Chapter Twenty: This...Is...Fight Night!
The very second Stephen and I set foot inside the House of Battle, I was completely overwhelmed by elementals all crowding around both of us.
"Did you die?"
"Were you paralyzed?"
"How many times did she stab you?"
"Did ya get a couple of good swipes?"
"Was it scary?"
"Did you get seriously hurt?"
"Did Stephen perform CPR on you?" Ashling squealed excitedly.
"No, yes, two, no, yes, yes, and NO!" I rattled off, glaring at Ashling's triumphiant expression. "He most certainly did not."
Quickly the questions simmered down, and Stephen carefully let go of me. My legs shook a bit before I gained control of them, and soon I was utterly spent by the showers of questions.
"Jasmine! Thank goodness you're alright!" Brook was shoving her way through the throng of people followed closely by a red-faced Natalie.
Both of them delivered a huge helping of bear hugs before I finally convinced them I was perfectly fine, and then suddenly Brook waggled her eyebrows mischeviously.
"Seems like Stephen's thinking about you," she said, glancing at him through the tides of people.
Following her gaze, I noticed Stephen's normally pale face was flushed pink with embarrassment, and that the guys around him were guffawing with laughter.
"Seriously Brook?" I protested, elbowing her hard enough to leave a bruise. I could feel the heat creeping up to my cheeks against my will, and this set Brook off again.
"Oh my gosh, Jasmine, are you blushing?! Chloe, Sabrina, Ash, come and look at Jasmine. She's blushing!"
"No!" I insisted, my annoyance deepening the color, "I'm just sweating that's all!"
Sabrina rolled her eyes and chuckled while Chloe said teasingly, "Really? And what's the cause of your sudden heat?" That remark let off peals of giggles all around, and I felt more embarrassed than I had been all my life, and that's saying a lot.
"Come on now," Natalie soothed, still wiping tears of laughter from her eyes even as she said that, "Jasmine's had quite a shock." Instantly the atmosphere around our little group turned serious, but before anyone could start up the conversation we were all thinking about, Thymarra stood up and held up her hand for silence.
Gazing around at the eager faces, she drew in a deep breath and spoke calmly, "Jasmine's...incident with Kate and Claire will not interfere with all of your training. My daughter, Emma, shall give you a taste of what training is like around here." Turning to me, her tone softened and she continued, "Jasmine, if your wounds hurt you may sit out for tonight." I gave her a quick nod, but determination hardened inside me not to show weakness.
Emma stepped into a blue ring, and asked, "Does anyone volunteer to go against me?" Several hands shot up in the air, most from boys. Stupid, they have no idea who they're going against. Her lips curved up into a smile, and she pointed to Flinn, who walked into the now glowing circle. Drawing out a long blade, he tilted his head up arrogantly and said out loud, "Come on then."
Moving fast as a snake, Emma leaped and twisted to one side and fired three warning shots a single millimeter from Flinn's face, all at the exact same time. Less confident now, Flinn desperately jabbed and slashed clumsily, but Emma's agility was no match for his strength. Parrying his sloppy stab with her white-bleached bow, she drew her dagger and pointed the sharpened tip at Flinn's throat, grinning smugly. Cheers erupted from the watching crowd, and Flinn slunk back dejectedly.
"Anyone else?" Emma called, and suddenly there was a deafening silence. Suddenly, I made up my mind.
"I'll go," I answered, barely knowing what I was doing. Yup, rush into a battle with a half elf with about six years of battle experience recklessly, that's me. Her eye's widened in surprise before she regained her composure.
"Of course Jasmine," she said with mock politeness, notching an arrow, "whenever you're ready."
Pulling sharply on my hoodie while flexing my wrist, swiftly I fired an arrow in Emma's direction, but she ducked just as quickly out of the way. Pressing the emerald on the bronze pin, Silvakopis appeared in my waiting hand, and I rolled out of the way as one of Emma's arrows whizzed by my ear. Dancing nimbly out of range, I shot another two arrows in hopes to distract her, and sprinted behind her. Unfortunately she apparently knew that trick, because as soon as I moved her sword came slashing down right behind her, missing my shoulder by a centimeter. My mind racing, suddenly, under the soil I felt...life, tiny ancient seeds waiting to be released by...me. That's when it clicked. Thymarra nor Emma never said anything about not using my magic right? Metally kicking myself for not think about that sooner, in a flash I looped Javis behind my back, but kept Silvakopis in my hand.
"What, giving up so easily?" Emma asked incredously, advancing foward with her sword raised.
"Come on Jasmine, fight!" Brook yelled encouragingly.
"Sush, i'm concentrating," I hissed back, and closed my eyes. Time seemed to slow as I directed all of my mind's energy towards those little seeds, and they reached out eagerly towards me. My eyes flickering open, I could feel pressure building up dangerously inside of me, and as soon as emma was in range, I released them.
Deep green masses of ivy vines shot out from the dirt underneath Emma, winding at an alarming rate around her, rendering her helpless as they jerked around each other. I couldn't belive the power I felt in controlling those plants, the battle-lust clouding my mind as I waved my arm and the grew thicker and thicker around her.
"That's enough Jasmine!" Thymarra shrieked, and suddenly I was jolted out of the haze. Instantly the vines went limp, and Emma dropped ungracefully to the ground. Horror surged through me as I realized what I could have done, mirrored in Stephen's thoughts.
But all that worry was for nothing. She stood up, grinning like crazy.
"That was awesome Jasmine!" she shouted, and ran over to hug me. But as the air buzzed with excitement over my little victory, I couldn't help but feel a cold knot of trepidation settle in the pit of my stomach. What if I had truly hurt her?
Yup, that's Chapter Twenty! Please review!