~ The Daughter of Sparta ~

SAPHIRA

Her worries of being interrogated were for nothing, as Saphira strolls into the camp without drawing so much as a glance. The girls are all focused on other activities. Some are tending to their weapons, others are taking note of supplies, and others manage the fires. It's usually lively business in the Hunt, and so long as everyone does their part, there are no quarrels.

"Saph! Come here!"

Chloe's voice reaches her ears. Saphira spots her friend among the girls managing the camp supplies in one of the larger, open tents and makes her way to meet her.

"Hello, Chloe," Saphira says.

"How's your morning been?"

"It was fine. Yours?"

Chloe smiles as she replies. "Busy. Dawn patrol brought back a deer and several big turkeys, plus a bunch of berries. This is good because we were actually starting to run a little low on food."

"Is Lady Artemis in camp right now?" Saphira asks.

"No. She did stop by earlier to announce that she will be away for a few days on Olympus because of an emergency," Chloe says.

Curious, Saphira cocks her head to one side a bit. Another emergency that calls for Olympian councils? Strange.

"What sort of emergency?"

"Something about Apollo being in some sort of trouble."

Now, Saphira is really curious. "Did she say what sort of trouble?"

"Only that Zeus is unhappy with him because of the last prophecy," Chloe replies.

"Interesting," Saphira muses and decides to move away from the topic. "Where is Thalia?"

The daughter of Apollo casts a playful roll of her eyes towards the east side of camp. "Probably sparring or something, knowing her."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Saphira briefly clasps her friend's shoulder before she walks off. Weaving her way through the camp, she finds a small batch of girls in the grassy clearing designated for sparring. While she's not a fanatic of violence, she does find interest in watching her sisters combat each other. Curiosity gets the best of her, so she pushes her way through the gathering of hunters to get a glimpse of who is fighting today. She's not terribly surprised upon finding the identity of one of the sparring partners.

"Yield to me, Amaris!" Xenia demands, triumph booming in her voice. Beneath her, with an arm twisted painfully behind her back, is a fuming, struggling Amaris. Her efforts to break free are in vain, and she quickly gives up the fight.

"I yield!" Amaris growls furiously.

Xenia chuckles and releases her, standing up with an expression of pride. Her skill in combat is not something to be taken lightly. One of the oldest girls in the Hunt, Xenia hails from the most warlike society in history; Ancient Sparta itself. Her tale is one that is well-known. She was born to a noble general in the armies of Sparta, and from a young age, had always enjoyed the thrill of a fight. More than anything, she wanted to be a soldier in the most powerful army of Greece, but as a girl, she was not allowed to join. Even so, her father trained her in the art of hand-to-hand combat and swordplay, and she was gifted in both.

When she turned eighteen, she finally had enough of being a civilian woman and left Sparta for a life of thrills and danger. She became a rogue, travelling the lands in search of a challenging fight until she stumbled upon Artemis and the Hunters in the wilderness. Artemis admired her prowess and believed that Xenia would make a fine hunter, and she was right. Xenia has fought in more battles and has slain more enemies than almost any other hunter ever has... with one exception: the previous lieutenant of the Hunt.

"Good fight, sister. You lasted much longer this time," Xenia compliments Amaris.

"It did not feel like a good fight," Amaris grumbles.

"One day, perhaps, you may best me," Xenia assures her. The nymph only glowers as she ambles off to rejoin the spectators. Xenia then turns and smirks to the crowd. "Does anyone else wish to try their luck?"

The entire line of girls takes two steps backward. All except for one.

"I will."

All heads turn to see none other than the lieutenant stepping forward with a smirk. Murmurs arise from up and down the line hunters, but Saphira stays silent. Thalia may be much younger than all of them, only the Hunt for a few years, but she is not a warrior to be trifled with. Saphira knows of her legacy prior to the Hunt. A girl that lived life dangerously from a young age, a girl that fought fiercely against a horde of monsters, alone, to buy her allies time to reach safety. Then, she had led the Hunt in battle against the forces of Kronos and came close to killing the biggest enemy of the Hunt, Orion.

Xenia may have a millennia's worth of experience, but Thalia is by no means, an easy opponent. The daughter of Sparta raises a brow in interest and confidence, clearly intrigued by the idea of taking on the sky god's child.

"I can always count on you to give me a challenge," Xenia remarks as she faces Thalia.

Saphira watches as the two girls circle each other, with Thalia shrugging off her jacket to remain in her tank top and leggings. Her figure, like Saphira's and the other girls, is lithe and toned with lean muscle, small in comparison to Xenia's much more muscular, but still feminine build. Suddenly, after only a silent nod between them, the two hunters charge each other. Xenia is the first to attempt a strike, throwing a wide left swing that Thalia easily dips under and retaliates to with two swift blows to Xenia's torso. Xenia hardly seems to notice, catching Thalia's third punch and effortlessly keeps her held long enough to deliver a hard knee to her ribs.

Saphira can't help but wince at the sound of Thalia's gasp. She knows full-well that Xenia holds very little back in a sparring match. That knee was probably dealt with nearly full-force, but the daughter of Zeus is only momentarily winded. She lands a sickening underhand punch to Xenia's stomach, drawing a grunt from the Spartan girl before reversing Xenia's own grip on her arm to pivot and hurl Xenia onto the cold earth. She is quick to recover, rolling onto her hands and knees and swipes her arm through Thalia's legs, taking her to the ground as well.

The Spartan girl then pounces on the demigod and the two engage in a vicious wrestling match. Xenia has Thalia on her back, straddling her waist to keep her pinned and seems to be keen on trying to beat her into submission, but Thalia is not ready to give up yet. She shields her face with her arms, defending against Xenia's assault, then suddenly snaps her arm upward in a lightning-fast jab to Xenia's throat. Xenia gasps and retches, giving her opponent the chance she needed to overturn them.

Now, it's Xenia who's on her back, but she's not pinned for long. Thalia only gets a single punch in before Xenia snatches her by the shoulders and throws her off. The demigod rolls to her feet at the same time that Xenia does, but neither of them give the other any chance to catch a breath. Thalia bounds towards her, only to be taken back by Xenia driving her elbow forward as a battering ram, nearly toppling Thalia, but the sky child retains her footing and snaps a sharp kick to Xenia's ribs. The Spartan girl hardly seems to notice as she throws a right hook aimed for Thalia's cheek, but is caught by a defensively raised arm. The force is still enough to have her staggering sideways.

Xenia tries to take advantage and charges forward to attack with an overhead swing, but Thalia is able to catch the swing and pull it into a shoulder-toss. Xenia lands in a somersault and spins around to counter Thalia's charge in a bear-hug, lifting the smaller girl up and throwing her back the way she had come. Thalia rolls backward onto her feet in time to duck under Xenia's swing but takes the blow to her stomach and recoils, clutching her belly.

Xenia must think she has Thalia under a moment of weakness, because she tries to continue her assault, but Thalia is not out of the fight yet. She's ready for Xenia's charge, and at the last moment, sidesteps while catching her on the jaw with a well-placed hook. Xenia stumbles, but only for a moment. Before Thalia can strike her again, she whirls around with a high-aimed kick to the chest, putting the daughter of Zeus flat on her back.

In an instant, Xenia is upon her with a raised fist, with Thalia surging up to meet her. Before they can strike each other, they come to a halt only inches away and exchange a grin.

"Well done, sister. A thrilling contest as it always is with you," the Spartan girl commends her.

"One day, I'll take you down for sure," Thalia promises with a smile as Xenia helps her to her feet.

Saphira shakes her head at the two girls. They certainly seem to love beating down on each other and laugh it off later. It's almost amusing...

Until Xenia catches her eye.

"Saphira, would you care for a round against me?" Xenia asks, having already caught her breath.

Saphira's eyes widen and she takes a step back. "Oh, uh, no. I don't want to fight today."

It's not that she's particularly afraid. She is one of the best combatants in the Hunt, but she has never faced Xenia in a fight. She has only witnessed what the Spartan can do, and she wishes to have no part of it. Unfortunately, she's already been singled out.

"Come now, sister. We have never sparred, you and I. I wish to know how such a fight would play out."

"Come on, Saph."

"You can take her."

The murmurs of encouragement and agreement from the girls rise from around her. Saphira glances about, wanting to tell them all to shut it and leave her alone, but it's too late. Xenia is gazing at her expectantly, awaiting her response. Well... what's one fight? If it gets Xenia to leave her be, then she supposes it can be worth it.

"Fine."

Xenia grins, but Thalia only looks concerned. Does she not think Saphira can take the Spartan? Or is she worried for... the other reason? Saphira now takes a new drive and sense of determination. She is fine, and she'll prove it.

Stepping forward into the clearing, Saphira is about to unzip her jacket to take it off, but hesitates. She wears this for the fact that it has sleeves, and for a good reason. Thinking better of it, she leaves the jacket on. It's a slim-fit, thin piece of clothing, so it shouldn't impede her anyway. She does unclip and drop her belt and knives to the ground and raises her hands in a combat stance.

"Ready when you are, Xenia," she declares.

Xenia nods and raises her fists. She has the height and weight advantage, but Saphira knows she's faster and more flexible. She neglects to make the first move, assuming that Xenia will be all too happy to come charging first. The warlike hunter doesn't disappoint, barreling towards her like a true Spartan warrior. Saphira is ready for her swing, leaning her head back and swiping the fist away from her, then again on the second swing. Xenia's momentum is too much for her to turn quickly enough to follow Saphira, and she takes the retaliating jab to her cheek.

The punch does little to stun Xenia, as she's already returning from her recovery with a vengeance. She opens her second assault with two straight punches that Saphira manages to dip away from, but she's not ready for the sudden, forward kick that her opponent delivers straight into her stomach. A wave of nausea washes over her, but with a mighty effort of will, she's able to keep herself going. Xenia attempts to grab her, but Saphira quickly ducks underneath the stronger girl's arms and catches one to twist up behind her back. Keeping one hand on Xenia's wrist, she snaps a fist to the corner of her jaw, nearly dropping the Spartan.

With a growl, Xenia retains her footing and slowly begins to pit her strength against Saphira's tactics, pulling her arm forward inch by inch. Saphira's eyes widen in surprise. She knows that Xenia is incredibly strong, but to muscle out of a hold like this is incredible. She has to think of something fast.

Placing a foot on Xenia's hip, Saphira hoists herself up onto Xenia's shoulder, all the while maintaining her grip on her wrist. Then, she swiftly swivels her legs over Xenia's neck and twists with her entire body towards the ground, using her weight to take the Spartan girl down into an arm-bar. She growls with the effort of keeping Xenia's arm stretched and close to her chest and locking her legs over Xenia's neck and torso to keep her pinned on her back.

It takes every ounce of strength to maintain this hold. Saphira's goal is to force her opponent into submission with the strain on her arm... Xenia clearly has other plans.

Saphira can scarcely believe when she feels Xenia beginning to reach over with her other arm, frantically feeling for that special grip that will free her. Saphira grunts as she struggles to keep her pinned with her legs and simultaneously pull back on her arm. Xenia's strength once again, is proving to be too much, and Saphira knows she's in trouble the second that the Spartan girl manages to lock her grasp together. Using her back as leverage, she rolls onto her side first, just enough to get her knees under her. Saphira finds herself trapped in Xenia's hold, gasping when she's lifted up as easily as a ragdoll as Xenia manages to stand.

With a mighty cry, the Spartan girl raises Saphira high into the air, still trapped in her arm-bar. In the split second that she has, Saphira braces herself for impact. Xenia drops her in a full-forward slam, and the collision of her back with the cold ground knocks the air out of Saphira's lungs.

The brief stun lasts only for a second, but as she recovers, Xenia steps over her with a fist drawn back. Saphira curls her upper body to the left to let Xenia's fist smash into the dirt beside her, then reaches up to snatch Xenia by the back of the head and pull her down to smash her face into the dirt beside her. Twisting her upper body to the side, Saphira smashes her elbow into Xenia's cheek, knocking her onto her side.

Xenia rolls away onto her hands and knees, moving her jaw about until she spits something out of her mouth onto the ground. Her tooth, Saphira realizes.

"Not bad, Saphira. Not bad at all," the Spartan girl remarks. Saphira expects her to attack again, but to her surprise, Xenia actually offers her hand in surrender. The other girls murmur in astonishment that the strongest warrior in the Hunt is the first one to submit in a spar.

Saphira takes a firm grip on Xenia's hand, clasping it tightly. "Thank you."

Xenia nods, and Saphira allows herself to feel a bit of pride at having been able to go against her... the feeling is quickly washed away at the next few words that leave Xenia's lips.

"You fight like Zoe. She would have been proud."

Saphira's oxygen gets stuck in her lungs, momentarily unable to breathe. She knows that Xenia meant it only as a compliment, but the Spartan knows full well about how she feels about any subject involving the former lieutenant. If she realizes her error, she doesn't show it.

"I-" Saphira begins, but loses her voice almost immediately. Clearing her throat, she withdraws her hand from Xenia. "Thank you."

Without another word, Saphira turns away and quickly stoops down to gather her gear, briskly clipping her belt back on around her waist. She pushes her way through the crowd of girls and makes her escape away from the clearing, avoiding the eyes of her sisters. She has to get away from them now, lest she has her breakdown right here.

Hurriedly, she strides back the way she had first come. She needs a distraction, right now.

"Chloe!"

The Apollo girl perks up at the sound of her name being called. She's still in the supply tent, but upon noticing Saphira hurrying towards her, she drops her activities and rushes out of the tent.

"Saph? Are you okay?" she asks worriedly as they meet, then frowns as she eyes something on Saphira's face. "Oh god, what is that bruise? Did you fight?"

"Just one spar, Chloe. It's fine, I just need-" Saphira tries to reply.

"One spar? Who did you spar? Thalia?"

"No. Xenia."

"Xenia!" Chloe exclaims. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"It's okay. I won... sort of," Saphira says.

Her friend heaves a sigh and shakes her head. "Oh, Saph. Come on. I'll patch you up."

Thankful to have her distraction, even if it is a small one, Saphira allows Chloe to take her to a log and sit her down. Chloe briskly walks away to one of the supply tents and rummages through one of the packs, then returns with a bottle of water and a clean white cloth.

"No more fighting, not like this. You want to train, grab me," Chloe scolds her as she drizzles some of the water onto the cloth.

"It wasn't really to train, it was just..." Saphira drifts, not really sure of her motives to fight. Was it her pride? Was she trying to prove something? Neither seems like a good reason to get into a fight with Xenia.

Heaving a sigh, Chloe dabs at her bruises with the dampened cloths. "At least it's just a few scrapes."

The second she begins to pull up the sleeves of the jacket, Saphira recoils and pulls away.

"Not here! Please not here!" she hisses, her eyes wide as she glances about. Nobody saw, she realizes with relief. Nobody saw.

"Right. Sorry," Chloe apologies. "The tent, then. Come on."