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The thought was a battle cry in his heart.
Shoving her away from him, he muttered, “Run.” Then he retrieved his sword breaker from its sheath and faced their attacker. “Get away from here, Celeste.”
“W-what?” She stuttered.
“He wants me more than he wants you. I’ll hold him off. Get as far away from here as you can and doona return.” When she appeared hesitant, he bellowed. “GO!”
Turning on her heels, she dashed through the forest, vanishing from sight. Khalstorm knew he’d never see her again, and he allowed a moment of grief to shoot through his veins. Then he gripped the hilt of his blade and focused on his opponent.
“I had hoped to do this as an official challenge,” said the man. “I suppose I’ll just have to present your head to the clan once I’ve defeated you.”
“Ifyou defeat me,” Khalstorm mocked. “Highly unlikely. I’m afraid your confidence is overblown.” They began to circle one another in the tiny clearing. “What’s your name? Just so I know whose family to inform of your demise.”
The man laughed. “Name’s Lockheed. Not that you’ll be needing it. You chose this location for a reason,” Lockheed surmised, darting a glance around the dense forest. “Does that bauble around your neck keep you from transforming?” He guessed correctly. It reeked of magic. “Are you that witch’s pet then?”
“Do you really care?”
“No. Just wish I had you at full strength. This is going to be too easy.”
Lockheed fake-lunged, tricking Khalstorm into raising his weapon in defense. A test of his reaction time? They circled each other once more, slowly and methodically. Eyeing one another. Sizing each other up. Clocking the other’s slightest movement.
Lockheed was fluid and graceful, just as any dragon warrior worth his salt. Khalstorm felt slow and sluggish by comparison. Not only had the long journey taken a toll, but he felt completely disconnected from his Dragon. It was as if there was a hollow space inside him where the spirit of his Dragon should be. He’d never thought about it before, but now he wondered how much of their physical strength in this form could be attributed to the dragon within . . . and suddenly he knew there was no way he could beat his opponent. Not with this collar on.
He was debilitated on a molecular level.
But he’d give it his all. If he lost too quickly, Lockheed would easily catch up with Celeste.I should have taught her more about the forest.She knew how to avoid the sinkholes, but did she know to conceal her scent? How to backtrack and use the streams and rivers to mask her trail so that she could not easily be tracked?
He needed to give her as much time as possible to get away.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Lockheed? My reputation in battle is unmatched." Khalstorm forced an air of confidence. An instructor had once told him a good portion of battle is won in the mind even before the first strike.
"I’m sure that you’re stalling,” Lockheed said impatiently. “Letting your little witch escape?" Still circling the clearing, Lockheed quickened his pace, through posturing. He took a daring step forward. Khalstorm cautiously backed up, watching the subtle sway of Lockheed’s sword, like a serpent’s graceful body, slithering toward prey. Then Lockheed struck, thrusting his sword out, the action so mind-numbingly swift that the blade seemed to temporarily go transparent.
By the gods he was fast.
At the last second, Khalstorm managed to block it with his sword breaker, sending Lockheed’s weapon reeling. Though he’d successfully deflected the attack, he got the impression Lockheed was testing him. The real fight had not yet begun.
"Are you well-trained with that thing?” Khalstorm inquired, sounding almost bored with the situation.
"Of course,” Lockheed replied arrogantly. “It’s a shame you don’t have a suitable weapon,” he mocked with a smirk. “How do you expect to beat me with that puny thing?”
Khalstorm smirked right back. “I suspect it will be easy enough. You look like a lad who just found his cock for the first time. I bet I could thrash you with a frayed stick and one hand tied behind my back.”
Lockheed’s lips peeled back into a sneer. He twirled the sword in his grip. With a snarl, he lunged again, this time swinging his sword with deadly intent.
Khalstorm bowed back at the last second. A swipe of air from Lockheed’s sword grazed his throat. Despite the fact that Lockheed was here to kill him, he raised an impressed brow. “Nice move. You did no’ telegraph your intent at all.”Delay. Stall. Keep him talking.The best way to do that was to appeal to his ego.
“I've been told my strikes are like that of a snake,” Lockheed said proudly.
Khalstorm couldn’t help but respond, “Oh, you’re definitely like a snake.” The acerbic jeer spurred Lockheed into action again, and their blades met in a thunderous clang that echoed throughout the forest. Nearby slumbering birds squawked awake and fled through the dark canopy.
No longer playing, Lockheed repeatedly struck out, over and over, his speed increasing each time. Khalstorm ducked and dodged, twisting out of the way. When he somehow found himself in an ideal position—Lockheed had made a critical error— he didn’t hesitate. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword breaker and thrust upward, aiming for Lockheed’s jugular.
Lockheed leapt back to avoid the killing strike. Khalstorm inwardly cursed at the missed opportunity, but he had managed to draw blood. A red line bloomed up Lockheed’s right jaw and cheek. Lockheed touched the wound and glowered at the smear of blood on his fingers.
"Perhaps you're not as skilled as you thought?" Khalstorm taunted, sewing doubt in his opponent’s mind. “You're dealing with a prince, trained from birth by the best instructors in the land. There’s no shame in conceding defeat.”
Lockheed’s lips twisted into a cruel smile. "We’re just getting started." He resumed circling, though his movements were tenser. More on guard.
