Jacky’s POV
The sun beat down on the courtyard, and a small group of girls were gathered around me. After hours of constantly rejecting them, sending back every gift and peace offering, I finally gave in. I offered them something better than fake friendship in this death trap.
Survival.
I held my sword loosely, waiting for them to settle into place. They fidgeted, shifting uncomfortably in their worn training garb, each eyeing their swords with both fear and curiosity. To say they were unprepared for this would be an understatement.
“Alright, listen up,” I called, my voice cutting through all the whispers. “I don’t have all day, and I’m sure none of you want to stand here looking like idiots. So, pay attention.”
A few of the girls stiffened, avoiding my gaze, while others stared at the sword in their hands as if it might bite them. I took a breath, holding back the urge to roll my eyes. This was supposed to be a lesson in strength, in survival, but I could already see that I was going to have to teach them just how to hold a damn weapon first.
“First thing’s first,” I said, stepping closer to one of the girls who was gripping the sword like she was about to cut a piece of cake. “You don’t hold a sword like you’re eating dinner. Hold it properly or you’ll end up slicing yourself open instead of your enemy.”
The girl’s cheeks flushed, but she corrected her grip, trying to hold the sword more firmly, though the tension in her arms told me she was still unsure.
I stepped back and looked at the rest of them. “It’s not just about strength, it’s about control. You need to feel the weight of the blade, understand how it moves in your hands.” I raised my own sword, demonstrating the fluid motion of a practiced strike, cutting through the air with an easy flick of my wrist.
One of the girls tried to mimic me, but her strike was more of a clumsy slash, sending the sword flying off-course. She stammered an apology, looking more embarrassed than anything.
“Don’t apologize,” I snapped, my voice hardening. “Just try again. This isn’t a tea party, it’s life or death. If you don’t take this seriously, you’ll die. Simple as that.”
They nodded, more out of fear than understanding, but at least they weren’t arguing. I continued to walk around them, watching their stances carefully. “Remember, if you hold that sword like a toy, it’ll behave like one.”
There was a hesitant silence before one of the girls, who had been glaring at her sword, muttered, “What if I just… don’t use a sword at all?”
I raised an eyebrow. “What would you use then? A dagger? A rock? Your fists?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know, something else.”
I shook my head, annoyed by her lack of focus. “This is the problem with all of you,” I muttered, pacing. “You don’t understand that the sword is an extension of you. If you don’t wield it, you become the target.”
At that, Valerie appeared at the edge of the courtyard, leaning against one of the columns and watching the scene unfold. She hadn’t been part of the group at first, but I could tell she was intrigued by my no-nonsense approach. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, and she raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Really?” Valerie called out, her voice sharp and laced with sarcasm. “You’re telling them to fight for their lives, but half of them look like they’d rather be in the kitchen.”
The girls stiffened, clearly uncomfortable with Valerie’s comment, but I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of my lips. Valerie always knew how to make an entrance, and even though her words were biting, there was truth in them.
“Thanks for the help, Valerie,” I said dryly. “Care to teach them something?”
Valerie pushed off from the column and sauntered over, taking her time. “Oh, I’m just here to make sure you don’t break them in half on the first lesson. They might need someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
I snorted, appreciating the joke. “I’ve been trying to teach them that for the past twenty minutes. Maybe you can actually make them listen.”
She flashed me a grin and glanced at the girls, still holding their swords awkwardly. “Alright, listen up, ladies,” she said, stepping in front of them with exaggerated grace. “This is a sword, not a fork. You don’t need to hold it like you’re about to eat your dinner. Try gripping it properly for once.”
One of the girls blushed, clearly embarrassed. I stifled a laugh at Valerie’s bluntness. She had this way of cutting through tension without batting an eyelash.
“That’s better,” Valerie continued, smirking as she adjusted the girl’s stance. “Now, when you swing, don’t look like you’re trying to swat a fly. You want precision, not a tantrum. Look at your target, and let the sword do the work. Not your flailing arms.”
The girl took a hesitant swing, and Valerie stopped her mid-motion, tapping the girl’s wrist lightly. “Not like that. Tighten up your core. Use your whole body. Let it flow, don’t force it.”
I observed Valerie with a mix of curiosity and amusement. Her sarcastic tone had a strange effect-it made the girls listen, even if they didn’t want to. The way she spoke to them was brutally honest, but it worked. They were at least starting to get the idea.
“Alright,” Valerie said, stepping back. “Now, who’s ready to actually learn something?”
One of the girls raised her hand tentatively. “I think I get it now.”
“Of course, you do,” Valerie said with a grin. “Don’t hold it like it’s a butcher’s knife, though. Remember-this is a weapon. You’re supposed to kill with it, not make a salad.”
I stifled a laugh, but Valerie wasn’t done yet.
“Let’s see what you got,” she added, pointing at another girl. “Show me your best swing, and I’ll tell you just how much more you suck at this than you think.”
The girl, trying to look confident, swung her sword at the air in front of her. Valerie rolled her eyes. “Are you trying to slice a loaf of bread or murder someone? This isn’t a game. Swing like you mean it.”
The girl faltered and adjusted her grip again, but Valerie didn’t relent. She was relentless in her teaching, pushing the girls to do better, even if they couldn’t see how. Meanwhile, I stood back and watched, my arms crossed. There was something about Valerie’s approach that worked. It was almost as if she had a sixth sense for knowing exactly how to get under their skin in a way that made them work harder.
“You see,” Valerie said to me after a moment, smirking, “sometimes it’s not about being nice. You have to give them a taste of reality if you want them to wake up.”
I nodded slowly, impressed by the way she’d taken charge. “I don’t think any of them are waking up anytime soon.”
Valerie’s eyes glinted with mischief as she turned back to the group. “Well, let’s see how they do with a little more practice. I’ll be here all day if they need me.”
We spent the next hour running through different stances, grips, and strikes. Valerie offered sarcastic commentary and insults with every failed attempt, but surprisingly, the girls started to improve. They were listening now, pushing themselves harder with each swing. There was still a long way to go, but for the first time, it felt like they might actually learn something before the trials.
As the sun started to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows over the courtyard, Valerie walked up to me, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Well, I think we’ve done enough for one day. We might’ve gotten through to them. Maybe.”
I shrugged, not fully convinced. “They’ve got a lot of work to do before they’re ready for the Ring. But… I guess that’s something.”
Valerie looked at the girls, who were now sitting on the ground, catching their breath, each one flushed with the effort of the lesson. “We’ll see if they survive the next round. Either way, they’re not going to be able to say they didn’t try.”
” Why don’t you stop at playing a teacher and come bully someone who actually knows how to fight.” A new voice caught everyone’s attention.
“Excuse me, are you talking to me?” Valerie raised a brow, approaching Malia in an angry fit.
“NO.” Malia shook her head, her eyes were tense. It had been more than an hour since she wanted to talk to Alpha Roman. What had happened back there? “I’m talking to her.” Malia pointed the sword at me. Angrily, she started running at me, sword forward.
The rest of the girls got out of the way. Suddenly, Valerie stopped in front of me, their swords clashing.
“Get out of my way you bitch. This is between Jacky and I.”
” I don’t mean to be such a bore. But the rest of these girls were actually trying to learn how to fight. Jacky was doing a good job. How about you go bully someone else.”
“Valerie, it’s okay, I got this.” I said to her, wielding my sword better, ready to defend myself. I didn’t want anyone else standing up for me.
“I know you do. But our little princess here can’t keep having her way with everything.” I watched Malia’s face. Somehow shocked, embarrassed even. “You haven’t told them, have you?”
“Shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Malia answered, fist clenched, she was so angry.
“Oh darling, you have all these girls convinced you’re one of them. Some of them were actually rooting for your win. But you’re royalty, and the rest of them come from low income classes and want to do better.”
“Royalty?” One of the other girls, Liana, said.
“Yes.” Valerie answered. “Malia is the daughter of an Alpha from a small pack. That’s why Alpha Roman gives her so much special treatment. While the rest of us fight fair and square, her cards were handed to her.”
“You bitch!” Liana shouted, gripping her sword, again, like a fucking fork.
She ran up to Malia with her sword raised. One thing I’d learnt about the girls here was that they hated royalty. Then only royalty they swooned over was Alpha Roman. The rest were judged, blamed, and persecuted.
Before I knew it, more than five other girls broke from the group, running at Malia, wanting to kill her.