The First Combat Match

"You!" A thunderous male voice boomed across the silent room. Sky froze in fear and looked around with wide eyes. A bear of a male stood in the nearest court holding a clipboard and glaring at her. Sky ducked her head, hoping this ill-tempered male was not speaking to her. "Get your ass over here!" He yelled. Sky's shoulders hunched as she obeyed.

Standing before him was like standing before a mountain. He towered over her at seven feet tall if not taller. His body was coated with thick bulging muscles. A dark scowl covered his face and a jagged scar ran down his left cheek to disappear below his dark green practice uniform.

"Who are you?" He thundered at her. Sky flinched. There was no need for him to be so loud. She was right in front of him. "Well?" He demanded.

"Sky-Skylar Maren, but could you call me Sky?" She answered in a small voice. The male looked her up and down.

His scowl deepened and he sneered, "No, you're not." Sky flinched again and withdrew her student ID card from her pocket. She showed it to him.

When she'd sat for the image capturer, he'd made her remove her glasses and wig despite her protests. The male grimaced.

"Are you Bear?" Sky asked timidly.

"Fine," The male spat, ignoring her question. "you'll fight first." He looked at his clipboard. Then grinned maliciously. "Bacho, court one!" He called. Another massive, muscle coated male stood up from the seats with the creatures. He too was grinning wickedly. The male, who Sky assumed was Bear, turned back to her. "Lift your arms." He ordered. Frowning, Sky obeyed. Bear looked at them for thirty seconds before he closed his eyes.

Two minutes later, a third big male with thick curly hair came running up to Sky. She flinched. He was familiar in the same way Vaeryn was.

"Here are your weapons." He said with a bright smile as he offered Sky a pair of thirteen-inch daggers wrapped in plain, black leather sheaths. They were the same as the one Syn had given her. Sky smiled timidly at him.

"I don't need those. I am a Sansari." She replied.

Bear growled, "Fan dancing is not a recognized form of combat on Gothe. You will fight with daggers. Court one with Bacho. Go!" Sky sighed and took the daggers that she didn't know how to use. She made her way to the waiting Bacho. "Begin." Bear boomed.

"I look forward to teaching you why females don't fight." Bacho jeered. Sky grimaced. Tossing the daggers' sheaths aside, she settled into a crouch.

Bacho was big and muscled so he'd be slow. Not as slow as a human his size but- He moved. His great axe slashed down on Sky. She threw herself to her left. Rolling to her feet, she had to dive forward to avoid a chop at her middle. She surged up and took off running. Heavy footfalls followed her. Then they stopped and something hard collided with her back. The air was driven from her lungs as she was pushed from her feet.

Sky skidded across the sand. It hurt, but thanks to the damage resistant practice uniform, the slide had not injured her. She could still fight. Glaring at the grinning Bacho, Sky pushed herself to her feet once more.

She felt Gothe magic flying for her back and cartwheeled to her right. Then she took of running again.

Sky knew she had to do something. This was like a repeat of her challenge with Pharon. All running would serve to do was sap her energy. Sky's only hope was to close and get within the range of her weapons. That would mean getting past his axe first. She dove right as a jagged spear of rock flew past her. But he was too fast. She needed to surprise him somehow and for that she needed cover.

She couldn't destroy the school, but this was the ground floor. There was a chance there was no part of the school under them just Gothe. Sky ran left again avoiding yet another jagged spear. As her foot hit the ground, she sent a pulse of Gothe magic into it and smiled. She was right there was no floor below them just the sand, then dirt, and finally rock.

"Aaisdegog!" she shouted fast, creating a physical shield around herself. She wasn't quick enough. A small dart of Gothe lodged in her right shoulder. Then it exploded leaving behind a dirt filled crevice. She dropped her dagger, unable to hold it any longer. Bacho laughed as Sky sent another glare his way. "Easbrakgog!" she panted. The floor listed. Bacho's eyes widened and he opened his mouth. "Aloigogdeais!" Sky shouted before he could silence her. The ground shook and then broke apart. The sand drained down in cracks that appeared as chunks of rock ranging between one and six feet in size began rising from under them.

"Aissononil!" Bacho finally shouted, but it was too late Sky's spell had been cast. She looked down on him as the rock she was standing on rose into the air. Sky was about to break her shield when she saw Bacho was smiling again. As the first boulder slammed into her, causing her to fly off her rock and break her shield, she'd realized what she'd done. She'd given him ammunition, large amounts of massive ammunition. She fell toward the ground. A six-foot boulder flew at her, knocking the smaller rocks aside as if they were leaves. Her eyes widened but she was free falling. There was nothing she could do.

The boulder slammed into her. Sky felt her bones break as she was flung out of the training court. More pain exploded across her head and back as she hit the stadium seats along the left wall of the courts. Then, everything went black.