Calista met with the first opponent, sweeping him off his feet with ease despite him being three times her size and the steel pointed at his neck determined her first win of the night in under thirty seconds.
She was distracted though, unable to get his favor out of her mind. It made her slower, but she was as alert as ever, understanding what was at stake.
Rumor had it that Thorne had a secret, a big one. It was supposedly the sole reason why he joined the underground in the first place, but no one ever figured out what it was. He had been here for ten years, and no slip-ups.
He was directly under Reaper, and there was another that held the same level of authority that he did, but she had never seen him. He was supposed to be further south, around where the Awa port was at.
Through the noise of all the cheering and sounds of betting going on, she blocked it out and focused on Yona's breathing, honed in on the slightest of anomalies. She was about two feet away from her, a risky length. But she kept moving, taking out anyone who got too close.
Twisting his arm around his back, she jerked up and a shrill scream echoed throughout the arena as she dislocated another's shoulder.
She shoved him to the ground, ensuring that he didn't rise. Switching her tactics, she dropped down and hooked a foot around the incoming ankle. He crashed to the ground, disoriented.
Spinning so many times she lost count, Calista fought with a deadly look in her eye, but she wasn't fighting to kill. Blood dripped into her eye from a cut she wasn't aware of receiving, and her muscles were starting to get sore from wielding the dual steel blades.
She was only fighting to impair, but that was taking more finesse than she was used to at an initiation of this size.
The line between incapacitating and death was a fine one, and while she didn't want to take any lives, Yona's safety was her first priority. If they got up again after she took them down, she would make sure that they didn't have a chance to come back again.
Whipping around as she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, she walked right into the trap. A foot collided with her chest, knocking the air out of her lungs.
Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she took a few seconds to gather her bearings.
Delirious, she covered Yona, taking a heavy hit to her back. She bit back a groan, then shook her head as the world around her finally came back into focus.
Turning around with a speed that rivaled Hak's, she pushed him off of her and knocked him clean out. Rotating her wrist, she spun around to face the stragglers left, silently begging them with her eyes to just do it and fight her.
But they shrunk back at her display, mistaking it for intimidation and ran back to their masters, who glared at them in disappointment.
Calista quelled the smugness welling up in her chest, ashamed of the fleeting pride she felt.
This was nothing to be proud of.
As the initiation was called out and moved onto the next, she and Yona left the ring, shouldering their way through the crowd.
Those fighters who ran would get beaten tonight by their masters tonight, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Once they reached the edge, there were three misfits who stood out from everyone else. They didn't fall into the category of fighter or master, instead, they all held themselves with confidence.
That reminded Yona of Calista.
"Red, this is Yue, Nier and Opal." The raven-haired fighter introduced them one at a time. "They are triplets."
Yona bowed in greeting, but didn't say anything and kept her eyes downcast.
"Where are the others?" Calista hissed angrily at the boys who were boredly spinning knives in their hands. They were no more than fifteen years old, but the others were supposed to be here tonight.
"How should we know?" Yue narrowed his eyes at her.
"They ditched." Nier replied, sharpening a spare knife. "They don't want to die."
Calista conceded, aware of what she was asking from them. "Do you three still want to do this?" She changed her tune, softening her voice when she ensured no one else was around.
They nodded collectively and she breathed out a sigh of relief.
"We watched your fight, Notch." Opal piped up. Out of the three, he was the youngest and most lively. "We're with you all the way."
She smiled warmly at the boys, ruffling their hair affectionately despite the protests thrown her way.
Turning to Yona, she requested, "They wish to offer protection to the Fire Tribe villages, do you allow this?"
The princess nodded silently and the three boys bowed their head in thanks, turning wordlessly on their heel and left.
On the walk back, Calista gave her a sidelong glance. "It's alright to talk now, Your Highness."
They were far enough away and she knew Yona had a lot of questions.
"Why didn't they say anything? I've never seen you fight like that, it was pretty scary."
Calista nodded understandingly. "I try to control it, but it gets a bit hard to contain it when you're so close to danger."
They fell into a silence, and she mentally prepared herself for the princess' next question. The fighters, the blood, the hate, the unresolved pain, she was ready for it.
"That man, what's his name?"
Calista wasn't expecting that one. "Well, no one knows his real name. We all go by our street names. He earned the nickname 'Thorne', after his initiation due to the rose tossed at his feet when he finished."
She didn't think that the innocent princess would have noticed how he commanded the authority of the room, but she was glad to be proven wrong. She was getting sharper with each trial life chucked at her.
Yona was still confused. "But why 'Thorne?'"
Calista barely refrained from snorting, recalling the memory with perfect clarity. "Because he threw it right back at them."
She giggled, then slowed to a stop.
The assassin turned around swiftly, scanning for anything out of the ordinary but came up short. They were coming up on their campsite, so she didn't know what was the problem.
"Your Highness?"
Yona refused to look at her. "Those people, are they all down there because they have to be?"
Calista nodded. "Some were born there, and others were brought in."
"Why don't people just stop coming?"
She shook her head. "It's not that simple. The noblemen run this whole operation. The underground draws in all sorts of kids who are facing hardship and offers them a different life. People take advantage of that and rope them into things that they don't have the capacity to refuse because they're kids."
Calista continued, "That's why I don't want you to do anything down there. There's a lot that goes down there, it could take years for you to learn. But I think that if we handle it delicately, then we'll be able to get some people out secretively."
Yona stopped listening to her lecture. "I can't be like that. I can't allow that."
She stopped in her tracks, tilting her head curiously. "What do you mean?"
Yona lifted her gaze, staring straight into her silver eyes and Calista was startled to find the familiar fire burning bright in lilac. "I'm not like you. I don't assess the risks the same way you do, and I don't have the strength to be an assassin that can trick people's minds like that. It's not me."
Calista patted her head softly in reassurance. "I know, I don't expect you to be ruthless and conniving like that. That's why you have me."
She was old enough to handle it, unlike Yona who was still only sixteen.
"I am going to free them. All of them, including you."
The absurd declaration almost made her want to laugh, but the look in her eye told her that she wasn't joking.
"You can't be serious, Your Highness." She frowned, brow knitting in worry.
"Yes, I am."
She knew she was upset with how many people were suffering, but there was a line that was drawn.
"Look, Yona, there's only so much we can do as bandits. How do you propose dismantling an operation that's been here since the beginning of time while keeping your identity hidden? You have no credibility, no foundation for even trying."
Calista was a believer in her, but to attempt something so risky that was sure to get her killed was something she wasn't entirely keen on. Still, she couldn't help the flutter of hope that shot through her system and she secretly hoped that Yona would fight back.
"I don't know yet." The princess admitted, but her determination didn't fade. "But when I do, will you stand with me?"
Calista untied her mask, flashing her crafty grin. Excitement sparked through her veins at the prospect of being able to free the people trapped in the never-ending cycle of blood and anger.
"Is that even a question? Of course I'll stand by you."
No matter what came their way, she would always stand beside her. There was no one else she would rather serve.