I dawned the new armour I got from the armoury. Thankfully there were so many dead kids that there were a few to spare. The armour itched against my new flesh, still bright red and raw. Asclepius, the healing ichor fixed me up but it had only been a couple of hours. Probably half a day. My body is still recovering, despite the healing at an incredibly rapid rate. I didn’t even need the med pods as blood vessels stitched together stopping the bleeding out by itself. I felt drained after basically regrowing my shoulder and my several injuries but I just needed fuel which I would get from the cafeteria. Even then I could survive for a while without it.

No wonder Ichor was so good. I never needed to go to med bay and any minor injuries would be healed in seconds. This wasn’t even a combat-specific ichor but I could see the applications now. I risk breaking bones or popping joints so long as I got my opponent back just as hard I’d win. I could relocate any popped joints and bruises would fade instantly. To kill me now you have to be quick or stop me from healing by doing continuous damage.

The healing wasn’t instantaneous for deep wounds but if I could wound someone’s leg and run away to give me a few hours to fully heal I’ll be good. It wasn’t crazy to say I have an actual advantage now over most of the year. I had no friends or allies but this made up for it I suppose.

I stole an apple quickly from the tray before a small Seraphim tried to bite off my finger. The cafeteria was empty. They were all gathered together to watch the highlights and see the rewards being handed out, in fact, I was about to head there myself.

To be honest I was afraid. To see everyone to see some people not be there. Fox and Wasp… did Solaris kill them? He wanted Wasp’s Einherjar position and Fox was worthless so why not kill him. It won’t matter either way.

I suppose I can only hope a particularly nasty Seraphim got to them and killed them all slowly. I do feel a bit sad at the thought. Wasp was mine and mine alone to slaughter.

I finally did make it to the rewards room. It was a large dome with a projector where we would watch the highlights. Everyone was here including the Headmaster so you know it was important. I seemed to be the only one not in attendance as everyone turned to look at me.

Most didn’t care, it was no secret that I wasn’t important. Not an Einherjar nor even in a particularly effective non-Einherjar group. Because of that most people went back to ignoring me.

Only two people didn’t. Wasp and Fox. I could see the astonishment on their faces and Fox’s lit up with joy. Bastard. He has no right to be happy after abandoning me. Especially after I saw who he was sitting with. Solaris.

The arrogant bastard gave me a wave. Solaris sat in his seat confidently with Wasp and Fox at his side. I wasn’t completely surprised there. He wanted the Einherjar positions. By killing Kepler he got one himself but he could just recruit Wasp for the other which wouldn’t be too hard considering she was fresh out of followers. What did surprise me was his lack of shock, he knew I wasn’t dead. How? He’d only have about twelve hours to figure it out and I didn’t really go around making myself known. Most of that time was spent on the Headmaster’s floor stitching my body together.

I did eventually take a seat by myself, there were a lot less kids than before. The Headmaster seemed to wait for me to ready myself before approaching the first years.

“You’ve all survived initiation. It is an achievement that many before you never earned. Some of you were lucky, some of you were cowardly, some of you were cruel. All of you survived. As Slayers, it doesn’t matter how you do it so long as you get the mission done. However, we at Martyrdom do not celebrate mediocrity. As such your only reward for cowardice is your life, those who proved themselves in battle shall receive compensation for their efforts.” The loudspeakers on his armour increased his voice so it could cover the room.

There they were. The ichors that I had seen last night get wheeled out in front of everyone. They weren’t alone, there were also some modifications like a better helmet, some gun accessories and even a jet pack. Though they paled in comparison to the ichor. Those could break and were much more accessible in later years. The ichor was the prize.

“During initiation the second years were watching, collecting video of the best of you. The last twelve hours had been them deciding amongst themselves which of you performed the best.”

It was Elara who walked up first. The Einherjar Fox and I met before initiation and if I had to guess all the others were second-year Einherjar. If it really was a vote then the winners would have been determined long before initiation as second years made deals between each other deciding who should win the rewards. It was almost insulting, it didn’t matter how well we performed it mattered if one of the second Einherjar just happened to noticed us.

You could have even the best but in none of the second year Einherjar noticed you or wanted you to win any rewards they would simply use their popularity to get their own vote to win. Shit. Had I known I wouldn’t have spent all my time training and instead spent all my time trying to suck up to the second years.

Looking around the room it was clear some of the Einherjar knew while others looked furious. It appears that the secret of the deciding rewards was even better kept than the secret of initiation.

Elara put her USB into the projector and we watched what could have been the worst possible thing in the world. I recognised the poor boy lying on the floor covered in his own blood as his body was a mismatch of bone and muscle, then suddenly an older man stuck a syringe into the boy causing him to scream. Suddenly the video fast-forwarded and before everyone’s eyes the dying boy no longer was dead. It was a clip of the Headmaster injecting me with the ichor.

“Whoops sorry that’s not the video I wanted to show,” Elara said in false confusion.

But the damage was already done.

“Wait! He has an ichor! Why did he get one!” One of the Einherjar screamed in a mix of jealousy and anger. “If all we had to do was grab one from your office what was all this for!”

“That’s bullshit!” Another kid yelled.

“Cheater.”

Shit. I sunk into my chair as people looked around looking for me. I don’t think it existed but I would kill for an ichor of invisibility.

“Where is that bastard?” The kid next to me scowled looking around. Thankfully I was so covered by blood in the video most people wouldn’t recognise me.

“I don’t know he probably is still in med bay,” I whispered to the random guy who seethed in his chair.

“When I find him he’s dead! Selfish prick, I can’t believe he got an ichor through pity.”

Oh I am so dead.

“Enough! You,” The Headmaster spoke silencing the crowd. He was pointing at the first kid to speak on of the Einherjar. Bennu I believe. “Come up here.”

Bennu stood proud but every step he took closer to the Headmaster his steps got slower, more hesitant. When he was standing only a few feet away the confidence he had built up after being an Einherjar was no longer there.

“Well. Take one.”

“What?”

“The ichor. Take. One. You seem to think whoever wants one gets one.”

Did the Headmaster respect the boldness of calling him out? I sat nervously in my seat, this was a trap. It was obvious, but… the allure of an ichor was too much for any first year.

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Bennu reached out to grab one but the Headmaster reached his hand first. The gun shot was loud and Bennu screamed clutching his hand.

The Headmaster then held the gun to Bennu’s head as he fell to his knees clutching his hand which now had less fingers then before.

“You seem to misunderstand. Initiation doesn’t decide ichor. I do. I let these be handed out as rewards to the best students cause I choose to, cause I am merciful. However, if I am ever questioned again.” He picked up an ichor, the syringe shattered in his hand letting the green precious liquid fall to the filthy ground making it useless.

“I can revoke my mercy.” He then glared at Elara. “Let us continue, and I pray for your sake there will be no more ‘’mistakes’.”

“Of course Sir.” Elara bowed her head. She took out a new USB and put it in and a new video played.

It was Solaris, Wasp, Fox and the rest of Kepler’s old group fighting. So that’s how he knew, Elara did say she would keep a look out for me but I didn’t think she actually would. She must have seen it all, my fall, my rise and my near death.

When Solaris walked up he picked up an ichor for himself and made a show of handing it to Elara. He was basically screaming ‘I have allies with a second-year Einherjar, jealous?’

That’s how Solaris knew I wasn’t dead. Elara and him struck a deal, she would have him win the event at the cost of an ichor. That was a guarantee even before initiation started, before Fox and I even approached her. She must have gotten bored and watched me though, seen it all, and then told Solaris.

Elara did meet my gaze as she walked back and to my shock actually changed her direction to face me. All the first years looked eager to be the lucky one she would talk to but those looks of eagerness quickly turned to jealousy when they realised it was me who she wanted to talk to.

She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, this worked out even better than I could have hoped. An ichor and that cute little look of hatred on your face. Don’t forget… you still owe me. What was it? Six favours.” She whispered.

“If you think I’m going to honour my deal with you after this, you’re crazy.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

With that, she gave me another kiss on the cheek leaving me seething in my chair. Her, Wasp, Fox and Solaris would die. That was certain.

The next Einherjar and I assume second in command to the Einherjar presented their highlights allowing more and more people to come up. One of Kepler's helpers even got called up but gave his ichor to Solaris. There weren’t many ichors, only around ten minus the one I stole and the one the Headmaster shattered and many of the current Einherjar didn’t get any rewards like Bennu. Unsurprisingly the large beast Titan got one but the rest was distributed randomly. The Einherjar would change after this that was for certain.

Most rewards were just mods and accessories but now that the very few Ichor was gone there was a lot less energy in the room.

“That wraps up our little showcase. The next time rewards will be handed out will be during the next event. Just cause you didn’t win today doesn’t mean you won’t later, even the best get lazy and killed. Train, socialise and become lethal. You are dismissed.”

A fist hit me, then a knee and then an elbow. My body was doing its best to heal itself but the assault came from all directions.

I knew this was going to happen, but the guaranteed attack was better then sleeping alone in the corridors for the Seraphim.

“Filthy fucking thief.” One screamed before a knee broke my nose.

“You don’t deserve shit!” A heel hit my kidney.

How many? I couldn’t tell. I just rolled into a ball trying my best to not be killed as more and more blows landed on my body. Some people cheered from nearby bunks and others rotated in when others got tired or bored.

I coughed up blood but a foot hit the bridge of my nose breaking it even more then it already was. I started to loose count of the minutes as more and more blows landed on me. I tried to look up at my attackers but when I tilted my head a fist came down busting my brow. -

“Let’s teach this asshole a lesson.” One said igniting a solar knife. “Which nipple do you want to keep?”

Before I could even speak my arms were torn from my body as two boys held my arms far apart opening me up to the torture.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit far?” One of the assaulters asked. “Let’s not kill the bastard.”

“I’m not!” The knife-wielding manic growled insulted by being called a killer. “But this dickhead needs to learn to stay out of the way. How many of us died while he was rewarded? This is me being nice!”

I could see several people were uncomfortable but none of them spoke up. Bastards. All of them.

The solar knife approached and I bit down hard. They wouldn’t hear me scream, but, I knew I would. Even now it burned hot turning my skin red.

“Oi, what are you worthless scrubs doing to my property!” A voice roared through the dorms. It wasn’t a voice that was often heard in his place, after all why would one of the Einherjar leave their own rooms.

“Red?” The knife-wielding boy said in surprise.

“Yeah, obviously.” Red scowled. Red-Giant was her full name, but don’t ever call her that cause like her namesake she would burn with fury like a star.

Her armour was bright red. There was no illusion of who she was when she walked into a room, if you couldn't tell by her armour her attitude certainly did. She was the center of the solar system, people gravitated to her and she swallowed anyone that tried to oppose her with molten rage. Quick to anger and even quicker to her weapons.

“Piss off Red. We all saw you didn’t win any of the ichor. Your days of Einherjardom are limited, leave now while you still have a room of your own.”

Many of the spectators laughed at this. Red didn’t quite find it so funny as she drew her own solar knife.

“Either shut your mouth or fight me.” The knife weirder to his credit was smarter than he looked as he turned off the blade and walked back to his bed. Smart.

“Anyone else have something to say!” She roared holding her arms wide in a challenge, one that no one would accept. “That’s what I thought, fucking cowards.”

Red may have not won the ichor but she was an Einherjar and she didn’t earn her spot through deception like Solaris or Wasp. She was a bloodthirsty monster who didn’t shy away from people challenging her spot. They just had to be prepared to spend an afternoon in the med bay and risk getting picked off my Seraphim while recovering.

I spat out blood and stood up. If she was expecting my thanks she was sorely mistaken.

“What do you want?”

“Is that how you talk to your owner?”

“Owner?” Oh, I see. It took me a few moments just for my brain to cach up but once my thoughts weren’t numbed I was quickly able to figure it out. If you didn’t get ichor then the next best thing would be someone with it, at least till you get your own. “What makes you think I want to join your team? I don’t have the best history with you Einherjar.”

“Yes I’m aware.” She rolled her eyes. “You had trouble with that other Einherjar early in the year. What was her name?”

“Wasp.” A man from behind her told her. They must have done their research quickly, or rather he did.

“I also want Fox and Solaris’ heads,” I growled.

“Hot. Pallas, who are they.” She asked the guy who answered her before. Pallas seemed to be her information broker.

“Solaris is Kepler’s second, he’s the one that gave one ichor to the second year and got one himself. I don’t know who Fox is.” I saw Red scowl at the mention of the loss of Ichor.

“Fox was my ally.”

“Oh really? You got a weird relationship with your friends then.”

“Not friends.”

“Well, you look like you could use some friends.” She smirked, she grabbed my chin examining my face. “Incredible, your nose is already healed. What ichor is this?”

“Asclepius, probably mid or low grade considering that he survived the injection in his condition.”

“High grade.” I scowled. “Came out of the Headmaster’s mouth himself.”

“Perfect.” Red purred. “A relationship with the headmaster, an ichor and you look hot with blood smeared on your face.”

I smacked her hand away from my face.

“As I said who said I would join you? I have the ichor now, I’ll take my own Einherjar position and build my own squad.” It worked for Elara after all.

“You could.” Red admitted, but the fact that when she looked at me her eyes burned with fire and lust told me I wasn’t done with her. “But take it from me, being an Einherjar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The leadership, the challenges, the deals you have to make. It’s mentally taxing, wouldn’t you rather join me?”

“Why so you can earn Ichor and I become a disposable pawn a year from now? Fuck off.”

“You will be my second in command. With your ichor and my already established status, we will be more powerful together than separately. And if you are worried about losing your rank then you were never worth it in the first place. Tell me Canis, should I waste my time investing in you? Will you be a waste of my love?”

“I don’t want your love.” I hissed. “You know what I want.”

Upon saying that I could see her get more excited.

“Oh Canis,” she kissed my lips. “My love is only ever accompanied by death. Consider them already dead.”

“Looks like you’ve got yourself a second then.”