The Zodiacs

2. Akil of Aquarius

Falling back, Zahra barely managed to avoid the sharp point of the wooden weapon that they'd been given to practice all their learned techniques. She grunted at the pain that shot up her spine because of the hard armor that she wore that only seemed to weigh her down further.

The man she sparred with took the moment of struggle as a chance to jump forward, lifting his weapon above his head with a plan that Zahra quickly recognized. He planned on plunging it right down into the center of her armor --marking himself as the winner and disqualifying her from the first day of actual battling. If that wasn't a bad mark on her image, then she wasn't sure what would be.

Zahra flipped onto her stomach, kicking one leg until it hit her attacker's ankles, making him fall onto his back just as she had done. But, instead of basking in her successful attack, the girl quickly fumbled to lift herself off of the floor because she knew it wouldn't be as easy to rise under the weight of the thick wood on her body as it was to fall.

Her opponent was up by the time she'd straightened, both of them preparing for another attack from either side. They both blinked at each other for a brief moment, his hazel eyes shooting icicles at her while he tried to read her next move. Zahra was confident that he wouldn't be able to because, you see, she didn't even know what her next move would be.

"Seven!" The familiar, strong voice made both of them freeze just as she took a planned step forward. Zahra tried to suppress the already racing heart in her chest at Master Omari's voice --it was only the second day of training and he already had such an effect on her. Then again, she'd always been a flirt with attractive boys in school. But this wasn't school, it was the Pharaoh's Military.

She quickly straightened, dropping her weapon to her side while turning to face the approaching man. He was wearing a long-sleeved Jalabiya of a color that bordered between grey and light blue.

Knowing she was an admirer of traditional male clothing, Zahra looked forward and avoided letting her eyes slide around the raised collar that he had buttoned from the base of his chest all the way to the base of his neck. Most of all, she forced herself not to look at the perfectly fitting material that ran all the way down his body --like the casual gowns that she always saw men wearing in the streets.

Why did it look so good on Master Omari though?

He took the final step toward her, one hand loosely tucked into the right pocket of his Jalabiya. "That's improper stance," he spoke with evident dissatisfaction.

Zahra held her breath when he wrapped one hand around her right wrist, pulling her arm forward. She instinctively began to step with the movement of her body, but was forced to a stop when his foot planted in front of her left one --making her catch herself on her right leg.

"Try to land a hit like that," he twisted her wrist, making the sword face up before adjusting the hilt against the base of her palm. "And you'll do two things: lose your weapon and break your wrist. Understood?"

"Yes Master Omari," she nodded, keeping her posture while patiently waiting for him to pull away and allow her to breathe comfortably once again.

But he didn't pull away, instead moving his hands to her shoulders and turning her upper body slightly to the left, pushing her back forward to strengthen her posture even more. "Back straight, knees bent," he pressed down onto her to force her into a lower position. "Eyes ahead."

With one last look at her posture, Master Omari turned and walked away, continuing to supervise all the paired fights going on around them. Zahra sighed, feeling the wooden platform creak beneath her feet with the heavy breath. Glancing past her partner's position a couple steps away from the edge, she assumed that they were a little over seven feet above the ground. She'd counted ten steps while climbing up the stairs that led them all up here.