The Art of Blood and Power (Book 2 in The Gifted Trilogy)

17- A Clash of Ideals

I rolled and recovered the wooden staff, jumping to my feet as Kess reached where I stood and raised his own staff in an arc, bringing it down towards me with full force.

I raised my own weapon, stopping the staff with a resounding crack as the two weapons crashed together. I kicked towards Kess's open legs, but he dodged and quickly withdrew his staff, stepping around me in hopes of finding a vulnerable position. I mimicked his moves, never letting him face anything but my front stance.

"You could have killed me," I growled in irritation.

"With a wooden staff?" he questioned teasingly. "After all of our time spent training, I would have taken that as a personal insult to my instructing abilities."

I growled, lunging forward with my staff but he easily blocked it. However, my move was only meant to distract him. I quickly unsheathed the dagger at my side and sliced his opposite arm, watching as the cloak around his shoulder ripped beneath my blade. He glanced at his torn garment and ripped the cloak off, turning towards me with a predatory smirk. "I think it's about time you graduated from fighting me in beginner mode."

I grinned back, hoping to provoke him. "Bring it on, Cinis."

Without further warning, Kess whipped his staff in a sideways arc and I was forced to push myself backwards to avoid getting hit. As the staff swept through the air, a blaze of fire erupted, following the staff's arc as Kess tossed it to the side, leaving him with no weapon besides his fists that were now surrounded in flames. He smirked at me as I caught my balance and chuckled myself. "It's about time" I muttered, gripping my staff tighter and making the first attack.

As I swept at his feet. Kess jumped upwards, simultaneously shooting to arcs of fire towards me. Dodging the flames forced me to tuck into a roll, and immediately I was once again on the defense.

Kess continued pummeling me with balls of fire, I used my staff to redirect the ones that got too close to me, yet the heat of the flames still managed to singe my clothes in multiple areas. I knew Kess was trying to provoke my Shadow abilities but I still couldn't manage to concentrate on them enough to retaliate in any way.

I ducked as another streak of flames swept close enough to my face that I felt a burning against my cheek and hissed in pain. Kess didn't seem to notice how close his flames were getting towards actually harming me as he continued his assault.

Come on darkness, I urged as I continued ducking and dodging Kess, forced to step out of the ring as Kess pushed me further back towards the middle of the training yard. I suddenly noticed that the few remaining Ember soldiers in the yard had stopped their training and were now watching. Out of the corner of my eyes, I watched Ash and Cicero exchange coins from where they now stood at the edge of the yard.

They're betting on this fight I thought in irritation. My pride refused to give up without more of a fight. Roaring, I took the sudden offensive, using the benefit of Kess's surprise to get close enough to swing my staff, hitting him squarely in the chest before he could block it. He stumbled, gasping from the blow. I didn't let up, using my sudden advantage to hit at his lower abdomen, throwing him off balance.

Kess tried to shoot fire towards me but I tilted my body while continuing my attack, frustration at my inability to reach the Shadow realm fueling my blows. Eventually I managed to get close enough to stick my leg out, kicking towards his shins. With a final smack of my staff to his side, Kess fell to the ground.

I lowered my staff until it was pressed firmly to his chest. He panted, looking up at me in surprise. I grinned smugly. "What was that you said about beginners-"

But before I could finish gloating, Kess's hand shot up and closed over the end of the staff pressed against his chest. Immediately the wooden staff erupted into flames. As the fire raced up the staff towards me, I was forced to drop it, losing my only weapon to my opponent.