“The only measurable way to activate an enchantment is to apply physical pressure and willpower onto a rune. Some advanced enchantments have mental triggers, but those are heavily guarded secrets and typically involve esoteric conditions to adopt by any but their original owner.”

- The Hunter Handbook (2nd edition)

“That’s right, now twist your hip more as you punch past the target!” Elio yelled encouragingly from my left. Around us, everglow lamps lit up the training field we were on, while metal sconces illuminated the darkened surroundings of the combat field. I followed his advice as I swung, but felt my padded knuckles give under the pressure of the wooden dummy.

“Twist!” My impromptu tutor yelled again.

“I’m trying!” I groaned back. I set my lead foot and twisted my hips like he’d shown me three dozen times this evening. The cloth that hid the skin of my knuckles was stained with wood oil and blood. I punched again. Waves of pain snaked up my wrist and forearm.

“You know, you seriously gotta use that gauntlet of yours,” Elio remarked amiably. I shot him a fiery glare and noted with disgruntled admiration as he balanced on his hands and did hand-stand pushups. His face upside down, he smiled at me.

“I have no idea how. I mean, I got it to work a little today when I threw a spear, but I have no idea how I did it.” I admitted to the short boy. He expertly flipped out his exercise position and approached me.

“May I?” He held out his hand for my right arm. I hesitated slightly, but eventually gave in. He twisted the metal band this way and that, and I glanced around to make sure no one was around. “Hmm,” Elio eventually offered.

“What?” To my question, the young monk only closed his eyes and frowned in concentration.

“It hasn't been decided yet, but it’s clearly interested in you,” the other first-year answered clinically. I raised an eyebrow.

“What in the seven hells does that even mean?” I asked him.

“Well,” he started, but his head swiveled to something behind me. I followed his gaze and saw six figures step out from the shadows that surrounded the emptied combat field.

“Ain’t this a sight. A little girl and her pet rat. How quaint.” The tallest one laughed at his own joke. When he stepped into the light of our training area, I recognized him as the same elf that had shoved me back in the arena tunnel. Now that I got a good look at him, his muscular build was even more intimidating. He was tall, which wasn’t a surprise given his race, but it was just another reminder of how outclassed I currently was.

The small posse he brought with him were all carrying various training weapons dulled for practice. I took a step back. There were two more elves, a human, and two dwarves. Each of them bore dark expressions. The tallest elf addressed Elio.

“It’d be best if you left now, rat.” The elf returned his attention to me. “We have some business with the girl.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright,” my new friend offered with a cheery smile. “I am sure whatever you have to ask her can be said in my company.”

The elf laughed, but all it did was unnerve me.

“This doesn’t involve you, rat. Now, git or me and my compatriots will see to it a rodent like you gets skinned like one.” At his threat, Elio’s mood immediately darkened.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t threaten my ally, elf.” Elio took a step in front of me. He got down in a low stance that was practically a split, and held out both hands on the dirt like they were claws. The gathered cadets all laughed at his awkward and theatrical display.

“Elio, let’s go,” I pleaded. I knew we stood no chance against six opponents all wielding weapons while all we had were our fists.

“Oh, you’re not going anywhere, Thea Shade. We need that arm of yours.” The lead elf unsheathed a long dagger. I felt my heart pound in my ears as the world narrowed to the metallic edge of that blade. Images of blood seeping out of my forearm flashed through my mind.

My mother’s screams.

My father’s tears.

“Get on your knees, and I might only take the hand rather than the whole arm,” the elf promised. Rage flashed behind my eyes. I met his gaze and got into the stance Elio had me drilling for the past hour. I was tired and sore, but I would never let someone cut into me like that again without a fight.

“I love it when they put up a fight,” the elf confided in his friends, and they all laughed mockingly.

“Surrender, or we will destroy you all,” Elio said from his position on the ground. They all laughed harder and approached.

“I can’t wait. It’s been a while since I’ve sampled a human, after all,” The elf flashed me a smile that caused my gut to clench.

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There was no way in hell I would let this bastard touch me.

“I warned you,” was all Elio said before he pounced. The lead elf yelped in surprise as the young monk’s ankle crashed into his military boots. The joint buckled and Elio’s second heel collided with the elf’s slender knee. More bones crunched at the sheer power behind the impact. Elio was a whirlwind. Each limb swung around in a shadowy dance made all the more hypnotic under the light of the torches nearby. One of the dwarves managed to dodge the rapid onslaught and swung his dull axe at me.

My mind returned to the present all at once and I leaned back to avoid the strike. I didn’t calculate the angle correctly, though, and overcompensated. My arms windmilled and it was all I could do not to fall flat on my back. I twisted to the side as the dwarf cursed and swung at me again, this time vertically like I was on some chopping block. His movements were rugged and erratic, but I knew that I was little better. Around me, another elf fell to Elio’s vicious attacks. He moved like a beast, each strike a blur of fists and shadows. Still, more and more blows landed across his slight form.

I rolled along the dirt and felt something in my shoulder strain at the unpracticed motion. I grunted in pain but got back to my feet before the dwarf could land his hit against my head. I closed the distance while his axe struck the ground and punched, twisting my hips with all my might as I leaned into the blow. My left fist shot toward the surprised dwarf’s face and landed with a meaty crunch of bones.

Not his. Mine.

Pain flared through every iota of my fist. It felt like I just punched a stone wall. The dwarf spat out a bit of blood, but he was far less phased than I currently was. He kicked the haft of his axe handle and the iron head of the weapon snapped toward my legs. I jumped back, but the attack clipped my inner thigh. I cursed and clambered back, but felt my back flare with pain as the flat of an iron sword slammed into me. I fell to the ground, my vision blurry with red and white stars.

I could barely move.

From my prone position in the dust, I caught sight of boots closing in towards my face. I pulled my arms up to block the attack. The first blow landed, followed by several more as the group began to hail down kicks at my body. Bruises formed along my ribs and I felt a few of them give under the barrage of attacks.

I felt something inside of me crack.

Not even two days into the Orion Division, and I was going to die. Kaelan would be all alone, and my parents would never know the truth. I would die in the dirt, surrounded by my fellow students. No monster. No grand exit from this world.

Just death in a hellish pit.

Warmth surged along my arm at the same time I felt a vicious grip pull up on the appendage. I groaned at the unnatural position one of the men placed my arm in. The warmth grew, and I felt the final piece of me that held on snap.

I would not give up. Not here. Not now. Not ever.

The warmth solidified into something between an inferno and an unyielding purpose.

“What the hell?!” I heard the lead elf scream right before a loud wind swept through my ears. My arm shuttered and I felt a heavy reverberation course up my hand. Bodies slammed down on the ground around me. I cautiously opened my eyes and saw that three people were groaning on the training ring nearby.

I pushed myself up and it was only then that I noticed that I didn’t feel anything in my right hand. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate. I felt the dirt and fractured pain in my left hand as I tried and failed to put my weight on it.

But my right...

It was like an immaculately tailored glove covered my right hand up to the midway point on my forearm. The sleek metallic gauntlet there glimmered in the soft lights of the evening. Golden striations glowed with a fiery hue. I felt power course inside of me. It calmed my mind and steadied my weary bones. It didn’t cure or heal my injuries, but rather helped me ignore pain long enough to focus on the situation.

Every assailant was down. Elio stood a few feet away, his breath labored and one of his arms was clutched against his ribs, but he otherwise looked fine. He watched me with eager eyes.

“It chose you,” he told me hoarsely.

“You bitch!” One of the men screamed as he tried to back away from us.

“You have no idea who you’re messing with,” his threat was hampered by the fear clearly reflected in his eyes. I stepped toward him and felt warmth surge through my veins.

“Neither do you. Try something like this again, and we won’t pull our punches.” My promise landed even better than I expected as the man whimpered slightly and ran off without even checking on his friends. I stumbled over to where Elio stood and I grinned weakly at him.

“Any idea how to turn this thing off?” I asked him, nodding at my glowing armor piece.

“Try focusing on it and imagining how it felt and looked when it’s in its hidden form,” he supplied helpfully. I did as he asked, or, at least, I tried to. Fatigue bit into my focus with gargantuan mouthfuls, and it was all I could do to remain upright.

“Eh, screw it. I’ll figure it out later.” I looked over my shoulder one last time at the fallen cadets, most of whom would need to head to the infirmary.

Screw them. We’ll take all the good stuff before they can get there.

With that lovely sentiment, I threw my arm around Elio for support, and the two of us made our way to the healing halls. I caught the barest hint of movement somewhere deep in the shadows of the field, but when I didn’t see anything more, I shrugged and resumed our pace.

***

A man stood still amidst the shadows of the training equipment, as statuesque as the practice dummies he hid behind. He did not need to hide, but he chose to in order to keep up appearances. It wouldn’t do for his new toy to get the wrong impression about him, after all. Not when he had such big plans for her.

She had done even better than he hoped. The man walked over to the six cadets he had paid under the guise of assisting the noble faction in the school, and knelt down to their leader. The elf, a boy by the name of Zander Sliflin, groggily looked up at his patron.

“Sir, we didn’t know she could use it. I swear. If we had known, sir, we would’ve…” Zander tried to say more, but the man hushed him with a finger.

“Oh, it’s quite alright. I completely understand.” At his words, Zander relaxed visibly. “And as I’m sure you understand, I can’t have you ratting me out, now can I? Rats are such disgusting creatures, don’t you think?” The man asked sweetly, fully aware of his play on the boy’s words. He brought out a peculiar device that faintly resembled a morningstar.

“I’m going to have to be extra thorough with you lot. Best if I take a few years, just to be safe.” The man threw out a stone that hovered in the air. It pulsed with green energy and seemed to absorb all the sounds in the vicinity. That was good, as the man really didn’t like the sound of those kind of screams. He began his work, sliding the razor edge of the device along their skin while a few of his other trinkets kept them pinned to the ground, silent as their memories slipped away.

All the while, the man grinned. He loved his job.