Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

(A throwback to Beginning of a Hero.  This might even be from an earlier draft.  Times have changed.)

Luke and Kellia refuse to look at each other as they walk to where Roland and Kira are waiting. The makeshift arena is marked by four dark blue rocks that emanate dim light beams to each other, creating a large, square boundary. Luke quickly scans his partner and opponents to get a feel for what is about to happen. Kellia keeps herself a few steps behind him, which makes it obvious that she is unhappy about being his partner. Ignoring her, Luke pays more attention to the odd pair in front of him. Roland towers above everyone else in the class and his arms are as thick as solid tree limbs. His bald head and stud earrings make him look slightly comical to Luke. Kira, on the other hand, is slender and timidly keeps herself near the edge of the sparring area.

Luke stops at the border of the sparring area to stretch and collect his thoughts. He was disappointed in being partnered with Kellia, but being pitted against Roland and Kira could not be more perfect. Both of them were on his list of possible heirs. He was sure they came from nobility because of how they carried themselves. Kira was his top choice because her file stated that she had moved to Gods’ Voice only a month before attending the academy. It helped his suspicion that the girl was entirely out of place in an academy of warriors, but part of Luke acknowledged that her ineptness could be an act. After all, Kira lacked the accent that Luke expected from the heir, but she could have learned to hide it.

A plan forms in his mind about how he could use the fight to learn more about Roland and Kira. It was a loose, but sensible plan as long as he avoided getting knocked out by the enormous Roland. Luke steps into the sparring area and takes a fighting stance, knowing he looks ridiculous due to his lack of weapons. A few students chuckle at the odd position, but the half-elf ignores them, setting all of his attention on Roland, who takes a long step toward him.

“I was hoping for this,” Roland announces in a bellowing voice. “A Callindor is a true test of my skill. I am honored for this opportunity.”

“Shut up and put up,” Kellia snaps, stepping over the border. Without warning, she grabs Luke by his wrists and wields the half-elf like an unwilling mace. Luke is unable to do anything until he gets his bearings. To his surprise, Roland gracefully ducks the attack and tackles Kellia at her knees, knocking her down. Luke lands next to the others as Roland and Kellia attempt to lock various wrestling holds on each other.

“Guess she never heard of teamwork,” Luke mutters, getting to his feet. “Next time, I think I’ll stay out of arm’s reach.”  He turns in time to catch a tiny foot coming at his head. He lets go and takes a step back as Kira struggles to regain her balance.

The dark-haired girl hops on one foot for a bit until she steadies herself. “I told him that wouldn’t work. I don’t suppose you could turn around again and let me get another shot. Please?”

To Kira’s dismay, Luke shakes his head and throws a slow punch at her. Even though it was only meant to scare her, Kira leans away from his fist, toppling backwards. She rolls onto her stomach and tries to clumsily sweep Luke’s legs out from under him. Kira misses when Luke takes a step back, giving her space to stand. She continues trying to hit the half-elf, using a different type of kick each time, but he always manages to step out of her reach. A few of her kicks come in faster than he expects, forcing him to work a little harder to get out of the way. He continues backing up until he gets within reach of Roland who has Kellia pinned to the ground. As soon as Kira attempts a wide crosskick, Luke yanks Roland up by his pants to use him as a shield.

“Nice try!” the bigger student laughs, picking up Kellia to use for his own shield. The kick sends Kellia crashing to the ground. It isn’t long before she is joined by Luke who is grabbed by his face and slammed into the ground.

“You idiot! Stop interfering!” Kellia hisses under her breath as she scrambles back to her feet.

“We have to work together,” Luke angrily whispers, standing up and grabbing her by the shoulder. “So shut up and try to work with me. I’m tired of getting beaten up every day.”

Kellia smacks his hand away, but Luke can tell that she begrudgingly agrees with him. Both of them charge at Roland, quickly dodging the large boy’s surprisingly fast and accurate punches. When they bait him into making a very wide swing, Roland’s own strength and momentum twists him off-balance. The smaller fighters take the opportunity to sprint past him with Kellia stopping to spin around and leap onto Roland’s back. Pulling back with all her strength, she grabs both his arms and grinds her knee into his shoulders. Kellia holds on as Roland pitches himself backwards in an attempt to smash her into the ground. The impact knocks the air out of Kellia’s lungs, but she maintains her grip and braces her knees against his back. With a loud grunt, she lifts Roland into the air where he helplessly kicks and flails. A brief murmur of awe can be heard from a few of her resting classmates.

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