Sands of Destiny: Five Lights Appear

Chapter 7: Don't Underestimate Little Trista

She always sat alone. She wore a purple, hooded leather jacket, and everything else she wore was black. Her eyes were the color of lavender, and her skin was a golden brown. The kids never messed with her, thinking she was weak. She was in the beginner's academy for the Sheriff's squadron. In the Southwest Sands, it was the easiest way to survive. This girl was forced into it by her father, and lacked interest in the school portion of the academy. Like a lot of kids, she was waiting for the second semester, combat training. She trembled with glee at the thought of beating up these stuck up kids hoping to be Sheriff's. At heart, young Trista was a wrangler, and hated the Sheriff's with a burning passion. But since she was there she figured she'd climb to the very top.

"Why are you here little girl?!"

Trista looked up to see three big, burly boys. She smirked a little.

"I wouldn't recommend you try anything. I'd hate to embarrass you already."

"What was th..."

Trista spun around, sweeping all three of them with a kick flush to their chins. They all dropped like piles of bricks

"I said, back off!!!"

The entire class turned around to see the gentle looking Trista standing over the three biggest kids in the class. Naturally, they were shocked, and it was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"Hey, nice kick kid, but let's save that for next semester. I'll let it slide this once."

"Yes sir, understood."

Trista sat back down, smirking as the boys scrambled back to their seats. She intended on making their lives hell in just a few short weeks.

--

"Welcome to semester two here at the Sheriff Squadron Academy! This semester is all about combat. Here, we don't believe in weaklings. So I've decided, you'll all brawl until only one of you remains standing. Everyone else will fail and be removed from the academy. "

Trista grinned. The rest of the kids panicked complaining the rules were unfair. When in all actuality, they were saving them from people like Trista.

"Ready?! FIGHT!!!"

Trista sprang into action, knocking everyone out as soon as they came close to her. She was so confident that she put her hands in her pockets, and used only her feet. Jump kicks, sidekicks, sweeping low kicks, whatever it took, Trista took down everyone one of her former classmates, looking bored from the lack of competition.

"What next?!"

"You are quite the little fighter, huh girly? Well for your sake, I hope you are as good as you seem."

"Trust me mister, you haven't seen anything yet!"

"Hehehe, good! Bring him in!"

From a room behind the instructor, emerged a large, muscle bound man.

"They call him the Rookie Crusher, beat him, and you'll be allowed to skip the rest of the academy, and go straight to being a Sheriff."

"Yeah yeah, bring it on already."

The man called the Rookie Crusher, let out a blood curdling scream, and charged Trista. With her hands still in her pockets, she jumped up, and back flipped, kicking both feet off of the Rookie Crusher's face. She landed, sliding back a little from the force of kicking off of a moving pile of muscle. Trista smiled, chuckling to herself.

"You're faster than I thought. This might actually be fun!"

Trista dashed forward, dodging the Rookie Crusher's wide, looping punches easily. She jumped up and kicked him with a flurry of sidekicks to the gut. The Rookie Crusher ducked, grabbing at her. Trista had already dodged to the side, kicking him in the liver. The Rookie Crusher flinched and turned towards her slowly. She jumped up, and knocked him out with a spinning kick. The Rookie Crusher fell hard, and you could tell he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

"I win!"

"Very impressive! You, young lady, just passed the hardest exam in the Academy on your first try, and at just 8 years old!"

"That guy was boring after all."

"Young Trista, you are officially a Sheriff, and I will be recommending you fight for second in command."

"Fine by me!"

Trista knew the man she had to beat. He was the very same man that trained her. Her father, and the Southwest Sands second in command, she was fighting a man known as the Terrible Troy. She grew excited over the thought of a real challenge.

--

"So Trista, they tell me you're gonna challenge second in command! You do know who that is right?!"

"Of course I know it's you dad. I think you're underestimating me!"

"Haha! Of course not! After I heard how easily you put down the Rookie Crusher I'd be silly not to take you seriously. Plus, I am the one who trained you!"

Trista lived alone with her dad. They were very close, and sometimes more like an older brother and his little sister. Deep down, they both hated the Sheriff's, but because they lived in the Southwest Sands, it was either join the Sheriff's, or die in one of Great Eight Titan's rampages. They talked over their dinner, as they did most nights.

"I hope you are stronger than me Trista, but I won't go easy on you. Because if you ever plan on stopping him, he won't hold back either."

"Don't worry dad I'll beat you!"

"Haha, looks like I've got a cocky little girl on my hands!"

They finished their dinner and headed for bed, knowing they'd next see each other on the Sheriff's training field, battling for the second in command spot.

--

"Well, well, well, looks like the fighting spirit runs in the family Troy. This girl is undoubtedly your daughter."

"I'd say so, Great Eight Titan. She might have even surpassed me already. She's a natural."

"Hmmm. What is your name, girl?"

"Trista!"

"Alrighty, tell ya what, if you beat your dad, I'll give you your own special sector of Sheriffs that you can train up how you want. And I'll give you control over half of the Southwest Sands. Sounds like a deal right, young Trista?!"

Trista grinned in excitement.

"I hope you're ready to honor that!"

"She does have some fight in her, Haha. Alright, this is no fight to the death, because we cannot afford to lose either of you two special Sheriffs. Instead one of you will have to make your opponents admit defeat. Now that that's out of the way, fight!!!"

Trista didn't dare try fighting her father with her hands in her pockets. Instead, she wielded two sai, deadly, sharp three prong daggers with a deep purple dragon coiling around the hilts, that she trained to use ever since she could walk. She knew more ways to kill with them then most men 3 times her age knew how to kill with anything at all. Troy wielded his own daggers, which were twelve inches of stainless steel, double edged, and razor sharp. His hilts had golden dragons on them, being an emblem warriors in their family used for generations. They both circled slowly, trying to feel each other out. Trista watched her dad's every movement, not daring to make the first move. It was in an instant. Troy seemingly disappeared and popped up right in front Trista. Trista wasn't quite fast enough to beat his speed, but just quick enough to counter, not moving or running, but delivering a kick straight to her father's chest. Troy stumbled backwards, unsteady on his feet.

"Now's my chance!!!"

Trista threw her sai into the air, and jumped after them, kicking off each one as if she was jumping up stairs. Troy dodged both, but couldn't manage to keep his balance and fell right next to one of Trista's sai. She landed on his back, grabbed the sai, and held it to her father's throat.

"I win!"

"Ya got me good, dang it!"

"Impressive, you're a very nimble young girl. To think you could keep Terrible Troy on the run is insane. Well I made my promise, and I'll deliver on it. You are now my second in command, and ruler of half of the Southwest Sands."

Trista smirked, devilishly, knowing that part one of her great plan was already complete.