TOWARDS THE LION'S DEN || ORIGINAL

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER 16
NO MERCY

THREE weeks had passed and Aries continued to train Katara as Phoebus watched some rare practices.

The argument a while back was put behind them as Katara noticed much was the same. The charm necklace, she began to wear it less and less. She felt it gave her comfort in emotional times, but she was becoming stronger now. She discarded it to a homely spot in a draw, of her study desk.

Her wound she was bestowed upon from the lioness, before she was captured; it had healed nicely.

Every day Katara was becoming stronger. Using her emotional memories as a source of power; her practices with a staff, a axe, a bow and even she was starting to use a sword but it was too long to get the hang of it. Her feet were becoming faster as Aries made her run the arena and the city roof tops of Setva.

Her hands had become ruff and grippy. Calluses boiled across her palms and fingers. Bruises and scratches healed to whack more into her.

Phoebus even began to train Katara to learn dance.

She studied into meal times, sometimes with Tetisheri, who she surprisingly found could read. They would read late into the nights about poisons, weapons and human anatomy from aggressive pressure points, to parts of the body that have so many veins.

Katara's skin and muscles were forging like steel slowly in the coals of a blacksmiths fire. Day by day she was becoming a sword. Sharpening to perfection.

She sat in my quarters, she had picked up some history and lore from all across Relaehria. Aries insistently threw more books for her to read, but she was already had a book with the royal family tree. She wanted to know if Titus was just purely cruel or did he inherit it? Digging her nail into the Titus's name on the page of the family tree. Titus Hartdell. A last name that struck ancient history. The tale when mount Drogo erupted and all noble families on mount Drogo, including the ruling dynasty were devoured in the flames. The Hartdells were the only noble family to survive and so claimed the throne.

But in legends, stories they were all told the God of death, Valarus set flames to them, to rule as Relaehria's God king.
Foolish myths to scare children. But Jasper believed in them.

But what suddenly caught Katara's eye in between King Titus and his younger brother, that mysteriously disappeared; was a peculiar name she had heard Aries and Phoebus arguing about. Batari Hartdell.

No it couldn't be- could it? She thoughtlessly cursed. "Aries."

"Hmmmm, yes?" Aries replied as he drew his eyes off a book. "Who is Batari Hartdell?" She wanted answers but she didn't want Aries to know that she really did hear his fighting a while back. His eyes widened at her question as he tugged on his sleeves, trying to mould a good answer for Katara. "Why do you ask?" He said crawling over to her side as his eyes glared at Batari's name in the Hartdell family tree. Katara was quick to reply, trying to seem obvious and innocent to know. "I've just never heard of her before. Is she the King's sister?" She poised the perfect look of wonder as Aries looked over her features if she was lying. "Uh- yes, she was Titus's sister." He studded.

Was? She thought. That spotlighted her a answer. Batari had either disappeared or was deceased. "Was? What happened to her?" Katara pushed for more answers.

Aries eyes netted together as his eyes narrowed at her. "You really are a open book, but I'm impressed you closed yourself up better,"