Blood Rider [Alonia's Queenslayer #1]

2

Atop a large hill surrounded by a sparse forest stood a castle. It was made of stone and was large, grey, and dull. Tall stone walls surrounded it, bright glowing runes lining every centimetre of it. Inside the walls, on a large training field at the back, stood a group of young riders. They were standing around a balance beam supported by a stand on both sides.

The wooden plank was barely wide enough for Eli's foot to fit on it. Her boots were secured tightly around her feet for more balance. The beam was positioned exactly two meters above the ground, and bellow it was only the rough dirt. They were training, like they did every single day but on Sundays. The sun was high up in the sky, and drops of sweat flowed down Eli's face. Her hair was ear-length and already a wet mess, and her tunic was drenched in sweat. They had barely finished running laps around the field when Ejder decided they'd do balance practice. Nobody was happy about it. Standing on that ledge with everyone's grumpy eyes locked onto her made her nervous.

Eli's mission was simple. She had a heavy wooden sword in one hand and was supposed to do series of attacks that they had learned. One of them included a backflip with a kick. She had done it a thousand times during her five years of training.

Except that this time, she was blindfolded.

"Begin." Ejder order loudly. Eli took in a deep breath and assumed an offensive position. She reached out with her senses. She heard the wind whistle around her. A couple of crows creaked from the wall on the right of them.

She focused on what stood in front of her. The beam. Only the beam. Eli took one step forward. And then, she began.

It was like a dance. She swung her sword and kept her balance perfectly with each step and jump she did. She was engaged in a silent dance, the only sounds being the light creak of the beam and the sound of the swishing force.

Then came the backflip. It was tricky, and Eli had no time to make a pause before doing it, or Ejder would skin her and make her run ten laps.

Another swish of her sword, and she jumped up high, executing a perfect backflip-kick. She landed gracefully in a half-crouch. Facing her audience, she gave them a deep bow.

Three people broke into applause, and Eli grinned. Helios, Elan, and Teoh. Her group.

"Good. Get down, boy, stop stalling." Ejder growled. Eli took off the linen wrap off her eyes and blinked a few times, getting used to the sun. She jumped down from the beam and handed the blindfold to Ejder. The man was dressed in a simple tunic and trousers, but he was someone Eli wouldn't dare face if she was fully armoured and had seven swords at her disposal, and he was asleep.

He was dangerous. She had seen him kill, mesmerizing and deadly.

His many scars made him look scary and rough, but he cared. He made sure Eli could hide the fact she was a girl, and he treated her the same as he did the rest. He was a good man, and Eli aspired to be like him.

Eli turned back to her friends. Elan was the tallest of the group. He was broad-shouldered and over-protective of everyone. He was the one to easily get riled up and get into fights. He wasn't the brightest guy, but he had a good heart. Helios came from an island in the far south, and was instantly cast out due to his dark skin. He was an excellent warrior with a brilliant mind, and was the calm and timid one in their group. And then, there was Teoh. He kept his brown hair tied in a bun, and he was just a ball of happiness and restlessness.

And Eli befriended them all on the first day. She remembered that day clearly.

She and Ejder had arrived early in the morning, just when everyone was waking up. Ejder had escorted Eli to her room and told her he'd get her soon. As soon as Ejder was out of sight, some curious boys came to see the newcomer.