Labyrinth 19

Chapter 3, Part 4

After speaking with the commander, I was sent off for an early day meal, then over to scout training.

My body felt like lead, having not rested for almost three days now.

The memory test was nothing short of a nightmare, and by lunch I could feel my mind beginning to unravel.

"Saleh?"

I looked up from my meal at Selim.

"Yeah. Sorry, I spaced out a bit."

"You look terrible, man. Is it the exploration training?"

I nodded, and he sighed in response.

I ate more or less in silence, trying to pay attention to Selim as he told me about their watch duty and training.

When the meal was done, I reported back to the upper chamber as usual.

To my surprise, when I arrived both the commander and Safraz were already there waiting on me.

At the Commander's instruction we did our usual warm up exercises and prepared for our daily combat practice.

Today, we were told we would be doing a sparring exercise.

Unlike the previous time however, we weren't doing sparring drills. This was full contact sparring, which was interrupted only by directions from the commander himself.

At first, I controlled the exchanges, taking Safraz down repeatedly to his chagrin.

He was a bit stronger than I was, but my speed and reflexes were much better than his.

It didn't take long however, for the advantage to swing in his favor.

My exhaustion meant that my reflexes were becoming slower, and my speed was beginning to suffer as my legs ached, feeling heavier with every side-step and lunge.

We were barely an hour into the practice session when I lunged into an attack much too slowly and felt a solid knee land on my stomach.

Safraz looked down at me with a smug look of satisfaction as I winced, dropping to the floor and panting from the exertion.

"Get up, Askari," the commander's voice boomed.

I struggled to my feet, and he instructed us to continue.

I grimaced as I reassumed my defensive stance, the exertion of keeping my body balanced almost unbearably taxing for my aching legs.

Safraz smirked, attacking me now with unabashed tenacity.

The bastard was really enjoying this.

His lunges were becoming reckless, but I could no longer move quickly enough for my counter-strikes to land effectively.

Instead I began to focus on evading, and blocking his blows directly when I had no choice.

But his strength was beginning to win out against me.

Every blocked blow pained, and soon the effort of even this became too much.

I winced as a kick landed against my right shoulder, allowing Safraz's follow up strike at that vulnerable spot just beneath my chest to land effectively.

I gasped for air, winded by the blow to my solar plexus.

"Have you had enough, Askari? Is this the extent of your resolve?"

My eyes fluttered as my body screamed to be released from its hell and rest.

But I couldn't give up just yet.