Adora's training session

Adora’s bones ached as she bent over bracing her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. Sweat dripped off her face and even from her hair to create several small puddles on the floor. Her clothes were soaked with her blood. If it wasn’t for Father, I would’ve quit ages ago, the bastard! The sun was setting turning the sky brilliant hues of pinks, oranges, violets and reds.

A heavy sigh was heard from her trainer Ebony. “Let’s try it again, Adora. And this time, try not to die.” He watched as she straightened up with difficulty and push her soaked hair off her face. “Remember,” Ebony continued, “you are to kill the prince in his bedroom – preferably in his sleep.” He smiled at her and she gave a weak smile back.

“Right,” Adora said and checked the climbing claws on her hands and on her shoes one last time. “If I had some magic items, this wouldn’t be so hard.”

“Ah,” Ebony said his whispery voice not much louder than a gentle breeze, “but if you are able to get in and out without the magic, then you will be able to do so much more with it.”

Adora rolled her eyes, having heard all this logic before. Why couldn’t I be born with magic? She backed into the shadows and looked at the tower again. Normally this would be the tower on the corner of a castle, but for her training, this was only the tower and two short sections of wall extending in either direction and fading into mist. Looking at the top window, Adora saw the whole top floor in her mind as she went through her previous attempts.

I climb to the top window in the tower and slip in. I am noticed by the guard who attacks me. I manage to kill him but not before he calls in two other guards to assist. Slightly injured, I kill these two guards as well. However, their fighting has alerted the last guard stationed at the prince’s bedroom door allowing him to take precautions. I go down the short flight of stairs to the prince’s door, see the guard standing there and I attack him and he kills me. Every time it’s the same. What is the trick?! What I am doing wrong? I can’t get past the last guard?

“Use your strengths Adora,” Ebony whispered to her through her review. “You’ve come a long way in our training over these past two years. You can do this. The most direct plan is not always the best.”

Adora rolled her eyes as Ebony concentrated and the training scenario reset. The image shimmed then solidified and Adora could once again see the guard pacing by the window on the top tower floor. “When you are ready Adora.” Adora only nodded at Ebony’s statement and considered her plan of action.

I could climb the walls as before and do the whole thing over again and probably die again. Adora quickly circled around from the shadows of the trees and decided to change tactics this time. She approached the tower from along the wall, out of sight from any of the windows in the tower. She looked carefully at the tower, then closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Catching a quite offensive smell, she shook her head and sneezed. Oh gross! It smells like a whole pile of crap. Wait! The prince’s privy! Do they just toss it out the window? She got excited now. There just might be a way inside around the guards. She walked around the base of the wall until she saw what she was looking for. About one quarter of the way up, was the chute where the smell was coming from. It happened to be just large enough for her. She smiled.

She climbed the wall slowly, making sure the claws were dug into the gaps around each stone before she inched her way up. She kept her eye on the chute since the guard wouldn’t see her unless he stuck his head a good distance out of the window. Finally she reached the chute and carefully made her way inside. Her stomach cramped and she gagged from the smell, but fear of her father pushed her on. I have to admit this training room is realistic. It was a slow and at times slippery climb, but finally she made it to the top. The top had a thick wood plank nailed across the top with a hole cut into it. With a bit of wrangling and wiggling, she finally made it out of the hole and was now in the prince’s bathroom.

She grinned wide. Finally I have gotten farther than the many times before, but it’s not done yet. The thought sobered her and she opened the door to the privy slightly and looked around. All was quiet except for the soft snoring coming from the bed. She slowly opened the door wider then froze. The snoring had doubled. There’s someone else in the bed! She cursed, shifted her weight to the balls of her feet and quietly made her way from the privy to the foot of the bed.

As Adora closely looked over the bed, sure enough, she saw two people. They were covered up to their neck so she couldn’t see which body was which at first. Then she remembered about the guard outside the door. Going over to the door, she carefully set the lock. That won’t stop him forever, but it’ll slow him down. She then drew her sword and walked back over to the bed. She could tell now who was the prince and she moved to his side of the bed. I hate this part. Don’t think about it. She closed her eyes for a moment then quickly and deeply cut his throat. His eyes shot open and he reached up to his neck, but his life was already soaking the bed. Ignoring him, she walked over to the woman and dispatched her the same way. She then cleaned her sword off on their bed, put it away, and climbed back down the privy chute.

She dropped out of the chute and quickly hugged the wall. Not hearing anything that would tell her they have discovered her crime she made the wide circle along the wall and back into the line of trees to where Ebony was waiting with a smile. “Excellent! You finally figured out the trick.”

Adora returned his smile. “Only with your help, Ebony.”

“Yes,” came an all too familiar voice behind her. Adora sneered as they turned and saw Lord Nicholas approaching them from the portal opening. Adora dropped to her knees. “My daughter doesn’t seem to be smart enough to figure out these things on her own. No more hints Ebony.” Ebony bowed but said nothing. “Erase this Ebony and we’ll try something else.”

Again Ebony concentrated and everything vanished. They were standing in a completely white space. This time Lord Nicholas concentrated and instantly they were in a thick forest and a female jumped out of the bushes in front of them and sprinted further into the woods. ”Adora, that woman is another slave. Bring her to me.” Adora swallowed hard and hesitated. Father wants me to hunt down a run-away slave. Bastard.

“Well?” her father said, his voice getting a dangerous edge to it. Still she stood there. [Adora you’d better get moving as my patience is running out. Do you remember the last time you refused to obey my orders? That was nothing. You are much older now and can take more punishment.] Adora swallowed and began to run through the forest after her prey. When she was out of sight, she slowed down and walked through the trees. I have to obey. There is no other option. Damn you Father! Pushing down her hates and fears, Adora picked up her pace and began the hunt.

At first she ran in the same direction as the other woman ran. Then she stopped and looked around, trying to gauge which way she ran. Finally she heard the woman crashing through the woods and took off running, stopping only now and then to re-establish the trail. This took her quite a few hours, but she eventually caught up with the woman and both of them were exhausted. Adora held up her hands; the other woman sneered at her, slowly backing away.

“Wait!” Adora called out. “Please, you must come back with me. I don’t want to have to do this by force, but I have no choice.” The other woman slowly approached her and Adora gasped. She looks like my mother. What I can remember of her anyway.

“Come with me Adora,” The woman said and held out her hand.

Adora stepped back, “Who are you?” Damn it! This isn’t real!

“I’m your mother. Come with me child and we can escape all this. We can be happy and safe.”

Tears blurred her vision and Adora suddenly found it hard to swallow. “No,” she sobbed, “I can’t. You aren’t real.” She collapsed as sobs wracked her body. “I have to stay here.” Adora covered her face with her hands. Go away. Please just go away!

“Adora!” Her father’s voice shocked her into action. She jumped to her feet hastily wiping her tears away. Lord Nicholas stared at her, his eyes blazing. Adora started to fall to her knees but he raised his hand, “No! You will stand there and look me in the eyes. I ask you to do such a simple thing Adora. To bring that run-away slave to me, but I was still waiting after several hours. And now when I cleared this training session, I find you in a pool of tears!” He blasted her with his anger. “Pathetic. What do you have to say for yourself?”

Adora blinked away her tears and she looked at her father with new loathing. She clinched her teeth, “You bastard. You did that on purpose! It was my mother! You wanted me to attack and capture my own mother!” She was screaming at him now. Lord Nicholas pointed his finger at Adora and she screamed in pain though no cause could be seen for it. Finally, after several minutes, he pulled his hand back and she crumpled to the ground.

Ebony stepped forward to check on Adora, but Lord Nicholas stopped him with his arm. “She’s fine. I will not have any slave, and especially not my 15 year old daughter speak so disrespectfully to me.” He smiled, “It will be a pleasure making sure she learns her lesson. That is all, Ebony.”

Ebony bowed and left the room. Lord Nicholas walked over and looked down at his unconscious daughter. “Pathetic.” He picked her up and closed the training room portal behind him. Flagg was walking back to his rooms when he saw Lord Nicholas coming up the stairs. “What happened?! Is she dead?”

Lord Nicholas shook his head, “No, just knocked out. It is the calm before the storm of her punishment. Come and I’ll tell you all about it.” Flagg followed Lord Nicholas to his third floor suite where Adora was chained to the wall with a collar.

“I must apologize my Lord.” Flagg bowed, “Evidently my training of Adora is not staying with her.”

Lord Nicholas raised his hand, “Do not concern yourself. She is her mother’s child who was just as stubborn. I will take care of this myself. She will learn to fear me.”