It all begins when a silver dagger goes missing.
For her entire life, a human named Cora Gabris has known that lycans were searching for her, as she was born as a Ruby -- a human that, when turned into a lycan, will become much stronger than any of...
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The sun crossed the sky and edged closer to the horizon by the time Cora finished her first day of training. She was more exhausted than she had ever been in her entire life. It made Cora realize that she had reached adulthood before ever punching a single thing. Asla also focused on dodging and kicking, so as to acquaintance Cora with her body and its movements.
Whenever Cora had been tempted to take a break, Asla reminded her of Steigen, and that Grimshaw would never allow her a break. The motivation worked, and Cora groaned and cried throughout her final throes of fighting, refusing to give up.
She had no image to put in her mind when thinking of Grimshaw, so she used the shadow from the flames to channel her energy.
Despite the motivation, she reached a point where she wanted to give up; the sheer physical demand was immense, and she couldn't imagine doing this day in and day out. Asla had told her, translated by Mina, "The battle with Steigen? Our Seers and your witch reveal that it concerns us all...but the battle with Grimshaw is yours, Cora Gabris. How strong you are when you face him is up to you."
After that, Cora pushed herself so hard that her legs were trembling by the time it was over, with at least a dozen deep bruises forming.
It had only been one session, but it changed Cora. Coming to Reiger on her brother's behalf, facing Theran, and never having tasted so much dirt in her life from continuously falling to the ground...Cora was different.
She was stronger. More determined. Grimshaw could never have her, not as long she breathed. And she'd be the one to ensure that, rather than relying on another. She wanted to be like Asla, and to be a pillar of strength that others didn't dare to challenge. Like how no one wants to challenge Ludovic. I want to be like that.
She never wanted to have to hide herself again.
Hours had passed since she first entered the training grounds. Sore and covered in dry sweat and dirt, Mina, Cora and Asla now sat at a wooden stadium with a fighting arena below. It was an area where lycans would come to spar and challenge the other to fight in real time and display their prestige. It was the ultimate way to training in fighting, and the easiest way to learn to deal with painful wounds before facing a true enemy.
The wooden stadium was more filled than empty, but not overly crowded; perhaps a hundred or so lycans attended. It was the largest official fighting pit of Reiger, although sparring could take place anywhere.
"So, how is someone like Asla or Ludovic not riddled in scars? I mean I know they have them, but not to the degree this makes it seem," Cora said with a wave of her arm at the arena before her. "Asla said she and Ludovic fight others here often, but back home that would mean people have so many scars it would look like veins."
Her hand landed on her thigh and she winced as she accidentally hit a fresh wound. She looked down to eye a gash, and upon closer examination, she swore it might already be healing.
