Chapter 4 The Start of TrainiNG

"Arise." Kieran's words cut through the fog of fatigue that was obscuring my thoughts. I groaned and got down on my knees. My legs screamed in protest, and my arms shook. It felt as if every muscle in my body had been severely ripped apart and then put back together. He paced in front of me and said, "You'll never survive outside these walls if you're this weak." Although he spoke in a chilly tone, his storm-gray eyes were watching me intently. "You wanted to show your worth. Begin demonstrating. I glared at him while spitting dirt out of my mouth. "All damn day, I've been proving myself." Infuriatingly calm, he grinned. "You've been making it through. There is a distinction. The other members of the pack watched from a circle. others with interest, others with blatant contempt. Their words were sharp as they murmured to one another. "She is merely a stray." "She won't survive past tomorrow." Without a word, Kieran silenced them with a raised hand. "Once more," he said, pointing to the obstacle course he had prepared. I looked at it, feeling sick to my stomach. Weights to lift, wolves to spar, and walls to scale. It seemed like it was all meant to shatter me. I wouldn't allow him to win, however. Not in this manner. "All right," I said, forcing myself to get up. "Let's take action." Kieran's face was inscrutable as he folded his arms. "Well done." The course was a haze of suffering and willpower. As I climbed the walls, the ropes sliced into my hands. My shoulders were crushed by the weights, and my legs buckled beneath the pressure. It was the sparring that was the worst. With bone-rattling ferocity, the wolves delivered their strikes without hesitation. Kieran yelled, "Pay attention," as I narrowly avoided a blow. "You are powerful. Make use of it. Around me, the shadows shifted and flickered like fire. However, they were untamed and unmanageable. They slid through my fingers like vapor each time I attempted to call them forth. "Elara, hurry up," Kieran snarled. "Is that all you have?" I felt something crack within of me. The burst of anger was blinding and scorching. The darkness came alive with a roar, tearing forth in a raging tide. I threw the wolf that was battling with me back, and it skidded over the ground. The audience became quiet. Kieran was slightly taken aback, but he immediately covered it up. "Better," he murmured, his voice now lowered. "But you haven't arrived yet." By the time Kieran called for a break, the moon was low in the sky. I fell to the ground, unable to breathe. Despite the bruises on my body, my soul blazed with determination. Even at repose, Kieran's presence was imposing as he huddled next to me. "You're not as helpless as I believed." I mumbled, too tired to add any anger to the phrase, "Thanks." He studied me with a tilt of his head. "Elara, you have power. actual power. However, you fear it. The reality of what he said made me tense. "I don't feel scared." "Liar." He was almost amused in his tone. "You believe I am unable to perceive it? You hesitate each time you employ those shadows. Why? I averted my eyes because his stare was too heavy. "Because I'm unsure of their intentions." "Then learn how to manage them." "It's not that easy." I had to turn to face him when he grasped my chin. "Yes, it is. Unless you allow it to, power does not dominate you. It will ruin you if you don't own it. His comments struck a chord, echoing through me. He was correct, even if I didn't want to acknowledge it. I had to quit escaping my authority. I was forced to confront it. "All right," I answered, looking him in the eye. "Teach me." His face lit up slowly with a grin that made my stomach turn in ways I couldn't explain. "I am already." The hours that followed were terrible. I had to repeatedly call forth the shadows as Kieran pushed me harder than before. Every time, they got somewhat more receptive and less untamed. He said, "Good," as I succeeded in enclosing myself in a wall of darkness. "Now launch an assault." I paused. "Who attacked?" He furrowed his brow. "Me." "You're not serious." "Do I appear to be kidding?" I took a deep breath and let the darkness loose. Like a tidal wave, they rushed in his direction. Kieran, however, did not recoil. His own power shimmered in the air as he repelled them with a flick of his wrist. "Once more," he remarked in a composed tone. "And don't hold back this time." I tightened my jaw and threw all of my might into the assault. Darker and stronger than ever, the shadows raged. For the first time, I saw a glint pride in Kieran's eyes. I was barely standing when the training was over. My limbs felt like lead, and sweat trickled from my forehead. However, I experienced pride for the first time. I had succeeded. I had used my strength. Kieran came up to me, his face inscrutable. "Not too awful. For a stray. I gave an eye roll. "I'm beginning to believe you genuinely take pleasure in making fun of me." He grinned. "I find it amusing." His eyes darted to my wrist as he turned to go. He froze, his gaze narrowing. "Where did that come from?" Confused, I followed his eyes. There was a mark on my flesh where my sleeve had slid back. A tiny emblem gleamed dimly against my wrist, like a crescent moon interlaced with vines. With a shaky voice, I answered, "I... I don't know." "It has simply always existed." Kieran's face darkened, and I saw something in him that made me uneasy for the first time. Fear. He said, more to himself than to me, "That's not possible." "What is it?" I insisted. “What does it mean?” He didn't respond. Rather, he took hold of my wrist, his hold almost excruciating. "You don't know who you are, do you?" "What are you discussing?" His serene exterior broke for the first time as his eyes met mine. "That mark is the Moonguard's mark. Elara, you're bound by an old prophecy. We're all in danger if it turns out to be the case. The weight of his remarks seemed to fall on me, tilting the room. An old prophecy? Risk? It was all confusing. But before I could ask him any more questions, he let go of my wrist and took a step back, his face a mask of anguish. With a tense voice, he said, "Training is over." "Take a nap. You'll need it. I was left alone with more questions than answers once he turned and left. I gazed at the mark, my thoughts racing, and it burned slightly on my wrist. Kieran had been shocked by whatever he had witnessed. Additionally, I had every cause to be concerned if Kieran was. However, one thing was certain: this prophecy, this mark wasn't just about me. It was larger. And I wasn't prepared for whatever was coming.