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Authors: Jason Halstead
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snow couldn't reach them. Aleena marched stiffly behind the others and tried to tighten every muscle in her body to keep from shivering as the snow and slush melted against her skin. She followed them into the training room she'd spent hours each day in, save that this time there were other people present. Other priests and members of the Knights of Leander sat in chairs to watch the testing.
"Celos, present yourself for testing," Sir Amos called out.
Celos went to the racks of armor and weapons and spent the next few minutes preparing himself for battle. He selected a sword, a mace, and an axe before clomping to the center of the room. He dropped the mace and axe to the ground but held his sword at his side. Celos turned to the holy symbol of Leander along the wall and saluted it, and then turned and waited. Sir Amos rang the bell that hung near the door they'd come through.
Double doors in the opposite wall that Aleena had always wondered about opened. A man wearing plate armor from head to toe emerged with sword and shield in hand. He stepped forward and saluted Celos, and then charged him. Aleena gasped when she saw how quickly the warrior moved in his heavy armor.
Celos was just as agile. He sprung to the side and lashed out with his sword, striking against the knight's shield. The knight turned on him and fought back, striking sword against sword or landing ringing blows on the recruit's armor. Celos gave as good as he got until , after several minutes of the two exchanging blows with no clear winner, Sir Amos rang the bell.
The two fighters separated. Celos discarded his sword and grabbed up the mace he'd chosen. He turned back to see his challenger was waiting for him. Celos saluted him, inviting the battle to be rejoined.
They crashed together again and struck blow after blow. Aleena was amazed to see the difference between Celos's mace and his opponent's sword. The sword could dent and scratch Celos's armor but it lacked the brute power the spiked head of the mace had. Three times Celos staggered his foe with a strike to the helm. It was after the third strike that Sir Amos rang the bell again.
The third match was with Celos's axe and his opponent's sword. As with the mace , the axe could land a much heavier blow if it struck true. Less than two minutes into the bout, Celos struck his foe in the side with his axe so fiercely that the man crumpled to the ground and held up his hand. Aleena gasped when she realized what had happened–Celos had forced him to yield!
Celos dropped his axe and moved to help the defeated man rise. Blood ran down his side, proof of the power of his final blow. Priests rose from the side and helped the defeated warrior back through the doors so they could tend to his wounds.
"Celos, well done," Sir Amos offered praise in the most minimal of ways. "William, prepare yourself."
Aleena watched the same process repeat itself several more times. Her body grew numb waiting, but she stopped shivering after the third fight. William and Durak both failed to defeat their opponents, as did the other remaining recruits until it was Aleena's turn.
"Recruit Aleena, as we have no fitting armor for testing, you are not required to participate," Sir Amos announced when it was her turn.
Aleena let loose a soft sigh of relief. Then she felt her cheeks warming with shame. While it was true that many of the strikes she'd seen today would have crippled or killed her without a proper cuirass, at least she could have shown that she had courage. She deserved to be tested, even if it meant she would be beaten. Or worse. Would Alto or Celos have backed down from a challenge?
Aleena nearly laughed at the thought. Celos had fought and won. Alto, she was certain, would have killed his opponent. He fought with force, aggression, and a skill that couldn't be taught. Even though she'd only seen him sparring with the other Blades of Leander , she knew he was better than any of the men she'd seen today. Alto had
"Celos, present yourself for testing," Sir Amos called out.
Celos went to the racks of armor and weapons and spent the next few minutes preparing himself for battle. He selected a sword, a mace, and an axe before clomping to the center of the room. He dropped the mace and axe to the ground but held his sword at his side. Celos turned to the holy symbol of Leander along the wall and saluted it, and then turned and waited. Sir Amos rang the bell that hung near the door they'd come through.
Double doors in the opposite wall that Aleena had always wondered about opened. A man wearing plate armor from head to toe emerged with sword and shield in hand. He stepped forward and saluted Celos, and then charged him. Aleena gasped when she saw how quickly the warrior moved in his heavy armor.
Celos was just as agile. He sprung to the side and lashed out with his sword, striking against the knight's shield. The knight turned on him and fought back, striking sword against sword or landing ringing blows on the recruit's armor. Celos gave as good as he got until , after several minutes of the two exchanging blows with no clear winner, Sir Amos rang the bell.
The two fighters separated. Celos discarded his sword and grabbed up the mace he'd chosen. He turned back to see his challenger was waiting for him. Celos saluted him, inviting the battle to be rejoined.
They crashed together again and struck blow after blow. Aleena was amazed to see the difference between Celos's mace and his opponent's sword. The sword could dent and scratch Celos's armor but it lacked the brute power the spiked head of the mace had. Three times Celos staggered his foe with a strike to the helm. It was after the third strike that Sir Amos rang the bell again.
The third match was with Celos's axe and his opponent's sword. As with the mace , the axe could land a much heavier blow if it struck true. Less than two minutes into the bout, Celos struck his foe in the side with his axe so fiercely that the man crumpled to the ground and held up his hand. Aleena gasped when she realized what had happened–Celos had forced him to yield!
Celos dropped his axe and moved to help the defeated man rise. Blood ran down his side, proof of the power of his final blow. Priests rose from the side and helped the defeated warrior back through the doors so they could tend to his wounds.
"Celos, well done," Sir Amos offered praise in the most minimal of ways. "William, prepare yourself."
Aleena watched the same process repeat itself several more times. Her body grew numb waiting, but she stopped shivering after the third fight. William and Durak both failed to defeat their opponents, as did the other remaining recruits until it was Aleena's turn.
"Recruit Aleena, as we have no fitting armor for testing, you are not required to participate," Sir Amos announced when it was her turn.
Aleena let loose a soft sigh of relief. Then she felt her cheeks warming with shame. While it was true that many of the strikes she'd seen today would have crippled or killed her without a proper cuirass, at least she could have shown that she had courage. She deserved to be tested, even if it meant she would be beaten. Or worse. Would Alto or Celos have backed down from a challenge?
Aleena nearly laughed at the thought. Celos had fought and won. Alto, she was certain, would have killed his opponent. He fought with force, aggression, and a skill that couldn't be taught. Even though she'd only seen him sparring with the other Blades of Leander , she knew he was better than any of the men she'd seen today. Alto had
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