Wucaii

Chapter Three

Aelana lay on the cave floor, staring at the ceiling. Water dripped in the distance, and the smell of mud and wet vegetation drifted into her nose. The scents and sound comforted her, but they were also tainted with uncleanliness. The man-made chemicals clung to her scales, trying to penetrate her flesh. They made her feel gritty and tickled the back of her throat. It was hard, but not impossible, to ignore the unease. She twirled one of her braids around her fingers, smiling to herself. Why had she been so worried? It was nice the inhabitants remembered her, but it would have been fine if they hadn't. As the queen said, it had been five hundred cycles. Her role wasn't exclusive to this planet—there had been thousands of others, and she never worried about being remembered on them.

Still, coming home was different, and not only because it had changed so much. She felt possessive. After all, it was the first place she'd saved, the place where she turned into the hybrid, and the place where Thoran lived.

Ah, Thoran. How she missed the man. Most days, her thoughts rarely turned to him, but others, tears threatened to fall at any second. Her mind drifted to their first meeting.

***

Aelana and Leld entered the long, rectangular building at the base of the tower. She was twelve cycles old and had been in the practice arena since she was eight. Every inch of the room was familiar to her: where the rises in the floor were, which board creaked, where the walls were cracked. Hours a day were spent practicing in the room with other students, but that day was different. Her skills would be called into question; she would be tested.

Leld held back slightly as Aelana walked toward her three teachers with shoulders back and head held high. They stood in front of a wall adorned with armor. Axes, maces, clubs, swords, and spears lined every inch of the rock wall, and her chest swelled with pride; she could wield any one of them with deadly force. She bowed deeply to the three men, and they returned her gesture.

"Today is the day," one of them began as she straightened up, "you will perfect your training and choose your ultimate weapon. But, before then, you must prove you are worthy. This shall be done in a duel with a great student from another city whose skills match your own."

Aelana followed his gaze, which settled on a tall, muscular boy with long, black hair and stunning blue eyes that stared at her coldly.

"Because of the seriousness of this battle, real swords and real cautions must be used. The only rule that governs this match is that no one dies and no lethal wounds shall be inflicted. Everything else is permitted. Let the duel begin."

The two men who had stood silent moved and presented both Aelana and the boy with swords. Leld moved to stand with the masters, and the two students faced off in the large area before them. They slowly circled each other before finding their ground and taking their stances. Aelana's left leg was bent forward and held most of her body weight while her right leg extended straight behind her. Her left hand was held out in front with her, palm turned toward the boy, the sword in her right hand held up near her head. The boy stood with feet apart and knees pointed outward, slightly bent. He held his sword with both hands directly in front of him in a defensive position.

Aelana lunged forward and brought the sword down in an arc. The boy stepped back slightly, bringing up his sword and stopping her attack with a clash of metal. He countered with a low swing and brought his sword up from the ground, but Aelana's weapon stopped him. Her arm vibrated with the force of his hit. She spun and brought her weapon around, aiming for his neck. He ducked and sidestepped the blow. With the tip of her sword pointing at his face, she stepped forward and pushed him back. The floor buckled a few feet behind him. Her plan was to get him off balance, perhaps make him fall, and then the battle would be over. He wasn't falling for her ruse. Using his sword, he whacked hers out of the way, countering with another slash to her stomach and stepping forward. She jumped back and brought her sword over her head. This was her training room. He wasn't going to get the best of her. She brought the blade down in a circular arc. The boy blocked her strike, and they continued to trade strikes and blows.