Annia
As instructed, we were in the garden waiting for Black to appear. Instead, it was Heclares who introduced himself and, without saying a word, led us to his house in complete silence.
Along the way, I noticed Heclares constantly casting glances at Lucía. I didn't miss them. We followed the same path Black had taken the night before, going deeper into the trees.
Before us rose a circuit that looked like a wall. Just looking at it, we knew the next day would hurt us to the core.
Black was waiting for us at the start of the course. When we stood in front of him, he handed us two flags: Lucía's was black, and mine was white.
"Okay, we'll start with the easy stuff. This will help us gauge your physical endurance."
"The easy stuff? And what's the hard stuff supposed to be?"
"We haven't even started, and you're already complaining?" Black raised an eyebrow at me.
"I'm not complaining."
She gave me the cold shoulder of the century.
"You'll have to go through those obstacles first."
She pointed to our left where there were tires, bars, swamps... From my point of view, it was similar to the military training described in movies.
Further on; ropes, ramps, and at the end, two torches next to banderillas like the ones we've been given.
"The first one to complete the obstacles will have to burn her banderilla. Understood?"
We both nodded and got ready to begin.
"Good luck," Lucía said with a smile.
"Same to you."
I was about to go ahead when an idea struck me.
"What if we make it more interesting?"
"If I win, you'll give me the Dior bag you bought a few months ago," she replied, perfectly understanding what I meant.
"If I win, you'll buy me four special editions of The Little Prince in different languages."
"Done," we sealed a deal with a handshake.
The ride began. We reached the tires where we had to do a tire flip. I bent down decisively, lifted the tire, and spun it. I repeated the movement until we completed the stretch.
At the monkey bars, Lucía fell behind after falling; we had to do handrails until we reached the next station.
Beside us, the kids followed our route without intervening.
I hung from the bar, suspending my body to resist my own weight. I counted to ten before letting myself fall.
"Up," Black ordered.
I looked up, and he was pointing at the bar.
"I've done it." I tried to pass him.
"It'll take a minute. Up."
I rolled my eyes in obvious annoyance.
I hung from the bar again and waited for that last minute. For a moment, I thought I saw a hint of amusement on her face. She was enjoying it.
When I hit the ground, I ran toward the ropes, hiding the fatigue that was already running through every part of me.
I had to cross ten ropes, but no matter how hard I tried, I fell into the mud again and again. Hanging from one rope, I pulled myself to the next, only to fail.
Frustrated, I tried to remember how we used to do it as kids.
I adjusted my grip and braced my legs. I swung until I reached the second rope. I held it firmly and moved forward until my feet touched its base. I repeated the process until I finished.
I ran as if my life depended on it, pushing off the rope and climbing the ramp. Lucía was right next to me.
We jumped into the swamp, and once we reached the torches, we lit our flags at the same time.
I approached her and wrapped my arms around her, laughing together.
"You're a cheat." Her laughter grew louder. "I expect my wallet this week."
"And I expect my four special editions."
It was obvious to me, those falls on the ropes were acting. She was the best in school at this type of activity.
**********°°°°°°°°°°**********
They gave us half an hour to recover before they took us to the combat arena.
"How did they manage to get all this?"
Lucia was impressed with everything she had seen.
"They said they were in the investment business," I replied with a shrug.
They were marking lines on the floor; it was a simulated ring.
"Today we're going to see if they know how to defend themselves. We understand they were receiving boxing practice," the brunette commented.
"They'll fight Heclares."
"And why not you?"
"Someone needs to analyze their weaknesses."
Lucia was the first to enter the ring. This could be considered illegal fighting. There was no protection whatsoever.
Lucia had a very good, almost unbreakable stance. She had to analyze Heclares's every move. They maintained a guard position, and neither of them dared to throw their first punch. He made a double-shifting advance, trying to intimidate her, but she deflected it by shifting her guard to the left.
She took advantage of his carelessness to throw a jab, which he blocked. I gave him a wide enough smile, and my friend's cheeks flushed.
He threw punch after punch, and they were all intercepted. Heclares threw a cross, which he dodged by twisting, returning a hook that he quickly parried.
"Not bad, Coniglietta."
Lucia stepped out of the box, and I took her place.
"You won't be able to distract me, much less make me blush," I commented with amusement.
"Good to know."
I assumed a guard position, blocking his weak points, keeping an eye on his legs.
We were circling, resembling shadows. From what I'd observed, he wouldn't throw the first punch, and I went ahead and threw a double jab, shifting as he retreated with each punch.
He was stalking me, looking for my weak points, and he began attacking me with jabs and crosses, which I blocked. For a split second, my legs gave way, but I managed to recover.
He threw another jab combined with a cross, which I dodged, bending into position for a perfect hook.
I bent my body slightly and came back, propelling my arm with a rotation of my hip, causing my fist to connect with his jaw.
"Rule number one, never take your eyes off your enemy," I repeated what I heard him say to his brother.
Yes, he was throwing punches, but his gaze kept shifting toward Lucia.
A natural silence formed.
I leaned a little closer and warned him in a much lower tone.
"Don't even think about hurting her, or I'll kill you." I smiled at him and offered my hand in a gesture of peace.
"That's enough for today," Black exclaimed from where he was.
When I turned around, I found a half-smile on his face. This made him look less dark, relaxing his features.
"You're not bad at all."
"What?" I raised my eyebrows in astonishment.
"Your bruises, I mean."
Lucia tried to hide her laughter, but Heclares let it spill out, infecting us.
"Let's go home for some refreshments," offered the youngest brother, already heading toward his home.
As we finished the path that led us to the cabin, the boys tensed, both of them placing us behind them, posing as a protective barrier.
Lucia tried to ask what was happening, but they both coordinated a finger to their lips, sending a clear message to keep quiet.
Their footsteps were silent. They crossed the threshold of the door, which remained open, and walked around it, stopping to point at a steaming cup on the table.
A noise coming from the kitchen alerted them. They led us to an adjacent hallway with several doors, leading us behind the wall.
They entered one of the doors, each coming out with a sword in their hands.
From our spot, we could see them getting closer and closer. Upon reaching the kitchen, they both shook their heads and quickly retreated to where we were.
Behind them, a rapt thud against the floor sounded, causing them to raise their swords. Their swords were instantly lowered.
I stepped out behind Black's massive back, which kept me hidden, and found myself facing a tall man with strong features who looked at us expressionlessly.
"Good evening, friends."