~ NYSSA
The recruits filed out, decked in fighting pants and loose shirts. They stood tall, most sporting grins while a few kept their expressions neutral.
The crowd went wild at the sight of them. People cheered so loudly that the floor beneath my feet shook and my heart hammered inside of my chest.
"Is it always this loud?" I asked Rowan, unable to hide my amusement.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation. "You'll get used to it, I promise."
After each recruit was introduced, each person received a color wristband—red or blue. The people with red moved to a sitting area to the left while the blue team moved the opposite way.
"What's happening now?" I asked Rowan, watching with rapt attention.
"Now they spar," he explained. "They key is to avoid being pinned before the time runs out. It's set for five minutes." He gestured to an hour glass right in front of us. "If you survive, you become a guard."
That seemed to simple.
