Born of Defiance

“Seriously?”


He nodded. “It’s my CO. He always recalls me as soon as he gets the results of a fight. If I don’t head right back, it’ll be worse for me.” His white eyes filled with regret, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “I probably won’t be able to see you this week, after all.”

“Why?”

Talyn grimaced as that ferocious fury returned to his gaze. “He’s going to be pissed that I cost him his bet. So he’ll take it out of my ass. I’ll call when I can, but if you don’t hear from me for a few days, don’t worry. It’s normal.” His jaw ticcing again, he stepped past her so that he could reach his uniform.

She helped him dress as Erix joined them.

He rolled his eyes. “Bastard recalled you already?”

Talyn nodded. “Can you see Felicia home for me?”

“Sure. You need anything else?”

Talyn shook his head. “I’ll call as soon as I can make training again.”

Erix clapped him on the back. “Take care, kid.”

Talyn gave her a quick kiss before he left.

Her heart heavy, Felicia watched him go. “Will he be okay?”

“Yeah. He’s a tough little bastard.”

That description really didn’t make her feel better.

She fingered the bloody mask Talyn had left behind before she handed it to Erix so that he could clean it. “How long have you known him?”

“Almost six years.”

That was an impressive length from what she understood about fighters and trainers. “You’ve been training him that long?”

Erix nodded as he washed the mask off in a small sink. “Ironically, I’d never heard of him before that. I’m a Vested trainer so I never paid attention to the Open leaguers. I considered them rabid mongrels, not worth my time.”

Because only those with prestigious lineages were allowed to fight in the Vested league, they, alone, could afford a coach’s fees. Open was reserved for orphans, slaves, and bastards. Unlike Vested fighters, they had no equipment, protections, or reps. It was an all-out bare-fist-on-flesh brawl.

“So what made you take on Talyn?”

He sterilized the mask. “A good friend of mine had seen him fight and thought I should take a look at him. Talyn was going up against a much older, larger, and tougher opponent for the Mean Weight title. I thought it was a complete waste of time since I knew an Open leaguer couldn’t afford me, but it was free ale and dinner with a friend so I agreed. Kid was only thirteen at the time. He came out alone and looked like a toy in comparison to his opponent. I figured he wouldn’t last five minutes… three hours later, no breaks whatsoever, he was champion. In thirty-five years of coaching fighters, I’d never seen anything like it. He was fearless and determined. Skilled beyond his years. That giant bastard beat him half to death and still he stood strong and fierce – as if he was daring the gods themselves to try and break him. By the end, Talyn couldn’t even open his eyes and yet there he stood. The youngest Mean Weight title champion in Andarion history. It took me two days to wrap my head around what I’d seen and to convince myself it’d been real. And then ten days to talk the kid into letting me train him.” He dried off the mask.

“Really?”

He nodded as he picked up towels and placed them in a duffel. “Kid didn’t want to spend the money on a trainer when they don’t use us in the Open league. Plus, he was trying to save up to help his mom buy her rank commission.”

Her jaw fell slack. “He paid for his mother’s commission?”

“Yeah. He’s always felt responsible for her. Told you, he’s a good kid.”

“And yet she never comes to his matches?”

Shrugging, he put the mask and Talyn’s wrap-tape and covers in a smaller bag. “She can’t stand them. He was already a title contender before she found out he was even a fighter.”

Felicia gaped even more at what he was telling her. “How could she not know?”

“You’ve seen how the military treats its soldiers. She wasn’t home much, and whenever she saw the bruises, she assumed they were from school fights. Talyn didn’t tell her no different and she didn’t ask.”

Felicia shook her head as she had an image of Talyn as a bruised little boy, tending his injuries with no help. Never had she hated Andarion customs more.

But at least he’d found Erix to watch over him. “So how did you talk him into accepting you as his coach?”

“Told him if he’d give me five years, I could get him into the Vested league. I did it in three.”