Tallarin's training area was far more impressive than Afarra's had been. On a floor of its own in the basement of the palace, it could hold hundreds of fighters at once.

There was a fenced sparring area for those wishing to wield a sword or similar weapon, while a dozen targets were cleverly positioned at different distances along a shooting range that spanned the far wall. Elsewhere, there were wrestling mats and areas with heavy weights for those more in favour of being strong than using a weapon.

After arriving in the training area, Oracus walked around for a short time before he spotted Kivali and one of the triplets. He approached them, and Kivali offered him a warm smile when she saw him.

“It’s about time,” she said. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

“I’m sorry, I got a bit lost,” Oracus said.

On either side of the triplet, who Oracus assumed was Shio, the commander of Catania’s army, there was a man and a woman. The man was tall with thick hair and light-brown eyes, while the woman was older with frizzy hair and yellow teeth. Kivali turned to the three. “Oracus, you remember Shio,” she confirmed. “And these two are Wilos and Dyma. They’re Riders too.”

Oracus shook everyone’s hand. “I didn’t know there were more Riders here,” he said.

“There are three of us in Tallarin altogether,” Dyma said in a nasally voice. “Four including you.”

“So what do you think of our training area, Oracus?” Shio asked.

“It’s amazing,” Oracus answered, looking around. “There are so many people here.”

“It’s nice to see it’s being put to good use,” Shio insisted. “But it’s unfortunate a potential Jowra attack has forced so many civilians to come here.”

“They all know a war is coming?” Oracus said, surprised.

“Oh yes, Catania has warned them. She’s under no illusions we’ll need every fighter we can find should Jowra come knocking on the wall. It’s been busy like this for a number of months now.”

“What training will we be doing today?” Oracus asked eagerly.

“Well, I’m sure it’ll come as no surprise your training will be slightly different to that of everyone else in here. Riders have a larger variety of skills that need developing,” Shio said. “So first things first, why don’t we all share our powers.”

“I can teleport,” Kivali answered first.

“I can turn invisible,” Wilos added.

“And I can create shields to protect myself,” Dyma said with a shrug.

“I can copy the powers of other Riders,” Oracus finished.

The reaction of Wilos and Dyma was not at all what Oracus was expecting. They both drew their swords and pointed them at him.

“You’re a Vassath?” Wilos growled fiercely.

Oracus took a fearful step backwards. “A what?”

“A Vassath Rider!” Dyma clarified, equally as fierce. “You can use more than one power?”

Shio stepped in front of Wilos and Dyma. “Both of you put your swords down. He’s not a threat.”

Reluctantly, they both acquiesced, but neither of them took their eyes off Oracus.

“A Vassath Rider is an unusual thing, Oracus,” Shio informed. “It makes you very powerful and extremely dangerous.”

Oracus was taken aback. “I’m not powerful or dangerous!” he argued. He looked to Kivali to back him up. “I can’t even use my power properly.”

“But with a bit of training, you will be able to,” Shio said. “And you will be stronger than any other Rider in Tallarin.”

“Why is that a problem?” Oracus said.

“Because the only other Vassath Rider in the whole of Pharia is Jowra himself.”

Oracus gasped, and the fire in the eyes of Wilos and Dyma grew worse.

“Now do you see why your power should concern us?” Shio concluded.

“Well, yes,” Oracus agreed. “But I’m nothing like Jowra.”

“Jowra’s soldiers killed Oracus’s father,” Kivali said. “He isn’t likely to switch sides any time soon.”

“None of us said he would.”

“But Wilos and Dyma are looking at me like they think I’ll cut off their heads or something,” Oracus pointed out.

Shio flashed Wilos and Dyma a warning glance. “They won’t doubt you any longer. And they will treat you just as they would anyone else.”

Oracus looked the two Riders in the eyes. They seemed to have calmed their expressions somewhat. “I didn’t ask for this power, I didn’t even ask to be a Rider,” he reasoned. “I don’t want you to judge me for something I can’t control.”

Shio placed a hand on Oracus’s shoulder. “I’m sorry we all reacted in such an unfair manner. We should really be celebrating a Rider who is capable of equalling Jowra’s power.”

Oracus frowned. “There are other Riders who are stronger than I am,” he challenged.

“Yet none with your potential,” Shio insisted. “But come now, maybe we should train a while. All this talk of powers is far too serious.”

A minute later, the four Riders and Shio were standing inside the fenced sparring area. Shio had paired Oracus and Kivali together, as had seemed wise, and Oracus held his father’s sword in his hand, with the green emerald in the hilt shining up at him.

Kivali made it her mission to prove to Wilos and Dyma that Oracus wasn’t the threat they thought he was. In twenty minutes, she didn’t yield to Oracus once, yet Oracus felt like he’d been in a fist-fight with a Lisor. As they fought, he noticed crowds of onlookers building around their group, and wondered if they knew he was a Rider too, or if they thought he was a normal Human receiving a punishment.

The sparring went on for another two hours, during which Shio proved why Catania thought so highly of him. His knowledge of combat was so vast he even put Karvan of Thessley to shame. He worked on Oracus’s positioning and balance, and then altered his technique so his shielding and attacking were more efficient. Then, when it came to his sword, Shio seemed to know more about it than Oracus did, and the old man hadn’t even held it. He advised Oracus on where to position it, how to grip it with one hand and two, and the most effective place to strike at an opponent's body. Every minor adjustment was something Oracus hadn't even considered when sparring in the past, but such alterations made the sword feel lighter and the movements seem easier. By the end of the session, Oracus had been taught so much he saw a substantial rise in his victories over Kivali.

“Before you all leave,” Shio said as Oracus slid his sword into the sheath on his belt. “I’d like you all to practise using your powers,” Shio said.

Oracus felt Wilos and Dyma’s eyes upon him again, and he tried his best to ignore them.

“Dyma, shield yourself,” Shio demanded. He grabbed at Oracus’s waist and pulled his sword free.

As he thrust the sword at her, a transparent red orb appeared around her body and blocked the blade.

“Remember what I told you,” Shio reminded her as he swung Oracus’s sword at the orb several more times. “The more compact your shield, the stronger it becomes.”

Dyma decreased the size of the orb until it was barely large enough to contain her. Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were focused, but the shield still began to crack under Shio’s onslaught.

“Kivali, get ready!” Shio bellowed.

He turned away from Dyma and swung Oracus’s sword at Kivali’s head. Kivali vanished instantly and the sword cut through the air where she’d been standing. She reappeared behind Shio, who twisted around and swiped at her again. For a second time, Kivali teleported just in time to dodge the blade and Shio cried out joyfully.

“Brilliant, well done!” he shouted. “Now it’s your turn, Wilos.”

He rounded on Wilos and advanced towards him, but Wilos used his power to vanish from sight. Shio aimed a strike at where Wilos had been standing, but there was a clang as the invisible Rider blocked the attack with his own sword. Before Shio could strike again, the sword was pulled from his grip and tossed to the ground. Wilos then reappeared with a victorious smile on his face.

“Oh, that was great!” Shio said with a laugh. Then he picked up the sword and roared, “Oracus!”

The sword was thrown at Oracus with such precision it would have pierced him between the eyes. In the moment he had to react, however, he snapped his focus onto Kivali’s mind and attempted to teleport away. He felt himself start to spin, but in his panic, he lost concentration, and the force of the power propelled him away from the sword, but threw him into the metal fence. Somewhere inside himself, Oracus felt a horrible crunch, and all the air was knocked out his lungs.

“Are you okay?” Shio asked him.

Oracus nodded, “Just a bit winded.”

As Shio helped him regain his feet, a huge round of applause erupted from the crowd that had gathered.

“I think you need to practise that a bit more before we try it again,” Shio advised as Oracus limped over to his sword. “But at least our audience enjoyed the show.”