Speed and precision was the mantra Nino kept repeating to herself without words while she faced her larger opponent. And even as she managed to evade hits and make Zion stagger with a counter-attack, she could not shake the feeling she was being toyed with. It was an annoying sensation she felt even at the times when she clearly had the upper hand.
"What's the matter, tomorrow making you nervous?" Zion taunted with a devious tint to his hazel eyes. There was no way Nino could ever imagine he lost to her on purpose, but somehow she was managing to trade blows with equal strength despite her far more slender build. And it was true with every man she had trained with within the last few months.
Black-robed pairs were dueling all around the large cave, every single one of them seemed to happen inside an invisible box like even one step out of them would mean defeat. Not that it really mattered as everybody was simply training but they still followed the instructions to the letter, as they had for years to avoid punishments.
"You know what they do to women who lose the trial, right?" Zion asked and he used Nino's momentary distraction to attack her with a dash. But she just focused her green eyes on his fist like it moved too slow for her, and she stepped to a side to slam her elbow onto his gut.
"You should be the one worried, maybe they mistake you for a woman and give you to the demons to play with," Nino taunted while Zion grunted to back away. For a moment, his hazel eyes almost burned Nino's olive skin, but she just swiped the strands of her neck-length black hair off her face.
"And maybe they mistake you for a man, and just eat you," Zion grinned. He stared straight into Nino's symmetrically beautiful face. Her softer features combined with rare green eyes that acted almost like jewels definitely made her easy to spot in the crowd of taller men that filled most of the cave.
"Don't worry, they only eat the ones who can't serve the will of the Holy Lord," Nino irked. "Or are you admitting being a cripple or unwilling?"
"Don't think you can unnerve me, I will be one of the chosen who get to savor the holy essence of our lord," Zion flared before lunging to another dash. His speed was enough to lift a bit of dust from the floor, but once again, Nino thought he was moving too slow. Almost like the more they were practicing, the slower he became.
Nino saw Master Elijah move among the dueling pairs, his face was hidden behind a red mask and the hood of his black robes. He seemed to focus on Nino for a moment, so she took the opportunity to again avoid the attack, but this time she tackled Zion to the ground with his own weight. He landed down with a heavy grunt, but only a moment later he rolled away from her and stood up with slightly disoriented steps.
"Novice Nino, a word," Elijah voiced. Zion immediately lowered his guard and he simply watched how Nino walked after the master. She followed him to one of the doors that were bolted into the side of the cave. It was rare anybody was summoned behind this door, so Nino swallowed hard while thinking if it was an honor or something worse.
Inside the small side cave was a desk and another door that led to the master's quarters. Though he just stopped before his desk after the door closed behind the two. He turned around to examine Nino who stood like a blank and waited for any further instructions.
"You want to win, don't you?" Elijah asked with a calm tone Nino had rarely heard from him. And even now, it barely fitted his word choices. Usually, he just showed up to shout something to one of the novices. All of them had spent their twentieth year under his grueling training that mostly just involved dueling as according to him, those who had not mastered basics before him, were worthless to be taught.
"It would be my honor to deserve the blessed essence of the Holy Lord," Nino declared like she was being interrogated for her loyalty. The Holy Lord was the epitome of power, so she had nothing but respect for him, as only power meant one could have anything else.
"I can help you win tomorrow," Elijah voiced. His calm tone was unnerving Nino more than anything else. And for a moment she hoped he would just punish her. Especially if this was another test for her resolve. But she did not reply as there had not been a question aimed at her.
"Do you know the reason why you are the last woman among the novices?" Elijah asked. The only emotion Nino felt from the question was a slight sense of pride.
"The rest had weak bodies and were better suited to serve the Holy Lord in other ways," Nino replied. She was suddenly getting a bad feeling about this. After being mixed with the men for the last year of training, sooner or later the other women had become pregnant. Then again there was no way she could become pregnant in one day to stop her from taking part in the trial tomorrow.
"Do you know what happens to women who lose to the demons?" Elijah asked. He was clearly referring to the trial and Nino very much knew the answer. Zion had not been the only one taunting her about it.
"They will be made to serve them," Nino voiced. For a moment she thought about how she would be bound like cattle to be used by the demons to breed and for pleasure. And her fit body would deform and soften until she was just like the other weak women.
"You would not want to end up as a demon fuck-toy after all your training?" Elijah asked with a slightly amused tone. Nino clenched her teeth and she swore she would fight to her last breath instead of surrendering to the demons even if she could not win.
"No master," Nino said. Elijah suddenly stepped forward and almost breathed on her face through his mask. She took it without flinching or looking away.
"Have anyone told you, you have a beautiful face?" Elijah asked.
"Yes, master," Nino voiced. Though most of the time such comments had been accompanied by taunts about her slender body and how she should become pregnant like the rest of the women who were now serving the Holy Lord with their bodies.
"What are you willing to do to win tomorrow," Elijah almost demanded.
"Anything," Nino exclaimed with a stern stare in her green eyes.