Chapter Nineteen #3
Cheers occasionally came from the watchers. Daire tuned them out, sinking into the zone, keeping pace with Dekker, but not pushing. Zorah wanted the others to see the moves, after all.
They circled each other, Daire watching for telltale weight shifts.
Dekker started with a feint to the right, never quite delivering the promised right hook. He spun, aiming a kick at Daire’s face.
Daire reared back, easily dodging the assault.
He formed a time-out T with his hands and stalked over to Dekker.
“I’m about five years older than you, and at least fifty pounds heavier.
You’re not seeing experience and a weight advantage when you look at me, you’re seeing my scars and going easy.
The fighters you’ll meet in Adrakus will have fought for years just to be alive.
They’ll have scars and other disadvantages.
If you look at them as anything but an enemy, you’ll lose before the battle starts. Now. Try again.”
Daire resumed a fighting stance. Dekker’s face flamed at the rebuke, but he came at Daire with another kick. Daire caught Dekker’s leg, using his own momentum to flip him onto his back, where he lay panting and glaring.
Daire offered him a hand up. “Now you’re angry. Your emotions make you clumsy. Tune out what you’re feeling. Don’t let emotions rule you. Instead, try to make your opponent angry, let them be the ones to make mistakes.”
“Again,” Zorah called.
This time Dekker watched, sizing up Daire. Daire stood still, betraying nothing with subtle weight shifts or bunched muscles. Dekker lifted his gloved hands in a defensive stance.
Daire pulled back his arm, too low for a left hook, too high for a liver punch.
Confusion flitted over Dekker’s face. The moment of indecision was all Daire needed. He struck with a firm left hook. Dekker reeled, leaving himself open for the liver punch.
Zorah called out, “Stop!”
The spectators groaned. “But neither won!” one whined.
“This ain’t a competition. We’re just getting this party started.” Zorah grinned. “Now, most dragons are used to fighting in the air. They’re pretty fucking clumsy on the ground in human form.”
Daire nodded to Dekker. “Nice try.”
“I lost.”
“No, you didn’t. The exercise wasn’t about winning or losing. Did you learn anything?”
“Yes.”
“Are you alive and unharmed?”
Dekker nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you won.” Daire clapped him on the shoulder. “Take what you've learned and build on it.”
The murmurs quieted, while most of the audience listened with rapt attention.
The Southern slang lessened in Zorah’s words when she entered teacher mode.
“Some of you have jobs, some have school. For the next few weeks, you’ll train whenever you can.
Later we’ll add obstacles, like stairs, uneven ground, mimicking what you’ll find in an actual fight.
Now, pick a partner. Figure out what you each can bring to the pairing.
Next week, we’ll spar and see if you’ve learned anything. ”
Daire watched as each dragon studied the options before choosing a partner. Good. No one simply blindly grabbed a friend.
Zorah approached, standing next to Daire as she observed.
“Exactly what I hoped for. You’ve got a wrestler teamed with a black belt in karate, a judo instructor with a boxer.
What works in tournaments don’t mean shit where we're going. For one thing, those asshole alphas have already tossed the rules out the fucking window. See those two women? One’s a boxer.
The other, Fen, is one of my lieutenants, an expert in Krav Maga.
” She patted Daire on the back. “You and Jimryr actually know what we’re up against. Most of these fighters don’t remember Adrakus.
Some of our training will be about what we’ll find over there.
They’re used to TV and cell phones, watching Hollywood’s version of battles.
They’ll have to get used to doing without technology. Even if we win—”
“We will,” Jimryr interjected.
Zorah scowled, lifting a bushy eyebrow. “If we win, some might not stay. They’ve grown too used to the human world.”
Daire couldn’t imagine leaving his home world permanently to remain here.
Then again, he’d spent over twenty human years there, and only three here.
Although he knew the answer, he asked for the sake of those who might wonder but wouldn’t ask.
“What about human weapons? A gun could devastate either side.”
“Everyone I’ve ever seen come through a portal came bare-assed naked. No bringing or taking back anything but yourself.”
“The mage who brought me wore clothes,” Jimryr said. “Or rather, he wore clothes when I first saw him.”
“Because no one wants to see me naked,” came a voice from behind them.
Zorah, Daire, and Jimryr all whirled.
“And a dragon learns a thing or two when he’s older than the world,” Zorah snarked.
Sakaris kept his eyes on Zorah. He said, “Hello, love,” with a playful smile teasing his mouth.
Zorah threw a punch no amount of magic could stop, then glared down at Sakaris where he lay at her feet.