Land of Evil

Four

That boy...

Rahda sat on the floor in the Training Room away from the main training ground. The rest of the members were trying to swing punches at Vanishing Warriors. The Warrior would appear suddenly, give one of the members a hit, or a cut or a harsh whip, and then vanish before the members could even send in a hit.

The place was like a dark dungeon filled with animals engaging in a strange dance. The smell of sweat sat in the air, accentuated by the pounding of feet and the occasional sound of a sharp whip. Sometimes there would be screams, or gasps, as a knife caught their flesh.

They were bloody and tired and paranoid and frustrated. If they lost focus for even a second, another whip would send them sprawling.

Rahda had done this several times. Alahfaq had always said that he had never seen a person get in so many hits to the Vanishing Warriors.

But today she couldn't bring herself to fight. Against anyone. She felt stupid. She blinked repeatedly, her rage clouding her thoughts, and worked on keeping her hand against the side of her head so it wouldn't crack open.

When did overconfidence start to cost her her spot? The most important thing she needed to do in her life was to get that diamond.

It would give her even more attention in DoxVaj's eyes. She would finally get what she had really always wanted. What she had been waiting and training and sweating and fighting for. But it had all been taken away from her. From right under her nose. By some undeserving nobody. Some amateur. He had managed to get the upper hand on her.

She clenched her jaw, shutting her eyes tightly. Soon, her eyes came open. She was perfectly still. She saw only one option: kill the amateur and take back her diamond. It was hers. It had her name on it. And she needed it. Badly.

 
*~*
 

The door to Kaizer's room swung open. It had been previously shut, making the room dark, so the sudden light made him flinch.

He blinked bitterly. "What is it, Darra?"

"I have news."

Yuri ran in. "Kaizer!" She held her chest, breathing in a laboured manner like she had been running. This made Kaizer more alert.

"What?" He asked, looking worriedly between the two of them. "What?!"

"You are now a Lion," Darra said, his mouth drawn into a line.

Kaizer bolted up, ignoring the pain that shot through him. "I didn't understand you."

Yuri held his arm, making him face her. Her eyes held fear more than anything. "Neej made the announcement. He announced that you were the one who got the diamond instead of Rahda."

Kaizer nodded, not liking the way his chest was constricting.

Yuri tried to stable herself. "When DoxVaj heard that you had gotten the diamond, he decided to call for you."

Darra spoke. "But since he knows that you must still be a beginner, he decided to promote you to The Lions instead. So you can toughen up before you come to meet him."

Kaizer fought a shiver. "Wh—why in the name of the gods would he want me?"

Yuri squeezed his arm tighter and he turned to her. "DoxVaj passed out an announcement a few nights ago that the person who got him the diamond would be invited to his Fold. That is why all were killing over it. Now that you have gotten it..."

"Dear gods..." Kaizer trailed off. Soon he hardened. "No."

Darra turned to him. "What?"

"I said no. I'm not doing this." He shook his head as if to erase what had just happened. "Is there no way to refuse?"