Chapter Five— combat
The principal's voice dropped lower.
"The Academy will break the rest of you. It will find your weaknesses. Your fears. Your limits. And it will push until you shatter."
No one spoke. No one moved.
"Rule Eleven. The Principal's word is law."
She said it simply. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What I say happens. When I say it happens. How I say it happens. Question me at your own risk."
"Rule Twelve. Respect the Council Lineage students."
The principal gestured toward where Killian and Kieran stood.
"These students come from the families that have ruled before. They carry the blood of previous councils. You will show them the respect their lineage demands."
Nyrah's jaw tightened. So some people got special treatment just because of who their parents were. Of course they did.
It seemed all the rules had something else contradictory.
The glowing words faded from the air.
"Those are the rules," the principal said. "Learn them. Follow them. Or suffer the consequences."
She looked out over the crowd one last time.
"Your first Combat Assembly begins tomorrow at dawn. Don't be late. Dismissed."
And with that, she turned and walked off the platform. Her robes swept behind her like dark wings.
The crowd started breaking apart immediately. Students formed small groups, whispering to each other. Planning. Plotting. Figuring out who their competition was.
Nyrah stood alone.
She watched Killian and Kieran walk away, surrounded by people trying to get their attention. Trying to make alliances early.
No one approached Nyrah. No one even looked at her except to stare.
She was used to it. Being alone. Being the outsider.
But here, it felt different. More dangerous.
Back in the village, being alone just meant people ignored her. Here, being alone might mean she didn't survive.
She thought about what Killian had said. The Academy doesn't accept humans without a reason.
What reason? Why would they let her in if they didn't think she could survive? Unless they wanted her to fail. Unless she was here for some other purpose she didn't understand yet.
Nyrah shook her head. It didn't matter. Whatever their reason, she'd prove them wrong.
She'd survive the trials. She'd find out what happened to her parents. And she'd make Killian kiss her feet when she became queen.
★☆
Nyrah woke up before dawn, her heart already racing. She'd barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept thinking about the trials. About the rules. About what Killian had said.
She sat up and looked at Black, who was curled up at the foot of her bed.
"I need you to do something for me."
The cat opened one eye.
"Go check if people are already at the quadrant. Just look and come back. Don't let anyone see you."
Black stretched, then jumped off the bed and padded to the door. Nyrah opened it just enough for him to slip through, then shut it quietly behind him.
She paced the small room while she waited. What if she was late? What if she'd already lost points and the first assembly hadn't even started yet?
A few minutes later, Black scratched at the door. Nyrah let him back in.
He meowed once. Low and calm.
"So not many people yet?"
Another meow.
Nyrah wished she could understand him better. Her mother used to say she had a way with Black, that the cat listened to her in a way he didn't listen to anyone else.
But her mother had also said that true bonding was something deeper. Something magical. A connection that let you feel what your familiar felt, see what they saw.
Nyrah had never felt anything like that. She just had a cat who sometimes seemed to understand her. Maybe that would be enough. Maybe the Academy wouldn't ask too many questions.
Good. She still had time.
Nyrah got dressed quickly, pulling on clothes that would be easy to move in. If today was about combat, she needed to be ready. She braided her hair back tight and splashed cold water on her face from the small basin in the bathroom.
When she was ready, she looked down at Black.
"The principal said familiar animals are allowed if they're bonded." She picked him up. "I'm going to hope that means you count. Because I'm not leaving you here alone after last night."
Black purred and settled into her arms.
Nyrah took a breath, then headed out.
The hallways were fuller now. Students moving toward the quadrant in small groups. Some of them were already in combat gear. Others looked as nervous as Nyrah felt.
No one spoke to her. A few people stared at Black, but no one said anything.
When she reached the quadrant, there were already about thirty students gathered. More were filing in. Nyrah found a spot near the edge and set Black down. He sat beside her feet, perfectly still.
The sky was starting to lighten. Dawn was coming.
More students arrived. Fifty. Seventy. Ninety. By the time the sun broke over the horizon, all one hundred of them were there.
The principal stepped onto the platform. She didn't waste time with greetings.
"Combat Assembly. This is how every morning begins. You will train. You will fight. You will improve. Or you will lose."
She gestured to the side of the quadrant where weapons had been laid out. Swords, staffs, daggers. All kinds.
"Today, you will demonstrate your skill with a blade. Choose an opponent. Fight until one of you yields or cannot continue. Begin."
The quadrant erupted into motion. Students rushed toward the weapons, grabbing what they wanted. Others were already sizing each other up, looking for opponents.
Nyrah walked over and picked up a sword. It was heavier than the practice blade she'd trained with back home, but the balance felt right. She gave it a few test swings.
"You."
Nyrah turned around.
A girl stood a few feet away. She was tall, with bronze skin and eyes that looked almost golden in the morning light. Her features were sharp. Angular. And there was something about the way she held herself that 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."