Dragons of Marak: Book 1, Wings & Sword

#7

 An expanding white light engulfed the boardra across from Ana. Their body flattened and rolled up like a scroll. Their tusks grew larger and sharper. They cracked, splitting in two, letting more light flood the air around them. And then, the flash dissipated, and their transformation was complete. They dropped into the hands of their partner, in the form of two knives. The short boy across from Ana was adorned in bronze armor. He locked eyes with Ana. She had equipped Cee at the same time as his boardra had equipped to him. By now, Ana and Cee were so in sync that they could equip without much thinking about it.

Water erupted around her dragon blade, surrounding it.

"So he's got knives," Ana said, watching as the boy stood stock still.

Be careful, Cee said. Boardra knives are very fast.

It must mean something if Cee, of all people, was telling her to be careful. Ana smiled.

The dragonbound announcer's voice cut through the heat.

"Here we go, folks! These are the same equips they used last time."

"Manik is gonna charge!" the other announcer shouted.

A moment later, the boy was kicking up dust and sand. He closed the distance to Ana in only a few seconds. Fast. By the Uniter, Cee wasn't kidding. If she hadn't been watching him closely, he might have caught her off guard.

Ana swung her sword at the same time as the boy leaped, his knife aimed for the flag on her hip. She made contact with a metal bracer. The boy's knife slipped away from her body, missing her flag. He stumbled, then leaped away from her before she could swing Cee at him again.

Ana's heart was racing now, but she let out a laugh anyway. She swung Cee around, until he was pointed at the boy. He was focused. She felt exhilarated.

"You weren't kidding," she said to her dragon sword. "He's like lightning."

When we equip to you, we merge with you, Cee said. The boardra's strengths have been passed onto him.

Ana wondered momentarily what strengths of Cee's she was inheriting. The boy paced, clearly thinking about how best to strike at her next. The way he looked at her, though, it was like he already knew he had won the match. He wasn't just serious, he was confident. It made her feel like she should be enjoying herself less, and worrying more.

Quick, swing me at him! Cee shouted.

Ana did as her dragon suggested. The arc of her sword sent a wave of water sailing through the air. But the boy reacted a moment before the water hit. He leaped out of the way, and then rushed across the stadium, along the edge of the match circle.

Ana tried to keep track of him, but it was hard to do so when he kept running so fast. Together with his equipped dragon, he zipped in closer. She lost track of where he was. Before she knew it, she felt a tap on her back, and when she turned around, she saw the flag from her back, sliced clean off, fall to the ground. Now she frowned. Ana was just starting to collect herself when she felt and heard something scrape her hip. Without looking, she knew that a second flag was off.

She turned serious, spinning around with urgency. She found the boy just as he was coming for her chest. She raised Cee, heart pounding. The weapons clanged.

"Gah!" she shouted desperately. She grabbed the flag on the boy's chest and ripped it off.

The boy jumped backwards. She swung Cee again, releasing a wave of water aimed for the boy's hip. But the boy stepped to his side, and the water missed.