The Fence

Chapter 85: The Day After

"You gotta duck!" Grey snaps, his voice dripping with exasperation.

"I did duck," I mutter, my voice interrupted by long huffs of air. I hold my shoulder where he'd just struck it, and I can already feel a bruise forming. I know he's holding back, and it bugs me. Yet, if I can't even dodge a lousy blow to my shoulder, then how can I expect to take on a prodigy?

Grey smirks, his sharp eyes gazing down at my haunched form. "Well, obviously not fast enough."

"Excuse me if you never trained me in agility," I groan, glaring back up at him. "That's not something you're just born with. Oh, unless you're Grey."

He chuckles, running a hand through his damp hair. Despite it being below 40 degrees, things were heating up fast. He'd taken off his jacket and thrown it to the side, while I'd tied my hair back so that it didn't stick to my neck. We haven't been out here long; maybe an hour. And still, I haven't advanced any further than the first thing we'd started on.

"Okay, let's try it again."

I keep myself from snorting, the idea outrageous. Regardless, I nod, and prepare to duck out of the way of his punch. I'd taught myself physical fighting while I was in Caste 7 to protect myself and Ky. But it has been awhile, and Grey is no thug that can be beat up easily. Suddenly, I see his arm reaching back, then jolts forward toward me. I snap out of my thoughts and flinch away, ducking under his blow and swinging around to knock him off his feet with my extended leg. I hit him behind the knees, and he collapses onto his back.

"Good," he pants as he regains the breath that was knocked out of him. "But you winced away, like you were scared. You have to be graceful with your movements, and you can't show that you're afraid."

"Says the guy on his back," I snerk, grinning down at him.

"I said good, didn't I?" He pulls himself to his feet, giving me a smile. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out his Orb Insect. He blinks, and Light transforms into a sword. "Alright. A sword is the first weapon yukos learn to use. I want you to fight me with Sutikka, full on, no restrictions."

"Does that include you?" I inquire, raising my eyebrows. "I want to see you fight full force too. It's only fair."

"It most certainly is not fair," Grey retorts.

"You've got a pretty big ego," I chuckle. "You underestimate me too. I tend to fight better in the moment."

"We'll see about that." With that, he leans on his toes and lunges at me. My eyes widen and I almost shriek, not having Sutikka in hand. Grey swings his sword, misses me on purpose, and then disappears.

I stand in appalled silence. In a matter of seconds, he was here, and then he wasn't. I spin on my heel, trying to pinpoint where exactly he went. Sutikka reaches my grasp before Grey can attack again, and I almost immediately relax.

"Okay buddy, where is he?"

"In the tree right behind you. But stop for a second. Make him think you're still trying to pinpoint his location. Let's figure out our game plan."

"Got it," I murmur. "I say, whenever he attacks, we deflect him with your rod. You're practically un-scratchable."

"I am pretty cool."

"So after we deflect, it'll be our turn to strike. What then?"

"Upper cut him with my blade. Don't worry, I won't cut too deep. Either that or use your handy elements. Attack now. I'll propel you up the tree."

I glance to both of my sides, feigning that I don't know where his location is. He's probably watching with amusement, wondering why it's taken me so long to find him. I'm surprised he hasn't attacked me yet.

I swivel around, slowly pacing up to the tree now in front of me. I look up, pretending to still contemplate his whereabouts. Then, with a quick movement, I dart up the tree.

The look on Grey's face is priceless. I push myself off of the trunk, swinging Sutikka's blade straight down at him. He quickly rolls to the side, sweeping himself from the branch he was on. He lands on the ground like a cat, not a flinch in the process.

"You're pretty speedy."

"No, you're pretty speedy."

I hop down from the tree, ready for his attack. He lunges for me again, and predicting his movement, I swivel around to stop him from disappearing into another tree. He jabs his sword at my neck, but I block him using Sutikka. I dodge his final blow and sweep him off his feet again, but before he hits the ground, he backtracks to about 10 feet away from me.

"You've got good balance, I'll give you that," I mutter.

Light transforms back into a ball, and I stare at Grey in confusion. Not that I have time to, though, because next thing I know, his first in connected with my stomach. I fly backward, all air leaving my frame. I gasp for my breath, Sutikka on the ground in front of me.

Grey gazes down at his fist, clenching his hands. "I've always been better with my hands."

He's on top of me again before I can think, and once again I fly backward. It doesn't hurt, but it further stuns me. Maybe it's the adrenaline, or maybe it's Grey holding back his power. But if this is him holding back, I can't wait to see him full force.

"Fight back, Bena," he hisses, shoving me. "Use more than just Sutikka."

I squirm, trying to back away from his nonstop blows. They still don't hurt, but I don't want to feel like a punching bag. I'm tired of being one for everyone. My eyes snap open just as one of his hands is about to connect with my face, and I bring my own up just in time. I catch his arm, grasping his wrist so hard it turns my knuckles white. Using all my strength, I yank him back and flip him over me.

He lands behind me with a grunt, and I use the opportunity to leap to my feet. I call for Sutikka, then slam the blade down next to his face once more. He snaps his head to the side, pulling himself from the ground. I need a way to keep him still, so I can collect my thoughts. I almost gasp when an idea storms into my head. I close my eyes, concentrate on the ground, the trees, the roots. As Grey leaps up, a root sprouts from the ground and wraps around his ankle. The root is my arm; I slam it down.

But Grey's arms are free, and his small Orb Insect latches itself to my neck. Suddenly I'm frozen, unable to move. A flashback of Luci's LCSD attack comes to my mind, and I realize this is what happened to him when he was paralyzed.

"There, we're both stuck!" Grey hollers, his face flushed. He doesn't look as tired as I feel, yet I have a feeling that I wore him down a little. "Draw?"

"Naw," I laugh, catching my own breath. "You're surrendering. Does this mean I win?"

"Sure," he huffs, lifting his arms above his head. "Please remove this thing from around my leg. It really hurts."

I chuckle, shaking my head. The root retracts itself from around his ankle, and suddenly Light is back in her owner's hands. Grey walks toward me, sweat dripping from his brow. "I don't know about you, but that was amazing."

"Yeah, it kinda was," I giggle, wiping the perspiration from my forehead.

"I know you don't think so, Bena, but you're ready for this. You had me working out there. You are definitely right, you're incredible in the moment. If you can do that against me, you can do that against anyone. And we were both holding back."

"I don't know, Grey. I guess so. But how do I know you weren't holding back to help me gain my confidence?"

"Kir, you had me working!"

"Fine, fine!" I cry, waving my hands. "Fine! If you think I'm ready, then I am. I guess I was just out of practice."

"So, we both leave tomorrow?"

I bite my lip, gazing up at him. "How about the day after?"

He shakes his head in feigned annoyance, then pulls me to his side. He plants a kiss on the side of my head, dangling his strong arm over my shoulder. "Done. Come on, let's get back."