It's the last day of training schedule today and duels between humans and Volzite champions start from the next day. Avni's duel is after another two days, and she has trained really hard to fight with her dagger effortlessly. Her movements have become very fluid and swift, and she can easily stand her own against attacks for at least ten minutes before she begins to tire out. 

The dagger she uses to fight is unique too; she found the design in the Art of Dueling book she borrowed from the library, and insisted on it, with a few minor changes. Since Albatross had mentioned in his rules that any weapon and armor of human's choice will be made available, Avni took him at his word. Albatross had to allow getting it crafted from his weapons specialist, he found it fair to request a weapon of choice anyway.

A few days ago when Vadarius healed from his injuries and was discharged, he joined Albatross and Commander in training the humans again. He doesn't participate in mock duels though, just oversees and provides feedback whenever and wherever he can.

This final morning of training, Albatross watches from some distance as Vadarius teaches Peacemaker how to plunge a dagger right into a dummy's heart, the correct force and angle needed to stab and kill in one lethal strike. Of course she is not paying attention, she never did when Albatross tried to teach her either. She's too stubborn for her own good. Albatross knows that Galok won't hesitate a moment before stabbing her to death. But, she won't even learn the correct way to do it, because according to her, she doesn't need knowledge on how to murder someone. Apparently, human mind is capable of betraying the human body in desperate times and use that knowledge to save itself. Something about self-preservation.

She's foolish really, what's wrong with knowing how to save oneself from death? It's self-defense, not murder, if you kill someone to save yourself.

Albatross sighs and rubs his temples in frustration. He knows she won't listen like this. He'll have to try another approach.

He'll have to trick her.

___

"Why the hell did you do that?", Avni yells angrily as Albatross finally releases her hand and she throws away the crimsoned dagger like it is electrocuting her.

She's furious, how dare he catch her hand holding the dagger and stab the fake heart of the dummy repeatedly, showing her all horrid angles and strokes to puncture the skin correctly? The fake blood bag got punctured with the repeated attack, and causing it to fake bleed way too profusely. Avni feels nauseous from the amount of fake blood, the idea she can cause such horrific damage is terrifying to her.

"To teach you how to kill a Volzite", Albatross says nonchalantly as he tries to grab the dagger from the floor in order to clean it with a spare cloth and return it to her so she can continue her practice.

As soon as he lifts the weapon, however, Avni snatches it from him forcefully and begins to clean it herself.

"I know what you did, Mr. King, I asked why did you do it? I had made it crystal clear that I don't want to learn it, didn't I?", she says with suppressed fury, taking deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Because I had promised that training for all humans will be impartial, and the trainers will ensure that they teach you as their true trainees. Just like they taught my champions. Letting you go to the duel without the practical knowledge to kill is stupid and unfair. I'm a man of my words, I did what I had to do."

His words pause Avni's efforts to calm down abruptly, and she angrily steps closer to him to look straight into his eyes with an unmistakable fire in hers.

"You think you're so fucking fair, don't you?", she yells, "I will show you just how damn unfair you're! You had no right to do this. Not as some King. Not even as my trainer. It was my damn choice not to learn how to kill someone, and you violated my freedom of choice. It's not the first time you violated other's freedoms though, is it? What else could anyone expect from you? Just wait and watch, Mr. King. I will make sure you regret these unjust choices."

She storms out of the training grounds before Albatross can even react to her unpredictable fury, much less say anything to calm her.

The fiery look in her eyes was so unnerving to Albatross, even a bit scary on a calm person like her. So out of character. What the hell is she going to do?

"That was really unnecessary, Albatross", Vadarius says with disappointment from behind him. He turns to face his brother.

"Really? You're okay with beloved human friend going into a deadly fight with Galok in a couple of days, knowing well that he won't waste a second to plunge a dagger into her heart, while she is hell bent upon not even learning how to kill someone?"

Vadarius shakes his head at him "No, I'm not okay with that. Because I don't want her to die. I don't want any of them to die. But it's her choice if she doesn't want blood on her hands. Who am I to force her? If she dies during the duel, she will know she made that choice. It's her life, so it's only fair that she gets to choose how to live it or end it. But, what's your excuse Albatross? Why do you care whether she lives or dies in the duel? You want her to die, don't you? You want all of them to die!"

"I already told her my reason, Vadarius. I am a man of my words, and her training was incomplete without the knowledge of ending a Volzite life. If she dies because she doesn't want to kill Galok, it's her choice. Good for her. But, if she dies because she doesn't know how to kill Galok, then this one month of training was an utter waste of both my and your time."

Vadarius nods, but Albatross can see it in his eyes that he's not convinced with his reasoning. He can see that his brother is going to ask more questions, make more arguments and he's definitely not in a mood for that nonsense today.

So, Albatross turns around and begins to walk away, but he can hear footsteps shadowing him. He groans internally, it's impossible to escape his brother's argumentative and interrogative claws. He walks faster, in an effort to reach Precious' room quickly, so Vadarius can get distracted with her and leave him alone.

He finds his own behavior hilarious though, how the King of Volzites is practically running away from his own brother. He can bet that Vadarius will try to convince him to give up on the idea of killing humans again if I doesn't escape though. If Albatross had begun counting how many times they have had this conversation already, he would have run out of numbers by now. Okay, that's a exaggeration. But, he's really tired of it.

He opens the door to Precious' room finally, hoping to find her running into his arms happily like she always does. What he sees, however, makes his world tilt on its axis. Every amused and calm thought drains out of his system and his blood boils in anger. Time slows down for him, all wind is knocked out of his lungs and he freezes momentarily, as he watches the horrific scene unfold before his eyes.

Perched on the princess pink bed in peacemaker's arms and giggling softly, his baby sister awaits as peacemaker pulls back her arm with full force and plunges it forward towards her. I want to think it's some game they're playing, but the eerie smile on peacemaker's face and the deadly dagger in her tightened fist depict another story.

The special dagger I allowed to be crafted is pointed directly at my li'l girl's tiny heart, exactly how I taught peacemaker to aim and stab a few minutes ago.

She's trying to kill Precious just to make me regret teaching her to kill?

Albatross is confused, and he's furious, it makes no sense to him because this is so out of character for her. But how can he ignore what he's seeing with his naked eyes? 

It was all lies and manipulation then? And he stupidly fell into this deceitful human politician's trap? She played him, and here he was - warming up to her, even trusting her. Thinking she is kind and compassionate, different from others of her species. What a sly, conniving schemer!

Albatross wastes no second to react, he lunges forward and pulls Precious forcibly from Avni's hold before the knife is even an inch near her delicate skin. Precious startles and his forcible hold causes her to start wailing loudly. But Albatross pays her no mind, he just rushes towards the door to take his baby girl as far away from this filthy, devious human as possible. The nanny, Haile collides with him at the door and he immediately hands Precious over to her.

"Where the hell were you?! Now, take her away from here, quickly, as far as possible. Go to the lake garden, she likes it there. And don't come back till evening."

The confused nanny takes a sobbing Precious from his arms, swallows her question, turns around and leaves immediately to follow her King's orders.

Albatross turns around towards the human again, to find her looking back at him with confusion. As soon her eyes meet his, she visibly flinches. 

Good. Be scared of me, you cruel human.

"So this was your plan?"

Her brows furrow immediately. 

Oh, you can't fool me anymore.

"What plan? What do you mean, Mr. King?"

"You said you were going to make me regret it, didn't it? This is how you planned to make me regret teaching you how to kill a Volzite? By killing my baby sister?"

Her eyes widen immediately and she steps forward in anger. 

She's a brilliant actress, I'll give her that.

"Are you insane? Why will I kill her? She's a kid."

"You tell me! Why do you want to kill her, dammit?! She's just a li'l baby. Oh, wait I know. This isn't just about today's revenge, is it? This is your ultimate revenge. You thought you'd punish me for threatening to kill you humans day and night. You thought you'd hurt the most important person in my life to hurt me back."

She shakes her head in disbelief and tries to say something, but he ignores her.

"You really thought you would get away with it? I would have strangled you to death with my bare hands. Then, I would have hanged your dead body at palace gates and made an example out of you. And don't even get me started on what I'd do to your niece!"

"Stop it! This is a misunderstanding. Just hear me out. Why would I kill her? I thought we established this. I care about her!"

He takes two steps closer to her, bridging the gap between them.

"You think I'm a fool? You think you can continue to manipulate me? No, peacemaker. I feel like smacking your face so hard-"

He pulls his hand back to smack her face to prove his point, but suddenly he's forcibly pulled back away from her.

"What the hell, Albatross? Why are you hitting her?" His justice loving, self righteous, foolish brother questions him.

"Why don't you ask this filthy pest who was trying to murder our li'l baby sister in cold blood?"

"I wasn't!"

"You've gone insane, brother. Just look at her once, she's on the verge of tears. You're scaring her. And do you really think she's capable of murder? She didn't even know how to kill someone till a few minutes ago."

"You don't believe me? Your own brother and king? I saw with my own eyes!"

"It was a misunderstanding!" Peacemaker screams through her crocodile tears but Albatross won't buy her act anymore. No wonder she's a successful politician, her act can convince anyone. But, not him anymore.

"Listen Albatross, calm down alright. Why don't we ask her to explain what happened and sense whether she's lying or not?"

"Fine!"

"Avni, were you trying to hurt Precious?"

"No, no, no! I can never hurt Precious!"

"There Albatross! She's not lying!"

He shakes his head with a hollow, mirthless laughter.

"Oh my innocent brother! She's making a fool out of us by mincing her words. She wasn't trying to hurt her. She was trying to hurt me, and for that she was going to kill her!"

"But she just said she can never hurt her!"

"Why don't you let me ask her a question, Vadarius?"

Albatross turns towards her without waiting for Vadarius' response, "Answer honestly, peacemaker. We'll know if you lie. When I entered the room, did you or did you not have your arm raised in a striking position, with the dagger pointed at Precious' heart? Just say yes or no."

"It's not what you think-"

"Yes or No, Avni?", Vadarius questions impatiently, making her snap immediately.

"Yes!", she says and breaks down into ugly sobs as she sinks to the ground.

"Yes?" Vadarius asks in disbelief.

"Now you believe me, brother? I saw clearly how she was plunging the dagger towards Precious, and our innocent li'l girl was giggling at her. These humans have no hearts! Cruel, cruel species! Bloody cold-hearted murderers! And you waste no opportunity to defend them! That's why you were following me here right? To defend their species again?!"

Vadarius ignores his question and continues to stare at Avni, but Albatross is tired of looking at the crying piece of manipulative shit in front of them.

"Why?" Vadarius whispers, but it's more to himself than her. His heartbroken, disbelieving face aches his brother's heart, he never wanted Vadarius' bubble to burst like this, but whatever happens is for the best.

"Vadarius, please, give me one chance to explain. I wasn't trying to kill-"

"Yeah yeah, you were just trying to plunge a dagger into her tiny, beautiful heart that doesn't even know what revenge means!"

She shakes her head again, but before she starts with her drama again, he puts an end to it.

"Guards!"

Two guards come into the room hurriedly.

"Throw her in the dungeons! Make sure she makes it to the darkest and filthiest cell of the palace! I don't want to see her face until her duel with Galok!"

He turns towards her one last time, "You'll be well fed and well rested there, peacemaker. But, I really, really hope you die in the duel in two days. Because if you don't, I'll make sure your punishment is so much worse than death. Now get out of my sight, you cold blooded murderer!"

She flinches violently at his words, and the guards immediately drag her out of Precious' room.

Albatross runs a frustrated hand through his hair and kicks the nightstand. He shakes his head  at his own gullibility angrily.

I was right since the beginning. This species can never change. They're manipulative, cruel, murderers that wear the mask of kindness and selflessness to hide their evil intentions. It's time to serve their punishment. Earth will receive justice. These humans will die, and a new, peaceful era will begin on Earth soon. The nature will bloom again, and the footprints of their tyranny will be wiped away. I'll make sure of it.

___