War God for Hire- Gladiator by David Burke (books under 200 pages .TXT) 📕

a warrior. I would suggest that you try to commune with your elemental side.

“For now, though, you owe me some laps. Get to running,” the instructor said in grim tones.

Kyle wanted to scream at Saber that he didn’t know who he was talking to. Kyle Hudson was the best at whatever he put his mind to, but in the back of his mind, he recognized there was a difference between hitting balls and slaying men. He was going to have to do some soul searching, and decide if he could overcome years of social conditioning that violence was bad.

Truthfully, though, it was so ingrained into him from childhood by a society that thought bullying to be the greatest problem facing a generation of school children rather than the mediocrity that had settled in. No, he would have to sort out his mind, so he took off running at a good clip.

Behind him, he heard Saber shout, “And don’t let me catch you stopping until they’re all done.”

Chapter 11

–

Introductions

Beyond running laps, Kyle had been required to do some stretching to demonstrate his flexibility. After that had come balance drills. They served a purpose, but had never been part of what he enjoyed. Now he had a fairly good idea of what was going to be required of him over the next few weeks of training.

Once the sun began to set, they were all herded back down to that initial room. There, he was poked and prodded by Selma and a group of three other mages that worked for her. She was a bit old for him and had a severe cast to her face, but at least she was a woman. If he had to be felt all over and checked for injuries, he was definitely glad that he had her doing it, rather than one of her male assistants.

Still, it was more like he was livestock being inspected and he found it strangely demeaning. Who could have ever imagined that having a woman running her hands over your junk could be degrading? And yet it was. That must be the simple fact of slavery. It chafed at him, not just as something that was morally wrong, but also as an invasion of his personal space.

Measurements were taken, not only of Kyle, but of all the fighters alongside the physical exams they got. Throughout it all, Saber lectured them like children.

“Sleep well tonight, for tomorrow the real work begins. If you survive the next week of training, then we will deem you worthy to begin actually training you in the use of weapons. Your body is going to hurt tomorrow. Bones will be broken, skin cut, and muscles torn. This is just the price of learning what we have to teach.

“It might be nice if I told you that you could ring a bell and say you wanted to quit. But you are slaves. Never forget that. Make sure you remember that you are property. No one asks a shovel if it is tired of digging. No, they work it until the task is done or it breaks. If the job is completed easily, the man might be grateful momentarily for having had a good tool, but then all he will think about is his work. If the shovel breaks, then it will be cursed as worse than useless and chucked aside.

“There is no giving up. There is success or death. And for the next week, my instructions are that either outcome is acceptable. Yes, some of you were expensive to obtain, but better to know now if you will break. That way your owners don’t throw good money after bad.

“If you survive this week, then you will begin training with weapons. We will tailor your craft. And you will focus on solo combat. In five weeks, there will be some exhibition matches and you will be pitted against other new slaves for the benefit of the nobility who own teams that might buy you. That will be your first chance to change your life.

“If you do well and impress at the exhibition, then you will be rewarded. Better food, better quarters, soothing massages, and even slave girls for your enjoyment are all things that the winners can gain. But even that is only a lesson. Do well and you will be patted. Do very well and you will be given a treat. None of that changes what you are—a slave. Reconcile yourself to that now. At least you can enjoy some perks for your hard work.

“After that, well, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. After that, there will be new challenges and eventually, you will be bought by one of the teams… or not. This small portion of your fate is in your own hands. For now, you will be led back to your chambers. Don’t resist and eventually you will be allowed more freedom. Remain here until the guards arrive,” Saber said and then walked out of the room without looking back.

Kyle didn’t know how much time he had before the guards got there, but figured this was a good time to meet some of the other fighters. He was all about building a team. The fur and extended canines of the wolf girl, or lycan, were sort of a turn off for him, but who doesn’t want to talk to the one girl in the room. Especially given that her strong suit in fighting looked to be his weakness.

He thought to Hilde, “Anything I need to know about lycans before I go and chat her up?”

Hilde was humming in his mind. “Oh, by Krig, you actually think she is attractive.”

“Well, no, err… I mean, sorta. Not a fan of those teeth or fur, but that isn’t why I want to talk to her. She is an agility-based fighter, and if we end up forming teams here, I would rather have her on my side than against me,” Kyle replied.

“Sure, sure, I bet