I lace up my boots carefully, not to disturb the bandages. Standing up, I slide on my scale vest and braid my hair into a crown–this way it's harder to grab so fewer assholes try to kill me during sparring. Not that they will, because I'm probably just going to put a little sleeping powder in my next opponent's food beforehand.

I spot Dain and Rhiannon eating in the mess hall at the table.

"Hey guys," I call out. "How's training?"