ONLY THE WORTHY (THE WAY OF STEEL--BOOK 1) by Morgan Rice

Author:Morgan Rice [Rice, Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

6 moons later

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Royce stood over Mark and held the tip of his wooden sword to his friend’s throat as he lay on the ground before him, and smiled broadly. Mark, clearly disappointed, shook his head.

“Unfair,” Mark said. “Can’t I win just once?”

Royce lowered his sword and held out a hand; Mark took it, and Royce yanked him up.

“You fought very well, my friend,” Royce said. “I just got lucky.”

Mark frowned.

“And all the other times?” he asked. “Luck?”

“He has the edge because he cheats. Haven’t you seen?”

It was a voice filled with meanness, and Royce turned to see Rubin step out from the circle of boys. The twins stepped forward behind him, and all three of them jumped down several feet into the muddy pit Royce had been sparring in—a replica of the Pits to come—and raised their wooden swords and faced him.

“Let’s see how you can fight when it’s three on one,” Rubin added.

“I shall have your back,” Mark said, raising his sword.

“No,” Royce replied, stepping up alone. “It is my fight.”

No sooner had Mark ascended the pit, when Rubin raised his sword and charged with a shout, the twins behind him, all clearly intent on killing Royce. The tension between them had been long simmering these past moons, and finally, it had exploded.

Royce was ready for it. After all these moons of training with Voyt he felt stronger than ever, ready to take on ten boys if needed, and he had been prepared for an ambush since the day he had arrived on this isle.

Royce raised his wooden sword and blocked the first blow, the clack of wood ringing out, then spun his sword around with lightning speed and jabbed Rubin in the stomach. Rubin keeled over with a whoomph.

Seth reached him at the same time, slashing for Royce’s back, and Royce spun and blocked, then spun his sword around and struck upwards, knocking his sword from his hand. He elbowed him in the face, dropping him.

Sylvan charged Royce, shouting, coming at him point out as if to run his sword through him. Royce sidestepped, slashed him across the stomach, then brought his sword around and brought it down on his back, sending him face-first in the mud.

Royce turned to Rubin, sword point out.

Rubin raised his hands.

“I give,” he said, still on one knee.

Royce lowered his sword—yet the moment he did, Rubin suddenly threw a clump of mud into his eyes.

Royce, blinded, clawed at the mud, unable to see. The next moment he felt a boot in his chest and went stumbling back, landing on his back on the ground, disarmed.

“FIGHT!” cried the boys up above, watching.

A moment later Royce, still blinded and clawing at mud, felt Rubin’s heavy weight atop him, his knees pinning down his shoulders. He then gasped, unable to breathe, as Rubin’s fat palms wrapped around his throat.

Royce gripped the boy’s wrists, struggling to breathe, but the boy had him pinned down.

“I’ve always hated you,” Rubin seethed. He grinned. “And now the time has finally come to send you back to the farm from which you came.

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