Intercepting a kick towards my face, I shoved it forward. Falice stumbled a few steps backwards before regaining her balance. She was even more aggressive than before. She came for me again with her leg striking combinations. I kept my fists up, deflecting all of her kicks. However, I knew that I could not continue being on defense mode. I have to break her combinations somehow. After a few more kicks, I caught onto her striking patterns and brought my elbow upwards to avoid her outside kick. However, I was momentarily stunned when she sent me a wild uppercut instead. My head whipped backwards from the blow and I gave her a hasty push kick to send her backwards-buying time for my spinning head. A contemptuous smirk was settled on her lips when I recovered. My jaw hardened. She had fooled me into thinking that she had a standard fighting pattern.
I should have known better than that.
Falice closed in on me then, throwing a punch towards my left. I stepped in and lifted my left hand to deflect it like how I was taught by Ducan. Using my hip to generate force, I swung my fist towards her face. I hit home and she flew backwards. As I moved in to do a double leg take down, she jerked her knee upwards, hitting me squarely under the chin and drove an elbow down on my head. Black spots swam before my eyes and I tumbled backwards onto the slightly damp grass. Gritting my teeth, I tried to stay conscious.
I can't black out again. Not this time.
She moved on to straddle my waist, raining heavy blows on my face. Too obsessed with the idea of bashing my face in, she had forgotten all about her own defense. I based my feet and jerked my hips upwards, causing her to pitch forward. With that opening, I flipped us over so that I was the one in control. She locked her legs around my back then, attempting to bring me down and choke me. Pressing her shoulders down with all my strength to resist her strength and prevent myself from getting elbowed in the face, I pushed myself up with my feet. I stepped inwards with one leg and sat on the other, one knee breaking through her locked legs. Then, I dropped my right knee on her left thigh and pinned it down. She struggled against me angrily but to no avail.
"Ouch!" Falice whimpered suddenly and I released my firm hold on her shoulders.
"Fool," she whispered before she elbowed me across the face, causing me to spin to the side.
I rolled out of the way quickly as she tried to pin me down again.
Getting back up to my feet, I noticed that she had switched her left feet forward. The roundhouse kick. I countered it by hooking my feet behind her left ankle and dragging it in the same direction it was going. It was what I learnt from Zander. As she tried to maintain her balance, I jumped and sent her flying backwards with a push kick.
Gong! I placed my hand on my hips and panted like I had just completed a triathlon.
"Excellent Fortis," Gladion declared with a look of approval on his face.
I raised my head and sucked in a breath of astonishment when I saw Falice standing outside the boundary. My last kick had caused her to land outside the fighting perimeters. I had won the fight.
"I'm glad to see that most of you have improved. This is all for the assessments. Like I had mentioned earlier, the victors would proceed with weapons training. Zander and Ducan, one of you have to be in charge of monitoring and guiding the weaker ones for hand-to-hand combat."
Gladion's words were blunt and harsh, causing many of those who had lost during the assessment to stare down at their feet in shame.
Falice was not one of them. She sent me a sideways glare, which I turned away from quickly.
"I'll be in charge of hand-to-hand trainings," Zander volunteered.
"Very well. See all of you at lunch," Gladion agreed with a small nod and gave one last glance at William before making his way to the exit.
The assessments went on for about five hours straight, causing all of us to skip breakfast as a result. However, with all the tension and excitement from the assessment, I doubted that skipping breakfast was a worry. After Gladion left, the battle courtyard exploded into bustling activities.
"That was incredible, Fortis!" Ryon smiled like a Cheshire cat.
"Good job Fortis," Ducan flashed me a grin.
I suddenly thought about what Falice admitted. Why did Ducan lie about being the one who had carried me when I was unconscious? In that situation, our relationship was treading on a tightrope...Did he lie in order to savage our friendship?
"Thanks guys, but it's really not that great. I just got lucky," I answered honestly as I thought back to the last kick that barely sent Falice outside the perimeters.
"Fortis, congratulations on the win," Falice's dulcet tone reached my ears.
"Thanks," I mumbled, not in the mood to entertain her.
Just looking at her reminded me of my foolishness during the fight. I can't believe that I believed her again. Falice hooked my arm casually and tried to lead me away but I planted my feet firmly onto the ground, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of getting her way.
"What's wrong?" Ducan asked.
"We had a little dispute..." Falice answered before I could get a word in.
I considered revealing Falice's 'good deeds' to Ducan then. But would he believe me? He might. However, he would be disappointed and hurt to find out that the person he likes is actually not who he thought she was. If Falice were a murderer, I would be the dagger that she used to plunge into Ducan's heart. I don't want to be manipulated by Falice again and hurting Ducan is the last thing I would want to achieve. Firstly and most importantly, he is my friend. Subsequently, I felt guilty towards him. I had already hurt him once with rejection. I would hate to think how he would react if he knew about Falice's true character.
"It's nothing important," I smiled reassuringly before pulling Falice away from him.
Her eyebrows raised at my action but she followed me to the side of the battle courtyard anyway.
"What do you want?" I demanded, not bothering to beat around the bush.
"What do you mean?"
"If you don't like Ducan in that way, let him know your honest feelings. Don't lead him on," I warned Falice.
She giggled at my warning and I narrowed my brows at her.
"You're so funny Fortis," she claimed sarcastically.
"What?" I asked, annoyed that she was not taking me seriously.
"Ducan is into you, not me. Are you too dumb to see that?" Falice pointed out with a tired yawn.
"What? Me?" I asked in disbelief.
"I swear. You're the dumbest Idrian to ever exist," she announced with a hopeless shake of head.
"I won't believe your words anymore, Falice. You like Zander and you're only saying that to get under my skin," I surmised.
"Oh, do you regret not accepting my previous deal now?" Falice questioned.
"Why would I?" I folded my arms crossly.
"True, the result would be the same anyways. Zander would not have volunteered if I had won," Falice sighed dreamily.
I scoffed at her unwavering belief. Why would Zander like someone as fake as a Barbie doll? Then again, William and I were the only ones who had seen Falice's true colours. She was still a goddess in the eyes of many. Do Zander think of her that highly too?
Well, it's not my problem anyway.
Not wanting to continue this pointless conversation, I decided to leave. Good-natured Falice decided to stick out her feet in front of me and I realised it a tad too late.
Fortunately, someone caught me before I hit the ground.
Once I steadied myself, Zander dropped his grip. Speak of the devil.
He was staring at Falice. I watched as she tucked her hair behind her ears nervously and walked over to me.
She held my arm, a worried expression crossing her features. "Fortis, are you alright? Why are you so careless?"
I pulled my hand out of her grasp uncomfortably. Without a word, I turned and made my way to the exit.
******************************
*After lunch*
"Could you.."
"What are you trying to say, Fortis?" Ducan took a sip of water from his cup.
I know I should not take Falice's words seriously but I wanted to confirm my doubts. We were the only ones left in the dining hall. There could be no better time than this.
"Could you still be...harbouring feelings for me?"
The cup slipped from his grasp and contacted the ground with a loud crash. My eyes shifted from the broken cup on the floor up to his eyes.
"Fortis...I..." Ducan started.
Could Falice be telling the truth?
My heartbeat accelerated and my palms became sweaty.
Please, just deny it.
"Would your answer be different from last time if I said yes?"
My cheeks was undoubtedly red then and I directed my gaze to the table.
"I...No...it'll be the same..."
When I heard a sudden chuckle, I glanced up.
He was laughing. I can't decipher whether it was a good sign.
"I can't believe you! How can you be so direct? Are you even a girl?" he was laughing so hard that his eyes were watery.
"Of course I am!" I defended.
"Well I'm sorry but...you're not my cup of tea," Ducan replied hesitantly.
My intuition told me that he hesitated because he was considering my feelings. He must be afraid that his honest criticism would hurt my feelings. However, I felt like a dead weight had lifted from my shoulders.
"Is Falice your cup of tea?" I asked bluntly.
"What did I just say about a girl needing to be reserved? You clearly lacked in that area," he lectured.
I stuck out my tongue at him. "What era do you live in? The Dinosaur era?"
"What's a dinosaur?" he asked in puzzlement.
Looks that Earth is not a popular topic here.
"A reptile species extinct from Earth since long ago," I explained.
"Oh," he replied.
"So...What do you think of Falice?" I swerved back to the topic.
He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head in what seemed like awkwardness.
"She's okay I guess," he finally replied.
"Can you elaborate?" I probed.
"Well she's..." he smiled.
"She's what?"
"Definitely more feminine than you. You can say that she fulfills the criteria of a goddess. You should learn from her."
"As I thought," I nodded solemnly.
Ducan was head over heels in love with her, how could I bring myself to tell him the truth? Maybe I should just leave him a hint.
"What if I tell you that there's more that meets the eye?" I tested.
"Why would you say that? Did something happen between you and Falice?" he inquired.
"Nothing big, just a tiff."
I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from telling him the truth.
"As I thought, Falice wouldn't be capable of ensuing a fight. She's too agreeable unlike you."
I narrowed my brows. "Are you saying that she's accommodating me?"
"Do you have something against her?" Ducan leaned forward as he questioned.
I was annoyed because he sounded like he was defending Falice. It was natural for him to believe her more than me but I was getting upset. I had to remind myself constantly that he doesn't know Falice's true personality yet, and that's why he's siding with her.
"Are you perhaps jealous of her?" Ducan suggested when I did not reply his previous question.
"No!" I denied in frustration.
How could I let him know? How could I? That she's far from kind. Far from nice. Far from who she portrays herself to be.
"Look Fortis, you can tell me what's on your mind. We're friends, right?" Ducan touched my hand encouragingly.
I looked at him, fighting an silent war in my head. Falice had it easy. She didn't have to make a decision. She left the dagger in my hands. I'll be responsible for what I reveal or not reveal to Ducan.
"Ducan..."
"Yes?"
I couldn't do it to him.
"I got to go," I pushed my chair backwards and stood up.
"Fortis?"
I smiled weakly. "See you later."
I turned around and made my way to the double doors.
Perhaps if I were as steel hearted as Falice. Perhaps. I would be spared from this agony.
However, I am nothing like her. I won't let Ducan will be the next Senon.
He's not just a tool. He's my friend.