Chapter 7 #2
We walk hand in hand to the training fields.
Jayden is quietly brooding the entire way.
Without Raven nearby, the dryads don’t bother us on the path.
It’s quiet with only the sounds of the forest meeting my ears.
The birds chirping and singing in the tall trees relax something inside me.
It’s safe. We’re protected but we have no idea how long that will actually last.
The clank of metal clashing and grunts grow louder the closer we get to the training fields. I push through the brush and into the clearing and stop in my tracks. The line is still drawn in the sand.
The advanced training grounds are filled with Ares, Hermes, and Hephaestus students while the others are cramped at the other end of the clearing in a group.
“What in Hades is this?” I ask. “They’re still separating themselves? I thought I made it clear there would be groups formed for them?”
“They don’t have their groups yet.” Raven jogs over to me. “We need to assess their skills before we can put them into groups. That way the groups aren’t stacked one way or another.”
“We can’t assess the Ares or Athena students with the current groups because they are off-balance,” I point out.
Ares and Athena need to battle each other in training to get an accurate representation of their skills and they can do that the way things currently sit. These assholes are still testing me with this bullshit.
“I get what you’re saying.” Raven nods. “The Ares are going to win every sparring match against the others in their group. Athena students may have it a little tougher having Apollo in their group but that’s still not a good representation of their skills.”
“No, the only way to find out who are the best is to compete against the best. Not take the easy way out and stick to your damn cliques.” I ball my hands into fists at my sides.
“I’m so tired having to babysit these idiots,” Raven grumbles. “What do you want to do?”
“Round everyone up,” I say. “We’re changing the game. They don’t understand the assignment. I’ll make them understand.”
Raven’s whistle cuts through the clanking of metal and grates on my ears but it’s necessary. All heads turn in our direction, and I wave them over to where we’re watching.
“Seriously? Are all your brains filled with rocks or are you just willfully ignorant to what I said yesterday?” I ask.
No one utters a word as they glance around at their friends, shrugging like they have no clue what’s going on. I guess willful ignorance it is. Hades, would they just grow the hell up already?
“All of Ares, Athena, and Apollo students, go to the advanced training field,” I yell.
“What?” several people gasp at the same time.
The Athena girl, Sara, steps forward. “We were breaking up to help those with no battle magic or skills. It just so happened that the groups split the way they did.”
“Thank you, but I want the best of you helping those who don’t have that experience and we can’t find out who of you are the best unless you compete against each other.” I nod.
“That’s very wise,” she agrees.
“The rest of you need the basics before you start with sparring and weapons. For now, Dax and Adrian will be testing strength and endurance.” I wave them off.
Draven jogs over. “I’ll help Dax and Adrian.”
“Thank you.”
The groups break off to do as I asked and Raven, Jayden, and I follow the warrior students to the advanced training grounds. The Ares students group together with ten feet of space between them and the Athena and Apollo students.
“All right. We’re going to pair up but I swear to the gods if these pairings aren’t made based on skill level, I’m going to zap you.” My magic crackles at my fingertips, begging me to use it.
The Ares guys shuffle on their feet, nervously glancing between themselves like they have no idea what to do.
“Hey, morons, get moving. You each need to spar with a student that’s not your damn brother,” Raven snaps.
Sara glances at me before going and grabbing one of the Ares guys and pulling him into the center of one of the rings. “Weapon of choice?”
“Battle ax,” the Ares guy grunts.
“Typical Ares going for the most cumbersome weapons to fight someone half your size. You don’t realize how much a giant battle ax will slow you down.” Sara rolls her eyes.
“We won’t be using weapons for this round,” I say. “Hand to hand only.”
Sara nods and crouches in a fighting stance.
Raven’s brother shoots a pleading glance my way but I shake my head.
I need to see their hand-to-hand skills first and foremost. Ares’ battle magic allows his children to be masters at any weapon they wield.
It has made several of them complacent when it comes to actual fighting without weapons.
“Beth, with all due respect, I don’t need hand-to-hand combat. I can pull weapons from the ether so I am never without a weapon,” he says.
“Shut the fuck up, Jackson,” Raven barks. “You need the practice. You all do. You have become dependent on weapons instead of using your bodies as weapons.”
“Why would I want to use my body as a weapon against monsters with sharp teeth and claws?” Jackson asks.
“Because we won’t just be going against monsters but our own people. Other students who left the academy to do their parents’ bidding or those possibly being controlled. Do you want to kill another demigod?” I ask.
“Well, no, but this is war and that might be a necessary consequence.” Jackson shrugs.
“To mitigate those risks we will be using less deadly force against the demigods, but that means everyone needs to practice hand to hand. Get started.” I clap my hands and step back from the ring.
Sara rolls her shoulders back. She impressed me calling Jackson out about his use of a huge battle ax against someone half his size who is probably already faster than he is without him wielding a weapon that will in fact slow him down further.
Sara and Jackson circle each other, watching for any sign of an attack by their opponent. Jackson flinches left and swings with his right, telegraphing his movement a second before he makes it.
Sara is observant and spins to the right past his wild swing instead of flinching left and right into the path of his left fist that’s poised and ready to attack.
She’s smart not allowing him to box her in.
She gets behind him and delivers a solid punch to his kidney.
Jackson grunts and spins but Sara is already dancing away, giggling.
“What’s the matter, Jackson? Did you think it would be easy to take me down?” Sara taunts him. “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t mean I don’t have skills.”
“It’s not because you’re a girl,” he spits back. “I have a sister who’s an absolute badass.”
“Damn straight,” Raven yells.
“First point to Sara for the first blood,” I say. “Let’s keep it going. I don’t have time to watch everyone all day.”
Sara is fast and agile. She runs circles around Jackson using his own size against him as she escapes his fists at every turn.
“Time,” I call. “This is good information to have. Sara, I want you to help Chiron with training. You will be helping the Ares brothers learn to fight someone smaller and faster than them.”
“You got it. I would love to help them with their hand-to-hand skills.” Sara’s chest puffs up with the assignment.
“You guys will have one session a day and the rest of the time you help the others with strength and endurance until we get back and can assess the situation further.” I nod to Raven and Jayden.
“Beth.” Kira’s scream is piercing.
I whirl around to the sound of her scream to find Adrian on the ground. His eyes are unblinking but his body is convulsing. Shit. I glance at Raven before transporting to our seer friend. White foam drips from his mouth as he appears to be having some kind of seizure.
“What the hell is happening to him?”