by Eric Vall
A few more matches went by, but I didn’t pay too much attention as the sun dipped lower and lower until it was behind the walls. It was near time for dinner and my stomach rumbled in response to the thought. I was drenched in sweat and drained from a long day of training. My hands were sore from the fights, and my knuckles ached, but we were done, we’d have food soon, and then I could wash and rest.
But the major had other plans. He smiled wickedly from his seat. “Let’s end this session on a high note. “Gryff, Kenefick, get in there and give us a show like last time.”
A few people snickered. Last time, a rift to the Shadowscape opened in the middle of our fight and put the whole school in danger, but I understood what he was getting at. Still, it was somewhat funny, if it weren’t for the fact that I had to fight again when I sincerely didn’t want to.
I groaned. I was tired, and Nia hadn’t yet fought today, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter.
Nia and I stepped into the ring. She stretched her arms and cracked her knuckles. Her usual serious demeanor was gone, replaced by a fiery smile that brimmed with confidence. Arrogant though it was, it was a pleasant change from the usual coldness that she displayed for everyone around her.
“You won’t have a rift opening to save you this time,” she told me with a grin.
I chuckled. “Funny, I was about to tell you the same thing.”
What was this? Nia Kenefick, having fun? What a welcome surprise indeed. Was she just that confident in her victory that she could afford to be more casual with me, or had she actually started to lighten up a little? I prayed it was the latter, for though I could appreciate her usual intensity, I’d rather see her gorgeous smile more regularly.
The major cleared his throat from his chair. “Are you two ready?”
We answered with nods, as everyone always did. There was no telling the major you weren’t ready. He told us that in a life or death situation, you were either ready, or you were dead, so we had to always be ready for his fights. That was fair enough in my book.
He rang the bell harder than he had to, so it was clear that the major was excited about this match. “Begin,” he yelled.
Nia dropped into her usual formal, professional stance, but I could see a bit of flow and looseness instead of the rigid stiffness she had before. It was almost as if she had been watching me and tried to incorporate some of my own improvisational style into her own. As much as I wanted to beat her, to earn a win over the great Nia Kenefick to advance my reputation among my classmates, seeing that brought a smile to my face as I dropped into my own easy-going stance.
She stalked closer to me, fists raised, as she assessed me with those calculating blue eyes of hers. I didn’t give her much to assess. I kept my limbs loose, my arms low at my side, my gait casual. Nia wouldn’t be able to read anything from me, not until I was ready. Paces away from me, she tensed as she realized I wouldn’t strike first. Having fought her and seen her fight several times, I knew she didn’t like to strike first either. We both liked to let our opponent make the first move and react accordingly. Still, one of us had to move eventually, and it wouldn’t be me.
The odd thing was that instead of her usual scowl of judgment or frustration, Nia matched my slight smile.
“You can’t stand there in that ridiculous stance all day, you know?” she teased as we kept our slow circle.
“Hey, it works for me.” I shrugged slightly. “And it seems to be working for you too.”
Nia smirked at that, but there was some well-hidden respect in her comeback as she bounced lightly on the balls of her feet. “The best fighter in the class needs to be smart enough to learn from the second best, and Keneficks always strive to improve.”
“I couldn’t agree more, second best.” I smirked back just as I put words to action. I broke my own rule about never going first to take advantage of Nia’s look of surprise at my words and slipped forward. I threw a quick kick to Nia’s left knee. Never one to favor kicks myself, I saw how effective Nia had used her feet in our last fight, so how could I not use her own moves against her?
Nia yelped in surprise and pain as my attack struck home. As she started to buckle sideways, I stepped forward and neatly hooked her left leg with my right to send her down to the hard-packed earth. Despite my early advantage, Nia was still a Kenefick, so I wasn’t surprised when she rolled with the sweep, but I was already committed to my follow-up. I had hoped to tackle and pin her before we really got to brawling, but her own heel lashed out in a low arc and caught me in the ankle.
While my feet were swept right out from under me, I had been expecting her to do something, so I slapped the earth and broke my fall, ready to defend myself as Nia tried to press her momentary advantage. I had mass and power on my side, and she had her cat-like quickness, so it was no shock that she pounced on me before I could right myself. Her knees planted on my shoulders, she straddled my chest, one arm ready to let fly with a punch, but there was something different, something I hadn’t seen in any of Nia’s fights before.
That gorgeous smile I had caught at the start was still there. Maybe it was the mutual respect that had begun to creep in after our battle side-by-side in the Shadowscape, but Nia was actually enjoying this fight, she was having fun.
“So, second best,” there was a playful teasing in her tone, not a hint of cold judgment, and maybe even a hint of a blush under the dirt on her cheeks, “ready to yield?” She showed a hint of a smirk. “I don’t ever intend on letting you go.”
If we weren’t in a duel that would earn me so much of the prestige I needed, I would have almost considered taking her up on that offer, just to get that much closer to her. There was something thick in the air, and my blood was boiling with more than adrenaline from the fight.
“With you on top of me like this, why would I ever want you too?” I flashed my best smirk up at her beautiful, dust-smudged face. “But I have a better question for you, Kenefick—”
I cut myself off with a sudden surge of strength as I pushed off the ground with my entire right side. Nia’s uncharacteristic playfulness had relaxed her guard just enough to let my superior strength come into play as I threw her off and to the left. She gasped as her back hit the arena floor, followed by a growl as I neatly rolled atop her.
Just as she had pinned me a moment before, our positions were now switched. My knees were perfectly planted on her shoulders, and as I couldn’t risk going with half-measures against Nia’s fighting prowess, I leaned over her form to plant my right elbow against her neck and chin. It wasn’t a choke, not yet, but the pressure was just enough to let her know that it could be with just a little effort.
Though it wasn’t entirely intentional, our new position had the added benefit that it put my face within inches of hers. Nia’s breath was hot on my face, and up close, I was certain that there was red in her cheeks, and the glimmer in her fierce eyes betrayed that her blush wasn’t just from anger and frustration. I could have stolen a kiss right at that moment, but I respected Nia far too much for that. Instead, I locked eyes with her.
“And that question is,” I said between breaths, “are you ready to yield?”
Her lips parted to reveal a grin, but I couldn’t tell if it was kind or not. “I don’t quit.”
Kenefick pride and anger that was all her own surged through Nia at that. She thrashed beneath me, her arms and legs moving wildly, and I had no choice but to press down on the choke with my forearm. She tried to slap at my face and punch me, but I held her firm, though she did manage to buck once and get a heavy knee into my ribs. Still, with my superior mass and position, there was little she would do, as she couldn’t leverage her speed advantage from flat on her back. Nia seethed, her skin red. Her ashen bangs were plastered to her sweaty forehead. She tried with all her strength to get free of my hold, but I had this win, and I wouldn’t let it slip through my fingers.
“Nia,” I got out between struggles, my voice trying to be soothing. I found myself ca
ring too much for the proud girl to want to actually hurt her, and as much as I admired her drive and stubbornness, this was getting too serious, “it’s okay to admit defeat, and you’re far too beautiful for me to want to hurt you.”
I hadn’t precisely intended to say that last part, especially in the middle of the arena with everyone watching, but in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t help myself. Still, it had at least some of my intended effect, because Nia froze beneath me, along with a good bit of the crowd. Even the major seemed more focused on this new bit of drama instead of stopping the match like he should have been.
Nia’s flush spread, and the air seemed thick and heavy for those few inches between us. I could practically feel the heat of her body under mine before she finally broke her gaze away as if she could no longer look me in the eyes.
“I yield,” she gasped out as she tapped my thigh with her trapped right arm.
I let her go immediately. She slumped against me and sucked in air, but she was otherwise fine. I tried to gently push her off me, but she flinched and jumped away, obviously angry. I ignored that and climbed to my feet, though everything hurt. My ribs ached, and my ankle throbbed. It didn’t feel like there was any broken bones or otherwise any serious injuries, but I would definitely have to visit the infirmary regardless.
But none of that mattered, for I had bested Nia Kenefick, and I was on top of the fucking world.
The major laughed and rang his bell. “Winner by submission, Gryff. Excellent fight, both of you.”
Nia crawled to her feet and hobbled away in a huff. I didn’t blame her. I knew she wasn’t angry with me, not really. She was a Kenefick after all, anything other than absolute victory, anything short of perfection, wasn’t good enough. The other students gave her a wide berth as she exited the ring, but ignored her to instead engulf me in applause and congratulations. Layla threw her arms around me and hugged me tightly as Braden wrapped a beefy arm over my shoulders. People that barely ever looked at me before were smiling and singing my praise. Gawain was still an angry and jealous prick shit, but there was no fixing that.
I was validated, and it felt absolutely amazing.
***
Arwyn was away again on another mission, so it was Meriden who patched me up at the infirmary. She declared that my ribs were bruised, maybe slightly cracked, but nothing was broken. It was a testament to her skill that Nia would be able to do that even when I had her pinned, but other than the ribs, I was fine. She gave me a harsh green potion that smelled like burnt bones and sulfur and tasted nearly as bad, like boiling hot mud. It was a pain to put down and every bit worse than the mana potion I had taken.
“That’s a mending potion,” she said with a stern look as my face contorted with disgust. “Will fix your bones right up in a few days.”
“This tastes like a shit from a blind two-legged cat, what is this made of?”
She gave me a long look, her eyes amused and her smile soft. “Okay, I’m sure there’s a story behind that saying, but maybe later. That, my dear student, is made from the ground up bones of an imp and boiled liver from a mini basilisk.”
I downed the rest of it, my whole body protesting as the hot concoction clawed down my throat. “Who on this earth thought to add those ingredients together?”
Meriden shrugged. “Science is full of seemingly random elements like that. It was probably an accidental discovery.”
“Lucky me,” I replied with sweat rushing down my head. The whole potion made me hot. She chuckled. “What is it with curative potions and awful tastes?”
“Who knows? Lots of things that are good for people can be quite unpleasant, in one way or another. That just seems to be a universal truth. Take it as a lesson overcoming adversity. It’s unpleasant, but it will make you better and stronger.”
I cracked a smile. “You’re so wise.”
“I try.” She turned and found a small vial of little red pills. She handed them to me. “These are painkillers. You’ll have some discomfort for a couple of days, occasionally accompanied by really sharp pains when the bones are mending. Take two of these each with breakfast and dinner. The potion should do the trick before you run out of pills, but if you still feel discomfort after you run out, come back and see me. Got it?”
I nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Thanks.”
She smiled, her plump cheeks rosy. “You’re very welcome. Now go on to dinner.”
“Oh, I will.” I turned to leave but then swiveled back. “By the way, how’s Nia? I didn’t hurt her too bad I hope.”
Meriden’s face scrunched in confusion. “Nia Kenefick? She hasn’t come in today.”
I cursed. That stubborn, stubborn girl. I thanked Meriden and left the infirmary with determined strides. After I quickly cleaned myself off and changed, I joined my friends and the rest of the student body in the dining hall. Late as I was, there was no one in line when I got my food.
Layla and Braden weren’t the only ones who wanted to swarm me with questions and praise for my win over Nia. Folli was there, all smiles and encouragement, as well as his girl Vara Treore, an earth elemental that was a class above ours. She smiled wide, her teeth bright against her rich brown skin. There were others too, from my class and beyond, and I thanked them all and put on a warm front. I genuinely did appreciate the attention and the respect, but my mind was distracted with concern for Nia.
As dinner progressed, I didn’t see Nia come in once. So she hadn’t gone to the infirmary, nor had she gone to dinner. Where on earth was she?
Once everyone left the dining hall, I went to the library. I wanted to study and do some work, maybe check out some books. Layla and Braden both bid me farewell. Braden looked exhausted and would likely be asleep when I got back to the room. Layla had a dark look about her, mischievous and evil. She would sow some chaos that night, I was sure. The thought made me smile.
I stayed in the library for hours, absorbed in the texts and my work. The thoughts of Nia or of my triumph faded away as I worked. All I thought of then was bettering my mind. I’d had a physical victory today, but I needed to win in class too.
My eyes were heavy when I finally decided to head back. There was no one left in the library, at least from what I could tell. It did span the near entirety of the grounds, so I was sure there were a few people hidden away in some far-off corner, but none in the central chamber where the librarian sat atop her large desk. Thinking of the maze of shelves that wound into the darkness beneath the building made me think of Arwyn and our time shared there. I smiled. I needed to see her like that again soon.
When I exited the building and came into the cool night air, I found the moon high in the sky, near its zenith, so it must’ve been almost midnight. More time had passed than I had thought, so I quickened my pace. I took a shortcut down a thin eastern hall with high walls and thin gaps that let moonlight stream through on one side.
As I passed through it, I heard grunts ahead of me, and the pants of heavy breathing. I slowed to a crawl and crept forward to the nearby opening to peer out around a column that opened to a small courtyard. Trimmed shrubs and a rose-covered thorn bramble with small beech trees in each corner surrounded a little patch of grass that made up this clearing. In the middle of it, bathed in moonlight, was Nia.
She wore the same clothes as she had hours earlier during training, loose brown trousers tapered tight at her calf where they were tucked into her boots, and a tight sleeveless shirt that showed off her lean arms covered in a sheen of sweat. Her breathing was haggard, and her face was pinched with pain and discomfort.
It was obvious that she was practicing still. Nia shadowboxed, trying jabs and hooks, ducks and dodges. This was ridiculous. She stayed out for hours to train more because I’d beaten her. I got it, she was a Kenefick, and losing was a failure, but there were limits. She didn’t need to skip meals and medical treatment.
“Kenefick,” I said roughly as I stepped out from the cover of darkness and into the moonlight of the courtyard. Her bac
k was to me, but I saw a visible shiver run down her spine at my sudden words, yet she didn’t respond to me. Nia just kept on practicing her punches. I frowned.
“Nia,” I tried again. Ignored still. Her pain was more obvious now the closer I got. Every few jabs, she flinched and put a hand to her throat or on the knee I’d hit, and she hissed with pain every time she jabbed. I hadn’t hit her too hard, but the neck is a soft spot, and she’d forced me to press down on that choke hard at the end. My frown twisted into a scowl. “Nia!” I said again, louder and angrier.
She whirled on me, her face aflame with anger too. “What?” she demanded in a breathless rage. Her skin gleamed in the moonlight.
I approached her slowly, my hands up in surrender. Her hands were in fists and shook, slightly raised. I reached out for them. Surprisingly, she didn’t flinch when I wrapped my hands around her shaking wrists and pushed them down to her sides. Her chest rose quickly with each breath, her heart hammering so loud I could hear it. Nia seethed, her cheeks flushed, but she wasn’t looking at me, not really. She wasn’t mad at me.
“Hey,” I said, my voice low and calm. “It’s okay. You can stop fighting.”
Her eyes suddenly snapped to mine. She seemed to realize then that I was touching her. She ripped her hands free of mine and stepped back.
“No, I can’t,” she shouted, her voice breaking ever so slightly. “Keneficks never stop fighting. Our whole life is a fight. We can’t quit, we can’t lose. Defeat is failure, and failure is death.”
Wow. I folded my arms and frowned at her. Those words weren’t her own. They were a doctrine that her family had instilled in her, that much was obvious. It was involuntary, like a reflex. I would have called her brainwashed, but her sentiments weren’t necessarily negative, still she needed to see things from beyond her perceived familial obligations.