Page 97 of A Tribute of Fire

Even I was caught up in it. I made myself a vow.Never again.

Never again would I allow a Locrian maiden to run that race. I would find a way to stop it.

No more sacrifices.

“Let our training begin!” Antiope declared.

She jumped down into the crowd and started directing the women closest to her. “Keep your shield up! If you were in a true phalanx, you would be responsible for breaking the line.”

Daphne and Maia also left the dais and I saw Maia walking toward us. Theano stayed put, sitting in a chair and watching the room.

“Does she always do that?” I asked Io.

She followed my gaze. “Theano usually observes training, yes.”

There was something intimidating and unlikable about the high priestess. “Doesn’t she have more important duties to attend to?”

Io shrugged and then let out a sigh as Maia came closer. “I hate training. I don’t want to accidentally hurt someone.”

“Then why did you admire my sword?” I asked.

“Just because I loathe violence doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a beautiful piece of craftsmanship,” she countered. “My father loves collecting swords. He had so many while I was growing up. I used to watch my brothers practice with them for hours. They fought so well. It was like a dance.”

“A dance where one of them dies at the end.”

She smiled. “I love the way your sword is shaped like a leaf. It’s beautiful.”

I agreed with her. I wondered whether I should have brought it with me today.

Maia joined our group. “Zalira against Suri to start us off, fighting with staves. First one to three points wins.”

As Zalira and Suri retrieved their weapons, Io told me, “You get points for pushing your opponent out of the ring, or for rendering them immobile. And for slipping past their defenses and making bodily contact.”

“Some people are using swords and axes,” I said, a bit alarmed.

“The points are different for more dangerous weapons.”

That was a relief, at least. I’d hate to lose an ear because somebody was overeager to win.

“They keep track of the best warriors over on that wall,” she continued. “The top five fighters are always the Chosen.”

Io had mentioned earlier that the Chosen were selected due to their abilities. I just hadn’t realized that it had included hand-to-hand combat.

Artemisia was the top ranked, which didn’t surprise me in the least. She was aggressive and seemed dangerous, and I personally knew how strong she was. I wished that I could challenge her and secure that top spot for myself, but I had to consider my situation.

If I walked into the ring and won my very first fight against the best acolyte here, the women around me might get suspicious about my background. I was sure they would realize that only someone from a royal or noble family would have the resources to be trained in fighting.

Despite my determination to become one of the Chosen, I was going to have to give it some time in order to avoid questions. I would have to slowly “improve” and work my way up the list eventually.

Although patience had never been my strong suit.

“Begin!” Maia called out.

Suri and Zalira sprang to life, their staves whacking into each other over and over again.

Ahyana and Io were calling out encouragement while Maia gave them tips. “Watch your opening! Protect your left side! Better!”

The fighting here was different. I had been taught to harm, maim, and to get away. To deflect and defend and escape. But this was almost entirely offensive and I didn’t understand why they trained for combat. They wouldn’t be fighting other women outside the temple. And if they were attacked by a group of men, they’d be able to take a few of them out, but with this fighting style they would eventually be overwhelmed.

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