𝕸𝖀𝕽𝕯𝕰𝕽 | 𝖂𝖊𝖉𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖉𝖆𝖞

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖞-𝖊𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

~

XXVIII
~

Hair tied up in a hugh ponytail (with a few stubbon curls falling out), Aiyla grunted as she slammed her fist into the punching bag again.

Again.

And again.

Until she was panting and gasling for air, her chest heaving as she cried out in frustration.

She kept hitting the punching bag, feeling a dull pain throb at her gloved knuckles. The bag swung with every hit, and eventually, she missed it, sumbling slightly and grunting.

She panted, steading the bag and standing straight, begining to hit blow after blow again.

"Are you thinking of running away from it?"

Aiyla turned on her heel, only to find Bahadir, standing in the training room, observing her.

"I'm thinking of winning," Aiyla gasped in reply, her chest still heaving from exhertion.

He chuckled, "Exactly," he walked forwards, "You can't win like that." He met her eyes, walking slightly backwards, "Remember, Bacı, it's not 'winning' but killing. Kill him." Bahadir smiled at her as if it were an everyday peice of advice. "That's what you should think. Don't try to use your strength. No matter how much you train, it'll be stronger. Especially with your newfound..." he trailed off for a moment, "...hobby."

Aiyla knew he was talking about Xavier.

She sighed looking up at her brother. "What should I do then?"

He pulled his axe from his back, "Attack it's vital points." He placed the axe on a bench and began to pace about. "If it really is a Hyde, then the eyes, the temple, the throat, the solar plexus and the naval." He leaned against the wall. "Attack just its vital points and you can incapacitate it."

Aiyla knew he was right, but she was too tired to bother trying it out.

He saw this.

He took of his jacket and folded it, placing it on the bench. "Let's try it?"

Aiyla blanched, "What?"

"Come here," he ordered, rolling up his sleeves and pulling up his sleeves.

She sighed, fixing her gloves and going go stand in the middle of the training room, facing Bahadir and raising her fists.

Bahadir stood expectingly, watching her as she serveyed him.

Aiyla tried to catch her breath.

And then she lunged forward.

Bahadir blocked her punch, stepping backwards and blocking her follow up hits.

Aiyla tried to hit him again, and then kicked him but he grabbed her leg and flipped her over, causing her to fall to the ground and roll.

She groaned, pushing herself back up to her feet, turned towards Bahadir and raising her fists again.

He smiled at her resilience and Aiyla felt a rush to prove herself.

Fighting against anyone else, she was sure she could win.

Fighting against Bahadir.... That was another matter entirely.

She tried to punch him again, crying out as she did so, and then blocked a hit to her upper lip.

She ducked a hit from him, grabbing his throat and proceeding to attempt to punch him in the face repeatedly, but he had his fist by his chin, blocking the hits.

"Harder!" He yelled.

Aiyla shifted and tried to hit him with more force, but by doing that she left herself open to attack.

She bent backwards to avoid his hit, but he struck a punch to her chin, stopping at the last moment so she could block him.

"Keep you guard up," Bahadir ordered, letting go of her.

They began to fight again, Aiyla kicked and punched him, trying to block his hits while he easily avoided hers.

She kicked him, but he moved out of the way, grabbing her arm and flipping her over and throwing her to the ground. He aimed a hit to her face, but she blocked it.

He grabbed her arm and helped her up, abd Aiyla stood back, raising her fists again.

They began to fight harder now, throwing kicks and punches whilst also geabbing the other and throwing them around.

Bahadir grabbed Aiyla bending her head down slightly so she couldn't look up and tried to knee her stomach. Aiyla pulled back, wrapping her arm arouns his and elbowing him on the inside of his elbow, causing him to let go of her.

She kneed him in the chest with all the force she could muster.

He stumbled back, releasing her and grunting in pain and surprise.

"Abi, are you okay?"

He looked at her, breathing heavily and smiled, "That one was good, Bacı."

Aiyla sighed and grinned, lowering her head and trying to catch her breath.

"You have talent, but the less you use Wrath the less power you have," Bahadir reminded her. "Remember when you killed that boy and beat up all the others before you came here. You let Wrath in so easily."

"I don't want to lose myself," Aiyla admitted.

Bahadir walked towards her and grabbed her head with a gloved hand and kissed her on the top of her head. "You won't. You were born to be a weapon, Bacı."

Aiyla knew, at the bottom of her heart, that he was right.

"Again," Bahadir ordered; and they raised the fists and began to circle each other once more.

At the sound of the grunting and the hitting, Xavier Thorpe stood at the door of the training room, watching as they sparred.

He observed the two as they hit each other, expertly doging and blocking as they fought.

It may have looked like a rough scapple but the more Xavier watched the more he realised that they were born to fight.

Aiyla's gazelle eyes were narrowed, cold and calculating as she tried to overpower her brother with her agility.

Bahadir stood strong and fast, anticipating all her moves as he attempted to use his size and brute strength.

They were so compatible in a way.

Xavier eyed Aiyla, watching as she jumped on Bahadir's back, pulling an arm around his throat and bending backwards until she flipped him over and onto the ground. She looked so at ease, as if a fight was her natural habitat.

And even through she was covered in sweat, her curls a mess, and her clothes loose, he'd thought she had never looked more beautiful.

So, hidden in the shadows, as the two siblings beat the shit out of each other, Xavier got his sketchbook out and began to draw.