Saldrea grinned at that.
“But… we also say that if Izzy comes to us willingly, she can stay… unmolested and safe… but only if she wins a game of dominion against us. It will be in her best interest to accept and not become a hunted fugitive. And when she does accept… well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone died during a game of dominion. It’s not like she could field a team strong enough to challenge us. She’ll have dregs and outcasts and we’ll crush them… literally. We can kill her and it’ll all be legal and above board.”
Saldrea’s manic grin was in no way a good thing. “I love it!”
Well, whoever this Izzy was, she was screwed. From the little bits I’d heard around campus, especially after this Izzy woman had insulted Saldrea, she was a nymph who’dquickly earned Saldrea’s ire and attention. Though it seemed she was a half-blood elf as well? That was curious. Anyone else who spoke of her, talked of a woman who stood up for herself and others, who seemed to care about people. That didn’t sound like an elf to me.
Not that I trusted the rumors, or even Saldrea’s perspective on the woman. I didn’t trust anyone on campus, except the other titans, and even them I only entrusted with so much. Life was easier if you trusted no one. I’d learned the hard way that those closest to you could betray you in an instant. The only beings I trusted were my abominations. That’s what all the other races called the wonderful creatures we titans created.
The elves were so damned focused on the purity of things, they couldn’t see any beauty in the strange and fascinating mix of creatures we titans spent years perfecting. My Pegasus — Skycleaver — was a proud and noble steed, strong and agile, especially in the skies. To me there was no more beautiful being on the planet, but the elves called him an abomination because no horse should have wings.
I found it hypocritical for them to call themselves beautiful — their souls filled with filth — while calling my magnificent mount, whose heart was pure, an abomination. True… some of the chimeric beings we titans created were pretty messed up, but I’d never focused on creating beings of raw power or war, like others of my kind. I sought to create living works of art, truly beautiful beings, wonders of nature.
And I wished more than anything I could be among my creations now, instead of here with these women, all of whom had souls so filled with hatred and ichor it made me sick.
Elves and their minions were clearly the foulest thingson this planet, and I’d do whatever it took to save my people and my creations from the black hearts of these villains.
MYELAS
The sickeningache in my gut made it hard to concentrate, Izzy was too far away. Safir had been so very wrong about the bond. And despite knowing Izzy was strong and capable, thinking of her in the capital, surrounded by elves, made my mind spin with scenarios of doom. If they found out who she was…
I understood now why she’d begged me to be careful not that long ago. She’d feared what would happen to her if I died. Now I feared the same.
I’d accepted my role in Izzy’s life. I would serve her for as long as I could, protecting her and comforting her… till she decided she no longer needed me and was powerful enough to break the bond we shared. It seemed inevitable. She’d be a queen someday — if all our plans worked out — and when she was, she wouldn’t want some insignificant shifter by her side. She wouldn’t need my comfort. She’d have a whole harem of men to pleasure her and tend to her every whim. Stronger men than I. So, I’d take what I could get for as long as possible, but that wouldn’t be long if she died before all our plans came to fruition.
Hence, I was more than a little distracted during the morning’s sparring session. And in my job, any distraction during training could be fatal.
It was a good thing I wasn’t fighting Artol. The wolf shifter was vicious and had it out for me. When we were young, he’d beaten me all the time, but as I’d slowly grown into my power and gained my shadow abilities, I’d started to win against him every now and then. That had only made him more vicious and vindictive. Of all of my cohort, he was the one I feared the most. He often said he’d gladly kill me, to be rid of the weak link in our team.
Today, I fought Saia, an eagle shifter. She didn’t have it out for me, like Artol did, but of all my cohort, she was the one who beat me most often. I relied on agility and stealth to win, hiding and striking from shadows, whittling my opponents down. But Saia was equally as agileandthe most perceptive of our group, meaning she often saw through my faints and ruses.
Since it was still midmorning, the shadow of the high wall around the practice yard stretched long enough for me to find it and quickly shadow-step away to avoid hits or get into position. But my distraction this morning meant every time I did, Saia was ready.
I emerged from shadows once more to attack her from behind, but she spun and raked me with her talons, tearing my practice armor to shreds and scoring three shallow bloody lines across my chest.
She pressed her attack. Since we both had wings in our hybrid forms, we flew over the yard. She forced me higher, out of the shadows and as soon as she had, I was done for. She wouldn’t kill me, like Artol might, but I’d not be coming away from this practice session with just the wounds I had. She’d make sure I was truly defeated.
There was no calling surrender in these fights. The fight only ended when our cohort leader said it did. And my leader was a particularly vicious snake shifter named Essyma. She let Saia tear into me, while I sought to dodge and flee. It was only once I was at my limit, exhausted and shredded, that Essyma ended the fight. Saia and I landed, but I couldn’t even stand, falling on my ass as soon as I did.
Artol laughed.
Svek, the last member of my cohort, a giant bear shifter, came to me and helped me up. “You’re getting better, stronger,” the big man tried to reassure me. “But you’re still relying too much on shadows to win. You need to find other ways to fight or?—”
“Or you’re going to get yourself and your teammates killed when we’re in a real fight,” Essyma hissed. “What if we are attacked in broad daylight? What then? At night youmayhave the upper hand—” she didn’t even sound convinced of that, “—but during the day, you’re weak as shit.” She shook her head, disgusted. “I should kill you now and put you out of my misery.”
“I’ll happily do it, chief,” Artol said with a grin, showing off his long, sharp teeth.
“And you’re a littletooaggressive and bloodthirsty,” she chided Artol. At least I wasn’t the only one getting yelled at. “You could learn a bit of Myel’s wariness. One of these days you’re going to charge into a fight you can’t win.”
Essyma looked at all of us. “You’re all shit. Saia’s the only one of you with any real potential. Svek’s afraid of his own strength, Artol charges in no matter the situation, and Myel is only a moderately viable warrior at night. Fuck me, I’m doomed.”
As far as motivational speeches went, that one sucked.
It was Essyma’s job to be hard on us, turn us into hardened warriors, but still…
“It’s nearly noon. Grab some grub, then head to your afternoon patrols. I’d better see improvement tomorrow or I might report the whole lot of you to the commander.”
None of us wanted that. Being reported to the commander meant only one thing: you weren’t capable, and if you weren’t capable you weren’t needed. And since a shifter’s only purpose in this world was to serve as front line troops and cannon fodder, if you weren’t needed for that, you were simply executed so you weren’t dead weight.
