Chapter 128: Go Easy on Me, Leader Hayes
Orion froze. And then, like a switch flipping, his whole body relaxed. His face lit up like a child who just got spared from a beating.
He didn’t even wait for Cassian to repeat the order. He scrambled to his feet, wincing slightly, and practically skipped away from the center of the field to make room.
As he passed by Alistair, he gave the man a wide, smug grin and snorted. "Enjoy yourself, Sir Alistair. You’re already ugly. A few bruises won’t change much."
Alistair blinked, caught off guard. It did not even take seconds before his grin faltered, even though he was best at sparring, but still not compared to Cassian, and it seemed today that Cassian was deliberately beating them to take out his frustration.
He wanted to protest, but Cassian was already standing there with that unreadable expression. Refusing wasn’t an option. Not unless he wanted hard bread for the rest of the month.
So, with a long, dramatic sigh and a glare at Orion, Alistair slowly walked to the center like a man headed to his execution.
Cassian tilted his head. "What? You’re walking so slow. I thought you had plenty of energy this morning."
Orion snorted again from the sidelines, a little louder this time.
Alistair didn’t answer. He just muttered under his breath and raised his fists—praying that maybe, just maybe, Cassian would go easier on him.
He was very wrong.
After Alistair was done—stumbling off the field with bruised pride and an aching jaw—Cassian didn’t let anyone rest. One by one, he called out names. Each knight had to spar with him. No breaks, no excuses, and no mercy.