Prodigy Eternal (book 2)

Chapter Forty-Six

Entering the house with caution, Alex cut through the main living room. Dressed in all black, she was nearly undetectable. However, stepping into the foyer left her totally exposed. The morning rays were starting to come through the skylight, lighting up parts of the house. Wasting no time, Alex ran up the stairs and then stopped, thinking she had heard a noise. She remained still, listening attentively in the silence, and after a moment, she heard the noise again. Turning around, she was startled by a figure with glowing eyes, standing in the doorway.

"Not much of a hiding spot," Taranya said, stepping into the light. "You've come here to kill me, I presume?"

"No, I'm not like you and your father."

"That's a shame, because you won't make it out of here alive."

Taranya reached over her shoulder and pulled out a large Japanese sword.

"A katana sword, really?" Alex asked mockingly. "Who are you, Miyamoto Musashi?"

"It's just a little souvenir I picked up in Japan," Taranya said, twirling the sword around, demonstrating her proficiency with the weapon. The polished blade gleamed with every pass.

"Why do you always pick fights with me when I'm exhausted?" Alex asked. "Let's call it a night and reschedule for mid-afternoon tomorrow."

"Like I said, you won't be alive by mid-afternoon tomorrow."

"And to think, I thought your father was the evil one in your screwed up family."

"You don't get to talk about my family!" Taranya shouted as she lunged forward. Alex jumped out of the way, but the sword sliced through the loose fabric of her shirt.

"I see I've found your soft spot," Alex taunted. "You're obviously harbouring pent-up daddy issues."

"Takes one to know one," Taranya said, swatting at Alex with the razor sharp sword. The blade whistled through the air, just missing Alex's face by a few inches. "And your father was a coward."

"Who's the coward?" Alex asked in defiance. "Why don't you put the sword down and make this a fair fight?"

"Who said anything about being fair? I'd rather just kill you."

Taranya lunged forward, cutting Alex on the arm. Alex winced in pain, but was close enough where she could grab ahold of Taranya's wrist. In one fluid motion, Alex stepped into Taranya, pulling her forward and hip-tossing her through the air. The technique relied on using Taranya's momentum against her. Taranya's legs became airborne and slammed down on the hard tiled floor. It was enough force to dislodge the weapon from her hand and cause the sword to spin across the floor and out of sight.

"I see you've been downloading Judoka lessons," Taranya said, picking herself up.

Taranya began gyrating around in a rhythmic dance-like manner, demonstrating the unpredictable and unorthodox movements of the Brazilian martial art, capoeira. Showcasing her acrobatic skills, she threw a cartwheel kick at Alex. The kick didn't land, but it kept Alex guessing. Alex attempted to study her opponent's patterns, but it was difficult since she was unfamiliar with the techniques.

Alex crouched low in a karate stance and blocked another incoming kick. At the same time the kick was deflected, Alex landed a short jab, snapping Taranya's head back. As Taranya was backing up, Alex managed the distance by throwing a series of Taekwondo kicks. The flashy wheel kicks and spinning roundhouses were mostly blocked.

Taranya was the bigger of the two, and decided to use her size to her advantage. She brutishly charged forward, tackling Alex to the ground. They wrestled for position, but Taranya was able to overpower Alex. She moved passed Alex's guard and into a full mount, where she began to pummel Alex with heavy shots.