With my hands on my hips, I watched their chosen fighters join.
Madison cleared her throat. “I’m only going to go over the rules once, so everyone pay attention.” All the students moved in a little closer.
“Stay inside the circle, if you are pushed out, the match is paused until you step back in. If you are struck in the head and become dizzy or faint, the match will be stopped. If any bones are broken, the match will be stopped. The goal is to get your opponent in a killing position which will end the match. Harming isn’t what I’m looking for, but there are bound to be injuries. And lastly, no magic.” She gestured toward my blonde girl then to a Hesstian boy. “You two, left circle.” Next she chose a Collweyan versus a Hesstian boy. “You two, on the right.”
We all backed off to the sides to spectate. “Does anyone know her name?” I asked.
“It’s Lora,” said a red-headed boy with porcelain skin and brown eyes. He was on the shorter side but stout. “We’re from Arohem, your highness.”
Resting my hand on the hilt of my sword, I mused, “Warlord Athena Asger’s territory.” One of our top military and political leaders. The warlords in Delhoon shared power with my mother in making important decisions.
“Lora is Asger’s niece. She’s good.”
“I like our odds already,” I crooned. It made me even happier that we faced Hesstia first. My gaze drifted to Zyacus who watched his fighter intently, and I was reminded that he was more advanced than most fifth years. “Though we should not underestimate any of them. That would be a mistake.”
The ringing of swords, and shouts of encouragement filled the air. Lora had nimble feet and dodged everything he threw at her like a dance. Ching, clang, ping—their swords hit over and over until she dropped into a low squat, whacked him hard on the side of his knee and when it gave out on him, she kicked him in the face. With a glorious spray of blood from his mouth and nose, he fell back, smacking the ground with a thud. She stood over him with her sword point at his throat. “Welcome to the academy,” she said and the screams echoing from our side could probably be heard throughout the entire grounds. I liked this girl.
The next few rounds went by within a few minutes but then we had two boys, Collweyan and Hesstian, who seemed to meet their match. They were huffing, sweating, and shoulders had begun to sag as they slowly circled each other. These two had been fighting a good fifteen minutes, and Madison paused the rest of us to watch. Fifteen minutes in a fight felt like an eternity.
Aric shouted, “Find his weak spot!”
Glaring at his cousin, Zyacus yelled to his man, “He’s tired, and his left leg is hurt!”
I noted the limp in the Collweyan boy that Zyacus pointed out.
So far my Delhoon had won our matches, but soon that would change. Soon the others would catch up to us, Madison would make sure of it. She didn’t let anyone under her training slack off. I had yet to go, Zyacus faced off against a girl from Collweya and won too quickly. In three moves, I didn’t even get a chance to assess his skills. Aric hadn’t gone yet. I wondered if he was waiting to face me, but I didn’t think we’d get the chance this class. The hourglass on the nearby table was down to the end of its sand.
The Collweyan boy struck out and if I hadn’t been paying very close attention I wouldn’t have seen the push of magic the Hesstian boy used to knock his opponent’s sword aside and then took the advantage and thumped him on the forehead with the hilt of his own weapon. His skin split at the hairline and blood poured.
My jaw dropped and I wanted to scream out “cheater!” but my grandmother yelled, “Stop!” She rushed in, shoved the Hesstian cheater aside and grabbed the hurt boy’s face. With the snap of her fingers a clean cloth like the one I’d gotten from the infirmary, appeared in her hand and she pressed it against his wound. “Hold this.”
Madison turned and in one swift movement backhanded the cheater on the cheek. He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground, and after a moment to recover, he stood erect. The red mark on his face already welted.
Everyone grew silent as the grave while we watched what further punishment might be. “Don’t you ever cheat in my class again.” She glanced around at each of us. “Magic is a wonderful tool that in a real fight I encourage you to take advantage of but the rules of this class are to learn swordsmanship alone, without magic. If your magic is ever suppressed by a kirune weapon or manacle and you’ve always relied on it to win, you’d be in a world of trouble and it might even cost you your life.”
The Hesstian cheater bowed to Madison. “My apologies, Professor, it won’t happen again.”
She lifted her hand ever so slightly and the cheater boy levitated into the air, stiff like he’d become paralyzed. Fear flashed in his eyes as they grew wider.
“If you want further battle training with magic,” she said, without even looking at the fear struck boy, “from someone who’s killed hundreds. From someone who is cunning and lethal as the darkness itself, come find me after final classes today.” The boy dropped to the grass and he clumsily fell to his hand and knees. “Class dismissed.”
My grandmother liked to put on a show the first day, but this was the best I’d seen yet. My first year at the academy I wanted to take her up on that offer to learn her ways, but my mother forbade it. Not only because I wasn’t ready at such a young age but she didn’t like my grandmother’s underlying cruelty. She didn’t want me to become like her but without people like Madison, we wouldn’t have fared so well in the war.
Since I was no longer under my mother’s watchful eye, perhaps I could learn something from my grandmother other than the sword. Though Bindy would no doubt report on my every move. She sat with her eyes closed under a nearby tree, her back leaned up against the trunk. Anyone watching her would think she was asleep but I knew better.
Madison stood beside me. “We fought well today as I expected. I’m interested to see how you do against the princes but I will be choosing the matches tomorrow and you won’t be against either of them. You’re going to teach that Hesstian boy a lesson for cheating. He’s good but not on your level.”
I smiled. “Would love to.”
Madison started off and I touched her arm before she could go. “Could I train with you after classes?”
Her lavender eyes grew softer than usual. “Your mother won’t allow it and even if I am her mother, she is the queen and what she says goes.”
I sighed and said goodbye. My stomach growled and I was grateful lunch was being served next.
Chapter 10
During lunch break Taz and Legacy told me all about their classes and when they asked about the bandages on my arms, I had the best story to tell of the day so far. Their classes had been uneventful.
The rest of the day went by slowly. Each class had introductions and the professors told what to expect from them this year. Thankfully Professor Deg chose to ignore me rather than put me on the spot. Taz thought it was unusual. Maybe Deg didn’t want to start off at this academy as the most hated professor.
When classes ended for the day, I went to the Delhoon girls’ dormitories. Legacy was already in the common area lounging on a gray sofa, talking with someone I didn’t know. Across the room with another girl was Lora from Advanced Swords. I hadn’t had the chance to tell her how impressed I was with her match earlier so I made my way over.