The breeze was brushing over her soaked skin and it made her shiver despite the warmth of the morning sun, the hairs along her arms were pricked high at the sensation. It was rather demeaning to stand there and wait for the others while she was soaked to the core, her clothes plastered to her form as she slowly froze.

The man that had pulled himself from the water after her was Astrid, she recognised his dark hair as it emerged from the frothy water and breathed out a small sigh of relief to see that he was still in one piece. After she had left Luke behind her, Andromeda didn’t waste any time to try and check on her newly formed partners. She would help if needed, but she would not completely sacrifice herself to aid them if they were too far back. Besides, Leon was back there somewhere. She kept herself rigid as Astrid turned around to watch his competitor rise from the water behind him, Luka’s blue eyes burning with rage as he stalked up from the water. Practically bristling with hostility as he glared at Astrid, he made no move to approach the other man, taking up his position on the shore. Andromeda could hear his head reeling, muttering profanities and cursing the pair of them whilst Luka focused his hazy eyes on the water in front of them.

Soon enough, the familiar mop of red hair formed in the water. He had ended up slower than she had expected, however he seemed to look rather pleased with himself as he strutted onto the shore. Teeth pure white against his tanned skin as he sidled up to her. Completely unfazed by his lower ranking, he gave her a once over with his eyes as his tail picked up in speed. It took her a second longer than usual to recognise that glint in his eyes, Leon had spilt blood.

“Who?” She asked softly, keeping her voice low to avoid being overheard by anyone other than Astrid. To which Leon cocked his head and turned sharply to point an arm out towards the water, his jaw turning to look in the same direction. The movement sending water droplets flying from his bangs and braids.

“Keir.” Leon’s voice was clearly being restrained, he was buzzing with energy despite the exhausting run. While it had only been minutes, Andromeda was exhausted and from the look in everyone else’s eyes they felt it as harshly as she did. All but Leon.

“He was after him, so I stopped him.” As casually as that, Leon explained himself, looping his hand around to point at Kyyre as he dragged himself ashore and the bell rang out across the beach.

“Keir Verlice is unable to finish his run and shall be given the penultimate position of eighth.” The headmaster announced just after Leon had finished speaking, making his grin grow even deeper with satisfaction of making another competitor rank so lowly with such ease.

His mother was right, he would enjoy these trials.

Andromeda let out a small hum of approval to Leon, letting her eyes drift over to the flopped form of Kyyre. He was like a beached sea animal on the shore, fighting his own body for control, eyes staring up at the morning light. It was creating a pale halo of light around his hair, a soft glow encompassing his entire body where he lay distraught.

Slowly, she looked to Astrid and raised an eyebrow, inclining her head towards Kyyre. She wasn’t sure her approach or particularly Leon’s was going to help comfort the heir, she would only make his head reel and Leon would make his heart have palpitations.

“Thank you, but I think your friend needs you.” She offered up her words as quietly as she had spoken to Leon before turning on her heel and her expressionless face shifted into one of a joyous facade.

Her lips parting in an elegant smile, her arms arching up in a great display of herself to the gathered people. Her eyes creased so they couldn’t see the dullness behind the bright smile and kisses that she blew out towards the cheering nobles.

Following Andromeda’s refined lead, Leon extended his arms out to his sides, turning to pace slowly along the beach before the nobles. He knew this game well. Encourage their inane cheering, let them fall in love with his power. Their power. He reeled in his maniacal grin to a more charming one, aiming it up to the spectators.

The more hearts they won over, the easier their ascension to their respective thrones would be. Clearly, Andromeda had not passed that little message onto Kyyre and Astrid as they were not joining them. In spite of his less than stellar ranking in this trial, Leon still showed off. Making sure he tensed his muscles despite the exertion of them making him want to rest, keeping his smile in place to fawn to the noble houses.

Fawn was doing a similar act, but doing her best to appear angelic in her nobility. A stoic image of a woman prepared to do anything for her kingdom. However, from his position on the beach he could feel the hatred rolling off of her in waves almost strong enough to knock him over as he walked past with Andromeda.

–

Her eyes slid to the side, watching Fawn from their corners as she passed by. Oh she couldn’t help herself.

“Are you jealous of me for winning this game or for winning him?” Andromeda cooed, her eyes glittering with cruel amusement as she surveyed the way that Fawn’s eyes flashed with white-hot anger. The noble nature of her posture remained but her eyes burned with rage.

“I care not for trivial pursuits of pleasure, you absolute cretin.” Fawn seethed out between gritted teeth, but it only made Andromeda’s eyes brighten with satisfaction for having gained that reaction from her.

“Strange way to say you wish you were me, Fawn.” Before she had time to respond the ear-splitting voice of the headmaster rang out across their heads once again. This time, it surprised even Andromeda whose smile slipped from her lips and she looked around in vague confusion.

“Ah my friends there is more to this trial than meets the eye!” Her heart almost stopped in her chest. She had not seen this coming, she had missed something. A restart of the cheering guttered to a high volume as her eyes widened.

“Now our heirs shall prove they have the drive and strongest of wills to lead us in the future!” Another rise in cheers. Andromeda turned around to look towards where Astrid was standing with Kyyre. Kyyre looked as though he was about to be blown away by the slightest uptake in the wind.

“They shall face each other in combat, the winners of each round shall face until only one remains standing!”

Leon’s eyes were ignited once more with a feral energy, his skin tingled with anticipation as he whirled around to look at the rest of their heirs. He was winding himself up into a frenzy, who was he going to face? Could he hurt them just enough? Who would be the strongest to face him and-

His eyes landed on Kyyre and his train of thought slammed on its breaks, making his elated expression flicker out of existence. He looked exhausted, beyond exhausted actually. Leon kept his amber eyes trained on the other man, a sudden pang of worry striking him through the heart. If he was to be placed up against Luka or Fawn or anyone other than their alliance, he would be broken like a toothpick.

“The pairing have been assigned at random! Unfortunately due to Keir’s inability to compete, we shall be commencing with three initial bouts instead of the planned four.” A small murmur of disappointment waved through the crowds. “Fear not! It shall still be a spectacle to witness, that I can assure you.” Andromeda could hear the sick joy in the man’s voice, the way it lifted at the end, he was the cruelest of them all.

“Now the pairings. Astrid and Maia, Leon and Luka, and finally,” He paused and Andromeda waited to see if she was going to be the one to wait for the second round. “Andromeda and Fawn.” Her heart almost dropped out of her chest at the announcement. Behind her, she heard Fawn’s low chuckle.

“What’s the matter little one? Worried that your little tricks can’t help you now?”

Andromeda slowly turned on her heel to face Fawn, there was little point in hiding her expression, the other woman had already watched the way the panic had seeped into her face. The damage was already done.

“To make things a little more interesting, keep your gifts to yourselves. This is a fair fight, no fancy tricks, only your own two hands.” The headmaster offered that last bit of information. “Once you have officially defeated your opponent, turn and find the winner of another pair and begin.” With that the headmaster lifted an arm and cracked down the short whip in his hand that gave out a resounding snapping sound.

Fawn was on in an instant, no hesitation in her lunge as her strong arms slamming into Andromeda’s midsection, sending a jolt of pain up through her nervous system. Her head flicked backwards with the force and she could feel the bruise already forming beneath her pale soaking wet clothes. The other woman was so excited for the opportunity that she was outright cackling as she drove them both into the sand.

Andromeda felt her panic begin to rise as her head was slammed into the granules, filling her open mouth and blocking her airways. If she didn’t do something quickly, she was going to die. The excited sounds of the crowd and shouting of the supervising teachers were drowned out by the white noise that rang through her head.

Her eyes were prickling with water as she held her breath, determined not to breathe in any of the sand and risk choking. Her manicured hands were splayed into the wet sand, creating large divots where she was clawing at the ground to try and get away but Fawn’s heavy muscle was on top of her. Crushing her into the earth.

One forearm was planted firmly against the back of her neck, that was the bit she needed to dislodge in order to breathe again. The flash of surprise had faded now and Andromeda balled her fists up in the sand, with it she grasped handfuls of sand. From the corner of one eye, she could see Fawn’s exhilarated face staring down at her, hungry for her demise. With one motion, Andromeda took that ball of sand in her hand and threw it up towards the other woman’s eyes, squinting her own to avoid any damage to herself.

The sand smacked into Fawn’s face, momentarily blinding her, causing a sharp yelp to leave her throat and her grip on her prey to weaken. That was the moment that Andromeda thrust herself up from the ground, scrambling away from Fawn, gasping and coughing for air. She still wasn’t upright, half crawling half stumbling away as she clutched at her throat, the burning in her chest was almost unbearable.

She didn’t have long to recover, Fawn was back on her feet now, she could see her when she looked over her shoulder. The malice in her eyes all the more stronger now that Andromeda had made a move. Still spluttering, she pulled herself up to her feet and stared at Fawn. One arm raised, palm facing the sky, she curled her fingers towards herself repeatedly. Come and get me.

–

Leon didn’t have time to absorb his surroundings when the sound of the whip rang out across the beach. He had been watching Kyyre panic, writhing his way backwards, the exhaustion in his eyes was all he could see when Astrid rose to his feet.

He knew the moment one of the other three heirs finished their fights, Kyyre would be their target. It was obvious he was weak. He was weak and scared and that made him a prime target.

His mind was only pulled away from his distraction by the strong blow of a fist meeting his jaw, the force of it sent Leon staggering to the side. One hand coming up to cradle his jaw, a sharp pain in his bottom lip began to bloom and the familiar feeling of warmth began to weep out from its centre. He had bitten his lip and sliced it open, the vascular area now practically flooding blood down his front.

With a slowness that was almost as horrifying as the look in his eyes, Leon unfurled his body to look over at Luka who was standing with squared shoulders over at him. Leon’s tail was completely still, held away from his body but the fur that ran along his spine raised abruptly, the fur on his tail bushing up.

“That was a coward's move.” The words were almost drowned out by the snarl that came from deep in his chest, hand dropped down from his face and he tensed his muscles. The casual merriment at the promise of a fight was gone from his expression, replaced with a deadly fury that made his entire presence shift.

Hands tipped with sharp claws flexed in preparation for his next onslaught. Kyyre would have to wait.

Luka didn’t flinch at the change, instead he flexed his own arms and began to circle around Leon who was matching his movements. Stalking around each other, waiting for the other man to make their move. He couldn’t let himself be distracted by Andromeda, now was not the time to be helping others. If he turned away from this fight to help her, not only would he be penalised, Luke would have ample opportunity to ensnare him. Leon shut out the sound of his companion’s suffocation and honed in on Luka.

Almost the entirety of Leon’s chest had been covered with his own blood now, the flow just kept going from his lip. That didn’t stop Leon from curling his lips and baring his white teeth now stained with red. He prepared his muscles, refusing to take a hit as strong as the last one. Luka twisted his ankle, a moment before he surged forwards but it was enough information for Leon to mimic the action and meet him with vigor. His instinctive reflexes let him reach the other man first, one hand crashed into Luka’s flank, right where his liver would be. Leon kept his claws to himself for now as the other man keeled over at the waist, spitting up saliva.

The whip cracked through the air, sharp and final, and Astrid stayed planted right beside Kyyre. His hand hovered near the smaller boy’s wrist, not quite touching, but close enough to catch him if he fell apart any further. The roar of the crowd became a distant hum as Astrid leaned in, his voice low, steady.

“You need to pull yourself together,” he murmured, watching Kyyre’s trembling form, his wide eyes darting between the dueling grounds and the other heirs. “Because if you don’t, someone’s going to take you apart, piece by piece.”

Kyyre barely reacted, his breath coming too fast, too shallow. Astrid clenched his jaw. He’s not going to make it like this. Panic would get him killed.

So Astrid did the only thing he could—he pushed.

“You really want to be the weakest link?” He hissed, voice sharp now, pressing into Kyyre’s ribs like a blade. “You want them to see you as some pathetic little heir who can’t hold his own? Like you don’t deserve your title?”

Still, Kyyre didn’t snap. His hands only trembled more. Astrid inhaled sharply, then went for the kill.

“Is that why your father sent you here? Because he knew you’d break? Knew you weren’t strong enough?” He saw Kyyre’s jaw tighten at that, a flicker of something finally surfacing through the panic.

“Bet that’s why Leon had to step in for you. You needed saving. Again.”

Kyyre’s breath hitched, his hands curling into fists.

There we go.

Astrid almost smirked—until his world suddenly flipped, a force slamming into him, knocking him clean off his feet.

The ground disappeared beneath him.

His breath ripped from his lungs.

The impact of Maia’s body against his was like getting hit by a war hammer.

They crashed onto the sand in a brutal tangle of limbs, Astrid’s back slamming hard against the ground. Maia was on him in an instant, his knee driving into Astrid’s ribs, an elbow snapping forward—Astrid twisted just in time, the blow grazing his jaw instead of shattering it.

Fuck, he’s fast.

Astrid barely had time to bring his arms up before Maia’s fists came again, relentless and brutal. Sand sprayed into the air as they grappled, Astrid twisting, trying to throw Maia off, but the bastard was stronger than he looked.

Maia’s expression was blank, but his eyes burned, cold and merciless. He didn’t waste movement, didn’t waste breath—just attack after attack, each one precise, each one meant to end Astrid, not just defeat him.

Astrid’s instincts screamed at him.

Move or die.

He caught Maia’s wrist mid-swing, twisting hard, and finally managed to get a knee up between them. He shoved, kicking Maia back just enough to scramble onto his feet. Maia followed instantly, no hesitation, moving like a goddamn viper.

Astrid barely dodged the next strike, feeling the wind of it brush past his face. He countered with a jab to Maia’s ribs, but the other heir turned just enough to deflect, taking the hit at an angle that lessened the impact.

The fight turned vicious.

Every movement was bone-crushing, skin-splitting. Astrid could already feel bruises forming, feel the sting of cuts opening along his arms as Maia’s fists and feet connected. The bastard fought like he had no intention of stopping until one of them stopped breathing.

Astrid wasn’t about to let that happen.

He ducked low, his foot sweeping out in a brutal arc. Maia leapt, narrowly avoiding the trip, but Astrid was already moving, twisting up and slamming his fist into Maia’s stomach with every ounce of force he could muster.

Maia staggered back, breath hitching.

Astrid didn’t give him time to recover.

He surged forward, fists flying, driving Maia back step by step. A hit to the jaw. A hit to the ribs. Another to the side of his head—

Then Maia dropped, collapsing onto his hands, and before Astrid could adjust, Maia’s legs snapped forward, kicking hard into his knee.

Pain exploded through Astrid’s leg.

He buckled.

Maia was on him immediately. A sharp crack of a fist against his temple sent white-hot agony through Astrid’s skull.

His vision blurred.

Somewhere beyond the ringing in his ears, he could hear the crowd roaring.

Get up.

He clenched his teeth, forcing himself to roll, trying to shake Maia off. But the other heir was relentless, pressing down, his hands finding Astrid’s throat—

Astrid snarled.

His fingers clawed into Maia’s wrist, twisting, shifting just enough to shove his knee up between them again. He shoved—hard—Maia’s grip breaking as Astrid wrenched free.

They hit the sand again, both gasping, both already preparing for the next round of brutal blows.

Astrid's breath came ragged, his body screaming at him to stop, but he ignored it. Maia was already moving again, lunging like a predator with precision, his hands aiming straight for Astrid’s throat.

Not this time.

Astrid twisted at the last second, slipping just outside Maia’s grasp, and instead of dodging back, he surged in. He caught Maia’s arm and yanked him forward, throwing them off balance. Maia was strong—Astrid could feel the resistance as the other heir fought against his grip—but Astrid wasn’t aiming for a clean strike.

He bared his teeth—then sank them into Maia’s shoulder.

The reaction was instant.

Maia howled, a sound of raw fury and pain. His body spasmed against Astrid’s, his muscles tightening as he jerked back, trying to dislodge him. Astrid bit down *harder, tasting blood, feeling the warmth of it smear across his tongue.

It was savage. Undignified.

But it worked.

Maia reeled, his grip loosening just enough. Astrid ripped his teeth free, bringing his knee up in the same motion, slamming it into Maia’s gut.

Maia gagged, staggering back, his face twisted in fury. His shoulder bled freely where Astrid had bitten him, red stark against the pale of his skin. He lifted a shaking hand to it, eyes flicking down to the blood before snapping back up to Astrid with a look of pure, murderous intent.

The crowd was screaming.

Astrid didn’t care.

He spat onto the sand, the metallic taste of Maia still lingering in his mouth. His chest heaved as he squared himself again, rolling his shoulders, ignoring the way his body screamed from the relentless brutality of the fight.

“You bit me,” Maia seethed, his voice low, livid.

Astrid smirked, his lips curling back just enough to show his teeth—still red with Maia’s blood.

“You fight like an animal,” Maia spat, circling him again.

Astrid didn’t flinch, his gaze locked onto Maia’s every move. “You should be grateful I didn’t take a chunk out."

Maia lunged again, faster, more reckless now.

And Astrid braced, his own body already moving to meet him.

Maia was fast, but Astrid was faster. The moment Maia lunged again, Astrid twisted to the side, catching the edge of Maia’s arm against his ribs but using the momentum to drive his own elbow into Maia’s gut. The breath left Maia in a harsh gasp, but he recovered, swinging an open palm toward Astrid’s face. Astrid ducked, just barely, feeling the air shift past his head.

They traded blows like that—brutal, relentless. Maia’s fists struck like a hammer, but Astrid was more precise, slipping through the spaces, cutting in deep when it mattered. A kick to the ribs. A sharp jab to the solar plexus. Maia stumbled, blood dripping from his lip, his eyes furious.

Then Astrid saw the opening, and before Maia could move, Astrid was on him.

His arms clamped around Maia’s shoulders, yanking him forward, and before Maia could even register what was happening, Astrid sank his teeth into his throat.

The taste of sweat and blood filled his mouth instantly.

Maia screamed. A raw, broken thing. His hands clawed at Astrid’s arms, struggling, but Astrid wasn’t letting go. He felt the pulse beneath his teeth, the frantic thrum of Maia’s life, and he bit down harder.

Then he brought his boot up.

He braced it against Maia’s chest and shoved.

Hard.

The force knocked Maia back, his body jerking as Astrid’s teeth tore through skin, through muscle—through vein.

Blood. So much blood.

It splattered across Astrid’s face, warm, thick, spilling in thick streams down Maia’s throat as he staggered back. His hands clamped over his neck, his breath coming in ragged, wet gasps. His knees buckled, and then he collapsed, hands still pressing against the wound as if he could will it to close.

Astrid stood over him, chest heaving, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. The coppery taste lingered, thick, primal. His body hummed with adrenaline, the roar of the crowd barely registering in his ears.

Maia twitched, groaning, his fingers weakly pressing against his throat.

Astrid spat red onto the sand beside him.

“That,” he said, voice low, steady, “was for Ky.”

The rigidness of Fawn’s body was statuesque, her breathing halted as though someone had stopped time itself as her eyes landed on Andromeda’s hand. Beckoning her forwards, to try again. Behind her arm was a sick smile, jagged and infused with cruelty. Sand stuck to her clothing, across the entirety of her front where she had been pinned down moments before, across her face and tangled in her wet hair. The tight braid that had been pulling her long hair back was sodden and half misplaced from the sprawl.

As though she had shutters on the sides of her vision, all Andromeda could see was Fawn.

She could dive into the other woman’s mind, play tricks, but this wasn’t the time. It would be too obvious and she would be showing all of her cards far too early into the games. Instead, Andromeda planted her feet into the sand and prepared herself for the next move.

It didn’t take long for Fawn’s frozen state to thaw, with eyes alight with ire, the other heir began pelting towards her. Her strides were heavy and purposeful, not a lick of agility in the movements, nothing but pure power.

Perfect.

Andromeda brought her arms in front of herself, as though she were preparing to directly block whatever hit was about to land on her. The heavy beating of her heart gave way to the sound of gasping, distraught sounds from the gathered crowds. She couldn’t waste time on seeing who was just horrifically hurt, or else she would be the reason the next gasp came.

Fawn’s arm wound itself up, prepared to strike down into Andromeda’s stomach, using her forward momentum to push through the hit. That was her plan anyway and it did not go accordingly. As the strike reared its head, Andromeda placed a hand on Fawn’s forearm and pushed. Sending the punch careening to the left, knocking the other woman off balance as all that built up momentum sent her flying forwards. Andromeda’s leg kicked out, tripping Fawn over herself and sending her tumbling into the sand.

A warm satisfaction washed over her body, pleased with herself Andromeda turned to pounce after her but was strangely met with Fawn’s body standing directly behind her.

With wide eyes, Andromeda took a hit directly to her side, the fist pushed into her flesh and made her insides writhe with agony. Buckling over, she staggered backwards, the edges of her vision growing dark from the pain that was rocketing through her body.

How had Fawn stood up so quickly? Andromeda was sure she had hit the ground, but she was up within a second, it seemed impossible.

Her eyes blown wide with fear, she saw the foggy image of Fawn stalking ever closer towards her. A smug smile on her lips as she flexed her hand, preparing to strike Andromeda again. A bell rang out and the headmaster announced that Maia was defeated.

Moments later another toll rang out from the bell and Andromeda heard her own name being called out, defeated. Fawn had slammed her muscled arm into her jaw and sent Andromeda backwards, her vision flashed with the bright morning sun before the blackness took over and she was out cold on the sand. Body sprawled across the ground, legs fallen in a way that almost looked unnatural but her chest was rising and falling shallowly.

Fawn did not waste a moment in turning around to face the next opponent, he was standing above his previous partner. Blood smeared across his face and eyes burning brightly with hatred. She was staring directly at Astrid.

–

Luka had recovered from his blow and the two men began matching each other punch for punch. Their arms gliding across the other as they tried to find the chip in each other’s defence. The champion had clearly been trained in these trials, the royals had chosen well for their champion that year.

Leon was exerting himself to the point of sweating, his lips parted as he heaved for breath. While he was keeping up with Luka, his eyes were scanning each component of the attacks, determined to find the weak spot. A hint towards an old injury, some kind of mistake that Luka was repeatedly making. It was almost impossible to keep up with the flurry of attacks and think about this at the same time.

Eventually, Leon grew frustrated with trying to use his brain for what should be brawn. In a moment of rest that lasted a split second, Leon dropped his shoulder and charged forwards, taking Luka by surprise and ramming his full force into the other man with a throaty battle cry.

The two men plummeted into the sand, sending up a fan of loose sand into the sky that came raining down on them. Leon was on top, legs locked around Luka’s torso and tightening, crushing his ribs to the point of screaming as Luka grappled to get away.

Clawed hands descended upon Luka and tore at the armoured chest below him, the entire time he was spitting and snarling through Luka’s painful cries. Eventually, an official of the trial raced forwards and began frantically waving his arms around and another bell rang out announcing Luka’s defeat.

The jolting sound made Leon’s arm stop mid air as he prepared to strike it down into Luka’s head. A moment longer and he would have pulverised the man into nothing. Instead, Leon whipped himself off of Luka, crouching on all fours as he scanned the area for whoever was next. That was when his eyes landed on Fawn and Astrid, the pair were glowering at each other. His brain ran around in circles as he searched for Andromeda and he found her laying on the sand with barely enough movement in her chest to assure him that she was still living.

A rolling anger began to storm in his gut, he wanted to lunge for Fawn but he had to restrain himself. She had already moved onto her next target, but he couldn’t stop his feet from carrying him towards the other heirs. His body was drenched in blood, a mixture of his own and Luka’s, plastered with sand and grime and sweat.

In that moment, his eyes caught sight of Kyyre. His pristine white hair a stark contrast to the other bloodied competitors. His sprint towards the group halted, his legs positioned in a strong guard as he stared at Kyyre.

His mouth open as he gasped for air, the warm breath causing huge clouds of mist to appear from him. His body steamed with the heat he had generated, Leon stared at Kyyre. The hungry, wild look still in his amber gaze as he locked eyes with the other man.