Bathe In Fire - Shadows of the Night 2

Chapter 2

Hi guys,

busy weekend, but I told you I'd pull an all-nighter, and that I'd post again. So here it is: chapter 2. We will see new faces and characters in this book, and I'd very much like to know what you think about them and if you like the way the story develops. So, please let me know! Thank you all for reading :D

Lara

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Chapter 2

"Better. Now once again."

"You're kidding, right?" I stared at her, wheezing.

My muscles protested heavily, making me feel each single aching part of my body, mocking me. The sharp smell of sweat, mixed with stuffy air, entered my flaring nostrils. My throat was dry, a strange, bitter taste on my tongue. My vision went in and out of focus, forcing me to blink repeatedly. I lifted my arm and stared at the thick red glove.

Is that all you can do?

I tried to push myself some more, personalizing the punch bag. I imagined staring at two blue eyes, flawless white skin, and a subtle, smug smile plastered on an all too familiar face. I put everything I had into it. My glove went directly into the center of the punch bag. It swung back and forth, forcing me to change my position and start punching from another direction. My breathing was fast and irregular, revealing how exhausted I was already.

Erica's voice sounded tired by now. "No, Anna. Not like this. How long have been out of the Circle's academy again? Don't they teach you anything there these days? How many times do I have to tell you that this is not just about strength? Use your muscles the right way. Technique, technique, girl! You have to listen to what I tell you!"

She walked up to me, her muscled arms swinging at her sides. I looked down at myself. I was soaked in sweat, my tank top clinging to my body, strands of my long brown hair glued to my reddened face. My thorax was moving in a slackening rhythm, lifting and lowering, and then lifting again. I wiped my face and tried to concentrate.

"You hit the center of the bag alright, but you have to stay alert, hold your body under constant constriction. Center yourself and keep your torso under control."

I shook my head, muttering silent curses before starting to punch again, and, this time, I tried to put into action what she was preaching. It was not like I had never done this before, but, standing in front of punch bags and the gym's training area, things did somehow look entirely different. Whatever I had learned in my training at the Circle's academy, not only had I forgotten half of it, my muscles felt leaden and rusty every time I tried to match the speed and skill I had had back then. That's what you got for vegetating for two years in libraries.

"Yes, like that. Don't put everything you have into one punch, unless you're sure you can incapacitate your opponent with it. You'll have to be aware of the fact that you can't always rely on your magic. Let your body be your secondary weapon."

I stared at Erica, panting. It was the first time I noticed the small wrinkles under her eyes. If I had to make a guess, I would have said she was in her early forties, but it was hard to tell. Her blond, short cut hair and the steeled body that seemed to consist of nothing but muscles should have made her look masculine. But, looking at her face, I couldn't help thinking that she was handsome in a feminine way. Since she was a bit taller than me, I had to look up at her. Erica was my personal coach for the next three weeks. Since we were under time pressure, she tried to teach everything on a very practical basis, not to say giving me a crash course.