Survivors

Chapter 17: Xain

Chapter 17: Xain

          Less than three days to go before the games, and Jada is almost a pro at being a fighter. Well from a rookie stand point at least. According to Katya, she’s a bit of a challenge to go up against with a knife. She says it’s gotten to a point where she has to use fake knives whenever they’re training. Whenever I train with her with swords, I feel like I’m fighting a highly trained warrior rather than a rookie fighter. She’s either extremely adaptive or she’s always had all of this “killer” instinct stored up.

          Everyone has had a chance to help Jada. Well, the only two left was just Abi and Clay. Clay was mostly the dummy she practiced on. We all teamed up to teach her how to deal with multiple opponents. She did better than I thought. It. Only took her about 20 minutes to neutralize all of us. It took me weeks to be able to fight off multiple opponents.

          These past couple of days have seemed to have flown by as quickly as they came. It’s hard to believe that it was just four days ago that we, Jada and I, met. We were able to spend hours together on that first day—Izzy’s fight, combat training, talking, getting to know each other—only to now only be able to see each other in the mornings for training, afternoons for lunch, and evenings for dinner. Any free time we have is when the other has to work or train.

          I can barely believe how many trainers, stylists, and weapons dealers want to meet up with her. I guess ever since they heard that the Titan Trio—an ironic nickname they gave me, Abi and Izzy seeing as, compared to most great fighters, we’re kind of small—had some involvement in her apparent skill, they all wanted to have her name branded onto their services. It’s just all to make them famous, seeing as if she were to die, they would be on the next “up and coming” fighter.

          We would occasionally pass each other in the halls of our section or see each other while training separately, but other than those brief moments, we never get a chance to talk. It’s just been me and Melissa for much of the time. Abi and Katya have been adamant about having “girl time” with Jada. Clay disappears from time to time, but all he does is flirt with Melissa when he’s with me. That and ask about Jada. Melissa either doesn’t mind it or enjoys his company.

          “So, what do you think of Jada?” Melissa asks me. We’re having lunch in her private room above the infirmary because everyone else went into the town past the gates. There are a few shops close by that allow the use of credits rather than cash so fighters can enjoy their business. It’s mostly food and armories. Plus, I wanted to check on Izzy.

          “I like her a lot,” I say as I bite into a fish sandwich.

          Melissa just smiles. “You like her a lot.”

          “As a friend,” I catch what she’s saying, “We are just friends.”

          “I know,” Melissa chuckles, “I was just teasing.”

          “So what about you and Clay, then,” I ask her. She looks at me confusedly. “I see him always flirting, but you just smile and blush.”

          “It’s nothing,” she responds with a grin, “I’m the youngest medic here, so a lot of boys flirt with me.”

          “That makes sense,” I say, “you’re also the prettiest one here too.”

          Melissa blushes mildly. “Just when I was about to say you are the only one who never flirts with me.”

          “Don’t worry,” I respond with a smile, “I wasn’t flirting.”