by Aaron Oster
Sure enough, Shul launched toward him and threw a hard cross right at his face. Morgan stepped to the side and deflected the blow, then came back with a short uppercut aimed for his solar plexus.
Surprisingly enough, Shul turned his body to side; causing what would have been a crippling blow to miss altogether. He then returned with an attack of his own, stepping forward and driving a stiff punch into Morgan’s unprotected side.
Morgan winced as the punch connected, but luckily his constitution was high enough to stop any bones from breaking. He wasn’t about to let Shul get away with a clean blow, though. His back leg snapped up in a modified roundhouse kick and Shul winced this time, as Morgan’s shin connected with his side.
They both took a few steps back, each re-evaluating their opponent’s threat level.
“It’s a shame you had to end up facing me, Morgan,” Shul called out after a few more seconds of silence. “I would have liked to face you in the tournament. There aren’t many in our year that actually took the time to learn how to fight, so out of respect for you; I’ll end this quickly.”
Morgan wasn’t normally one to banter in the middle of a fight, but Shul had done what no one else in the school had managed to do so far. He’d managed to impress him. He felt a smile spread across his face despite himself.
Here was someone he could finally test himself against. Not a beast, or a stone golem, but an actual person who knew how to fight!
“I don’t plan on losing. You are the one who is going to lose,” Morgan answered back.
He winced inwardly at the horrible line.
Banter really wasn’t his strong suit.
Shul simply laughed at this, shaking his head in amusement.
“You’re a strange one. I’ll give you that.”
The smile soon died off and he changed his stance, turning more to the side and lowering both fists to chest level.
Morgan studied his new stance, baffled by it.
He was leaving himself wide open! Why would he switch to such an obviously terrible stance?
His question was answered a moment later as something sparked across Shul’s skin. Then he was engulfed in crackling yellow energy, which leapt off him in arcs every few seconds.
Morgan widened his stance a bit at this and used his own heavy handed skill.
He didn’t know much about Shul’s ability, but if it enhanced his strength the way his did, then he wouldn’t be holding back.
They stood still for several seconds, the only sounds being the light crackling coming off Shul’s body. Then he dashed forward once again, but this time it was much different.
Shul seemed to fly over the distance between them, covering it in less than a second and threw a punch into Morgan’s stomach. To his complete shock, Morgan wasn’t fast enough to even react. The air whooshed out of him as the blow connected and he took a step back, trying to recover.
Shul wasn’t about to give him the chance and began raining down blows from all sides. His speed was incredible! Even with agility being his highest attribute, Morgan couldn’t keep up at all. He tried throwing a few punches of his own, hoping the referee would call the fight on a deathblow; but each time, Shul moved out of the way leaving his attacks to go wide.
Morgan winced as a blow struck him in the right side, then his left, and then his right once more. He tried putting up a defense, managing to block a few blows, but Shul was simply too fast for him to avoid all of them.
Despite the beating he was taking, Morgan could feel a wide smile on his face.
He hadn’t felt this way since facing the wolf; a wild rush of adrenaline and the thrill of fighting a strong opponent.
Shul noticed him smiling and disengaged, leaping back a full ten feet and landing gracefully in a ready stance.
“Why are you smiling? You clearly don’t stand a chance. You haven’t managed to hit me even once. I don’t know why the referee hasn’t called the match yet.”
“That’s quite simple really,” Morgan said, straightening and rolling his shoulders. “I’m having fun. And as for the match not being called, you haven’t managed a deathblow yet.”
He grinned, hunching his shoulders and tucking his chin.
If he were to stand a chance of winning this match, he would need to get his hands on him somehow. Landing a lucky punch was still possible, but he wasn’t one to leave things to chance.
Shul just shook his head, then crouched and threw himself forward once more. If at all possible, he was even faster now and seemed to appear in front of Morgan rather than covering the distance through normal means.
Morgan winced as the fist connected with his upraised arm, actually feeling the bone grind through his heavy clothes.
He would need to be fast, because if this kept up for much longer, he might actually lose and Sarah would never let him live that down.
He weathered a new onslaught of attacks, only blocking those aimed for a vital areas. His ribs, legs and arms took a serious beating for this and he could feel the attacks starting to take their toll. He stumbled back, breathing hard and rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the built up tension.
Now came the most dangerous part of his plan. If he was off by even one second, the match would be called and he would lose.
Shul took a minute to catch his breath as he stumbled back.
So apparently his stamina wasn’t limitless. Perhaps his skill was more taxing than it had first appeared.
Morgan straightened a bit, allowing his fists to lower by an almost imperceptible amount.
“Looks like that ability of yours doesn’t come without a cost. By my guess, you’ll be forced to slow down in another minute or so,” he said, allowing his fists to drop another fraction of an inch.
He knew that movement, however slight, would not escape his notice and he had to hide a grin as Shul’s eyes flickered between his face and hands.
Shul didn’t rise to the bait, as Morgan knew he wouldn’t. He just came at him again and began throwing a barrage of punches, designed to wear him out rather than causing any real damage.
As the seconds ticked by, Morgan allowed his defense to slip inch by inch, pretending to be more exhausted than he actually was. The moment to act came when Morgan moved his arm outward to back a hook punch aimed for his face. Morgan blocked the blow, but when he brought it back into his guard position, his arm was just a little too low.
With a cry of triumph, Shul’s fist shot forward on a collision course for Morgan’s face, and victory. It was only when Shul noticed his wide grin, that he realized his mistake.
Morgan pivoted on his back leg, one arm trapping Shul’s arm to his chest and the other hooking under his armpit. He then slammed his hip into Shul’s, then swept his leg up as he completed the turn.
Shul sailed neatly over Morgan’s hip and landed with gasp of pain on the stone stage. Morgan had kept ahold of Shul’s arm as he fell and now pulled it straight, locking it against his inner thigh. He then dropped his knee into Shul’s side, hearing the crackling sound of breaking bones; then twisted his hip, driving a punch toward his face.
“Stop!”
Morgan froze as the referee’s voice rang out and quickly backed away, giving the healers room to tend to his downed opponent. Morgan then felt a hand on his shoulder and looked back to see another healer standing with a look of concentration on his face.
After a few moments, he sagged in relief as all the pain in his battered body was washed away. He thanked the healer once he was done and turned back to see Shul already on his feet and approaching him.
Despite losing the fight, Shul didn’t look at all upset. Instead, a wide smile was plastered on his face.
“That was an excellent feint you pulled on me,” he said, clapping him heartily on the shoulder. “Not many people would have taken that kind of beating and still prevailed. I have no doubt that you are the one deserving of the spot in the tournament.”
“There was a moment there when I wasn’t sure I could
win,” Morgan admitted, smiling as well. “But I know one thing for sure; we should definitely fight again some time.”
Shul grinned even wider at that and the two of them shook hands, each knowing that a rematch would definitely take place.
“You won! That means you’ve made it in!”
Morgan stumbled a bit as Sarah barreled into him the moment he left the stage and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
“Yeah, thanks,” he answered, patting her awkwardly.
He didn’t think he’d ever get used to all this hugging that she seemed so fond of lately. She hadn’t been nearly this touchy back in City Four, so why the change?
He didn’t voice these thoughts out loud though, just waiting for Sarah to let go before turning to the entrance of the arena.
Today was a bit different than the others, as there were only fourteen people left standing after six days of fighting. The arena was still packed, even though almost everyone had already been eliminated.
Morgan could see that most of the people were congregated before a raised platform that had only appeared there today. The headmistress stood up there with several instructors and a large covered board stood behind her.
“Was I the last one to finish my fight?” he asked Sarah, as they pushed their way through the crowd.
“Yes,” she answered, sticking close so as not to get separated from him.
“So what happens now?”
“I think that they’re going to announce everyone who made it into the super tournament. I can see Gold up on the stage, so they probably called all the instructors of the students who made it in.”
Looking up to the stage, Morgan could count seven people, aside from Gold and the headmistress.
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he said, as they finally managed to get near the front of the crowd. It was so densely packed near the stage that they couldn’t move forward any further.
“Did you happen to see who else made it in?”
Sarah shook her head. “I was too busy watching your fight.”
He was about to ask her something else, when Headmistress Loquin’s voice rang out over the noise of the crowd.
“Quiet down, everyone, and gather in front of the stage!”
Loquin waited patiently for a few more moments as all the students turned to face her, hushed.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate all those who fought to make it into the tournament. Over half of the first year students didn’t even try to compete, so to all those that fought, you have my respect.”
There was a polite smattering of applause as she said this and she waited for it to die down before continuing.
“Since I’m sure that there isn’t much my respect can do for you; all those who competed will be getting a reward. Sometime in the next semester, you will all be getting a run through one of our Beast Zones. For those that don’t know what that is, a Beast Zone is somewhere where you can gather a large amount of energy. If you have any further questions, ask your instructors.”
The applause was noticeably louder this time and Morgan was once again reminded how lucky he was to be able to visit a Beast Zone on a daily basis.
“Now, without further ado, I will announce the competitors in this year’s first tournament. Gold, if you will.”
At this, Gold reached up and yanked the cloth covering the board. It came off with a loud whoosh and everyone leaned forward to get a better look. A bracket system was laid out on the board with eight boxes on the bottom, then four, two and finally one. As Morgan watched, eight names showed up in the bottom boxes. The names of those who had successfully fought their way into the tournament.
His name was the third from the left, but his eyes were glued on the last name to appear, all the way on the right.
He turned away, scanning the crowd until his eyes fell on the boy who’s name was displayed. A boy who shouldn’t have made it in at all.
Grub stood off to the side of the stage. His usual groupies were standing around him and Frush was clapping him on the back.
How that moron had managed to get into the tournament, he had no idea, but he knew if he faced Grub in the arena, he would show no mercy!
37
“You’ll have to be lighter on your feet if you want to win!” Gold’s voice rang out as Morgan caught a stony fist with the side of his face.
He cried out in pain and his hand shot up to feel at what was undoubtedly a broken jaw; that was a mistake. The stone golem’s fist slammed directly into his nose and he was laid out flat, groaning as stars swam before his eyes.
A warm sensation ran through his body a moment later and the fog of unconsciousness retreated, along with the agonizing pain in his face.
“Thanks, Eric,” Morgan said, sitting up and rubbing at his nose and jaw.
It was a week to the tournament and Gold had taken it upon himself to make sure that both his and Sarah’s skills were up to snuff.
Off to his right, he could see Sarah hurling icicle spears and using condense water on a similar golem. Just like his, this golem was agile and powerful, not allowing a single attack to land. Even as he watched, the golem rushed Sarah, shattering her mage shield and sending her sprawling.
He heard Eric sigh and run over to heal her. Getting slowly to his feet, Morgan kept an eye on his own golem.
Gold had told him that this was the same golem he’d faced, back when he was taking his test to get into CAMS. He wasn’t stupid enough to believe that for even a second.
He was a good deal stronger, faster, and a whole lot more durable than he was back then. Yet he hadn’t managed to land a single blow and every time he was hit, the golem would break bones.
“I don’t see the point of this exercise,” Morgan called out, as the golem once again moved in to pound him into the ground. “How will constantly getting beat up help us in the tournament?”
He managed to duck a blow and tried to return with a palm strike, but all he managed to do was catch a rib cracking blow from the golem’s knee.
“Ow!” he yelled, as he was sent sprawling, yet again. His eyes were watery with pain and he could see Eric rushing over to heal him once more.
He didn’t bother getting to his feet this time, instead glaring at Gold as he heard the sound of Sarah’s shield shattering and the muffled thud of an impact.
After Sarah had been healed- this time she’d been knocked out cold from a blow to the head - she, too, glared at Gold, refusing to get up.
Gold folded his arms and shook his head in mock disappointment.
“You two don’t seem to be getting the point of this exercise at all.”
“Then how about you tell us, instead of having your stone monstrosities beat us half to death?!” Sarah yelled.
She was in an understandably foul mood. On top of having several bones broken and healed in quick succession; the qualifiers for the mage tournament had ended the previous day and Frush had managed to get in. So it was pretty safe to say that she wasn’t having the best day today.
“I can tell you, but neither of you will be getting an intelligence or wisdom boost if I do. So it’s up to you.”
Sarah was about to answer for both of them, when Morgan stopped her.
“Can we have a few minutes to think about it before we make our decision?”
Gold nodded, a smile coming to his face. “Good. You’re using your head, for once. I’ll give the two of you five minutes; after that, you either go back to fighting, or I tell you the point of the exercise.”
Morgan nodded, then rose slowly to his feet, keeping an eye on the golem the entire time. When it didn’t immediately move to attack, he made his way over to Sarah and sat down next to her. Like him, she was covered in sweat and looked exhausted from the previous two hours of beatings they’d been taking.
When they’d come in this morning, Gold had announced a schedule change for the week leading up to the tournament. Their first training session would last four hours; after which they
have a two hour break. After the break, there would be another two hour lesson. Then they’d be free for the day. The entire week would be focused on combat training; so they would not be going into any beast zones, or have other classes until after the tournament.
“We have five minutes, so let’s try and figure out what we’ve been doing wrong. After all, we don’t want to give Gold the satisfaction of having to ask.”
Sarah snapped her mouth shut. She was going to argue that they should just ask, but just the thought of Gold’s smug face was enough to temper her mood.
“I can’t seem to figure out what I’ve been doing wrong, so how about this: you tell me what mistakes I’ve been making and I tell you yours. That sound fair?”
“Yeah, that’s actually a pretty good idea,” Sarah said, actually cracking a smile for the first time that day.
Morgan nodded, then began sharing his thoughts.
“I’ve noticed that you tend to throw a lot of attacks at once. While this isn’t an issue with a stationary target, you’ll have issues hitting anything that can move out of the way fast enough.”
“So what would you recommend I do? I can always throw my attacks one after the other, but the thing is too damn fast to hit. Also, from how hard that thing hits, it’ll probably be impossible to take it down even if I do.”
“Not necessarily…” Morgan said thoughtfully.
“Gold told me that these golems were the same as the one I faced when I tested to get into the academy. Until now I didn’t believe him at all, since that golem was a whole lot weaker and slower. At first I thought that since I couldn’t use tailwind like I did last time, I was just too slow to hit it, but then I remembered my growth since I’ve been here. Even without the skill active, I’m nearly as fast as I was back then, so the golem is clearly faster.”
“That’s all well and good, but what does any of this have to do with our current predicament?” Sarah asked.
“It’s actually quite simple. If I’m right, then you shouldn’t have any problem destroying the golem with a single attack.”