One Heart

22. Lionhearts

The soldiers stood to attention as Kensie scrutinised them. She surveyed them as she walked before them, and then returned to the middle. "The Lionheart's and Royal Guard are in charge of protecting the queen and the royal family. I'd like to see how successfully you can do that. You will have two minutes to formulate a plan." Kensie turned and looked up at Sorah. "Then, you will attempt to guard Her Majesty against my attack."

Sorah quirked a brow and smirked. "Is that so?"

"Well, the simulation might as well be as realistic as possible."

Kensie turned back to the soldiers. "Your two minutes starts now." On her command, they distanced themselves to the other side of the arena.

Sorah watched them go and peered over the balcony ledge. She knew she had come into her strength, and the two-storey drop would be nothing to her awoken body, yet her partially human mind gave her pause. She closed her eyes and inhaled through her nose, then out through pursed lips. She brought up the memory of Isha dropping into the arena with grace. She sifted through more memories and smiled at the way her namesake made a show of springing off the rail and flipping before she landed,

Sorah planted her palm on the rail and in one smooth motion, glided over it and onto the stone floor. She walked over to Kensie who gleamed with pride.

"I honestly wasn't sure how that would go."

Kensie huffed a short laugh. "I noticed."

"So what do you need from me?" Sorah bounced up on the balls of her feet, excited to be part of the action after being so vulnerable and undeniably human for so long.

Kensie smirked. "You don't usually need to ask that question." Sorah shook her head with a grin as the soldiers returned and lined up before them.

"Lionhearts and Royal Guard." As Kensie addressed them Sorah admired the difference in her demeanour. "Your mission is to protect the queen. If I so much as touch her you can consider that a failure." She turned toward Sorah. "Go let your guard protect you, Your Majesty."

Sorah threw her a playful scowl as she allowed her Lionhearts and Royal guard escort her to the middle of the arena. They surrounded her and stood guard. She recognised the formation for it was one that had been developed by Sorah the First's Ahein Rah.

Kensie turned to Briggs. "Could someone time this please?"

Sorah saw everything in slow motion. She saw the way Kensie's movements were several steps ahead of the soldiers who faced her. When a soldier attacked, she dodged and added a counter strike. She had already rendered three soldiers useless before the others had a chance to attack, and Sorah knew that to their eyes her movements must be a blur.

Two soldiers approached Kensie from each side as she made the bold movement of attacking head on. One soldier aimed a blow at her head, the other at her torso. She caught each fist in her palm then catapulted both guards to her left. They crashed into the wall, cracking the surface. The rock crumbled and small shards cascaded to the ground.

The last five soldiers surrounded Sorah. She shook her head and sighed; they were out of formation and were about to be obliterated. One guard charged at Kensie. When she dodged he crouched down and turned, only to spring up behind her. Sorah smirked at the tactic. Kensie was faster as she crammed her elbow into his chest, sending him flying into the air to land metres behind her.

Two more charged at her. She rolled her eyes and caught both by the throat before throwing them into the ground. Sorah could see that Kensie was furious. She could feel her anger through their connection. She could feel the disappointment in each soldiers performance roll off her in waves.