The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

1. Sandman

IT WAS NOW 10 years since she had been recruited. She trained hard, she became so much stronger. The sadistic nature she was taught to have, made sure that she excelled in any class she was put in. Azalea was currently stuck in a headlock with her best friend. Their class had been going on for nearly an hour and their hand-to-hand combat teacher had asked them to volunteer.

Elizabeth Maine was her best friend. A genius in all senses but instead of putting it in the classroom the girl rather liked to use it in causing heaps of trouble. Something over which Azalea and Elizabeth bonded.

"Ms. Maine, Ms. Selene, I would suggest for either of you to move so that we are not stuck here for the whole day," Their instructor drawled.

Azalea could imagine the woman picking at her nails as she spoke.

"Of course Mademoiselle Faith," The girls chirped in unison. Something they had started doing ever since it started to irritate the instructor.

Azalea craned her neck upwards so that she could look at her best friend's face. You see, Elizabeth Maine and Azalea Selene being best friends never actually fought with each other. Only doing so in the classes. And even then most of the wins were staged and if anybody kept a record of the wins they'd see there was a pattern to them. Both of them had an equal number of wins, as to not undermine their friendship.

Do you want to win, or should I? Azalea seemed to ask her friend. The Maine girl tilted her head and raised her eyebrow, I don't know, who won last time?

Azalea's forehead scrunched up as her mind went back to the last time the 2 had sparred. She had won.

It's your turn, she communicated through her eyes. It was signal enough to the blonde, who tripped her best friend's leg that had become unprotected out of nowhere.

With a grunt, the young brunette fell to the padded floor, which along with the entirety of the school, was colored black or either a shade of darker gray. Elizabeth Maine straightened up as the room filled with sounds of applause. Mademoiselle Faith clapped with her back straight and her beautiful face looking proud.

"Bon travail Ms. Maine." The instructor said, Mademoiselle Faith might have been from France but she talked more like a Brit than anything.

"You have to work on protecting your side, Ms. Selene." The lady said, turning to the brunette who had picked herself up from the floor. "La dernière fois que tu as fait magnifiquement, I must ask what happened?"

Azalea's eyes widened. Something to note about the Black Academy was that one of the firmest rules of the Academy was, 'No attachments whatsoever! You are on your own.'

That rule made it fair for foul play to be involved in normal classes, and any assistance provided to your friends was grounds for expulsion or punishment- depending on the amount offered. Friendship at the Academy was encouraged but wasn't seen as very important.

"I must have missed her leg, Mademoiselle Faith." Azalea chuckled nervously. Elizabeth's eyes also widened at the close call, but Mademoiselle Faith seemed to buy it.

"Yes, it seems so Ms. Selene," The woman said before turning away from the girl and towards the obediently waiting class. Azalea met eyes with Elizabeth whose eyebrows were raised at her.

"Homework for today is practicing that headlock, you can try it with your friends," She said. "But be careful that headlock can snap somebody's neck if maneuvered correctly."