The Key to the Warriors (completed)

Chapter 8

8

Charlie

"Okay," Zirlic called. "Let's get this battle underway. You ready, Charlie?"

As ready as I'd ever be whilst going in completely blind. I nodded.

"What about you, Zyi?" He asked.

She offered a curt incline of her head.

"Alright, you two. Battle stance!"

Zyirah put one foot before the other and bent her knees, holding her sword before her, eyes locked on me. For lack of any other know-how, I mimicked her.

"Begin!" Zirlic shouted, and my eyes whipped to him.

"Wait, what?"

Without warning, Zyirah rushed forward and swiped her sword at me. With barely a second to react, I raised the shield and blocked her blow, simultaneously sidestepping her second launch, my own sword raised to knock hers back. I had no idea what I was doing, but my feet continued to move, almost of their own accord, and I went with it, keeping my focus on Zyirah as she lunged for me again. I blocked her with the shield and pushed her back.

"Good, Charlie." Zirlic said from the sidelines. "Rule one: always keep your shield raised and your footing in line with your opponent. Awkward footfalls during a fight can end with broken ankles and sidesteps in the wrong direction with a lowered shield can cause you to fall into an enemy's blow and become impaled."

Lovely. I glanced down at my feet for a second, keeping my footing in line with hers as best I could. I was awkward enough on my own that I didn't need the addition of clumsy swordplay. I looked down at my feet again, just long enough for Zyirah to lean around my sword and slice the top of my right wrist. I leaped back, shocked, shaking my arm as little droplets of blood oozed from the wound.

"Ow!" I cried out, but Zyirah only grinned.

"Rule two:" Zirlic began. "Never take your eyes off your opponent. Unless you want cut or stabbed. Common sense, Charlie."

"Common to who!?" I called back, then leaped out of the way as Zyirah brought her sword down again.

It clanked hard against my shield as I raised it, jarring my whole arm. The slice on my wrist was pulsing with the beat of my heart, and I could feel the wet trickle of blood leaking from it, but I didn't spare it a glance. Instead, I reached out with my own sword in an attempt to disarm Zyirah. She leaped from my path and twirled forward to leave another painful cut along my jaw.

"Charlie!" Zirlic shouted. "Rule three: never launch an attack without first considering your enemy's counter. Failure to do so will result as such." He gestured to the cut on my face.

"I'm trying!" I yelled back as I blocked one attack and dodged another with a shift to the right.

My feet danced beneath me as she pursued me from one side of the field to the other. I quickly ducked as Zyirah swiped for my neck and raised my sword to cut into her upper bicep. It instantly started bleeding, and my lips parted in horror as she startled back and examined the wound. Zirlic approached us as she did so.

"Well done, Charlie. You've made your first successful attack. Fight's over."

Xylem leaped to his feet, clapping as he came to my side. "She almost had you beat."

"Yeah, she did." I pressed a hand to the dripping cut on my jaw. "Ow..."

"But hey, you defeated her in less than an hour. Most guys can't do that. Then again, most guys aren't the Creator, so..."