Lucas’s POV
The training grounds were loud with movement if boots slamming dirt, blades clashing, grunts and growls filling the air. Sweat and dust clung to every sound.
Weeks of drilling had finally hardened the recruits. No, they weren’t warriors yet, not even close but they no longer looked like frightened pups dragged from their homes. They held stances, they listened and most importantly, they got back up every time they were knocked down.
I strode across the line, sharp eyes on every one of them. “Back straight, feet apart Mark, show them again!”
Mark, a seasoned warrior with arms thick as tree trunks, stepped forward and dropped into a fighting stance. His claws extended with a metallic scrape, his weight evenly balanced.
“This,” I barked, pointing at him, “is how you stand if
