Chapter 40 CHAPTER 40
I should have just dropped that book and gotten some more sleep because none of these theories translated to anything physically.
“You must love the feeling of the ground, Ferguson!” Someone yelled from the onlooking crowd, earning me loud and mocking laughter from the crowd.
A tear threatened to fall from my eyes but I swallowed and moved away from the ground quickly.
This particular Instructor wasn't nice, didn't care that I was new, and didn't care that my claws could barely stay out for a long stretch of time.
He put me in the line and is literally giving everyone a chance to beat the crap out of my hide.
The rule was simple, the winner gets to move to the right and the loser stays back and fights until they lose consciousness.
No one has ever lost the light from their eyes during one of these according to Erin but I guess there's a first time for everything.
It was my fifth spar and I wasn't even trying to beat anyone anymore, it was futile; these people have been training for months now and can throw me to the ground in a second in their sleep, what's the point?
“Once again, we have a consistent loser,” Master Varak bellowed, “and I'm tempted to keep this going but it's becoming boring. I'll switch –”
“Master let me spar with her, I'll let her beat me.”
You guessed right, Kovar.
“You're becoming quite predictable,” I sneered, looking him in the eyes.
“Why are you such an ungrateful? I'm just trying to help you!”
“And I will rather have everyone here throw me to the ground a thousand times over than have your filthy hands touch me in the name of ‘helping’! Sadistic bastard!”
“Hey! Hey! Shut it down! What's the rule about fighting in my class?”
“It's literally what we're here to do,” I blurted as I dusted my fingers again. Sand had gotten into crevices that I didn't have up until this morning.
Great. More clothes that I'll have to buy if I get back to earth.
When.
Not if.
Nothing is making me stay here where I'm being used as a punching bag with no mercy. My eyes were closing and my body was tired of repairing broken parts.
“No Ferguson,” the instructor snapped me back, approaching me like a stalking predator, “any fighting, not sparring leads to whipping. Both of you. Now I'll let you off the leash because you're not aware of the rule. But the next time, I'm sure some people here would love to see what your bones actually look like that makes you so weak you're always on the fucking ground!”
“Varak!”
We all turned to see the Principal on his beloved Styx and although he was all the way there, I knew he could see and hear what was happening here.
And he looked livid.
“Draco,” the instructor faked a smile, “what brings you this way?”
He didn't answer, just stared, his eyes blazing with anger that I could tell he was struggling to control.
“Miss Ferguson, see me in my office after this class!” He commanded and then turned Styx around and rode off in haste.
The tension in the official training ground was palpable.
Until Principal Draco was out of sight.
“Someone is a teacher's pet,” Master Varak teased me, “try not to get caught up in the attention. Our Principal doesn't have emotions.”
“You don't think anger is an emotion?” I retorted, my tone showing how much I detested that condescending tone.
“Well since you're so bent on being a smart mouth, it's clearly a waste of my time trying to give you some rest. Kovar, your turn.”
“What?!”
“I'll be gentle on you, don't worry,” he grinned, but in the next second, it was replaced with a smirk that turned my stomach upside down.
“Sir can I take her place?”
It wasn't Erin, but the angry and shocking voice of Mira was staring at the instructor, defending me.
What the hell is happening?
“Go back to your clique, Kayaren,” Kovar gritted out, fisting his palms in anger, “this is between Ferguson and me!”
“And why's that, Kovar?” She turned his attention fully to him, getting up in his face.
She was exactly his height and she didn't even seem scared.
I remembered her explaining how this show was run, did she forget or something?
“Mira?” I called, I didn't want her getting in trouble on my behalf, “you don't have to –”
“I'm not doing anything, I'm just asking him why he won't fight with me. Come on Master Varak, can't I replace a loser anymore?”
“You are allowed to –”
“Then tell Kovar to fight me,” she demanded and then got closer to his fury-filled face, “or are you scared a girl from the Howling lands can beat your uppity self into a pulp?”
That made him lose his shit and he attacked her, beginning a shit show of visceral and animalistic battle.
I'd thought Mira was all bark and no bite but she held her ground against Kovar's aggressive strength, her sleek manoeuvres landing him on the ground many times over and over.
She had a bruised lip, a dislocated shoulder, and her eyes were going to be swollen for the afternoon but he wasn't looking better off.
His clothes were half on him and half on the ground so her claws had made a painting of his body, scarring him again and again in that particular spot at his shoulder blades at the back.
Like she was digging for something.
“You both need to end this right now or I'll end it myself!” Master Varak bellowed, and I smelled fear in his tone.
Two of them circled each other again, eyes taking in each other's weak spots, noticing every injury.
Like a tiger, Mira jumped, and trying to evade her pouncing speed, Kovar bent low, aiming to grab her from the waist down.
And he did, in a second actually.
But before he could use her body to wipe the floor, she dove down into the spot she's been working on the entirety of the battle and Kovar lost his grip instantly.
Her claws dug deeper until half her fingers were in his skin.
“Tap out Kovar! What is wrong with you?!” One girl screamed from the crowd, and I realized he was trying to buy Mira, who must have disconnected something that made him lose mobility in the other hand and no one noticed or tried to stop her from doing further damage.
She was bloody angry, her eyes were a shade of red and she seemed to be shifting more into an animal than a kin and I looked at Kovar's eyes.
Panic.
“Mira?” I called her name and she looked at me so fast I felt dizzy on her behalf. “Please?”
I don't know why I was begging for him, I guess I'm not strong enough to stomach this violence.
As she took her claws away from his shoulder blades, Kovar collapsed completely to the ground and we heard a loud pop.
“Alright, we have a winner,” Master Varak declared, the bastard actually smiling. “Someone take Kovar to the infirmary, and Mira, go back to your hostel.”
“Can I go with her?” I asked, needing to figure out what the fuck just happened.
“Well, you're done for today and you have to go kiss the Principal's ass later on so run along as well.”
I ignored his silly jab, I had more important things to figure out, especially Mira who was running off like she was being chased by a hellhound.