The conquest

"We’re about to do something no one has ever done," Romulus said, his voice full of both excitement and seriousness. He turned to Athena, his partner in this uncharted territory.

Athena, as always, was calm. "No one in the history of this kingdom has been both a warrior and a mage. We’re the first of our kind. Our mistakes will be the lessons for those who come after. We must adapt fast and make the right choices every time."

For a moment the weight of their future hung between them and then they shared a soft, tentative laugh. Neither of them knew how soon their resolve would be put to the test.

Their day started abruptly with the bellow of their trainer, his voice booming through the morning mist. "Get up!" he yelled, standing over them with a face that could intimidate the bravest warrior. "I don’t care if the king is your father. Here you earn your place like everyone else!"

Romulus felt a spark of anger but he swallowed it, knowing better than to cross the man who held their future in his hands. The trainer told them to line up and get their swords.

"A sword," the trainer started, his voice firm and unyielding, "is more than a tool of destruction. It’s an extension of yourself. How you use it reveals who you are. Never let your emotions guide your actions in combat."

The trainees nodded, taking it in. With one smooth motion they each struck the wooden dummies in front of them, the metal on wood echoing across the training ground.

The trainer watched them. "Watch closely," he said, moving his feet, wrists and waist in precise motion. "A good fighter is like a dancer—graceful and deadly."

The group laughed at the comparison but their trainer wasn’t joking. He pointed to Dimitrios, a young warrior with a reputation for being strong and fearless. "Come at me," he said, standing naked.

Dimitrios hesitated, looking around at his fellow trainees. "My brother always told me never to fight an unarmed man," he said.

The trainer’s mouth twisted into a sly grin. "This is battle, not a chivalrous duel. Survival is your top priority, not honor. You up for it?"

Dimitrios nodded and charged forward, determined to prove himself. But before he could even think the trainer had stepped aside and with a quick flick of his wrist had disarmed Dimitrios before he even knew what was happening.

Dimitrios stared at his empty hand, then back at the trainer. "No one’s ever disarmed me like that before."

The trainer laughed, a low, knowing laugh. "There’s always a first time. Now learn from it."

He turned to the rest of the group, his eyes hard. "You won’t leave this training ground until you master these skills. The road ahead is brutal and only those who master themselves will survive."

Romulus looked at Athena, both of them feeling the trainer’s words. They were on the cusp of something big but the path to greatness was treacherous. Together they would face it all, their bond and their training their only armor.