Child of Ardor

ix

The next couple of weeks were filled with boring classes, lots of battle briefs, some sparring, talking with Xaden and Garrick, and hanging out with my friends.

I've gotten a little better in battle brief, with a grand total of three suggestions given in the hundreds of sessions we've done. I've probably won about half of my sparring and lots about half as well. But most of the ones I lose I tap out pretty early just because I'm tired or really not wanting to get my ass kicked in the process of trying to win and with luck, succeeding.

This makes my brother pretty mad and trust me, we have had many talks about this — but I do appreciate that he has kinda mellowed out due to our talk.

I've also spent a lot of time with Garrick and Bodhi which I am super happy about. And Imogen and I have gotten a little closer, bonding during the little "marked meetings" and such. Because Liam is in a whole other squad and section, she might have moved to my best friend spot.

Today is another sparing day, but before we go sparing we have to go to battle brief. Great.

"Hey, Teagan." Violet's shrill voice sounds right before I enter the door.

"Hey, Violet," I say wearily, turning around to look at her with a confused expression on my face.

We've never talked before, so why is she talking to me now?

Due to the kinda all-ready-declared-hatred between her mother and my father and Xaden rekindling that now that they are attending the same college — along with me — she isn't really on my top list for people I want to talk to.

"I umm," She stammered, fiddling with the braid she had woven in her hair today. "I noticed that you didn't have much to eat for lunch. I have this extra bread, would you like it?"

Huh?

"Umm, not." I said, looking around for an excuse to get out of this. "I'm good — and also, why were you watching me eating?"

It was true that I didn't have much to eat today. Spending the last three years with foster families who either didn't care about me or hated me meant that I didn't always get fed regularly. So I have lost my appetite over the years.

"I— well, I wasn't. It's just." Violet fumbled around her words for something to say before she finally decided on something. "We're in the same squad, ya know? I just figure we should look out for each other."

"Ya well — consider myself looked after, bye now."

I turned on my heel, my hair whipping behind me before making a beeline towards Imogen and some of her friends and sitting down.

"What the fuck was that conversation about with Sorrengail?" Imogen declared immediately, her eyes turning into slits.

"I don't even fucking know."

***

After brief battle the dreaded words came. "Violet Sorrengail against Teagan Riorson."

I groaned internally, but Imogen clapped me on the back, hard, whooping and hollering.

"Go get her, killer."

"I'm not a killer." I mumbled when I was out of earshot.

Violet and I quickly took to the mat, spacing away from each other and raising our fists. She looked more nervous than normal — she was an undefeated fighter. What was different this time?

"Begin!" Professor Emetterio declared.

I didn't fail to notice everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch and Riorson and a Sorrengail face off.

I got lower in my stance as Violet began to walk around the mat. Oh, she's a dancer. We circled each other before Professor Emetterio yelled to get on with it and I decided that I had to be the one to make the first move.

My right foot jabbed to the left, slowly, making sure Violet anticipated the move. She did as I assumed and I quickly spun backward, my left hand curled into a fist that smashed right into Violet's face.

She staggered back and I also took my original place on the mat, giving her some time to recover from the blow that had blood liquid pouring down her nose.

Someone — probably one of the marked kids — yelled at me to strike again. But I didn't. That wasn't me.

Violet quickly recovered, stalking towards me, while I was stupidly focused on the blood changing her hair from silver to a pinkish red. She was able to right hook my lower jaw before I quickly yelped and rolled away.

I got up fast, determined not to lose focus again as I stalked towards her as she had done to me, both of us going down in a fury of limbs.

I was the first one to grab her neck and pull her to my legs, but she hit my ribs, making me release a little bit. The next couple of blows went straight at her left cheek before she hit my neck with her elbow and we were on the ground.

Violet howled with pain and I heard a snap coming from her knee as her leg bent at an awkward angle when it hit the mat. Shit, that's gonna hurt.

Now people were yelling at her to yield — I knew she wouldn't.

I quickly wrapped one of my forearms around her neck, cutting off her oxygen supply slowly as I assumed black started to crowd her vision. She was starting to fall limp in my arms when I heard a small and weak "yield" come from her mouth. I scramble away from her barely conscious body, standing up, the adrenaline still raising through my veins.

Professor Emetterio stopped in. "Sorrengail yield, Riorson T wins."

Rhiannon went and scooped Violet up from the floor.

I walked away from my mat, holding my hands up to my nose, as it seems like Violet got a punch there from how much blood is coming out. Karma.

"What the hell was that?" A hand clamped on my shoulder, and forced me to turn around to face them — Dain, looking furious as ever."

"Huh?" I responded, raising my head to stop the blood flow.

"You probably broke her fucking knee? Do you Tyrians think that's sporting! That, thats okay to do to another rider? No probably fucking not. Because you guys have no honor, no respect."

"Woah, woah, woah." I put my hands up, not even caring about the standing crimson liquid anymore. "I didn't do anything against the rules. I won — fair and square. I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't do any foul play."

Another hand clamped down on me from behind, but this one wasn't angry, it was calming. The room got darker, Xaden.

"There was nothing wrong about that match, Aetos." An eerily calm voice sounded from my brother, but the shadows demonstrated how angry he was. "You don't get to scold my sister because she beat your little girlfriend." He sneered.

"I'm her squad leader." Dain lifted his chin a little higher. "You have no jurisdiction here, Xaden. I can punish anyone in my squad as I see fucking fit."

"I'm her section leader — and yours." Another stern voice entered into the conversation, Garrick. "I rule there was nothing wrong. Get lost, Aetos."

"What..." Dain stuttered.

"Now." Xaden declared, and Dain turned away with a scowl.

"Go get cleaned up, Teags." Garrick told me, turning me straight into yet another body, Bodhi, who quickly placed his hand under my nose and started to lead me away.

Garrick and Xaden started to talk in harsh whispers, their eyes glaring daggers at Dain.

Did I really break Violet's knee?