We are outside, standing in front of the Bde Grandmaster Cariocecus. The burning clouds of pale yellow warm my body.

  Oval-shaped structure in a ndscape of sandstone rock, the Academy's arena is all white limestone. Stone gleaming, structure remarkable.

  The arena's white facade has three levels of arches and statues.

  Inside, rising concentric rings form the seating area, and below us is a small realm of underground chambers and corridors.

  The small arena can hold about thirty thousand spectators. Nemea's Track, the stadium of Lodestar, can hold about seven times that.

  My hair is a thick braid with heavy bangs and two long, red tendrils that frame my face. Today, Hebe, Tomoe, Zuri, and most other girls have it tied behind.

  ''In the beginning many of you were hesitant and clumsy and weak, but now...less so.'' Cariocecus blinks once and then smiles. ''Some, I dare say, have turned their favorite weapons into almost a third hand, an extension of your very bodies.'' The always-smiling fuck looks at Zuri for a moment and then...at...me.

  His face becomes a bit more serious. ''You are each required to pick one weapon, a weapon of choice to master even more than any other. Archery will always be a required curriculum for all of you, and thus the weapon you pick must be a hand-to-hand one. Many of you have, in a way, already done so but this makes it official and it will heavily impact your final grade.''

  Those students who graduate with the best overall grades will receive the biggest chambers, better food, as well as other perks, and are sometimes even able to choose their posting to be within the Valley itself or, if they are crazy or unlucky, they can choose the Wastes and the temporary outpost they are sent to there, and some can become grandmasters themselves or work for the Academy as instructors. Not the worst life.

  ''I know,'' he continues, ''my praises were often scarce, but my words were always true. And so I shall speak now.

  ''You are training to become warriors but it is more than that. Since you are so very precious you will fight monsters from a distance using bow and arrow and your familiars—obviously I'm talking here about those who have an affinity toward the Bck. And obviously, Gray Breakers also have their pce.

  ''Mastery of a bde will give all of your minds focus and discipline. Some of you will end up commanding warbeasts with a mere thought, but how can you do that if you cannot even control yourselves? Often, if the body is weak, mind is weak.

  ''So, each of you is to choose a weapon to specialize in. If you're lucky and get cd in bck, that weapon will be a big part of your battle kit that you bring with you for Harvesting. Each of you has at least some elementary knowledge of the spear, sword, and bow,'' he looks at me for a moment and smiles almost mockingly.

  You accidentally break one slightly expensive bow and apparently that's the end of the fucking---

  ''Among other things of bde,'' the grandmaster of smiling and all things bde continues. ''But it takes a lifetime to truly master even one weapon.''

  He points to the weapon racks. ''Do I need to tell you a third time? Go!'' The grandmaster's hands wave in our direction as though spping at some annoying specks of dust that just invaded his space.

  There are ten rich weapon racks lining the side of the arena. I move toward the one around the middle.

  Within the Eastern Cliff's red depths is the Armory. A pce where the Academy has rge stockpiles of weapons for students to practice with, for the Breakers to carry, for the soldiers to use—enough bdes for Theia herself to salivate over. The small profanation slightly tugs the corners of my lips upward. And although richly stacked, these racks are just a small taste of that opulence.

  Hebe picked daggers, Michael a longsword, Gabriel a spear, thick-shafted. The long shaft is stonewood, the spearhead gleaming hepatizon. Wonder if the spear matches his spear.

  Most of our cssmates chose swords and spears—steel sharp, amarium striking, hepatizon powerful.

  Double-bded polearm is my weapon of choice. Bdes are gray amarium, shaft is greenish-brown stonewood. There is a halberd bde at each end of the shaft whose height is about that of my own. The weapon screams attack. Nevertheless, you can use the long shaft for blocking.

  For years this particur weapon type has been the one I've practiced with the most.

  ''Ruptura!'' Cariocecus roars.

  A group of over a hundred people enters the arena, scattering across the seating areas. Many are old men and women, soldiers, grandmasters, some are scarred, or without limb.

  ''Triumph of cripples,'' Lana Furia whispers.

  I look at her. She notices me and is unable to hold my eyes for long. She's afraid of me...I don't want anyone to fear me, but it can, I admit, sometimes, feel real good.

  The grandmaster's eyes are ced with respect as he regards the arena's newest arrivals.

  He turns to us. ''Students! Raise your bdes high and hold. Your chosen weapon's master will join you soon.''

  We comply, our arms rising for the sky.

  ''Testudo!'' he yells, his voice heard by the entire arena.

  From all over the arena, about a quarter of that initial group which entered advances toward the twenty-five of us—our soon-to-be instructors.

  You gotta be fucking kidding me.

  ''Holy ancestors, Red. I see you're still drowning in your ridiculously long hair.''—It's tied!—''Or should I call you Boar Syer, Teeth Smasher...Ironback Ann...hmmm. We'll stick with Red,'' Grandmaster Vidar says.

  ''Double-bded polearm is your main weapon,'' I say dumbly.

  His brows jump. ''I always knew you had a sharp mind, Red.''

  Vidar scratches his beard—the thing has more twists and turns than the Ariadne Garden. I notice more than several long silver lines among mostly brown strands. ''I approve your weapon of choice, Red. Everything else...'' He looks me up and down, sighing with clear disapproval, his eyes soaked with mocking pity. ''Well, we have a lot of work.''

  I openly stare at the scars carving his left hand, but he doesn't seem to notice.

  Vidar crosses his arms. ''Heard you ripped a boar's tusk out and shoved it right into his eye,'' he says jovially.

  ''That's not---''

  He cuts me off. ''You know, when you were five, seven times shorter, you always looked at me like you wanna kill me. Always knew you were a killer. You're fucked up, Red.''

  ''Grandmaster---''

  He points a finger at me. ''And we're gonna use that barbaric rage you have to mold you into a...slightly more civilized barbarian.''

  I think he is talking with himself at this point.

  He seems all thoughtful for a moment. ''Will begin with running, of course. Footwork first. You move rigidly like a rock, or like an unusually fast turtle made of rock...or a...well, you ck flow. Honestly, I'd prefer to have gotten stuck teaching your man, now there's a warrior,'' he looks toward Gabriel. ''Unlike you he wins all his wrestling matches. All. Of. Them.'' he whispers mockingly. ''But, such is life.

  ''It's bdecraft time, Red.''