Hey you guys. Thanks for sticking around for so long. I just wanted to take the time to recognize you the readers, and someone who may not be you, the reviewers. But I want to point out my two newest reviewers LilyTigerOfGore, and RioAzmora. I really appreciate everyone for taking the time to read and even gong the extra mile to review. Thanks again, I love you guys, here's the next chapter.
The two in the ring shook hands and walked off as Deunan walked on. I followed with my hands folded on the back of my neck. I heard the inevitable murmurs and whispers about whose money is on Deunan and the one or two who believe I'll pull off an upset. I took my position opposite Deunan and took a brief moment to assess my emotions. I was surprised because I was nervous a few seconds earlier but now I don't feel anything. I actually felt like going home and taking a nap. I smiled to myself at my absentmindedness.
"What's funny? I want to laugh." Deunan sneered.
"Nothing. It's an inside thing." I said. I unlocked my fingers from my neck and let my hands drop to my sides. "You mind if I ask you a question before we start?"
"I suppose." Deunan said, folding her arms impatiently.
"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? I mean you were pretty nice to me earlier but now you act like you hate me." I shrugged. ". . . Is it because I'm your partner now?"
"If you beat me, I'll tell you." Deunan said. I thought she sounded like a video game boss. I chuckled at how childish I sounded. "I still don't find anything funny." she grunted.
"I told you. It's an inside thing." I said again. "You got any rules?"
"First one forced to the ground loses." she said.
"Okay," I shrugged and rose my arms into my fighting position, which really wasn't too complex; just my left hand leveled with my chest and my right hand just below its respective shoulder. My feet were shoulder length apart, my left foot in front of my right. I never was trained in a fighting discipline, but I could fight pretty decently.
"So you're left-handed." Deunan nodded, standing without any type of guards.
"It happens." I replied. "Is that a problem?"
"Not really." she retorted.
"All right, well, age before beauty." I grinned.
"If you insist." she growled before quickly lunging at me, building up momentum for a left roundhouse kick aimed at my neck. I raised my right forearm to intercept the blow, nearly causing myself a self-inflicted jab to the jaw. I pushed her leg away, trying to get her off balance but she planted her foot immediately and quickly retaliated with a right straight, again aimed at my face. I took a swift step backward before catching her fist in the palm of my hand. I slid my right foot to clip hers and threw her fist to the right causing her to stagger about a step. I planted my left foot aimed a spinning back kick at her shoulder. But she fluidly weaved away from it and slid her left foot to catch my landing foot from landing evenly. My heel slipped slightly on hers causing me to stand wide-legged and wobbly. Deunan then raised her leg for a heel kick on my shoulder I weaved backwards and caught her foot in a two handed cradle and instinctively tugged it over my shoulder bringing her with it. She landed squarely on her hands. Before she had a chance to retaliate I let her go and shuffled back, she rolled forward. Everyone around the circle started to clap and cheer. Laughing and yelling filled the area and the crowd had increased since the fight started.
"Hey, she's pretty good." someone said.
"I guess so if she's going toe to toe with Deunan like she is." someone else replied. "Look, they haven't even broken a sweat."
"You want to reconsider your bet?" another chuckled.
"She is doing a pretty good job." I heard Tereus say.
"Hold your congratulations. This isn't over yet." Briareos said. I will admit all the praise I was getting was getting to me. But his comment brought me back down to earth. She could be toying with me right now; I only taunted her to see if she'd fight hard from the start. I know Deunan is much faster and stronger than this though. But so am I.
"You're a lot better than I thought you'd be. You're really quick to recover when you're off balance and pretty creative, too." Deunan said.
"Thank you." I sniffed. "I guess I shouldn't expect less from the great Deunan Knute."
"Think you kicked at me enough?" she smirked.
"Not as much as you." I replied, returning her smile. "So, are you ready?"
"I'm waiting for you rookie." she snickered toothily. I quickly dashed towards her, a smile still resting on my face, throwing a swift right punch right between the eyes. She leaned back, pushing my wrist away and throwing a counter punch of her own at my left cheek. I was about to let it connect but my reflexes took over causing my neck to jerk to the side bringing my head along with it, barely dodging the blow but not enough to avoid her thumb knuckle stinging my cheekbone. Thanking God for agile reflexes, I again grabbed Deunan's arm and attempted another shoulder throw. I second guessed how affective it would be since I tried it already and failed. I by the time I had planted my feet and had her forearm over my shoulder, she had turned her wrist and grabbed mine. She came over my shoulder with her free arm out to brace herself and planted it on the ground followed by her feet. I tried to think of something but drew a blank. Before I realized it, I was off my feet. I looked down and saw nothing but that intense green glare looking back up at me. The only thing I thought to do was tuck my head and hope I landed on my shoulders. I tucked so close to the ground I nearly landed on my neck but was successful to land on my shoulders and forward roll, easing some of the impact of that throw.
"You are ridiculously strong." I said over the mild cheering and applause, rolling over onto my back. I turned my head over to Deunan who was standing from her knelt position. "How can you swing one hundred and twenty nine pounds over your head with one arm?"
"You gave me the necessary momentum." Deunan said as she approached with a warm, less threatening smile. "If you hadn't thrown me then I couldn't have been able to swing you like that. So if you hadn't thrown me I wouldn't have won." She outstretched a hand to help me up.
"You would've gotten me eventually." I said. I reached up for her hand as she assisted me to my feet.
"You did a good job, Tenari. Don't try to sell yourself short. I honestly didn't plan on counter-throwing you, it was just by reflex." Deunan said. "I wasn't completely serious but you almost caught me a few times and forced me to step up."
"That was the quickest fight I've ever seen." Briareos said as he approached.
"I've been in quicker." I said rolling my shoulders a few times.
"You two are pretty fast." Tereus said as he ambled in behind Briareos. "I wonder who'd win a footrace. . . ." I shot him the coldest glare I could muster. He looked at Deunan who I suppose looked back to me.
"You want to race?" Deunan asked.
"No." I sighed. "But do I have a choice?"
"Yeah, you can either footrace or bike race." Briareos said with folded arms.
"Bike race." I said quickly. "Where and when?"
"From the complex, here, and back." Deunan said. "Take any way you want to."
"So when you go back home fill your bike up." Briareos said.
"This'll be fun." I smiled.
"No one else around here was ever brave enough to race me." Deunan smiled.
"Does anyone else even ride a motorcycle?" I asked as I started to leave the ring.
"Some do." Deunan said as she followed. "But they just aren't confident enough to race."
"I'm confident!" I bounced happily and quickly stopped, again sounding incredibly childish.
"You are not twenty-one; you are six and a half." Briareos chuckled.
"Leave me alone, I'm excited. I never got to race on my motorcycle before either." I smiled. I looked at Deunan who was shaking her head with a smile. "Hey, how come you're acting so calm now? You seemed pretty angry towards me before."
"I was just messing with you." Deunan said, playfully punching me in the shoulder. "I wanted to see if you could handle it. I was expecting out to blow up on me. I guess I didn't get under your skin enough."
"Oh, you did. I just held it in as best as I could." I smiled. "I thought you were giving me the 'Tereus treatment'."
"You told her about that?" Deunan smiled as she pivoted around to Tereus. He stopped and chuckled.
"Well, she told me some things too." Tereus said. "But I won't talk about it unless she wants me to."
"Well I would tell you," I started as I continued to the door to the hallway. I stopped in the door way and looked back at my comrades. ". . . but I've got a race to win."