Page 69 of Soul Forge

The Soul Forge rolled his eyes and walked to the middle of the grass. “Are you ready?”

His white tunic was bright in the sun, the dark runes on his skin standing out in stark contrast. The sleeves were rolled up, the collar open to reveal the cord always present around his neck. Elda hid a smile when she saw his gloves were tucked into his pocket, the runes on his hands bared for the world to see.

“As I’ll ever be,” she agreed, squaring her shoulders.

It took exactly four seconds for her to land on her back in the grass. She got to her feet and dusted herself off. Sypher told her which stances to try and what to watch out for, waiting patiently until she was ready to try again.

She swung an elbow towards him, only to find herself on the floor once more, her legs knocked from beneath her. Sypher ran through a counterattack and a dodge in slow motion, guiding her through the moves, then asked her to try again.

The next time, she managed to avoid the leg sweep, only to miss the elbow slamming into her solar plexus and landing on her knees, gasping for air. Frustration bubbled up inside her, clenching her jaw muscles until they ached in time with the rest of her.

“You’re paying too much attention to my legs,” Sypher told her. “You need to balance it. If you focus on whether I’m about to kick you, you forget that I could also punch you. Or headbutt you.”

“You’dheadbutt me?” she choked, still struggling to breathe in.

“If you were trying to kill me and I had no other choice.” He waited for her to stand up again. “Remember what I told you at the palace. Defence is better than offence if you know you’re outmatched. And for the last time,stop tucking your thumb.”

“You said defence was for facing opponents who could get tired.”

“I know.”

“You don’tgettired,” Elda complained.

Sypher flashed her a wicked grin. “Sucks for you then.”

She grunted when he swung for her, throwing her arms up just in time to protect her face. Another leg sweep followed, and she hopped awkwardly backwards. She gained several painful bruises under a volley of elbows and knees, each blow forcing a frustrated grunt from her.

Reiner’s words from their many snatched moments of training came back to her.To fight effectively, you need to predict their movements. Look for their cues.So, she did. She circled him carefully, watching for the slightest change in his footing, the smallest shift in his weight. She forgot about Julian spectating from the sidelines, focussed only on what the Soul Forge would do next.

She shocked herself when Sypher went for her legs again, his calf muscle flexing a fraction of a second before he struck. Her leg raised, body twisting to kick out his knee with her heel. Another of Reiner’s lessons floated through her memories when Sypher grunted, his knee striking the dirt.Go for the airways. If your opponent can’t breathe, they can’t fight.

Elda wasted no time locking an arm around his neck in the chokehold Reiner had tried to teach her a hundred times. His windpipe pressed against her forearm, her other hand locking around her wrist and squeezing. Her footwork was clumsy, but she had him.

By the edge of the garden, Reiner flashed an amused smile. Elda realised her mistake when Sypher chuckled and pitched her forwards, throwing her over his shoulder and leaving her flat on her back again. The ex-captain mirrored his laugh, the sound carried to Elda on the breeze.

“Ouch,” she wheezed.

“Next time you go for a chokehold, use your whole body,” Sypher instructed.

“What do you mean?”

“Latch on like a monkey,” Julian called from his seat on the step leading down to the grass. “He can’t throw you off if you won’t let go.”

“Can I try it?” she asked. Sypher nodded, watching her dust herself off and roll her neck. “You’re sure you’re okay with that much contact?”

“I’ll be alright. It’s different during training.” He got down on one knee, mimicking the way he’d landed. “Now try again.” She did as he instructed, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso.

“Squeeze like you’re trying to pop his head off!” Julian heckled.

Elda did, with her arms and her legs, squeezing until her joints ached. Sypher pitched forward and threw himself with her this time, but she clung on through the roll, staying latched around him like a parasite until he was back on one knee. He tapped her arm twice, signalling that she’d won. She let go and dropped off him, collapsing onto the grass with a groan. Her entire body throbbed, and they were barely halfway through the day.

“Well done.”

“I did well?” she asked hopefully.

“You did, but you need a break.” Julian passed them each a water skin, winking at her when she couldn’t hide her relief. “Take a minute, then we’re going to work on that thumb of yours,” Sypher promised.

“Good luck,” Reiner remarked. “I haven’t broken that habit in all the twenty-five years she’s lived.”

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