The Arsenal

          The Queen takes you into the Arsenal. Hundreds of students are watching others duel. A few teachers are working with single students. The Queen walks right through all of the fighting without fear, and you follow cautiously.

          She leads you to a man in black who stands against the back wall. He bows very low to her, respect seeming to ooze out of him. "Your Majesty," he says.

          "Hello, Cyrus," she smiles. "This is Cyrus, Head of the Fighters' Guild, the Arsenal, and the Royal Bodyguards, the Wolves."

          He nods to you. At the Queen's Request, he explains his positions. "As Head of the Fighters' Guild, I am the Head Trainer. Head of the Arsenal means I take care of it, make sure all of the weapons used in a day are where they're supposed to be, and see that all of the students make it to class every day. As General of the Wolves, I train the best of the combat-gifted students, and even some who are not, to be Wolves.

          "Like all other gifts, the Combat gift is something one has inside of him or her. Yes, most of the Wolves are male, but we have several female Wolves as well. To train the Combat gift is to sharpen the skills like a sword. As you can see, students practice every day, long and hard. They learn stratagy, technique, and quick reflex.

          "The Wolves are the men and women that you see dressed in all black. Usually, though, you do not see them. They stay to the shadows, and only reveal themselves when there is an intruder in Stronghold. They are assassins, mainly, but they work as a group. Every one knows how to fight alone, but together they are even better."

          "Thank you, Cyrus," the Queen says.

          He nods again. Then the Queen leads you on to the Stables.

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