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Book: The Unclaimed (University of the Gods Trilogy Book 1) by Alexandra Stephens
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Authors: Alexandra Stephens
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naturally taken the front position with Ben leading while most of the Unclaimed stayed at the back. Somewhere along the tenth round Cassandra saw something glint above and there indeed was Alexander sitting in the spectator’s row guarded by three heavily armed descendants of Ares. She involuntary picked up her pace when she saw him watching her, closing up to Bear with ease. She wished Bear, who was grunting and sweating heavily, a good morning. Bear frowned and then pushed her to the side. Cassandra caught herself at the last moment, swore and went at Bear. The son of Hephaestus lost his footing and almost fell, too. Suddenly Ajax was beside them and screamed at them to do 200 push-ups.
“Now”, he cried and pointed to the floor.
Bear and Cassandra immediately followed his orders, with everyone else either having slowed down or coming to a stop beside them.
“I won’t have that kind of behavior on my grounds”, Ajax shouted.
Bear grunted and gave Cassandra an ugly look. She winked at him and continued doing the push-ups, adrenaline still pumping.
“And just that nobody gets smug”, Ajax continued. “This goes for all of you. Down. Now. 200 push-ups for everyone thanks to the Unclaimed and our hot-headed half-blood here.”
Everyone did as they were told, even the other demigods.
“Yeah, that’s right”, Ajax shouted. “I don’t care who you are or where you are from or what you think you can do. These are my training grounds and you will follow my rules. Is that understood?”
When no one answered, he asked again and this time there was a unanimous yes. Cassandra wondered whether Ajax might actually turn out to be fair after all but she guessed his actions had more to do with establishing his own power, especially over the demigods, than with the fact that he actually thought they were all equal.
Once they were finished, Ajax and Hippolyta split them up and each took half the students with them. Cassandra was glad to find herself in Hippolyta’s group. They started with hand-to-hand combat and then went on to some powerful muscle training over a couple of hours before it was time for their first break.
Cassandra, who was feeling the strain on her body, retreated to the side of the training arena with Hector. They were handed some water and fruit by the servants but ate only a little. Hector, who had been in Ajax’s group, was red-faced and sweating but looked happy enough and Cassandra, feeling the sweat trickle down her back, knew that this would be much harder than she had first thought. Some of the other students already looked quite shaken up, some receiving massages for cramped legs, other looking like they were about to throw up and one boy had strained his shoulder so much that Hippolyta had to send him to the infirmary for treatment.
“We are off to a good start”, Cassandra murmured and watched how Alexander animatedly talked to Ben and River until they were called back to training.
Ajax said that they would hold the challenges again this year, just like the dean had mentioned in his welcome speech, only that they would open them to everyone from first to third year for the first time ever. With the demigods attending university, it would indeed be a shame not to see them fight this year already. Ajax also told them that the first of those three challenges would take place the following week. It seemed to be mostly about fighting but Ajax made no further mention of the specifics. He said it would be a surprise, as usual.
When Ajax asked for volunteers, barely any hands were raised. All the demigods would join the challenges and in the end, there were only seven Claimed who seemed to dare to go against them. Cassandra and Hector stepped forward and raised their hands, too. There was a murmur of disapproval but both Hippolyta and Ajax nodded, even though Ajax looked furious doing it.
Hippolyta told one of the servants to write down the names and then they were back to sword-fighting.
“Now”, he cried and pointed to the floor.
Bear and Cassandra immediately followed his orders, with everyone else either having slowed down or coming to a stop beside them.
“I won’t have that kind of behavior on my grounds”, Ajax shouted.
Bear grunted and gave Cassandra an ugly look. She winked at him and continued doing the push-ups, adrenaline still pumping.
“And just that nobody gets smug”, Ajax continued. “This goes for all of you. Down. Now. 200 push-ups for everyone thanks to the Unclaimed and our hot-headed half-blood here.”
Everyone did as they were told, even the other demigods.
“Yeah, that’s right”, Ajax shouted. “I don’t care who you are or where you are from or what you think you can do. These are my training grounds and you will follow my rules. Is that understood?”
When no one answered, he asked again and this time there was a unanimous yes. Cassandra wondered whether Ajax might actually turn out to be fair after all but she guessed his actions had more to do with establishing his own power, especially over the demigods, than with the fact that he actually thought they were all equal.
Once they were finished, Ajax and Hippolyta split them up and each took half the students with them. Cassandra was glad to find herself in Hippolyta’s group. They started with hand-to-hand combat and then went on to some powerful muscle training over a couple of hours before it was time for their first break.
Cassandra, who was feeling the strain on her body, retreated to the side of the training arena with Hector. They were handed some water and fruit by the servants but ate only a little. Hector, who had been in Ajax’s group, was red-faced and sweating but looked happy enough and Cassandra, feeling the sweat trickle down her back, knew that this would be much harder than she had first thought. Some of the other students already looked quite shaken up, some receiving massages for cramped legs, other looking like they were about to throw up and one boy had strained his shoulder so much that Hippolyta had to send him to the infirmary for treatment.
“We are off to a good start”, Cassandra murmured and watched how Alexander animatedly talked to Ben and River until they were called back to training.
Ajax said that they would hold the challenges again this year, just like the dean had mentioned in his welcome speech, only that they would open them to everyone from first to third year for the first time ever. With the demigods attending university, it would indeed be a shame not to see them fight this year already. Ajax also told them that the first of those three challenges would take place the following week. It seemed to be mostly about fighting but Ajax made no further mention of the specifics. He said it would be a surprise, as usual.
When Ajax asked for volunteers, barely any hands were raised. All the demigods would join the challenges and in the end, there were only seven Claimed who seemed to dare to go against them. Cassandra and Hector stepped forward and raised their hands, too. There was a murmur of disapproval but both Hippolyta and Ajax nodded, even though Ajax looked furious doing it.
Hippolyta told one of the servants to write down the names and then they were back to sword-fighting.
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