a fighting stance and held it with both hands. She tried holding it in different positions until she finally settled on keeping it close to her at her torso. Taking in a deep breath, she narrowed her eyes and focused on her target; the wooden dummy that was standing about five feet away from her. Glimmer tried to keep fluidity in her movements, but she knew it wouldn't be perfect the first time. She raised the trident and aligned it with her cheek bones before lunging towards the dummy and extending her arms forward. The trident pierced the wood, looking like at least a few inches deep from Glimmer's point of view. She lifted the trident and pointed it upwards, the wooden dummy accompanying it, before she flipped it mid-air and brought it down head first with a loud thud.

Glimmer followed the trident back to the dummy. She stepped on its torso and pulled out the trident, grinning at her first efforts. She stood the dummy up on its base and stepped back, trying it again only this time she used her other foot and arm to lead. She set the dummy up once more and checked the marks. Her second efforts were much more centered, and she felt that the motions were a lot smoother than her first try. Glimmer nodded, pleased at the progress as she stepped back and struck at the dummy again. This time, it was centered perfectly in the middle of its torso. She struck it again and led with the opposite foot and was more than pleased when the triple spears landed in the exact same spots as before. She felt confident now, and the trident didn't seem as heavy in her hands.

She took a step back and stared at the weapon, mesmerized by the beauty of the deadliness it represented. She let out a deep breath and, minding her surroundings (especially her toes), she started twirling it in the air. It was slow at first, keeping it in front of her as she watched the metal glint in the light. The whirring went faster and faster and a few minutes later, Glimmer was twirling the triple headed spear all around her, switching hands back and forth and spinning the trident in circles around her and above her. She could easily be cover herself from short ranged attacks this way. She smiled, admiring the trident as she spun it around her. Suddenly the base of the shaft hit the floor with a clang, and Glimmer stumbled trying to keep it spinning. She cursed but kept it under control, slowing it to a stop. It was a beautiful weapon, but she knew now that if she lost focus for even a moment, it could betray her and cost her life.

Glimmer let the trident rest on the floor as she held it beside her, wiping sweat off her forehead with the back of her other hand. She was tired, but she couldn't stop now. She had one more thing she wanted to do at the station. She glanced over at the targets and zeroed in on the red circles drawn on the chests. She was standing about fifteen feet away. Dare she try and hit them from here? She looked to her left and right to make sure there was no traffic. No one approaching. Perfect. She lifted up the trident in her right hand, holding it over her shoulder. With a grunt, she took a few steps towards the targets for momentum before throwing it with all her might. It whirred in the air for a few moments before piercing the target. Glimmer frowned when she saw where it landed, right at where a human waist would be. It was good, but not good enough. She was better than that. Not wanting to waste time, Glimmer grabbed another spear from the rack. It was heavier this time, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She threw it again, with more force and elevation this time. She watched it in the air. A second later, it had pierced its target, the middle spear going straight through the center of the red circle. Glimmer let out a deep breath, a fire slowly burning in the pit of her stomach. Momentarily, it made it all the way to her chest. She was beginning to feel like she would be ready when she hit the arena.