“But half the shifter barracks have gone!” I pleaded, failing miserably at trying not to sound desperate.
“And perhaps this cohort could have gone as well,ifyou’d been half decent at anything,” Essyma snapped. “But you’re not. You’re all crap, the worst of the worst, which means you have no right to leisure time until I say you do. So you’ll stay here and you’ll train. End of discussion.”
Though even as she said this, her expression changed, considering.
“How many of you want to see this match?” she asked, curious.
I raised my hand slowly. Everyone but Artol, the wolf shifter, did as well. Huh… I wasn’t the only one.
Essyma smiled. “Then I have the perfect solution. Saia and Svek, you two spar, whoever wins can watch the match.” She turned to me and Artol and I already knew what she’d say. “Myel, if you can defeat Artol, you can go as well.”
Yup.
I hated fighting the wolf shifter, mostly because he reveled in fighting me. He was stronger, faster, tougher and very perceptive. I rarely won against him and he thoroughly enjoyed ripping me to shreds whenever we faced off.
“Maybe, with the right motivation, this troop can actually get their act together and look like some semblance of a fighting force!” Essyma seemed proud of her decision.
I couldn’t fault her.
I’d certainly be fighting harder than I ever had. Though that wouldn’t guarantee victory, especially since my bond was being a dick and distracting as hell.
“Oh… and just for some added fun,” Essyma grinned her viper’s smile, “Myel, no shadows for you, fight in the sun. Let’s see you win by sheer strength and prowess, no tricks.”
And… I was fucked.
“Yes, leader,” I said as my stomach bottomed out.
Artol laughed, an evil thing. “This should be fun.”
The two of us walked to a sparring ring in the middle of the large training yard, in full sun.
“I hope you’re ready to see your own bowels,” Artol whispered as he shifted into his hybrid form. Wolves were the most common shifters, and though not the strongest, still apex predators. Long claws extended from large hands, his fangs grew as his snout elongated. He got about a foot taller, heavy with muscle which twitched, ready to launch him into this fight.
My shift was far less dramatic. I grew a few inches, but bats weren’t large animals to begin with. My muscles stretched, a little stronger in this form, but not by much. My wings came out and my ears elongated. Bats had talons, but on their feet only. I could use them when flying, but my hands remained mostly human.
I had two slight advantages over Artol: my flight, and my hearing. But seeing as how I’d have to get within range of his claws to hit him, flight didn’t do much for me, and despite that I could hear the pounding of his heart, my exceptional hearing didn’t help much either. His hearing wasn’t as good, but it was still superhuman and he’d hear me coming.
I took to the skies as Essyma called for the fights to start.
“Come down here and face me like a man,” Artol taunted me.
“Why? I have wings, why shouldn’t I use them to my best advantage?”
Artol growled.
Without my ability to shadow-step or hide, there was no way I could surprise him, which was usually my best approach.
Still, I had to win this fight… somehow.
As I tried to figure out some strategy to win, Artol called out to me again. “Why you want to see the match anyway? Just two elf bitches fighting.”
My anger leaped to life at him calling Izzy such a name.
Artol must have seen me twitch and laughed. “What… you got a thing for one of them? Like to dream about sticking your dick in an elf slut?”
The bond responded viscerally to Artol’s words. I swooped down. It was reckless, but even as my mind reeled at his insults, I managed to put together a vague plan ofattack. I was slightly faster than Artol, but the margin was so small it usually didn’t mean much. Still… perhaps I could use that tiny advantage.
Artol crouched, then leaped up to meet me. If the wolf-shifter had a flaw, it was his aggressiveness, an over-eagerness to fight. He threw himself into battle a little too readily and this time, it would hurt him.
