Fire blistered her eyes and knives racked her body. He staggered backward.Ī moment later, her brain was scored with hot needles. “Blast it.” She sent a hard thrust with her mind, ramming his shield with her might. They’d charge her, and then feel the wrath of her Gift. How would this help them? The enemy, when they came, wouldn’t just stand around and wait for her to come up with a perfect sword thrust. Truth be told, she hated this slow approach. She jerked to a stop and placed a hesitant foot to the left. Shanti jogged backward before noticing her grandfather’s expression darkening. He resumed his patient pose instead of going for a kill strike. With a flash of movement, Kallon swung his wooden blade in an arc, knocking away her sword as he stepped to the side. She pivoted and put more force behind her sword, bluntly thrusting it the rest of the way.

He watched her with those cool gray eyes. Just be fooled, blast it, Kallon! she thought in desperation. Her sword hit its zenith and slowed as her eyebrows rose, needing him to commit. She feinted forward, ready for him to block her pretend thrust so she could stab him in the side. For now she was nothing but a lanky eleven-year-old, gangly and jerky, but by the time she hit her mid-teens, people would say the stars were her limit, as well. His perfect technique and quick learning enhanced his natural ability, like anyone’s would. He’d already grown into his body, and he’d been doing this longer. That was the only reason he was stronger, faster, and more agile. She’d failed at both often enough that her body was decorated in bruises. Shanti took a hesitant step to the right, wondering if she should circle him and feint a few times to try to draw him out, or just rush him. Clearly, he wanted her to make the first move. Kallon stood patiently with a passive face. Shanti’s fist tightened on her practice sword as her grandfather looked on, his face stern but expression devoid of his desired outcome of this fight. As a people, they must look to who would lead them to victory and fulfill the duty of the Chosen.

It was universally thought that the other should step into the leadership role, traditions notwithstanding. One had already been declared leader by the death of her father.

S hanti squared off against Kallon, the two most promising fighters the Shumas had.

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