Temple Academy Legacy
Chapter 9: Let the Classes Begin
Kettle looked about the room she entered. It was enormous. Large square stone tiles made up the floor. They extended to every corner of the room. The ceiling was high, arching, and luminous with millions of little white crystals. Four white rings – for sparring—had been marked upon the floor. Against one wall was a rack filled with dragon armor pieces. Helms, bracers, chest guards, and tail guards rested on the rack.
Terrador stood inside one of the white sparring rings. The Headmaster and Earth Guardian dipped his head as the students entered the room. He waved them over to him with one paw. His expression was stoic and somber.
Kettle walked over quickly with the other students. She smiled when she saw that Ceres was there. Cynder was here as well too.
"Welcome, students," Terrador said. "I am your instructor and headmaster. I'll teach you all the basics of fighting and survival. "
"Makes sense," Cynder replied. "Spyro and I have a bit of experience in both areas."
"But there's much that you two can learn from the class." Terrador paused for a moment to take in all the faces. "In this class, you all will be graded on strength, speed, dexterity, skill, power, and intelligence. You will take tests and have homework."
Kettle nodded. Sounds straightforward to me. She found fighting exhilarating and invigorating. Back in the Brisk Realm, growing up with Leone, she would always spar with him. They would fight for fun most of the time. Sometimes she would win a sparring match. Sometimes Leone would win. In the end, those matches helped her to develop fighting skills and her own style.
"You all will spar with each other to develop your combat skills," Terrador continued. "And for your first day, I want to see your fighting abilities. You'll pair up and spar for 10 minutes."
"10 minutes?" Ceres asked, nervous.
"Yes, 10 minutes. Everyone, find a sparring partner."
Kettle glanced at Ceres. "Want to spar with me?"
"Yes, please."
"Awesome. Do your best."
"Once you pair up, you may begin."
The students paired up without delay. The males and females positioned themselves throughout the enormous room. They began to spar. Kettle heard the grunts and growls as the other dragons engaged in grapples, tail swipes, bites, head butts, charges, and other fighting moves.
Kettle shifted her attention to Ceres. She took an offensive stance. Her back legs and front legs were evenly spaced. She lifted her tail to keep herself balanced. She grinned at Ceres. The pale blue dragon trembled in fear. Ceres stood in an awkward position and her wings shook. Fighting must be her weak point, Kettle thought. Poor thing.
"I'll make the first move," Kettle said. "Try to block or dodge my attacks. If you see an opening, you can attack me."
"O-Okay, I'll..try," Ceres replied.
"Here I come!"
Kettle jumped in place a few times. Her pads felt light. She jumped to the left side, then the right side. She then charged forward with quick footfalls. She lifted one fore paw and swiped at Ceres. With a squeak, Ceres stepped back. Kettle watched her claws pass through air where Ceres' face was, but she followed through with another swipe with her right front paw. Ceres grunted as she was hit and spun around in place.
Kettle jumped back and bounced her feet. She waited for Ceres to recover. The pale dragon turned and rubbed her cheek. Ceres looked at Kettle, impressed and shocked.
"You're good," Ceres remarked. "That hurt."
"Sorry…I often sparred with Leone back home. He hits even harder."
"Amazing."
"Yup. Go ahead and attack me. I want to see how you do."
Ceres hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. C'mon, girl, attack!"
Ceres nodded slowly. She trotted forward and wheeled in place. She lashed her tail at Kettle in a wide arc. Kettle ducked under the attack. Ceres swung again and again with her tail. Kettle dodged the attacks with swiftness and focus. She heard the gasps from some of her classmates but focused on the sparring match.
"That's it, Ceres! Give me your best!"
Ceres acknowledged her words. She charged at Kettle with her head lowered, horns at the rest. Kettle saw this coming at her and wanted to dodge, but the charge was fast and hard. Kettle lowered her head and their horns clashed with a loud crash. Kettle winced as the collision sent pain surging through her head and neck.
"Good effort," Kettle said. "You're learning."
"Feels like I'm winging it," Ceres panted.
"It takes time to become a capable fighter."
Kettle thrust her head forward. She pushed Ceres back with her horns. Ceres squealed from such a push and staggered backward. She shook her head and charged again with her head low. Kettle prepared for the charge. She dashed forward and lowered her head as well. Horns clashed again. The pain was mild this time, and Kettle pushed with all her might. Ceres shoved back.
For a first timer, she has potential, Kettle thought. She pulled back and spun to the left. While she spun, Kettle brought her tail around in a sweep, caught Ceres back the back legs, and bumped Ceres' flank. Cere gasped and fell on her side. Kettle put her paws on Ceres' side and pressed down to pin her.
Cere looked up with surprise. "How did…"
"I followed my instincts and moved around you."
"I have a lot to learn."
"So do I." Kettle stepped back and helped Ceres to her feet.
Kettle glanced around the chamber. Several of the students were still sparring and giving their best effort. Terrador examined each fight with a stoic expression. Whenever a fighter executed a well-timed attack, Terrador dipped his head in approval. If a fighter failed to dodge, block, or counter an attack, Terrador shook his head but said nothing. Kettle could tell that the teacher was evaluating the combat skill of every student. It made her wonder how well she did.