I'm With You

Chapter Sixteen: Ximena

A.N. This chapter is dedicated to Kuzu CreativeAbility for her lovely book cover she did for me.

Chapter Sixteen: Ximena

The sound of clashing swords and energetic cheering reaches our ears even before we have dismounted our horses.

The House of Axelia is widely known through this world as being one of the finest training sites for soldiers and warriors alike. Red told me that his father often received requests from neighboring kingdoms to allow them to send their own soldiers to the House.

While King Caunon granted these requests for a fee, it was obvious he envied the respect and awe that the Axelia family received for their acclaimed fighting prowess. That animosity made it easy for the King to press his close friend, Sana Vallenia to rise to the power of General and take over the House.

Not long after, the King and Queen called for the desolation of Antavane, a little coal mining town in the Brighid mountains that was home to the Lord and Lady Axelia and their people.

Very few lived through the attack, two survivors being the late Lord and Lady's young children. Ashwin Axelia and his younger sister Aila Axelia.

Landing gracefully on the ground without the help of the stable boy already holding the reigns of my horse Roya, I start making my way across the grounds towards the entrance of the House.

Its name sounds deceiving as the House looks far more like a massive barn made of steel, stone and iron.

The building is three stories high, its sides sloping up into a point much like the top of a barn. The bottom level is almost devoid of any furniture and its floor to ceiling reinforced windows are almost always open to give it that sunny, airy feel.

Surrounding the building are hundreds of acres of Hollenbrook's finest hills and grassy plains, and the backdrop of the House is Mount Brighid, glorious in its mighty size.

The view from any window in the House is so magnificent, one could almost bear getting the life beaten out of them in training.

Picking the hem of my dress up, I glance to the right as a group of twenty alfar sprint up and over one hill after another. They never break their five column, four row formation.

Upon seeing who is approaching the two giant steel doors, the two guards bow to me and then to Narah right by my side.

They quickly heft the doors open, and while they don't show it on their faces, I can see how their biceps strain against the weight of them.

The minute I walk through the doors I'm met with the faintest smell of sweat and the citrusy scent of lemon. I almost smile at the memory of my first arriving in this place to meet my father.

It had been empty of trainees at that time of day, and I had pondered over the scent out loud as Ash had entered confidently through the doors.

I had expected the filthy odor of sweat, old socks, and male ego to permeate the air, but other than the inevitable light scent of exertion, the room smelled of fresh air and citrus.

"That would be because of Narah," a voice had boomed in front of me, and I had jumped noticing for the first time the giant of a man who had appeared. "Her pride of this place refuses to allow the stink to permeate the air."

For some reason, I had straightened to my tallest height as I faced the stranger. Something about him demanded respect and strength.

"Who are you?"