I followed Ramon into the castle to an area I didn't even know existed, not that I knew anywhere in the castle. It was a training arena. It was nothing like what we had in the barracks. All the wolves there were sweating profusely as they all gathered in groups busy with one training or the other.
Some practiced throwing and fighting with knives without restraint. People were easily injured but they did not mind. Others were shooting arrows and guns at stagnant and moving objects, and some sparred. I watched in awe as lots of people fought in their werewolf form, there were Austan wolves here but of course, there were other wolves too and they fought and sparred like equals. Some Austan wolves were even defeated by those who were not of Austan origin. Rieka tsked at that.
I stood beside Ramon and took the whole scene in. I was pleased with the prospect of getting stronger because I knew standing beside these people. I would be weak. I had to be strong enough to take on anybody and everybody who posed a threat to me.
I glanced at Ramon and saw he was staring at me. I then stared back and he smiled a little. "You are really weird. I expected more reaction than I am getting."
I sighed and looked away, "Stop wasting your time beta. You won't be getting any." I said and he nodded.
"There is no crime in being a little human. You know."
"I am not a human. I am an Austan wolf with blood rage." I said sternly then looked forward with defiance, "What do I do first?"
He shook his head and moved forward to where a group of people was gathered watching two men fight against themselves. They fought pretty well but something was off. Something was very wrong. I could beat both of them up any day, which was weird because the wolves in the castle are supposed to be the strongest.
"Rieka. What do you think is wrong with them?" I asked as I accessed them silently.
"I don't know. I can't feel their wolves." she said and I almost raised a brow.
"They are humans?" I asked with surprise.
"I don't think so, they seem as strong as normal wolves but something is hindering their wolf." She explained and I frowned and glanced at Ramon. He smiled but I ignored him and focused on my conversation with Rieka.
"Is it the concealing spell?"
"No....I don't know." she replied and I sighed then turned to Ramon.
"What is wrong with them." I asked and his smile brightened but I ignored him. His smile was beginning to annoy me.
He walked to the table on their right where a few bottles of refreshments were made available. He picked up a bottle and handed it to me. I collected it in confusion wondering why he was stalling. I asked what was wrong with the others, he was handing me a bottle of orange juice instead.
"Drink. You are going in next." he said nodding to the center of the crowd where the other two people were fighting.
I frowned. This scene seems way too familiar. I looked at him and gave him back the juice. "I'm not thirsty."
He didn't make a move to collect it. Instead, he placed his hands behind his back. "I would be your trainer from now on. You must obey everything I tell you and trust me unconditionally. That is the only way to work together."
"I am sorry beta. I can't trust you or anyone." I said to him without batting a lash.
"You can't fight without drinking from that bottle first. It would bring no harm," he said and I looked at the bottle of orange liquid in my hand. It looked like a harmless bottle of orange juice but I have drunk a harmless bottle of orange juice before. The effect was painful.
How could it be that everyone who fought drank this juice? I thought as my eyes drifted from the table to the bin which was filled with both full and empty bottles of this drink respectively. I then looked at the spar where the two weak men were fighting.
This was it. It was this drink. It weakened them, didn't it? It affected their wolves. Was it silver? I asked myself as I looked at the bottle again.
"What does it do?" I asked Ramon again.
"Drink first. I would explain later." he stubbornly replied.
I glanced at Ramon again. I could just sip a little. I thought as I opened it and drank a little. It had the same refreshing taste of orange juice and I felt nothing.
"You have to drink it all." Ramon said and I raised my brow.
"What?"
"The drink. All Austan wolves have to drink the full bottle." he said and I bit my lip for a second before downing it.
The moment I did, I went to throw the empty bottle into the almost full bin, as I did, I began to feel dizzy.
"Silveen." I heard Rieka say weakly.
What the hell? It's happening again. I thought as I began to feel the dreadful feeling that Rieka was going to die again, except this time it was stronger. Real. I felt her pain from within.
I fell to my knees at the pain my wolf was going through as my face squeezed with pain. I looked up at Ramon who had been standing with his hands across his chest watching me. He walked forward.
"What you drank is an advanced witch portion that mimics the effect of the silver." I looked at him in shock.
These bastards. Didn't they say they knew nothing about the unground arena? How did they have the same portion that was used on me there?
"When you face your enemies, sometimes you might be outnumbered and unlucky enough to get caught. When that happens you would be injected continuously with silver. Putting you in immense pain and incapacitating your wolf. You must learn to defend yourself without the presence of your wolf." Ramon explained but I was more shocked at the viciousness of the training of these people.
Why do they have to go through so much training? What were they going up against? Aren't they just a warrior pack? I wondered.
"Rieka, are you okay?" I asked as the connection between us began to fade away very fast. I didn't get a reply. My heart tore apart and my mind spiraled into chaos at the thought of losing my wolf.
"As a werewolf, our wolves seem like our everything. When something happens to our wolf, the natural response is to be thrown into confusion. We almost lose it. You must be able to defend yourself and overcome your enemy even with the whole thing that is going on inside your head and in your mind. Look at those warriors." he said as he pointed to the warriors who were fighting weakly. I followed the line of sight. "They are people who have mastered the act of defending themselves despite having drank this portion."
Them? That was what I would fight like when I was strong enough. That was a sign of sheer weakness. I thought as I stared at the punches they threw with all their strength. It was like seeing things happen in slow motion. They wouldn't survive if the opponent was someone who wasn't under the effect of the portion. Their reflexes were really slow. Too slow for my liken and the fact that I would fight like them someday was frustrating.
While I was having my thought some people helped me towards the circle and soon I landed on my knees there clutching my stomach where I felt pain. Another lady walked into the circle. She was struggling but not as much as I was.
"She's the least trained among all the people here. Try fighting with her to see if you can win." Ramon said as he bent beside me for a second looking at the lady whose face was pale.
See if I can win. I thought. I would win. I can never lose. No one would beat me again.
I closed my eyes and felt my blood rage come alive filling the void that my now absent wolf had left.
In the one month of training under Rieka's guidance, I have not just become stronger, I have also learned how to use my blood rage at will. All I had to do was remember the face of Layla or Eric and it would erupt like a volcano.
I opened my eyes and looked at the girl. Even though my mind was twirling with the desire to kill. I chanted to myself not to kill her. It wasn't a fight to the death and she wasn't Layla. I thought to myself.
The pain disappeared and the part of me that enjoy the thrill of a hunt came alive. I stood to my feet and everyone gasped. My reflexes were nothing like theirs. I stared at the girl with bloody eyes through which I couldn't even discern her face. All I saw was a prey that could cause harm.
I lunged for her to everyone's dismay, grabbed her hand, and flung her over my shoulders. She landed on her back hard against the mat going unconscious immediately.
Everyone in the arena gasped and some wondered if I really drank the portion. I turned to look at Ramon who frowned while I tried to keep the kill demon at bay.
"Give her another bottle." Ramon ordered and they brought it. I took it not taking my eyes off him and drank without thinking twice.
I fell to my knees again under its influence but called to remembrance immediately the happenings of that day on the no man's land and it brought back the anger that was buried so deep within me.
I knew that to control and use my blood rage to my advantage I had to re-live in my mind the memory of what Eric and Layla had done to me over and over again even though it hurt. That was what it took for me to survive and I would live with it. Till the day we meet face to face again.
I stood up as numb as I had earlier felt and I face my second opponent.
The process continued until I lost count of how many bottles I drank and how many people I fought and defeated. I soon fainted out of exhaustion.
......................
"What were you thinking? You could have gotten her killed!" I heard Adela scold someone but I couldn't open my eyes.
"Mistress, it's not what you think. I thought she was immune to the portion." I could hear Ramon's voice say from my half-conscious state.
"Immune?! She is an Austan wolf like any other Austan wolf! The fact that she's an alpha's daughter doesn't make her any different." Adela said angrily.
"But she wasn't affected at all. She was so fast…..I got carried away, I am sorry."
"It was her blood rage. How could you not see that?!" Adela sighed, "This won't do. I would take care of her training myself."
"Mistress....." Ramon started again.
"If anything happens to her, do you think Tiana would forgive me? I have to protect her at all cost. Even you know of her importance to our survival. We are to prepare her for the right time not kill her or damage her wolf."
I drifted off to unconsciousness again.