Chapter Five— combat
The bells were different from what Nyrah expected.
Not the soft chiming she was used to from the village. These were deep and vibrating through the stone walls of her room. They pulled her from sleep like a physical force.
Nyrah's eyes snapped open. Dawn. Combat Assembly.
She was out of bed before she fully processed being awake. No time to waste. She splashed cold water on her face from the basin, the shock helping clear the fog from her mind.
Black stretched on the bed, watching her rush around the room.
"Stay here," Nyrah told him as she pulled on her training clothes. "I don't know what's going to happen out there."
She braided her hair back tight, checked that her boots were laced properly, and grabbed the practice sword she'd borrowed from the training hall yesterday.
When she opened her door, the hallway was already filling with students. Some looked ready. Others looked like they'd just crawled out of bed.
Nyrah joined the flow of bodies heading toward the quadrant. No one spoke to her. A few people glanced at her, then quickly looked away.
The quadrant was already half full when she arrived. Students were gathering in loose groups based on their species and clans. Dragon clan together. Wolf clan together. Fae houses clustering by their courts.
Nyrah stood alone near the back.
More students kept arriving. By the time the sun broke over the horizon, all one hundred of them were there.
Then the instructor appeared.
He was massive. A wolf therian with scars covering his bare arms and a face that looked like it had seen a thousand battles. His eyes swept over them with cold assessment.
"Form lines," he barked.
The students scrambled to obey. Nyrah found herself in the third row, surrounded by people who were all taller and broader than her.
The instructor walked along the lines, examining each student like they were livestock at market.
When he passed Nyrah, he stopped. Looked her up and down.
"Human," he said. Not a question. A statement.
Nyrah met his eyes. "Yes, sir."
He grunted and kept walking.
The assessment continued. Then the instructor returned to the front of the formation.
"Combat Assembly," he announced. "This is how every morning begins. You will train. You will fight. You will improve. Or you will fail."
He gestured to weapons laid out along the side of the quadrant. Swords, staffs, daggers, spears. All kinds.
"Today, you demonstrate your skill with a blade. Choose your weapon. Choose an opponent. Fight until one of you yields or cannot continue."
The quadrant exploded into motion.
Students rushed toward the weapons. Nyrah moved with them, fighting through the crowd to grab a sword before they were all taken.
The blade she ended up with was heavier than she'd have liked, but the balance was decent. She gave it a few test swings, adjusting her grip.
"You."
Nyrah turned.
A girl stood a few feet away. Tall, with bronze skin and eyes that gleamed almost gold in the morning light. Her features were sharp and angular. Everything about her screamed power.
Dragon clan. Nyrah could tell just by looking at her.
"Me?" Nyrah asked.
The girl smiled. It wasn't friendly.
"I want to see what a human can do."