Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 25: A Good Fight

Once Maruka was done instructing the new recruits on how to fight the doppelgangers, it was nearly dark out, and Maruka told them all to eat dinner, wash up, and then go straight to bed.

All of the recruits were sore and tired at the end of the day.

Maruka had them all fight each other one-on-one at least once, and he wouldn't let them rest for a minute until it was time to eat.

Pollyanna was used to such exercises, however, and relished being active after being cooped up in the caravan for so long.

The old woman beat every other recruit she was matched with effortlessly; even if she weren't invincible, she would have had no problems winning. She had hundreds of years of experience on the other recruits.

And she relished the fight.

Her blood pumped as she swept an elf's legs out from under them; her muscles tensed as she jerked her head to the side to avoid a wooden stick being thrust at her—her mouth bent upward in a smirk as she jabbed her wooden stick into a dwarf's belly and knocked the air out of him.

There's nothing like a good fight! She thought to herself.

Nothing like...

Nothing like...

She managed to stay focused on the fight for many moments longer until she shoved a woman who stumbled backwards with a grunt and suddenly, her mind would let her think of nothing else but the past.

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Pollyanna, as a black-haired young girl, watched a group of boys getting into a tousle from the stoop on her house nearby.

It was long ago—long before the fairies had even taken over Maribel and the kingdom belonged entirely to humans.

Pollyanna lived on the outskirts of the kingdom in a little town with her mother and father. It was a dusty place with very little greens and even less money.

Pollyanna was bored while her mother was sewing indoors—an activity she never cared for and didn't care to learn.

Her father wasn't home. He was working as a butcher in a shop nearby.

She glanced indoors and saw her mother busily stitching up a pair of breeches.

Since she was sure her mother wasn't watching, Pollyanna launched herself to her feet and joined the boys who, even at her young age, were much shorter than her.

When they saw her stomping their way, one of the boys cried, "it's a troll! A giant, hideous, ugly troll! Run!"

Pollyanna tackled one of the boys with a fierce grin on her face and wrestled with him until he was in tears. "Damn right I am hideous! I shall feast on your flesh and use your skulls as goblets!"

"I shall fight you, beast!" Cried another one of the boys.

Pollyanna shoved the boy she had been fighting to the side. "Are you mad, young hero? Do you truly think you can best the hideous troll, Pollyanna!"

"There's nothing like a good fight!" The boy replied fearlessly.

"Very well," Pollyanna replied, dusting off her dress. "Come fight me, then!"

The boy dove at her with shocking strength for being considerably shorter than her. He slammed his fist into her face as they crumpled to the ground. "You'll pay for killing my first mate, beast!"

Her face was swollen and pulsed with pain, but she was still smirking. "I think not! You will never defeat me, fool!"

Her nose was bleeding, but she shoved the boy off her with a kick and returned his punch with one of her own.