Ring of Cren [18+]

Chapter 22

Anastasia's POV

5 days later

"Go again," Damion says with his stoic manner, absolutely no sex, no flirting, and nothing but this disciplined approach when it came to Crow training. I am bruised and injured and sore and weak.

He is insisting on this ridiculous game for the 100th time this week.

The challenge was simple – do the impossible. I had to get past Damion, Rurx, Krystoph and Axe – four experienced Crows who worked as a team, who were all armed with wooden staffs. I had to run past them, move past them, get past them, somehow... to simply retrieve the bag of dirt Damion laid on a tree stump behind them in the lush gardens of the Cren.

We had gathered a crowd during lunch hours, and everyone would gather to eat and watch as I attempted to move past my Crows.

And I had one more aid beside the wooden staff.

I had one side kick. Damion jnr.

We were training together.

We have already failed the first 19 attacks today, since dawn we'd been training till lunch, we would stop just before lunch – and then I'd be so fucking sore, I couldn't even sleep without cramping and feeling my bones ache.

Damion jnr. is in a world of hell too, he is right next to me, his hand shaking with the heavy adult sized wooden staff they gave him.

I also have one, and it's just as taxing on me despite being an adult and he a kid. Although I had learned how to grip it better and so had he.

My Crows are arrogantly shirtless by the fifth day, not even breaking a sweat under the sun as they protect the bag of dirt I want so badly.

"We can do this," Damion jnr. repeats, time and time again, his teeth grit, "Ankles, knees, pain and pressure, we can do this, princess."

I grit my fangs, my body hungry for blood.

The crowd for lunch just seems to be growing even more.

I had started this task 5 days ago, thinking it would be literally impossible.

Five days later?

Nothing had changed, I was still facing an insurmountable force.

How did I beat my own Crows?

"We're waiting, princess," Damion swings around his staff, casually pacing to the left. Rurx looks sleepy, his eyes half closed, like he wouldn't mind having a nap, as he leans on his staff, bored to tears. Krystoph is balancing his staff on his shoe. Axe is facing the other direction, picking his teeth, also bored.

Damion is the one always focused on me, always staring, always willing me with his hard stare to beat them.

"ARGH!" I scream at the top of my lungs, "This time!" I scream at Damion and I turn my back, after getting my Crows attention, they've woken up, focused again.

Damion jnr. turns with me, leaning in, "Princess?"

"To the blue thorns, around, can you take Axe?" I whisper.

"I'll try."

"He said we'll win if either one of us touches the bag of dirt, it's on you, I'll do the rest," I finish my consulting and I turn back to my Crows.

"This time," I repeat with a hiss.

I run at Damion.

He's ready for my swing of the staff, but I see the gap in the middle, since they stand far apart, and it's all I can hope to do.