Anymyth

Chapter 1~Drenched

CHAPTER 1
Drenched.

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I clench my fists tightly and shift my weight forward to my front foot, preparing to launch myself at my opponent. I spring gracefully into the air, executing a perfect flying front kick. My opponent swiftly spins away, but just barely avoids my attack. I land and our backs are towards each other. I close my eyes and mentally activate my Flash Senses. A beam of bright light sparks in my vision. The world appears round me in perfect clarity. I can hear and see everything without even having to open an eye. From the soft purr of the cat sleeping on the hay-bale in the corner of the barn to the tiny ants that curawl across the dirt floor. Every detail, every sound, every movement, I can sense perfectly. The instant my opponent decides to move I act in a counterattack.

He turns and extends his arms in an effort to grab me from behind.  I easily duck under his arms and thrust my elbow into his gut. I am caught off guard by the pain that reverberates up my arm and through my body. It feels as though I had just hit solid stone. He seizes my newly bruised arm and yanks me upright from my crouched position. Still a little dazed, but recovering quickly, I throw a punch with my free hand that collides with his chin. A new bout of pain shoots up from knuckles and wrist through my arm. Jeez! I think to myself. Is he made of bricks or something?!

He captures my other hand and yanks me a step closer. I open my eyes and am startled by our closeness. Our noses are only inches away from each other. A mischievous smile slowly spread across his face. Which is only a little worrying. He blows a sharp breath of air into my face, causing me to snap my eyes shut and jerk my head back. Then he steps one foot on the hem of my dress and steps out with his other foot and swings me past his side. I am caught completely offguard. There is nothing I can do but brace myself for the impact that I know will come. I throw my arms up in front of my face as I trip and fall head first into a full water trough, soaking my dress all the way through.

"Ugh! That was totally unfair, Jester!" I say after I spit out a mouthful of rainwater and brush my long brown hair and bangs out of my face.

Jester is my training partner and one of my seven brothers. Well, sort of brothers. We are not actually related by blood. We were all adopted by Miss Ivory when we were young, and she raises us as her own. Miss Ivory is a kindly older lady at the age of sixty-four. She has shiny black and gray hair that curls just below her chin and has wrinkled yet fair skin. She took me in when I was only a small baby girl of three months old and has been my mother ever since. She has also been the mother for my brothers as well, for the past fifteen years.  

Jester is the youngest of my seven brothers and still a year and a half older than me, aging at seventeen years old. When he was three years old both of his parents died of pneumonia and the towns people brought him to Miss Ivory's farm because they didn't know what else to do with him. Now he is tall with lightly tanned skin. He has curly dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. His freckles cross over his cheekbones and nose and he has big dimples when he smiles, which he does a lot. He is always laughing and making jokes and teasing me but he is still my best friend.

"Aaah...Chris. Chris. Chris. All is fair in love and war" Jester replied with a cheeky grin on his face.
"That may be. But we are not at war, we are sparring"  I say meeting his smile with a scowl of my own.
"Maybe so" He says offering me his hand. "But where's the fun in that?"
"Do I look like I'm having fun? I am dirty. I am cold. And I am wet!" I say gesturing to the water trough that I'm currently sitting in. He laughs and and grabs my hand. I take his hand in return, but instead of letting him pull me out of the trough, feeling a little vindictive, I give his hand a firm yank and pull him in. With a splash he falls in beside me.
"There! Now we're even" I say when he pops his head back out of the water.
"That's fair". He says with a laugh."I needed to take a bath anyway. I haven't had one in weeks"
"Ew!" I reply, making a mock disgusted face and splash water at him. He chuckles and splashes me back. Soon enough we are locked in a epic splashing war to see who can get the other more wet.