Although she didn't care much for the ritualistic nature of the combat that the Veridian Shores clans practised, Gliss liked the feel of the duelling rods in her hands. They were heavier than they looked, and made a satisfying thrum when she swung them experimentally through the air. Off to one side Capper watched with a critical eye as she stepped, turned and swung, testing the best angles and stances to suit this newfound weapon.

Declining a set of leggings and combat tunic, Gliss had retained her original clothing. Although to an outsider the heavy boots looked like a handicap, she'd spent her life learning to use them as yet another weapon in her arsenal. Her jeans were supple and soft, only providing the tiniest resistance to her motions as she swept through the set of training targets. The heavy rods lashed out splintering wood with every blow.

She spun to a neat halt at the end of the staggered lines of dummies, breathing lightly from the exertion. Glancing back, she caught Capper's eye and cocked her head to one side, giving him a questioning look.

"Not bad," he said, striding across the gritted floor towards her. "You learn fast."

"It's a curse." She smiled sweetly, resting the duelling rods across her shoulders. "So how long should I play against these wooden cutouts before going to pick a fight?"

"A little longer yet," Capper chuckled. "You've got the basics, but there's plenty to work on."

"I thought you didn't use these things?" she reminded him.

He shook his head. "Not by choice, but we all learn to use them when we're initiated. I just...prefer the axe. Now, come here."

Still not entirely convinced that he would make the best instructor, Gliss stumped over to him. As she walked she was acutely aware of several pairs of watching eyes. Already Capper's predictions were being proved right as several of the vampires down in the pit took an interest in the stranger training among them. She caught a handful of guards watching her movements intently, including the towering specimen who'd served as her chaperone on more than one occasion. Scattered throughout the watchers she could also sense half a dozen strong Aspects that could only be Glaive Elder-Bloods.

Doing her best to ignore those prying eyes, she stopped in front of Capper and gave the duelling rods a playful twirl.

"Okay, teach me." She grinned, letting her fangs show for just an instant.

He smirked, folding his arms. "Alright, show me your stance again."

Obediently, Gliss took up her ready position, sliding one foot back and bending her knees, holding the duelling rods low and loose in her hands. He made her stand there for just long enough for her to start feeling foolish before he moved, stepping behind her. She straightened up reflexively but suddenly felt a hand between her shoulder blades.

"No, no, stay where you are," he said. "Just stand how you would heading into a duel."

"We don't really duel where I'm from," Gliss muttered, but she complied.

Then she felt him move up close behind her and her heart started beating faster, his scent and his Aspect washing over her. She suppressed a tremor of excitement when he reached forward, gently taking a grip of her waist in both hands.

"Keep your body side on," he explained quietly as he turned her. "Present the smallest target you can. A duel is won by scoring a direct hit over the heart so you need to protect that area."

Gliss nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak. She took in a long deep breath as Capper removed his hands. Then his face was suddenly next to hers, just visible out of the corner of her eye, and he reached out, taking a hold of her left wrist and pulling it up.

"You're inviting people to hit you if you stand too casually," he told her, now so close that she could just feel his cool breath on the side of her neck. "You need to intimidate. Don't give an easy route forward. Extend one rod like this..." He eased her arm up into position, extending the rod like a sword. "Then you keep your other hand free for counter-attacking."

Gliss smiled turning her head to look at him. His face was just inches away, his features creased with faint amusement.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She raised an accusing eyebrow.

"Maybe a little." Much to her disappointment he stepped away, leaving the tingle of his touch on her skin behind. "Run the course again, faster this time, and try and reset properly after each strike, okay?"

"I'll see what I can do."

After taking a moment to ready herself, Gliss launched into another run through the set of training dummies, lashing out left and right with the heavy rods. The thunk of metal on wood echoed through the training arena as she moved, swiping at some, thrusting at the hearts of others like a whirlwind, leaving a trail of pulverised splinters in her wake.

As the neared the end of the run her momentum added extra impact to her swings. One wooden head broke in half under the shear force and when she reached the final dummy she launched herself through the air, driving the blunted point of the duelling rod into the target's chest. Even without a point she still managed to ram the rod all the way through the solid wooden torso with a snarl of exertion.

A satisfied smile spread across her face when she wrenched the duelling rod free again, sending a shower of splinters in all directions. She turned to face Capper, placing the rods neatly on the floor in front of her, and then made a mock curtsey.

"How was that?"

"Good enough for a backyard brawl, I suppose," a scathing voice cut through the air like a dagger.

She saw Capper grimace before they both turned to look at the speaker.

There stood Brooke, in full fighting gear and backed by a dozen Elder-Bloods and guards who looked equally unimpressed. The other vampires in the training pit started edging away, sensing a confrontation that they didn't want to be a part of.

"Hi, Brooke," Capper managed weakly.

The other Elder-Blood sniffed dismissively as she stepped forward. "So, teaching your new friend to fight like a Glaive, are you?"

"Thought it might pass the time." He shrugged. "Something you need?"

Gliss watched them with a mixture of annoyance and fascination. She could feel both their Aspects churning in the air like a pair of competing fires – whatever disagreement they'd had in the library certainly wasn't over.

"If you want to train her to leap through hoops like a pet, that's your business," Brooke said icily. "But the training pit is for real fighters."

Oh. Gliss felt her body tense at that barb, especially coming from a simpering snake like her, someone who fought as a game. In Iron Hollow they fought to kill, not to score points. She turned to face Brooke, willing her Aspect to swell like a fireball, over and above the simmering tensions of the Glaives. It wasn't long before she caught the Elder-Blood's attention. Brooke twitched, then her brows creased into a frown as she met Gliss's stare.

"Real fighters, huh?"

Gliss glanced at Capper, then shrugged off her leather jacket and tossed it to him. A faint murmur rippled through the onlookers as they caught sight of the scarring on her arms. Ignoring them, she scooped up the rods again and, under the watching eyes of the Glaive Clan members, strode out into the middle of the arena. Then she locked eyes with Brooke once more, beckoning the other vampire forward with her weapons.

"Alright, princess," she spat. "Let's see if you've got the spine to back up that pretty mouth."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a stunned expression flash across Capper's face but she kept her attention on her enemy, staring deep into Brooke's glimmering coral eyes. The Glaive Elder-Blood held her gaze for five long, booming seconds before her expression hardened.

A rumble of jeers, whoops and yells echoed through the watchers as Brooke slid her personal duelling rods from their sheath, gave them a vicious twirl and then strode out into the arena.

"Brooke, this is ridiculous," Capper protested.

"Tell it to your new playmate," Brooke sneered back, not even looking at him. Clacking her rods together loudly, she bent her knees, taking up position with one rod pointed straight forward, the other held up high above her head like the sting of a scorpion. "First to three strikes wins."

Gliss smiled wolfishly. "Do you have a bell?"

"Just fight me, you piece of Ostracised trash."

And before Capper could move to stop them the two vampires burst into motion, hurtling towards each other across the arena floor. Gliss tried to remember the brief lessons Capper had given her to work with as she met her adversary, keeping herself side-on, protecting her chest from the questing point of Brooke's duelling rod.

She lashed out; Brooke blocked and danced around her, agile as a cat. Gliss turned to follow the movement, swinging out one rod in a long arc. The other vampire bent backwards under the swipe, at the same time slithering forward as Gliss rotated to face her. Too late she realised in turning to keep track of the other girl's movement she'd inadvertently given a clean path to her chest.

The duelling rod crashed into her chest, right above her heart. Pain jolted through her body as the force knocked her backwards off her feet. She rolled with the impact, coming to one knee and cursing under her breath as a triumphant cheer shot up from the Glaive supporters. Slowly she stood, enduring the smug look on Brooke's face as best she could.

"Clumsy," the Elder-Blood goaded. "Very clumsy. Is that how you train in Iron Hollow?"

"Keep talking, princess," Gliss growled. "And I'll show you exactly how we trained."

Brooke smirked and took up her ready position again.

The two vampires clashed again. This time Gliss took more care, sliding away from Brooke as the girl tried to circle her again. Their rods smashed together with jarring force, but Gliss wasn't about to be intimidated. A savage swing nearly tore a rod from Brooke's grasp and the Elder-Blood instantly skipped back out of range, a frown creasing her pretty features.

Gliss bared her fangs and followed. They danced their way around the arena, hemmed in by walls and the gathering of spectators; out of the corner of her eye she saw Capper watching proceedings with a look of concentrated agony stamped on his face.

Well, he'd wanted her to make an impression.

Gliss continued her pursuit, but frustration began to build as Brooke continued to dance and weave around her. Then, with the suddenness of a striking snake the Glaive vampire stopped, planted her feet and drove her slender body back towards her pursuer.

Gliss tried to move aside, swinging wildly with her duelling rods but Brooke shot towards her too quickly. The Elder-Blood performed a bizarre corkscrew with her body and the heavy point of one rod smashed into Gliss's chest like a piston firing.

She picked herself up for a second time, glaring daggers at her adversary and wilfully ignoring the throbbing pain in her chest. Jeers and whoops from Brooke's supporters slithered unbidden into her ears and she felt her Aspect boiling.

Although to the onlookers it must've seemed like the Glaive Elder-Blood was about to put the upstart stranger in her place, Gliss had the measure of her now. Brooke was good – no doubts there – but she treated combat like a dance. Everything she did had a smooth grace to it, the grace of someone who'd never actually been in a fight for her life. She'd been trained to fight in a controlled, sterile environment while Gliss had learned her trade brawling in the gunnels of Iron Hollow.

She took up her position facing Brooke again, but this time took both her duelling rods in one hand like a club, standing almost casually. The rules were clear on what constituted a score, but there was nothing at all to dictate how exactly you did it. Following Capper's advice had one gaping flaw: he was teaching her to fight the way Brooke would expect her to fight. Concentrating so hard to follow his rules kept her from really unleashing what she was capable of.

Dropping into a ready stance, she locked eyes with Brooke across the arena, watching the other vampire for the slightest hint of weakness. The Glaive Elder-Blood smiled confidently, dropping lazily back into her stance.

That's right, Gliss thought. The moment you think you've already won, that's when you lose, princess.

"No hard feelings," Brooke crooned. "I'll make this quick."

"You talk a lot." Gliss gave the double-rod an experimental swipe then beckoned the girl forward. "Shut up and fight."

"If that's what you want."

With lightning quickness Brooke burst from her starting position, racing across the space between them. Gliss watched impassively, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, only moving until she absolutely had to.

She deflected the first precise stab towards her heart as Brooke flashed by, but felt a stinging impact as her opponent lashed the other rod across her back. Ignoring the pain she turned, still keeping the doubled rod held crossways across her chest. There would be no quick point this time.

That didn't seem to bother the other vampire unduly. Brooke's smile remained as she circled like a wolf, searching for an opening. Twice more she darted in and while she landed blows to Gliss's leg and face, the elusive scoring stab never came. A snort of impatience passed her lips and at that moment, Gliss knew she had the girl beaten.

She waited for her window, and it wasn't long before it arrived. Advancing again, Brooke unleashed a handful of questing strikes before launching into a ridiculous, showboating pirouette. Guessing the move, Gliss timed her lunge to perfection. By the time her adversary had completed the turn she was barely a meter away.

Surprise flashed across her face and Brooke's free hand shot forward with mechanical predictable precision. Gliss swayed around it and pivoted. In the same motion she hacked down with the two duelling rods, smashing them against her opponent's wrist. A high-pitched yelp of pain escaped and Brooke dropped the rod in her right hand.

Twisting her body back the other way, Gliss trapped Brooke's other arm under hers before the other vampire could bring the second rod to bear again. Then, with a savage snarl of anger she rammed her left knee up into Brooke's torso with as much force as she could.

The crack of a breaking rib echoed sickeningly out across the arena, closely followed by a piercing screech from the Glaive Elder-Blood. Not wasting her chance, Gliss hopped back, gripping her duelling rods in both hands as Brooke doubled over, coughing for breath, tears streaming down her face. Relishing every inch of her next movement, Gliss bent her knees and then surged forward, smashing the duelling rods up into Brooke's face.

A horrified gasp of surprise shot through the onlookers as Brooke was catapulted into a back-flip by the sheer force of the impact. She thudded to the arena floor and the other duelling rod clattered away out of reach. Gliss stepped forward, standing over her downed enemy, looking on with satisfaction at the bloodied, broken face that just moments ago had been the perfect portrait of Glaive superiority.

Taking one rod, she reached down and gently tapped the groaning vampire on her chest three times. Then she straightened up, turning her attention to the watchers. Some looked shocked, some looked angry; others looked amazed. She saw a handful of them exchanging words so quietly that even her amplified senses couldn't make out the words. But she didn't need to. She'd made her mark, and had the tremendous satisfaction of knocking Brooke down a peg thrown into the bargain.

Spitting contemptuously on the arena floor, Gliss trudged back over to Capper, tossing the duelling rods to the ground at his feet. When she looked at him she saw a dumbfounded expression on his face, as though he was still processing what had happened. She cocked her head to one side, spreading her arms expectantly.

"So, how was that?"