As We Fall by Anya Wildt

Author:Anya Wildt [WILDT, ANYA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The training barracks lay behind the palace, and strong youths trained in the blinding sun. It was past midday, which meant only those who had finished their classical education were on the grounds. The men and women, a decade younger than himself, were the ones who had excelled in military techniques and were at the end of their education, ready to be funneled out to the legions of the provinces. They had chiseled arms and legs formed by hard, daily fighting, the physique that was quickly lost once you left the military. Domitris had been good about maintaining a soldier’s lifestyle even after becoming a politician, especially as it had been necessary in the Overthrow when both he and Ignotus had taught commoners to fight. During the past four months away, he had been immersed in the role of a true politician, his days spent talking and sitting at a desk more than anything else. The honor guards had indulged him in the occasional sparring match, but it was not enough to keep up that sort of training. When in the military, Ignotus and himself had always tried to outdo each other. It was the kind of competitive behavior that belonged to the recklessness of youth. Some days, they had been running rounds all morning, fighting two-on-two matches before lunch, trained endurance all day and riding in the afternoon, and still the two of them would meet for a private match in the arena in the evening to test who was the strongest that day. Usually it was sword-fighting, but some days, when it had been a particularly rough day, or if they were angry with each other, it developed into plain old fist fighting. He had broken Ignotus’ nose that way once or twice and lost a tooth himself, but they always made up after that. There was something about letting go of the frustration and anger, letting it become physical impact instead, that soothed the mind.

The larger arena was located with the armory in a round building behind the barracks. The arena itself was surrounded by a low wall and gravel coated the floor. Inside, he found Ignotus at the far end, practicing blows with a wooden sword on a wooden opponent. Ignotus hadn’t heard him enter, so Domitris stood back and watched him. His blows were strong and precise, his tanned body dripping with sweat. He was wearing the short red fighting garments resembling army uniforms that allowed for optimal movement of the arms and legs. They also had the tendency of riding up, exposing more of the thighs than was appropriate outside of battle. He was panting hard and looked like he had been at it for a while. His form showed that he had not been neglecting his daily training since becoming a politician. The muscles of his arms and back tensed and swelled with his movements. Domitris walked over to a stand holding identical wooden swords and lifted one up. The blisters on his own hands were from the reins of his horse, not from a weapon.

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