GLADIATOR | ELYSIUM RISING 1 ✔️

⍢ | 7

His face fell, his shoulders following suit.

Tenn smirked at the boy. "Was that up to your standards?"

"Whatever."

Tenn continued demonstrating a few maneuvers with his fake weapon. As Iggy studied his movements, he continued to build upon the theories he'd been constructing every night since he arrived on the Chyron.

When he first asked the old man what landed him on the ship, he hadn't been very forthcoming with his answer. He'd asked a few times since then, and each time he was met with the same, vague response. Whatever it was, Tenn clearly didn't want him knowing. To say that was suspicious was a massive understatement. Vonn had mentioned something about the man being a big deal back on Galenrad, one of the main worlds dominated by the Andradans. Along with the Elysians, they were a spacefaring species, their numbers spread widely across the galaxy. While Elysians populated much of their own empire, Andradans were mostly found in the Axaris Systems. With that in mind, along with Tenn's rebel tattoo, Iggy got to thinking. If Tenn wouldn't reveal the secrets of his past, perhaps he could trick him into doing so.

"Hey," Iggy said, interrupting the man's routine. "I've got a question."

Tenn lowered his rod. "Go on."

"Where'd you learn all this?"

He fell silent.

"Vonn said something about the Seventh Battalion? What is that?"

"That doesn't concern you—"

"Look, if we're going to be partners, we have to be able to trust each other."

Tenn snorted. "Partners? We're not partners. I'm only training you because I'm bored on this wretched ship, and you annoyed me into doing so."

"Keep telling yourself that, old man."

The Andradan cut his steely eyes at the Arigorii. "Watch it."

Iggy raised his hands innocently. "I just wanted to know how you got so good. I've never seen anyone fight like you. Granted, I haven't seen many people fight so the bar isn't very high, but—"

"Please." Tenn pinched the bridge of his nose. "Stop talking."

Iggy immediately swallowed his words.

"The Seventh Battalion is the most revered group of warriors on Galenrad. Thousands of years and hundreds of generations of greatness and legacy. My father's father's father fought in some of the greatest battles our people have ever seen."

"So, they taught you how to fight?"

"To put it simply, yes." Tenn rubbed his wrist. Iggy hadn't noticed before, but he sported a crude brand, just below his thumb. He didn't recognize the symbol, but he figured it had something to do with the Seventh Battalion. "I was their Lord Commander."

Iggy nearly choked on his own spit. "Lord Commander?!"

What the hell is he doing on this ship?

His brows furrowed as he remembered something. "Wait a minute, isn't Galenrad in the Cadmus Rift? That's outside Elysian territory. How'd you get captured by Elysian soldiers?"

"Who said I got captured?"

Now he was really confused.

"Okay, so what happened then?"

Tenn tapped his metal rod against the ground. "Enough chit-chat. It's time for your first lesson in sword-fighting."

Iggy pursed his lips. He'd gotten some information, but not nearly enough. It was a start, though. If he kept digging, he eventually would've struck something valuable. His little detective mission could wait. Learning how to handle a sword—or mop handle in this case—was far more important.