Blood of Hercules (Villains of Lore, #1)

General Cleandro leads Alexis and the other initiates to a carved-out mountain, which includes a classroom, a library, and an animal menagerie. He explains that because of their Spartan lineage, they are meant to surpass human limitations and will be denied food, rest, or access to baths. They will spend two weeks at the Spartan War Academy and then return to their mentors for three days before returning to the academy for another two weeks. This cycle will continue for the next six months, until their graduation in January. Their studies begin immediately. Cleandro announces that their teachers will be General Pine and General Augustus, while General Kharon will oversee the circuit—the hiking trail used to punish the whole class whenever a student answers a question incorrectly. Drex Chen asks about the possibility of seeing Titans on the trail, but Cleandro states that meeting one there is either impossible or fortuitous, as such an encounter would eliminate weak initiates. Pine arrives and begins his class on Thagorean, or advanced mathematics. When a student named Alessander gives the wrong answer to a question, Pine sends the class to complete the circuit. Vorex, Alessander’s mentor, leads them, and Alexis scrapes her palms but manages to climb up the mountain despite the bullying of Titus, another initiate.