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'Harder!! I want to hear those staffs crack, Azmirah!!'

'Yes master!!!'

Zandos smiled to himself as he watched Azmirah hit her staff harder against her brother's, Karo. Azmirah was the only girl in the clan who joined the boys in training to be a warrior. And she was about the second girl to do it. When he had first agreed to take her in, the whole clan, and even her family opposed against it. Now, she was despised and discriminated upon by the clan, viewed upon as a disgrace. But Azmirah didn't care, and neither did Zandos. As long as she has talent, he would accept her, and some talent she has. He could still remember when she first arrived at his doorstep to beg him to take her in, which was a very brave move on her part, since Zandos was greatly feared and respected by the children due to his gruff appearance and character. He saw that she had a very great potential, and agreed. Now, she was the best warrior in training in the clan other than her brother. Who cares what the others think? Zandos was never one to be affected by such things. The clan may not accept it, but he will. In a few nights' time the competition for the strongest warrior will be held for them, and he believed that Azmirah would win. Once, he has trained a girl with great potential before too, and she had taken part in the competition, but obviously the boys had cheated. Somehow they deterred her from taking part in the competition, and the means they did was horrible. The result was fatal. Zandos saw Azmirah as the daughter that he never had, and he loved her greatly. No one ever knows what the boys are capable of doing when they're envious, and he hoped that no harm will ever befall Azmirah.

Azmirah shook the sweat out of her eyes as she brought her staff up just to bring it down once again upon Karo's, creating a loud crack as he flinched against from the jarring impact it sent down his staff. 'Ow,' he complained. 'Not that hard.' 'I was ordered to,' Azmirah replied. 'Alright..i think we're done for now,' Karo said, as Zandos nodded in their direction. Azmirah bowed customarily to thank him for the spar, and he returned it. Straightening, she looked around and saw that the boys were still at it and obviously, tiring. Despite herself, she grinned, knowing that she was the strongest amongst the boys, even though she was the girl. Everyone thought that she wasn't going to make it, that she was bound to give up and go home crying, but she didn't. She was a pretty girl, to say the least. She was tall, with dark olive skin, and brown eyes, a soft mouth, and hair as black as a raven's wing. When the clan wasn't criticizing her for being out of her place, they were discussing that it was a pity that she decided to be a warrior, for if not, she could have attracted a lot of people. She hated women's chores, and only loved fighting, that was why she wanted to be a warrior. She wanted to be like Kazuma, the Goddess of War. She wasn't going to stay home, cook, weave, find a husband and have children. No, she saw how women were treated in the clan. She wanted some dignity as a woman, at least, and she was going to prove it by winning the competition in the few nights' time. Even Zandos felt that she can, he praised her, even, something that he rarely does. Zandos was a tall and gruff man, with a white scar from a long ago battle across his right eye. Although he looked clumsy, Zandos was in fact the best warrior in the clan, which was why he became their training teacher in the first place. Azmirah liked Zandos, for despite his gruff appearance, the man was quite soft inside. He said that she can fight well, and so she will.

-Flashback-

'Karo, do you think i'm going to win the competition?'

'Yeah. Why,Azmirah? You're the best amongst us.'

'Yes, i know. But then, what about you...?' Azmirah turned to watched the sun setting beneath the horizon, it's last fading rays staining the sky a deep red. She could hear the faint sound of the unseen river which winds through the forest as its clear waters rushed over rocks.

'It's what you wanted for years, Azmirah. Why hesistate now?'

'But it's been your dream for so many years too.'

'The title will be more important to you than me, Azmirah. Because, if you lose, you'll have to return to women's chores,' Karo reasoned. 'Am i right?'

'Yeah...i guess so. But...'

'No buts, Azmirah. Besides, i don't think i really need the title that much. It's just honour to me, but something more than honour to you. Just go and get the goal. We'll all be supporting you. The boys, at least.'

'Oh, Karo...' Azmirah turned and embraced her brother tightly, and even though she wanted to express her gratitude for him, it was as if her throat has closed up. 'Thank you...' Unknowingly, tears ran down the side of her cheek. It's been her brother's greatest dream to win the competition, and now he was giving up his dream for her.

'Well, you'll have to do much better than this to win me, sister,' Karo ruffled his sister's hair kindly, and she only hugged him tighter.

-End flashback-

Azmirah smiled. She was going to win the competition, for her brother's sake, and for herself as well. But she didn't know that the kindess was only a mask that evil wore.