ECHO [Rewritten - NaNoWriMo '16]

Chapter 5: Beautiful Monsters

"Opponent's and worst, move your lips to properly pronounce the w," Thorn corrected patiently. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean," he paced around her. "Drop into a crouch, close to a squat. Yes, like that. Hold that position and raise your fists – make sure your thumb isn't tucked underneath your fingers – and let your prominent hand be your lead. Good. Brace your stomach...tighten those muscles. Flex the muscles in your thighs and biceps. Keep your breathing even and watch me."

She followed his instructions, feeling her thighs begin to burn and quiver.

"Are you watching me?" Thorn paused in his pacing. Echo nodded. "Are you sure?"

Again, she nodded.

Pain exploded in her side, just above her hip. Echo was thrown sideways onto the ground. She blinked back tears and quickly scrambled to her feet. Wincing when the fabric of her shirt brushed against her sensitive shoulder. Thorn narrowed his eyes, "You were not watching me. You were concentrating your legs. You must pay attention to me, to your surroundings. Your body will do what it can naturally and you don't need to worry about that. Train it properly and you will never need to worry, never need to doubt your own strength or reactions. But your surroundings will never be the same, neither will your opponent. You cannot control either, so you must pay attention. Study. Be aware. You must be everything I told you in the beginning. But you must also be graceful. Graceful like a gazelle. If you cannot learn all of this, you will most surely die."

As if to prove his point, he grabbed her hip, and dug his fingers into the bruise that was already forming. Echo had to bite her tongue, and will her body to stay still. Though inside she was screaming in pain.

There was something in the air between the two opponents that crackled and silenced any and everyone. For a moment they stood silently, watching one another before slowly starting to circle each other. This fight was completely different from the other fights, and it was blindingly obvious that these two had a history. The announcer cleared his throat before shouting, "On my three...one...two..."

Jay launched before the number "three" could be said. Echo dodged him and retaliated with two punches to his side before dancing away. Jay's face tightened in a grimace, his hand brushing over his side before he rushed her. His body slammed into hers and he used to momentum to send them both to the ground. So fast it was almost impossible to keep track. Echo spun them around so that was the one who landed on his back with her straddling him.

Echo slammed her fist into the side of his face and drove her knee into his inner thigh. As quickly as they had hit the ground, she was back on her feet and putting distance between the pair. Before she could get very far, Jay released a hoarse shout and swung out his leg. He clipped her shin and she fell to a knee, throwing herself backwards as Jay aimed a kick at her face. She rolled into a crouch before straightening. Jay flipped onto his feet, landing in a crouch before rising to mirror her position.

Though I was inexperienced, I could see what Echo meant when she said that Jay was not the best fighter. He was good, better than anyone gathered here. But Echo was out of his league. Even standing, there was a certain way she held herself; a certain way she struck that hinted she was only revealing half of her strength. She was precise; her moves aimed to injure and cause pain, not to kill. A ripple of respect passed through the gathered crowd. Nobody knew who to cheer for. Nobody dared to. The two opponents were not just a couple of college kids looking to knock each other around and get a few bucks. These were people who had been trained in combat and had a motive for being here.

Jay shifted and spat something foreign, harsh, and full of anger. Echo simply grinned and replied in the same tongue. It sounded like a taunt. Jay snarled, actually snarled like an animal and pulled his lips back to reveal odd teeth. Echo actually laughed as he launched at her. I was mesmerized by her, by her beauty. But there was something off about her smile; while it was genuine it seemed to harbor a secret. And part of me longed to know what that secret was.

Echo dodged Jay without any effort, bopping his head as she passed. Jay snarled again in response. The latter began to mirror her every move, and Echo began to speak fluently in another language. Rage still colored Jay's features but now confusion entered the mix. They were still circling one another when suddenly Echo said something sharply. Jay was about to retort before his eyes widening in horror at the same time I realized what she had been doing. She knew that Jay would follow her every step, and not even realize that was by the drunkest part of the crowd. She launched forward, leaping from the ground, and slammed both of her feet into his chest. He was sent flying backwards into that crowd. From the force, Echo was sent back but she landed on the upper part of her back, her hands tucked by her shoulders. Her legs arched above her before she kicked out and flipped on to her feet.

Jay falling had brought the entire portion of the crowd down with him. Echo looked at the announcer, "This match is over."

There was no cheering, there was no applause. Simply silence and shock. Echo grabbed her shirt and strode towards me. I hesitated before following her. We left the lighted area and began to venture back through the dark desert. I looked at her, "What was that?"

No reply.

I opened my mouth to shout at her when there was a screech and a rat that was the size of Paiute began running at us. Before he could reach us, Paiute appeared and attacked the creature. The two began fighting fiercely, snarling and growling. Echo spun around just as Jay appeared, moving far quicker than he had in the ring. I stumbled backwards as they delivered blows, neither moving away, and neither holding back. The sound of the blows sounded like two beasts wrestling. Not two slender young adults. Jay parted his jaws and tried to bite down on an exposed part of Echo's shoulder. But she lifted that shoulder into his chin, snapping it shut. His unnatural teeth cut into his skin and blood poured out. He cried out in shock and pain. Echo whirled and used her shirt to tie his elbows behind him. In one smooth movement she also revealed a knife, which she held at his neck.

"Nice try, doll, but just because you are a creature of the night doesn't mean jack-shit," she said. "I grew up with monsters, and you are like a fucking fluffy bunny compared to them."

Jay spat at her. She flipped the knife around and hit him in the eye with the pommel. Blood spilled from the wound as she once again held the blade to his neck. She looked at me, "Let's go."

I did not want to argue with her so I began walking towards the car. I paused as Paiute meowed at me, the rat lying limply at his paws. I glanced at Echo and she nodded at me. Terror filled Jay's eyes. I frowned curiously, but simply picked up the rat by the tail and continued walking.