Kryptic ↟ Deimos

two: learning the ropes

"BEGIN," ALEKTOR SHOUTS, snapping a pliant twig against his thigh with a crack. Enyo stumbles on the loose gravel and falls to one knee, a mistake of her own doing. You fall, you die. Deimos's words echo in her mind. Syntyche sees it as an opening —she rears back and swings her fist at the girl's temple. Enyo catches the punch midair and Syntyche's eyes widen. Bones in her hand grind and creak as Enyo bends back her fist, rising from the ground.

Planting her feet firmly in the gravel, Enyo balls her hand into a fist and swings —her knuckles collide with her opponent's nose, making an audible crunch. Syntyche stumbles backward, blood running over her lips and chin from the broken nose, and tears well up in her eyes. She'd been victorious so many times she'd forgotten what pain felt like. Using the distraction to her advantage, Enyo charges toward the other girl —head and shoulder lowered.

The impact forces Syntyche to her back and then Enyo is pummeling her face with no restraint. Deimos and Polyas share a look —months of helping and training the scrawny little girl had paid off. Elena charges into the chalked ring, leaping onto Enyo's back with a fierce yell. It gives the other girl a chance to stand and wipe the blood from her nose and mouth. Syntyche lands a blow to Enyo's ribs that once would have sent her to the ground, now it just makes her angry. She ducks beneath the second punch and kicks —her heel strikes something soft and is followed by a shrill cry.

Elena bends her arm beneath Enyo's chin —a desperate chokehold, but to no avail. She bends, reaching behind to grip Elena's shirt and sides. With a shout, Enyo pulls free of the chokehold and tosses the girl from her back outside of the chalked ring. Polyas holds fast to Elena's shoulder, preventing her from reentering the match —there would still be time for her to face Enyo.

Enyo throws up her arms, protecting her face from a series of quick jabs from Syntyche. But then she drops down, sweeping her leg around to knock Syntyche off her feet again, and pounces —hands pinning her opponent down. There's a moment when Syntyche writhes, unwilling to accept defeat but when Alketor snaps the twig against her legs she knows the match is over. Enyo may have won her first victory, but the true competition had just begun.

ENYO LOSES TRACK of how long she has been in Phokis. Six, perhaps even seven, springs have passed since she'd been taken from Athens. The scared, scrawny little girl who disembarked from the Aerion is a distant memory. Enyo is tenacious and dauntless and strong.

With Deimos at her side, the two of them are unstoppable. They are undefeated against Polyas and Elena, Kyberniskos, and Syntyche. It becomes clear who will be the Cult's champions when the final trial commenced, but until then Chrysis will act as though her children still have equal chances.

On a rare occasion, Alektor releases them all from the training grounds early —he has imperative business to tend to outside of Phokis. Despite his reigning cruelty, even he knows the strongest of warriors still need time to rest. Until he returns, training will be optional for the aspiring champions. Deimos, Polyas, and Enyo huddle around a fire —frying rashers of salt-cured meat from a wild boar they'd killed two moons past for a morning meal. The others are strapping on greaves and bracers that are still too large. Chrysis reminds them they will grow into the armor one day.

Rumors speak of a shipwreck on the coast —a merchant ship transporting lions and other beasts to the arena in Phepka but stranded during a storm before even making it out of the Gulf of Korinth. Syntyche and Kyberniskos want to see if the rumors are true and earn new pelts if they are. "Deimos!" Elena calls.

He looks over his shoulder then silently returns to the slices of boar rendering in the iron pan. "I'll be there soon," Deimos responds. Polyas and Enyo glance at one another across the fire —they had always been gentler and weaker than the others, and it's a mystery why Deimos prefers their company. When the boar is finished, Deimos takes his slices then rises and motions for Polyas and Enyo to come along too.