“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.
