Heaven/Hell

Training started almost immediately. They moved to a remote location just off the border of where the northwest region ends. Iridem got out their spare bows and arrows, spears, and any other weapons, while humans lent out their guns. The Iridem first started teaching the humans how to use a bow and arrow. Some of them caught on quick, like Benjamin, who got so excited he decided to practice on anything that moved. In turn, the humans taught the Iridem how to use a gun. Caelum and his sister, Aqua, also took the time to teach the humans and any interested Iridem how to utilize the forest to their advantage.

They wanted to do everything they could to stop Arrow.

Demetria took a break from practicing and grabbed a bottle of water from a cooler that Jeanette de la Cerda brought out from her parents' closet. She sat down against a tree and watched. Ares was hanging from a vine on a large tree and Aqua was yelling at him. Caelum and a few other Iridem were shooting bullets into a tree trunk, observed by Serena Valday.

"Wowie!" Benjamin plopped down next to her. "This is fun!" he exclaimed, giddily.

Demetria chuckled and rolled her eyes, handing him a bottle of water.

"What do you think he's doing over there?" Benjamin nodded his head and Demetria followed his gaze. Her eyes landed on Silva, who was crouched near the ground and talking deeply with a dark purple-skinned Iridem.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Probably something conniving."

"He's a scary dude, isn't he?"

Demetria snorted. "Tell me about it."

They both stood up and resumed their practice. Demetria had learned how to shoot a gun at a very young age. Her father taught her and Ares because they were in a foreign land and they had to know how to defend themselves.

She took a gun and started shooting at a tree trunk, making a nearly perfect vertical line.

"Try that with a bow and arrow," said a deep voice behind her. She spun around and Silva held a bow and arrow out to her. Demetria looked at it and then at Silva, who raised his eyebrows at her. She set the gun down and took the bow and arrow, placing it steady. Her eyes narrowed in on the holes made by the bullets.

"Focus," Silva said.

"I know, I got it," she snapped. She pulled back the arrow and released it. It missed the tree by an inch and landed in a bush behind it.

Silva smirked and Demetria felt smoke billowing out of her ears; he knew she would miss. She shoved the weapon into Silva's arms and stalked away towards any other human so that she wouldn't release her anger out on a temperamental Iridem.

Caelum helped her practice throwing a spear. She got it after the tenth time and she hit the tree right on target. Caelum grinned and gave her a high five that almost knocked her to the ground.

By the end of the night, everyone was exhausted from all the training. Silva gave everyone a talk about how they would all wake up early in the morning and do more training. People groaned and sighed and Silva almost scared everyone half to death by telling them that would be dead if they didn't take this seriously. Demetria only half-paid attention to him. By the time he finished, she picked up a bow and arrow and moved away from the others, finding a tree to use.

Just as she pulled her arm back, she heard a, "Your stance is all wrong," and let go, causing the arrow to fall to the ground.

She groaned.

"Silva, go away," she said, picking up the arrow. Silva glanced behind him and then back at her. He moved around so that he was in her line of vision.

"I am trying to help you, Demetria," he said.

"I don't need your help." She recoiled her arm with the bow and arrow set and suddenly, Silva appeared behind her. He pulled her upper body up and pushed her shoulders back.

"Now do it," he said. Demetria let go of the arrow and it hit the tree, dead center. She was unamused. Silva's lips pulled into a smile and he said, "See?"

"Wow, thank you," she glared. Silva chuckled.

"I can see why you despise me so much."

"Oh, really? You choking me half to death better be the reason," she said, getting another arrow and shooting it again. It landed on the ground. Demetria huffed.

Silva looked down at the ground and Demetria sat down, taking a large gulp from her water bottle.

"I was raised to trust my instinct," Silva said. "When the first humans arrived, my instinct told me that they were only here to kill us, and I was right, so I killed them. Then that woman was sent here and she convinced my people that they were only coming to help us, not to hurt us. I did not believe her so I tried to kill her, but my own father told me to give them a chance. So, I did when you came along," he looked at her and Demetria had a sudden feeling that he meant just her, not the Pioneers or the Human X. "All these operations are hurting us."

"I know," she nodded. "That's why we're here to help you."

"I know that now," Silva agreed. "I hope you will find it in you to understand where I am coming from."

Demetria looked at him. "I may be human, but my home is this planet. I'm not native to Earth. I know exactly where you're coming from, Silva."

"I am aware of that now, Demetria."

Demetria's eyes locked with his and looked away suddenly, feeling an unknown emotion in the pit of her stomach. She stood up, practicing again. Silva approached her and from behind, he placed his hands on her arms and straightened her up and pushed her shoulders back.

"Like this," he murmured, slowly letting go. Demetria let go of the arrow and it landed an inch beneath the other one.

"Thanks," Demetria breathed, stepping forward. Silva smirked behind her and she felt his breath in her hair.

"Of course," he replied, stepping back and causing her to jump from the sudden coldness beside her. She turned around and watched him retreat back to others.

She exhaled and pulled the arrow back on her bow, contorting her body the way Silva showed her and she let go of the arrow; it landed beneath the second one, forming a perfect vertical line, similar to the one she made with the bullets.

Demetria sighed.

"Well, okay then," she said, unable to get Silva's image out of her head.