Chapter 9 This Is Why We Fight #3
I felt Reece’s side glances like they were burning a hole through my leather.
I ignored her and tightened the straps on my jerkin, ensuring a tight fit across my chest. It covered my upper body with a lightweight material and was unlike any training gear I’d used before.
It was sleek and dyed black, with metal buckles and plates riveted to the leather.
It blended seamlessly into the bracers, also made of leather and metal, and tightly fitted to my forearms.
I pulled my black boots over the thick leather pants and heard Reece slam her locker.
“You’re the one who caught Isabella.”
I stood up and met her intensity. Reece had medium-length brown hair, an accent so thick I almost couldn’t understand her, and cold brown eyes. We’d only spoken a few times, and she made no indication she would have if she’d not been forced to.
“I saw you on the cliffside. How did you do it?” she asked, her thick lashes narrowed.
A flash of Isabella hanging there, about to fall, caused a sharp pain to shoot through my chest.
“I don’t know,” I said, turning to my locker and shutting it.
“It seemed as if you were cheating,” she said, her French accent coming out as she glared at me.
I took a deep breath before turning.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, moving past her.
Riya stepped out from the opposite side of the lockers, dressed head to toe in her gear. She looked fierce with her long dark hair braided and was fixed on Reece.
“Seriously, Reece, how could she have been cheating? You saw it yourself, didn’t you?” Riya said.
Reece didn’t say anything but scoffed, turned on her heel and headed out into the training hall.
I gave Riya a quick smile.
“I thought that was pretty badass,” Riya said. “I have no idea how you did it but thank goodness you did.”
Isabella came around the corner, a bright smile on her face. She paused when she saw us. “What? Did I miss something?”
I quickly shook my head. “Come on, let’s go.”
The other Initiates from our group were already out on the mats.
Griffin Hall was the Initiate’s training hall.
There were skylights in the ceiling, and the walls were made of solid stone.
Four tapestries hung several stories high: one with the white wings of a pegasus spread wide, one with the raven soaring through the air, one with the dragon, its fangs bared, and one with the symbol of all three designed within the Nightfall emblem.
The walls were adorned with weapons, and the scent of leather and oil was strong.
Ornate armor stands were placed throughout the room with intricately made chest pieces in both leather and steel.
At the center, there was ample space with tatami mats for sparring, and tall, fluted columns cordoned off the entire training area.
One of the instructors, an awakened member of Nightfall, was waiting for us as we filtered into the hall.
His torso was covered by a heavily plated leather cuirass that exposed his muscled shoulders and biceps.
His forearms were covered in long leather gloves with buckles and straps binding various weapons to his armor.
A raised emblem of the Nightfall crest embossed the metal on his back.
“Everyone should find a place on the mats and begin stretching. The Aurkai leading your class should be here soon,” he said.
Isabella, Riya, and I found a section opposite Reece and the other Initiates in the class.
“Yo, Riya,” Eli called, coming out of the guy’s locker room.
She raised her hand in the air. Eli was perhaps the most relatable of all the new Initiates.
He had a witty sense of humor and never missed a beat.
Ji-Han followed him out, and they joined us.
They looked sharp in their gear, and it was clear they were fit and chosen for this class for a reason. My heart started pumping harder.
“Who’s ready to spar?” I asked.
Eli fired a smirk. “You’re on, Wonder Woman.”
I side-eyed him. No one seemed willing to let it go that I’d caught Isabella on the cliffside. It was incredible, but it was due to the circumstances. I was in a life or death situation, and it either pushes you to your limit and you fail, or you exceed that limit.
I exceeded the limit. Wasn’t that the entire point of training?
I wanted to spar with either Eli or Ji-Han.
Ji-Han was a highly skilled 4th dan black belt in Taekwondo.
I’d only reached 1st dan in the time I practiced it.
I enjoyed the form of Taekwondo, but I missed the style I was most used to—Derrick’s unique blend of European Sword fighting combined with martial arts techniques.
The doors burst open, snapping all of our heads toward the entrance.
A tall man with sandy blond hair came into the training hall.
He had a scar on his right cheek. It was thick and must have once been a serious wound.
He was in full armor, but it looked different from our training gear.
A smooth, white leather cuirass with fitted silver plates that contoured his body looked like flexible, yet sturdy gear.
It complemented the silver gauntlets and protective skirts of the cuirass to protect the thighs without restricting his movement.
Leather shoulder guards with silver rivets to strengthen them were fitted onto the cuirass and over full leather armguards.
His pants were made of the same leather with metal guards built in above the white leather boots.
He could’ve been a knight from another era.
A long broadsword was in its sheath, strapped to his back.
Emblazoned across his metal chest plate was a pegasus.
“Wow,” Riya whispered.
I had to agree with her. I’d never seen such quality armor.
“He’s so hot,” Isabella said, grabbing my hand.
I hummed under my breath and shook my head. Okay, he was very good-looking, but this was one of the Aurkai. Still, he did only appear to be a few years older than us.
“Good afternoon,” he said, walking into the room.
“Oh my god,” Isabella mouthed. “Even his voice is sexy!”
She was about to make me blush, and all I wanted to do was spar with him.
“My name is Caelan,” he said, his voice loud enough for the entire hall to hear.
“I will be your primary instructor. I will teach you the basics, ensure you are advancing as you should, and see to it that you are all ready for the next level when you become an Adept.
I know you are all ready for sparring, and we will get to it, but first, I want to cover some basics.
Many of you have some background in defensive training, and given the wide spectrum of your skillsets, today will be about assessing your current abilities.
Raicanya is more involved than anything you have trained in before, but a lot of the basic principles still apply.
“Raicanya relies heavily on muscle memory, so we will be doing drills—lots of them. This trains your body and mind to react before you have time to think. To be the best, you must stay alive. Drop your guard, and someone with a tenth of your skill could take you out,” he said.
“And what is it that we must be well-trained for exactly?” Reece asked.
Caelan neared her, his sword pointing at her neck in a matter of seconds.
Reece didn’t move but stood frozen in fear by the swift action.
“Nightfall does not stay hidden because its people are weak. It remains hidden because we are strong. Some of our best carry out stealth missions you could not fathom,” he said, returning the blade to its sheath and turning his attention to the group.
“However, regardless of your path here at Nightfall, all of you are here seeking power in some form, and with that power comes responsibility—a responsibility to defend yourself. Many would see this place destroyed or take what is ours. They may capture you, torture you, and it will test every limit you have. Your goal is to not get captured,” he said.
“What do you mean we have enemies?” Eli asked, his voice an octave higher than usual.
Caelan turned his icy blue gaze on Eli. “To exist is to have enemies.”
He turned sharply, his hands behind his back. “Now. We aren’t going to waste anymore time—form pairs. We will not waste time with basic drills. Recruits are not chosen without basic fighting skills. Even more, your group was chosen because you are beyond that. Today, we spar.”
Isabella and I glanced at one another. She gave me a swift nod.
“You two,” he called, pointing at Isabella and me. “Choose your weapons.”
My muscles tensed, squeezing adrenaline through my veins.
The weapons racks held several styles of swords, some of which I didn’t recognize.
All were in mint condition. I moved from one sword to the next, taking in their exquisite detail.
I stopped. This one was the one: a sabre with a long, thin steel blade, a slim hilt, and minimal handguard.
Exactly my style. It had a bright emerald set into the hilt's pommel. My eyes narrowed as I scanned the blade. Touching the edge with my finger, a thin line of red appeared, and my gaze flicked to the instructor’s.
“We do not train with dull weapons,” he said. “I will step in should the need arise.”
My hands shook as I held the blade, unsure if I could spar with a sharp blade against Isabella.
“Come on, Anna,” she called, already at the center of the mat. She had a small smirk, and a wave of calm came over me.
This was Isabella. We didn’t have to try to take each other out.
I walked to the center of the mat, the sword hilt in my grasp.
“Stances,” Caelan called.