Chapter 22 #2
Thankfully, they made it in time, their cohort only just gathering around the arena.
Thea’s body was already taut with anticipation.
Since that initial demonstration, she had sparred with a range of partners besides Kipp and Cal, and from each of them, she had learned something new.
Over the weeks, she had memorised the rules of engagement, and following Hawthorne’s advice, had experimented with how to break them.
She had noticed a change in herself. Not only was she physically stronger and faster than before, but she was also more confident.
That initial fear of being overpowered had faded and while she was what Torj called a ‘scrappy’ fighter, she could hold her own against most. Thea relished the physicality of close combat, the impact of the blocks and blows, the ringing in her ears from the clash of steel and the weight of a shield on her arm.
And so when Vernich the Bloodletter walked into the arena, she did not fear him.
But she should have.
The older Warsword was in a foul temper already, she could tell by his clenched jaw and the narrowing of his eyes as he surveyed them.
‘Pair up,’ he barked.
As always, the instruction caused a second of hesitation in their trio, but Thea relented and turned to find herself another partner. Lachin was one of the few shieldbearers left without an opponent and so, reluctantly, Thea approached him.
He looked around in genuine surprise. ‘Really?’
‘We’re both out of options, it seems,’ she replied. She hadn’t sparred with him before, always lumping him in with Seb, whom she did her best to avoid. Because of that, she expected some nasty comment or objection, but he merely shrugged and tossed her a training sword.
‘Alright then,’ he said, planting his feet apart. ‘When you’re ready.’
‘I’m ready,’ Thea told him and launched into an attack.
She had learned that most of her fellow shieldbearers expected her to hesitate or take her time, and so she did neither of these things.
More often than not, she was the first to strike, and typically it was this tactic that caught her opponent off guard.
Not this opponent.
Lachin was ready. He deflected the first thrust of her practice sword and delivered a powerful blow of his own. Thea didn’t know how old Lachin was, or how long he’d been training at Thezmarr, but from the way he moved she guessed it was a damn sight longer than her.
But it didn’t intimidate her. She was stronger and faster than she’d ever been, and she had an edge that no one knew about - she always fought like her fate depended on it, because it did.
And so she advanced without pause, throwing a high, horizontal cut from her strong side to Lachin’s weak side, his wooden blade looping around to meet her own with a strong, two-handed strike. The impact vibrated up Thea’s arms and she grinned. She lived for this, for the challenge, for the fight.
Lachin was grinning too. ‘You’re better than before.’
‘I know,’ Thea replied, slicing again.
This time, he nearly failed to block – nearly , before striking again.
‘You didn’t want to use a shield?’ Lachin joked.
And Thea suddenly realised that he was joking, not mocking… Something had shifted in the dynamic.
She flashed him another grin. ‘Don’t need one with you.’
Lachin snorted and attempted an upward cut with the back edge of his blade, but she deflected it, cutting him off and managing to momentarily hook his blade under hers, drawing it down as she delivered a swift kick to his exposed side.
He grunted at the impact.
Thea drew back and circled him. ‘Tired yet?’ she teased.
‘You’re dreaming —’
‘ You fucking useless idiot! ’ Vernich’s bellow echoed across the entire arena, bringing everyone’s sparring to a standstill. The sound of a fist cracking bone followed his words.
Thea froze, exchanging a look of alarm with her opponent. Panic latched its claws into her heart as she scanned the shieldbearer pairs, dread sinking in her gut. She spotted the Warsword’s hulking frame almost immediately.
He stood towering over Kipp, who was clutching his bleeding face, doubled over.
Thea’s throat constricted, and she thought she might choke.
Vernich crowded her friend, his face flushed, his lip curled in a snarl. ‘You can barely hold a sword, you pathetic piece of shit.’
Cal took a step forward. ‘Sir, it was my —’
But Vernich grabbed the front of his shirt in his fist and threw him backwards with enough force that he barrelled into several shieldbearers behind him.
‘Stay out of it,’ Vernich growled, advancing once more on Kipp.
Thea’s breathing became quick and shallow, her hands suddenly shaking at her sides. He couldn’t do this, could he? None of the other commanders or masters had laid a hand on the shieldbearers.
Vernich struck Kipp again, sending him sprawling in the dirt with a moan.
Thea’s feet were moving before she had time to think, blood roaring in her ears, spots floating in her vision.
Sensing her movement, Vernich whirled around, his eyes locking on hers. Thea flinched at the hatred she saw there, fear clenched its fist around her.
‘You…’ Vernich spat, taking a step towards her, casting his shadow over her. ‘You’re just as worthless as he is. What were they thinking, letting a woman into the guild?’
Behind him, Cal had rushed to Kipp’s side, and was struggling to get him to his feet, all the while staring at Thea in horror.
‘Let this be a lesson to you all,’ Vernich shouted to the rest of them. ‘Don’t go where you don’t belong.’
Thea couldn’t feel her fingers or toes, feeling smothered as Vernich closed the gap between them.
‘You wanted to be one of us?’ he said, quietly this time. ‘Then show us how much.’
Thea fought to keep her panic under control again, her chest tightening by the second. She could hear the scrape of Kipp’s boots in the dirt as Cal dragged him upright. She could hear the laboured sounds of his breath, could smell the metallic tang of the blood that leaked from his mouth.
She lifted her gaze to Vernich’s and waited.
‘You are to deliver his punishment,’ the Warsword ordered. ‘Three blows.’
Thea stared at him, suddenly desperate to believe that someone would step in at any moment.
Vernich gave a nasty smile. ‘If the blows aren’t enough, the humiliation will be.’
Thea allowed herself a glance at Kipp. He was hanging in Cal’s arms, one of his eyes was swollen shut but he still met her gaze and tried to nod, to give her permission for the brutality that was asked of her.
‘No.’
Vernich folded his arms over his chest and loomed over her. ‘What did you say?’
Thea forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat and lift her chin. ‘No,’ she repeated.
‘I wasn’t asking.’ Vernich’s voice was laced with violence.
Thea unclenched her jaw. ‘I said no.’
Vernich’s hand flew out, grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and shoving her towards Kipp and Cal.
She stumbled, but kept herself on her feet, despite her knees buckling.
‘Then you’ll be punished alongside him,’ Vernich roared, his face reddening again. He whirled to the crowd and pointed at Sebastos Barlowe. ‘You,’ he commanded. ‘You do it. Three blows a piece. If they’re not on the ground crying for their mothers by the end...’ He didn’t need to finish his threat.
Seb, however, needed no incentive to take part in something so vile. As he stalked towards Thea, the expression splitting his face was one of triumph, of sadistic joy.
Standing before her, Seb cracked his knuckles menacingly, but she refused to flinch.
This is going to hurt , she told herself, but I won’t give him the satisfaction. I will stay on my feet. I will not cry.
Thea was mid-breath when his fist collided with her gut, sending her reeling backwards, snatching all the air from her lungs.
Pain barrelled into her, her hands clutching her stomach as she gasped desperately.
Coughing and spluttering, her eyes streamed, but she forced herself to straighten, meeting Seb’s satisfied gaze defiantly.
She couldn’t speak, but she let her eyes say what she knew would pierce his fragile ego.
Is that the best you’ve got? she taunted.
Thea saw the second hit coming, but it made no difference. There was no way to brace herself against the impact, no way to lessen the pain or the panic that came with having the air knocked out of her so soon after the first.
She doubled over, a ragged wheeze escaping her as her insides spasmed.
Intense pain burst through her midsection, almost forcing her stomach up through her throat.
Nausea followed and Thea’s legs threatened to give out from under her, but sheer willpower forced her upright once again.
Her vision blurred this time and she could feel saliva hanging from her mouth, but she remained unbroken.
The final blow caught her off guard. This time, Seb’s fist struck her on the side, the sharp agony sending her sprawling across the dirt. But this pain had been different, not only for its location, but…
Thea’s shirt was wet.
Looking down, she saw red leaking from her side.
‘You bastard!’ someone shouted, and Thea looked up in time to see a flash of silver between Seb’s knuckles before it disappeared into his pocket.
‘He fucking stabbed her!’ cried someone else.
But Thea was too battered to register what he’d done to her. She cared about one thing. It didn’t matter that her eyes were streaming, or that she had spit on her chin.
If they’re not on the ground crying for their mothers by the end…
With those words ringing in her head, clutching her bleeding side and choking down the need to vomit, Althea Nine Lives got to her feet.
‘Can’t even beat a girl, Seb,’ she wheezed, spitting blood on the ground.
Humiliation and fury blazing in his eyes, he launched himself at her.
Only to be sent flying back into the dirt.
‘What in the realms is going on here?’ Torj the Bear Slayer bellowed, his gaze shooting to Vernich in disbelief.