“What was… what?”
“You. I’ve never heard you stutter before.”
“I didn’t stutter,” I retort. “And even if I did, that doesn’t mean anything. I might’ve been the stuttering type on earth. I had a whole life before we met, you know.”
“Yes, we all had. So was there someone on Earth that made you stutter like Athalia?”
“Why are you saying her name like that?”
Mila waggles her eyebrows suggestively. “Oh come on, she’s cute. If I was over Jacob, I’d totally hit on her.”
I shrug. “I didn’t notice.”
“Alright, be that way.” She gestures in the direction of our village. “I’m heading home. You coming?”
“No, Gabriel is holding a training session that I want to attend.”
“Alright, suit yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow for the raid.”
“Sounds good.”
Mila waves as she bounces away, her pink hair dancing in the breeze. “Byeee.”
I wish I knew her secret for being so cheery. The only thing that puts me in a good mood like that is killing demons but the raid isn’t until tomorrow. At least I have training to look forward to. Hacking at one of my classmates until they bleed might not be a healthy way to cope but that’s my therapy. If they wanted me to deal with my feelings better, they should send up some psychiatrists from Earth instead of only recruiting warriors.
Chapter Three
While there are more students at the Colosseum than I can count, the training sessions manage to be small and intimate groups. Most of the time, I know everyone practicing with me. Not just that, I know their strengths, their weapons, their weaknesses. It takes away some of the authenticity of real combat but it adds to the challenge. Whether it’s a girl or a guy I’m up against, defeating someone by exploiting their flaws and figuring out their idiosyncrasies is just what I live for. Maybe it’s bad to derive so much pleasure from fighting and battling but if I didn’t find the enjoyment in it, this existence would be torture.
“Hey, Kian. Lasse,” I greet my two friends. As usual, they arrived at the Ruins before me. Surrounded by forest and with the remnants of a watchtower, it’s not hard to guess where this training field got its name.
“Kassandra!” Kian grins, swinging his two swords up to rest them on his shoulders. He cut himself so many times practising that move but he swears the ladies and the lads dig it.
I’m not so sure but luckily, he doesn’t listen to me.
I greet both the guys with our secret handshake. I’m sure some students think it’s lame but there are plenty of Shapeling demons out there and if it comes down to it, I want to be sure which duplicate to kill.
“What’s up!” Lasse calls. He jabs his trident down into the soil, making it stand upright. A neat trick that’s much harder to replicate with my sword.
“Looking good, boys,” I compliment, gesturing to their brand new breastplates. They’re so new, they don’t have a single scratch on them yet. “Matching ones?”
“Aye,” Kian replies. “As one of the only sets of twins around, we have to show off.”
Lasse nods, his curly hair bouncing up and down. “For sure. We’re special.”
I roll my eyes and give him a friendly shove. “Oh, you two are special, all right.”
“Hey, come on. We are special,” Kian insists.
“I know,” I admit reluctantly. Even if I wanted to deny it, I can’t. Given how celestial offspring comes about, it’s incredibly rare to have an Earth sibling that has the blood too.
Before the two can brag more about the rarity, I spot the teacher emerging from the forest. Dressed in his signature white armor, Gabriel certainly knows how to impress.
“One day, I’m going to be the same rank as him,” Kian whispers, the admiration clear in his voice. He shuffles forward, his back straightened to make a good impression.
It’s adorable how he wants to put a good foot forward with Gabriel but I understand it. There aren’t many instructors as capable or skilled as he is.
Me, the twins, and the other nine students quickly gather around him, ready for his instructions.
“Morning all. Today, we’re building upon the last lesson and practising close combat. To mix things up, I’m picking the pairings.”
A collective gasp runs through the group, the excitement building up already and for good reason. The duels that Gabriel arranges are always the most interesting, often for unexpected reasons.
He points at two of the students, pairing up people as he wants. Eventually, he comes to me.
“Kassandra and… Hmm, let’s put you with Kian. You two go first.”
“Sweet,” my friend exclaims, his hands still holding his swords on his shoulders. He swings the blades down and joins me as we break away from the group.
“I hope you like the infirmary,” I tease.
“Please, you know you can’t win,” he counters, swinging up both his swords and holding them in position.
I pause. “Really? Are we pretending you know how to dual wield? I know you do it to psych your opponents out but that doesn’t work on me. Dual wielding is freaking hard.”
Kian scoffs but sheats the sword in his left hand. As much as he wishes he could, he just doesn’t have the dexterity.
Unfortunately, neither do I. When I hold two swords, there’s just a disconnect between my two hands and more often than not, I end up losing focus. It’s much better to have one sword and use my free hand to aid my balance or reach for a dagger if necessary.
We position opposite of each other, keeping enough distance that we’re both out of reach. Kian’s sword is slightly longer than mine but I know I can make up that difference with speed.
I adjust my grip on the sword, letting the handle roll back and forth to adjust the feel in my palm. Even though I sleep with the weapon next to my bed, the cold steel feels foreign and slightly clunky. It always takes a moment to warm up and get used to the weight of the blade.
“Ready?” Gabriel asks, checking in with both of us.
Kian nods, his eyebrows knitting together as he gets serious. Even if it’s a practice fight, the pain and defeat is still real.
“Ready,” I confirm, my hands getting clammy as I tighten them. It’s always so tense right before the first hit. My first nerves make themselves known but it won’t be until Kian’s blade comes at me that the real adrenaline will kick in. The tension hangs in the air as we both gather a breath, wondering who will strike first. I can feel the eyes of our classmates on me, their attention still sharp since it’s the first fight.
I shift my weight to give more momentum to my swing, hoping I’ll have the element of surprise on my side. Kian is my friend but right now, he’s also my enemy. He has a weak knee from an injury on Earth so that’s where I’ll concentrate my attacks.
My sword sings as it cleaves through the air towards Kian’s head. The sun reflects in the metal now that it’s still clean. When it gets coated with blood, it loses its beautiful sheen.
My friend dodges to the side, exposing his knee. Not waiting to let him regain his composure, I jolt forward. His own sword flies up to meet mine and the metals shriek as they collide, the sound assaulting my ears. I used to play games back on Earth but there’s so much more to a fight than just making little animated puppets attack each other.
The feel of sweat gathering under my armour, the exhaustion in my arms even after one swing, the breathing of my enemy. When I’m engaged in combat, the world around me disappears and I can’t focus on anything else but the sword that’s hurling at me, desperate to strike.
I manage to push Kian back and rejoice at the seconds of respite. It’s barely enough to catch my breath but I can’t hesitate or falter. One moment, one breath, if I’m only one blink of an eye too slow, it’s all over.
Kian tenses, just like he always does before he attacks and I brace for the shock. Even though I know it’s coming, the sudden collision still takes me off guard and I
stumble back, trying to regain my composure. My arms tingle from the hit while my blade hums. The hard dirt of the Ruins is uneven and remnants of some kind of crop make it a tricky terrain to keep on my feet.
I find a flat piece and dig my feet down, pleased to have found some steady footing. Panting, I wipe the sweat off my forehead and lift my sword back into the air, glaring at my enemy. His new breastplate is taunting me, challenging me to strike but I know better. My sword won’t make it through the reinforced leather. The astrallum is supposed to stand up against a demon’s claw and those are just as strong as our weapons. If I’m lucky, it’ll bruise him but it’ll also open myself up for a counter attack.
“Already tired?” he taunts, his own forehead glistening too.
“Yes. Tired of you,” I call back, charging forward. It’s dangerous and reckless to take too many risks but my energy levels are already falling and I haven’t even put a single scratch on him. That’s all going to change now. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that a good fight is a quick fight. Maybe that’s not what’s celebrated in the Arena but in a real battle, it’s the best I can hope for.
The sun glints in the tip of my blade, the sharp edge a slightly different shade than the rest of the sword. The muscles in my arm tense, ready to deliver what I hope will be the finishing blow. I can see Kian moving to deflect but he’s not fast enough and I stab him right under his ribs. My sword bows as it makes a slight dent in the hardened leather and I relax my arm to absorb the shock, letting the tension travel down my body and into the ground. As expected, it’s not enough to pierce through his armour but even astrallum studded leather can’t stop the impact of my blow. Before he can counter attack, I kick his bad knee as hard as I can and he sinks down, his weapon falling from his hand.
This is it.
I lunge forward, my arm trembling as I swing my sword towards him. The blade cuts through the air but instead of meeting Kian’s throat, it’s stopped mid-air by a small dagger. The force sends a shock through both our bodies and Kian’s hand shakes as he parries my final attack. He pushes my sword back and sweeps his leg, catching me behind my ankle.
I stumble back into a hard chunk of frozen mud and lose my footing. My sword clatters to the ground as I try to catch myself. As I smack into the dirt, Kian jumps on top of me and pins me down, the tip of his blade right in my face. “Surrender?”
“Surrender,” I grunt, annoyed that he managed to take me off guard. I knew my last attack was risky and I should’ve remembered the extra dagger he carries in his boot.
Kian gets off of me and holds out his hand to pull me up. We both groan in pain as we get up and have to dust the dirt off our clothes. As I pick up my sword, I notice the pain on Kian’s face. I hate that I caused it but we all know the consequences of holding back. I don’t do him or anyone else a favour by not giving it my all. If we’re not prepared to suffer, we’re no match for the demons.
As I catch my breath, faint applause reaches my ears and some of the ringing disappears. As the haze of adrenaline wears off, my tunnel vision pulls back and the world opens up again.
“You alright?” I ask.
“You got my bad knee.”
“I know. Sorry…”
He grins as he puts his own sword away. “No hard feelings. I was aiming for your left side.”
We chuckle together as I dust him off and try to slow my breathing. Even a short spar like this will leave me breathless and I’ll feel the strain in my body tomorrow.
Gabriel steps forward and pats us both on the back. “Well done, you two. Kassandra, great utilisation of his weak spot but reckless.”
I nod. “Understood.”
“Kian, excellent usage of your secondary weapon. You really turned that around at the last minute. A great lesson for you all to remember. It’s not over until it’s over.”
My friend nods. “Yes, sir.”
“Are you still doing special exercises for your knee? You should talk to your mentor and see if you can get custom knee guards while you train. Alright? Okay, go stretch. Next up… Lasse and… Victoria. Let’s do a battle of the lances.”
While the other two get in position, Kian and I peel away to get some stretching done. There’s a lovely spot in the sun which gives us a great view of the other battling students while we can talk and relax.
Kian groans as he sits down and pulls his breastplate off. He turns my way, his shirt pulled up slightly so he can show me the forming bruise. “Oof, that’ll hurt for a bit. You got me good.”
I shake out my arms to relieve the stress from my muscles. “That last hit of yours was really powerful. That almost got me.”
“What’s the score?”
“Umm… I think it’s two in your favour. Three now that you’ve won.”
“It was really close. I guess I’ll have to train hard so I can beat you again next time,” he grins as he stretches his bad leg. “Hey, Lasse and I are going to Eden later for a drink. Want to join?”
The invitation is tempting and I do love a good drink but there’s something else playing on my mind. With a smile, I examine my sword and decline.
“You sure?” Kian asks.
“Yes, I’ve got an errand to run. I’ll see you at the raid.”
“You’re already done with stretching?”
I know I’m cutting it short but it’ll be fine. It’s not like it’ll kill me to skip my stretches once.
With a grin, I tuck my sword away in the sheath on my lower back and set in motion. There’s someone I want to see.
Chapter Four
The only thing that’s vastly different from Earth is distance. While traveling used to be tedious and bothersome, here in the Realm it’s a breeze. Everything is always the perfect distance away, not too close and not too far.
Slightly jogging, I leave the ruined watchtower behind me and after just a short run, the landscape has changed. The open field with dense forestry around it is all the way back and I’m surrounded by tall mountains with the golden roof of the Colosseum just in view. It always happens so gradually, I never notice the change until it has happened. The many mysteries of the Realm.
I follow a small stream down the valley but instead of turning towards the academy, I choose a different path that leads me to a village covered with ash, soot, and metal. The sharp scent of heavenly fire can be smelled the moment I set foot in the territory but by the time I’ve made it to the Forges, I’m used to it.
Ignoring the overwhelming heat from the roaring furnaces, I step into the building and scan the room for Athalia. Between the large anvils with various tools, and the many weapons they produce, it’s hard to find anything or anyone here.
I spot someone near one of the weapon racks with their back turned towards me. That looks like the girl I met earlier.
As I approach her, the figure turns around and disappointment flickers through me. That’s not her.
The other apprentice waves at me. “Hey, you need any repairs?”
I move back. “No, no, I’m good. I don’t need any—”
I bump into a body and quickly spin around, facing the girl I was looking for. She’s standing so close to me, I can count the freckles around her nose.
Athalia smiles, her freckles dancing. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
I’m breathless. Why am I breathless?
“Are you here for that maintenance after all?” she asks, stepping back and allowing me to breath.
“Uummm… Sure.” I reach for my sword and pull it out of the sheath. The metal shimmers red in the presence of the heavenly fire but even I can tell there’s nothing wrong with it.
Athalia frowns. “Hmmm… So what seems to be the problem?”
“I, well, ummm… No problem, just wanted to get it sharpened. I have a raid tomorrow,” I explained, hoping she didn’t realise I was just here to see her.
“Alright, I can clean her up.” She holds out her hand. “May I?”
“Okay, but… careful,” I warn her
as I hand over my sword. I don’t usually like other people touching my weapon but there’s something about her that makes me trust her. Maybe it’s the way she’s handling the sword or the vibe I get from her, but she looks like she understands my attachment to it.
Every weapon has a soul. Blades sing and spears quiver, axes groan and shields moan. They have memories of the blood that they spilled, of the sweat that coated them, of the lives they took. They’re not just things or tools, they are companions. At least, that’s how I feel about them.
Athalia hums as she examines the blade with a sharp eye. “The edge looks pretty good to me so it shouldn’t take too long.”
“Oh, that’s a relief. I wouldn’t want to go on my raid without my own sword. I hate loaning out a weapon.”
An understanding smile stretches across Athalia’s face. “I understand. Taking a weapon from the armory feels like wearing someone else’s shoes.”
I stare at her, flabbergasted by the accuracy of her description. “Exactly.”
She chuckles softly. “Swing by first thing tomorrow and I’ll have your blade all ready and sharp. I have a lot of other work to do but I think I can fit it in.”
“Really?”
“I’ll work through the night… for you,” she says, winking as she finishes her sentence.
Is she flirting with me? It sounded flirty.
Do I reciprocate? I’m not sure if I want to but… I’m not sure if I don’t want to either.
I manage somewhat of a smile. “Thanks, that’s very kind of you.”
“It’s not entirely selfish,” she admits, her smile growing. “Maybe I’m doing it so I can see you again.”
That was definitely flirting.
My answer comes before I can think it through. “Maybe you are.”
Maybe you are? What a stupid answer is that? That doesn’t even make sense.
Despite my idiotic reply, Athalia laughs. “Okay then. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Starlight & Shadows: A Limited Edition Academy Collection by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape, Juliana Haygert, Kat Parrish, Ashley McLeo, L.C. Mawson, Leigh Kelsey, Bre Lockhart, Zelda Knight Page 6