Hunted Princess

Tournament Tour

"August, other trainers have claimed that your tactics are much too...new age for proper askar training. They say that you are too kind on your askars and treat them as if they were highborn. Care to comment on that?" A man in a dark blue suit asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

Siberia wanted to snarl at the comment but was cut off by August before she could do anything.

"Well, Jackson is it? From Malmore Central? To those Trainers that you speak of, all I have to say is look who has a contender in the King's tournament. Clearly my methods are working aren't they? If they were as "new age" as you say they are, then I wouldn't be standing here with my master askar now would I?" He glared at the man until he sat back down, his face red with embarrassment.

A young woman stood, smiling brightly, "Sir, the polls that have gone around the kingdoms have Siberia as coming in second, do you feel those are accurate?"

He looked at Siberia the entire time he answered the question, "No. Those are completely wrong. Siberia won't be coming in second. She'll be taking the crown."

A chill set in with the way August said it, as if he new for a fact she would win the tournament. The reporter sat, dumbfounded the way he said it and no other way to rebut him she quietly accepted his response.

August turned back to the crowd and half smiled, "Any other questions?"

One other reporter stood, and hesitantly asked, "Siberia, how do you feel to be an askar in the tournament? Has training been any different than a normal competition?"

Siberia's eyes widened and she looked to August who nodded for her to answer, "I'm honored to have been given the opportunity to compete in the King's tournament. Training is difficult, I'm up against other askars who are at my skill level or even above it. August has pushed me to find my limits and push past them, and because of that I know I am ready to prove myself not just for the King, but for my Trainer. Without August, I would be just a subpar askar with only a few quarter match wins. I have 72 won matches, and 5 kills in death matches, I have not lost and I will not lose, for August." She chose her words carefully, the slight gasps coming from the crowd at the surprise of her ability to speak but to form full coherent sentences. Most other askars couldn't speak or read; their trainers made sure to treat them like cattle and not human beings.

The reporter beamed at her, "Thank you Siberia, you have my full support in the tournament. May the gods grant you this victory."

August clapped his hands once, "Thank you everyone for those thrilling questions, however I meant what I said about having a train to catch. We must go to make the train meet up point. I hope you all have a good day and we shall see you all at the reveal ball!"

She followed August out of the foyer, up the stairs to his office where four large trunks laid. Siberia eyed the trunks, "That's a little much isn't it?"

He smiled, "Oh love, this is the condensed version. Milo tried to get me to leave more, but four is where I draw the line." He sat down at his desk and took a deep breath, "Killian come in here please. There's a few things I wish to discuss with the pair of you."

Killian came in, shutting the door behind him and giving her a questioning look. Siberia shrugged and the pair sat down in the chairs August had placed in front of his desk.

He studied them, eyes glowing slightly purple, and "You remember what some of the bigger cities looked like? The...advancements in technology and the way they treated the askars and the halflings?"