A Luna's Flame

Chapter Twenty-Eight

My heart pounded in my ears as excitement filled my body.

"Wooah ah. Ho ho," Enyo chanted from the shadows of my mind, her voice deep and dark.

I tossed off the loose hand-me-down shoes and removed my oversized sweatshirt. The long, ragged scars that ran down my sides, wrapped around my torso, and stretched across my back glistened as the harsh sunlight warmed my skin. The burn marks that peppered my skin like birthmarks created by the Moon Goddess herself mocked the heat. A cool kiss compared to the embers they emerged from.

"Wooah ha. Ho ho. Ahe. Ho ho."

I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck as I walked into the middle of the clearing. I felt their eyes wander across my marred skin like they were searching for its hidden message.

"Wooah ha. Ho Ho."

I heard Orion's boots thud against the hard forest floor as his heart thumped proudly against his chest. I raised my head to the sky, my eyes closed, basking in the warmth. Oh, how I missed being free.

"No wolves. No killing. First to submit wins. If you get out of hand, Rogue, you will be killed immediately," Nikias explained with the threat lingering in the air.

I smirked softly, without care.

"Wooah ha. Ho Ho."

"Nyx, are you ready?" Orion asked as the sounds of his knuckles cracking filled the tense air.

"Wooah ha. Ho Ho."

I simply nodded as the chanting filled my heart as my body relaxed.

"Fight!" Nikias commanded as he quickly stepped out of the clearing, watching us closely.

Orion sprang into action, his stride confident and long.

"Woooooooah HA. HO HO," Enyo thundered in my mind as she stalked out of the shadows with her claws flexing.

The Delta swung at me with devasting speed and accuracy, aiming directly for my left ribcage.

"Ahe," I exhaled as he rapidly closed in the space between us like a mad viper.

Before the taunt skin on his uneven knuckles could meet my warmed body, I gracefully sidestepped him and redirect his momentum to fall forward. My elbow aggressively slammed against his sternum as his feet and mind scrambled to process my unexpectedly quick movements. A ragged gasp rattled in his lungs as he stumbled forward, clutching his chest. I languidly created some distance as he fought for composure.

"Lucky, bitch," Kass muttered under her breath from the sidelines.

I hummed softly as Orion recovered and readied himself, watching me closely. I slowly circled him accessing his readied form. A soft breeze swept a loose curl into my face as I weighed out my options. Acting in intrigue, I charged at him. I was quick and silent as he prepared for my attack. I faked for his legs, and when he tried to counter, I swung at his throat. Before I could make contact, he countered and landed a powerful punch across my face. I ignored the pain as I grabbed his forearm and kicked the side of his right knee, forcing him to the ground. With his uninjured leg, he hooked it around my ankle, tripping me onto the forest floor. As soon as my body hit the unforgiving ground, I rolled over and got to my feet. I backed away slightly as I watched Orion quickly get up. I smirked as he slightly winced as he put pressure on his leg. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth as my busted lip and bruising cheek pulsed.

"I thought you wanted answers," I taunted as cracked my neck.

"And I thought you were stronger. A wolf like you killing all of my warriors? I guess your brother did all the work," he countered.

His friends whistled in excitement as he puffed out his chest, proud of his dig. I rolled my eyes, before charging once again. He met me head-on. The fight was brutal. No punch was pulled, and no doubt clouded our minds. Blood painted the grass beneath our feet as the temperate air filled with the sounds of devasting impact. I felt content as the melody of bones breaking sang in my ears.

"Pull back," Enyo warned as she shook out her fur.

Sweat rolled down the scars that littered my spine as my body relaxed into the thrill of the fight. My blood was racing in my veins as my heart pounded in excitement.

"Nyx...pull back," Enyo reiterated.

He landed a solid blow to my ribcage, cracking two bones. I gifted him a broken wrist as a thank you. His heart was racing against the speed of his strikes. Its loud drumming was almost drowned out by the noisiness of his uneven panting.

"Calista...remember your promise. It's not time. Your restraint will slip if you continue," Enyo pressed as she began to gain more clarity on the current situation.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as I parried his attack.

"Yeah. Yeah. I was barely trying anyway," I dismissed.

Slowly, I began to let the tides of the fight shift. His strikes began to land perfectly, each hit coming faster than the last. I could sense his eagerness as my blocks were beginning to fail, under the ruse of fatigue. I would successfully strike strong hits sparingly as I began to pant audibly. He would overpower me too quickly if I was not careful. My sternum cracked as he landed a punch to my torso, following up with breaking another rib on the opposite side, before hitting me across the face, and the skin on my left cheek tightened. I feigned a stagger as I sloppily attempted to recover while grasping at my side. He capitalized and kicked my shin, damaging my tibia. I roughly fell to the ground, and he wrapped his calloused hand around my neck.

"Submit," he growled out as I half-heartedly struck out at anything I could reach.

He lifted me slightly before slamming me back down.

"I said submit," he roared in my face.

I looked at him with pure rage in my eyes at his disrespect, my instincts rebelling over my mind. Before I could teach him his place, his eyes glossed over as a mindlink broke his concentration. I wrapped my legs around his torso and harshly flipped us over, interrupting his message.

"I submit to no one," I spat as I got up and limped away.