Commander Meryl became deadly serious when he made his final address. “Students, faculty, guards; one man alone decimated over half of our numbers. This tells us that we have become slack to the notion of being attacked. Yes, we have lived in peaceful times for over a century but that does not leave us any excuse for what happened.”

Adept Pax and Lorna stood up next to the Commander at the podium.

Pax spoke up first. “Last night, during our training session, a real attempt was made on one of our student’s lives, and it was the SwordBrother that intervened.” A shuffle in the crowd followed as necks strained to turn and look at me. Heat flushed the back of my neck and I tried to make myself invisible or sink into the floor.

“But we will never again be caught unaware. You must understand this is highly unusual; well actually, unheard of; but SwordBrother Kael has agreed to help train you and you will give him your respect. This is indeed a great honor.”

Exited whispering and more glances my way made me start to squirm in my seat. Adept Lorna stepped forward and looked grim.

“We have talked about canceling the Founding Celebration this year in lieu of what has happened.” The whispers turned into gasps and pleading. “But,” she paused dramatically, “we feel that we will be better prepared and will continue with the celebration. The Founding Celebration will take place next month as planned.” Shouts and applause drowned out anything else she was about to say.

I saw her make eye contact with me and nod toward the side door. When we were dismissed, I made my way out the side door and met with the Adept.

“I see by your expression that you have something you wish to say about your guard,” she grinned at me.

“Please, what did I do to deserve this?” Waving my hands dramatically I continued. “I will do anything you ask, but I beg of you to please give me a different guard.”

Her brows creased with worry. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? I thought you would be happy to have the best, considering he already saved your life. I thought you would be grateful.”

Now feeling guilty and terrible, I let out a long sigh. “No, it’s just we don’t really get along well.”

Adept Lorna laughed, “Oh, nonsense, it’s just the SwordBrother ways. Remember, there aren’t many of them. If you want to learn more about him, maybe you should visit the library and do some research.”

Nodding my head in agreement, I felt like a child just trying to appease their parent. Quickly I filled her in on how I was attacked in my sleep and her frown became deeper. I told her about Joss and she didn’t blink an eye.

“We need you to catch up on your defensive training as soon as possible. And I will have to discuss this with the Council.” Her hand went to her hips. “Now remember,” she went on, “you are to go nowhere without Kael, unless he is busy instructing, then you are to either have Captain Garit or Joss with you at all times. Any questions?”

I opened my mouth for a rebuttal, but she cut me off.

“Good, now get going.”

The next couple of days settled into a different routine: classes, combat training, meals and sleep. I worked hard from sunup to sundown.

In the mornings, I would report to Garit who put me to work running laps around the compound and practicing hand to hand combat. Even though it wasn’t required, I still enjoyed working out with Garit, and his jovial attitude was a relief from the stern, almost hateful attitude of Kael. Then I would attend morning classes in the arena, always careful to follow another student through the doors. If I was late or if I was early, Instructor Weston was usually waiting by the doors for me.

I was so frustrated in my inability to do the simplest task that I wanted to rip the doors off of the Arena, march in there and destroy something. Of course today was a day when my patience had been worn thin by Kael and I was at my wits end.

My mind was in such angry turmoil that I walked straight up to and then through the great winged doors before realizing that Cassiel had opened for me and I wasn’t accompanied by a Denai.

Turning to the great steel man, I whispered a quick thank you, before taking my seat along the bench. Instructor Weston announced his arrival with his regular clap of thunder, and I was proud that I didn’t jump. That pride didn’t last long when he told us to pair up for training.

Looking up, I saw Syrani smirking at me. “Are you ready, rat?”

Taking a quick glance around, I noticed everyone had already picked a partner. I had a gut feeling that Syrani orchestrated our pairing on purpose. We were supposed to test each other’s limits and I knew that this was going to get ugly.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Syrani smiled serenely at me. That was all the warning I was given and the ground shifted beneath my feet and giant pillars of stone shot out of the ground, knocking me backwards.

I gasped in surprise as I rolled out of the way of the falling pillar of stone. She was gifted in earth; somehow that wasn’t what I had expected.

Her tinkling laugh filled the air in challenge, “Come on, lil’ Thalia! Show your teeth!”

I couldn’t do anything but run when she caused a giant hole to erupt around my feet. The earth I stood on crumbled and fell away into nothingness, and I backpedaled to keep my feet on solid ground. But I kept sliding with the earth toward the hole.

Screaming, I reached out and caught a tree root and held on as my feet dangled over nothingness.

“Come on, Thalia! Show me how strong you are; show me what impressed the Adepts so much that they thought you worthy to train among us.”

Did no one see what was going on? Was no one going to help me?

More laughter rang in my ears and my anger started to build. Reaching hand over hand, I pulled my own body weight out of the hole using the tree root, and I stood back and glared at Syrani in challenge.

“Stop it,” I yelled.

“Make me,” she yelled back, and as fast as the hole in the earth appeared it disappeared and was solid earth again. Syrani walked across the earth and came to stand in front of me. She raised one polished finger and tipped my chin back so I could look into her eyes.

“That is if you can?” she finished.

Anger boiled over and I pushed her finger away from my face. I stood up straighter and did the only thing I could think of to fight back. I punched her.

Syrani shrieked in pain and backed away from me, wiping her nose to reveal a small trickle of blood.

I smiled crookedly at her.

“I don’t care what the SwordBrother threatens to do to me,” she spat out between gritted teeth, breathing in rage. “You are dead.”

The ground shifted again, became finer, softer and I started to sink into the earth as it hungrily pulled at my boots.

Quicksand!

This was not how I thought I would die. It couldn’t be, could it? The sand was to my knees and I turned and tried to struggle toward the edge of the sandpit.

“Come on. Do something!” someone shouted.

Then another voice picked up, “Fight her back.”

I glanced up through sand-filled eyes and saw that everyone else had stopped what they were doing to watch Syrani and I battle. What surprised me the most was that they were cheering for me.

The sand pulled harder and faster; it was up to my chest. Desperately I swam through the sand, trying to find some sort of foot purchase or hand hold. A clap of thunder alerted me to the presence of Instructor Weston and I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he would make Syrani stop.