NOVEL NEXT 46: Short But Sweet
As the wind blew through the training ground, Fergus and Kaitlyn made their way to an open space, standing with a fair amount of distance between them. Around the empty area that the two were using, the other four sat on a bench that was out of the way.
Face to face, the winter clouds darkening the sky overhead, the wind blowing its chill deep into everyone’s bones, Fergus and Kaitlyn stood there, stoic. Fergus, holding a training spear in hand crouched down, his face losing its previous playfulness, filled only with a cold anger and determination to win.
Across from Fergus, her hair blowing in the wind, pulled back to stay out of her face was Kaitlyn, with a cold but relaxed expression she stood there with one training sword, having given the other to Rachel.
“You sure you don’t need it?” Fergus taunted with a belligerent grin, tensing his muscles while moving through some light spear motions, “Don’t complain then when I stomp you so hard you realize you’re not fit for adventuring at all.”
“Mhm... sounds good,” murmured Kaitlyn with a gentle nod, “let’s just get on with it.”
Giving a nod to Kaitlyn, a confident and giddy grin began to surface onto Fergus’s face as he contemplated what he’d say after his glorious win. His smile widening to an uncontrollable amount, Fergus looked over towards Josephine and Rachel, ready to impress them and woo them over.
‘I’ll finally begin building that harem I dream of! It starts today!’ Fergus imagined to himself, a little chuckle escaping under his breath as he watched Kaitlyn search her pockets for a coin, ‘Yes, delay it as much as you want, it doesn’t matter! I’ll stomp you, I’ll conquer you and you’ll have no choice but to follow me!’
A low, quiet continuous laugh escaping Fergus’s lips as Kaitlyn went to borrow a coin from Rachel, ‘it’s all coming together now! I’ll beat up this ‘Kaitlyn’, I’ll conquer her and win her over, then Josephine and Rachel will be so impressed they’ll fall in love! And then, because I beat their ‘teacher’ Oliver and Damien will also be afraid of me and run off! I’ll then become the teacher of these three girls!’
The laugh getting louder breath by breath, Fergus who was now staring off at the ground, his body still in a tense position ready to fight at any moment, began to creep out the other four sitting by a bench.
“Ready?” Kaitlyn’s voice sounded out, snapping Fergus out of his plans for after his glorious victory.
Giving a voice of affirmation, Kaitlyn flipped the coin in the air, letting it fly into the air, tumbling and turning end over end.
One.
A rumbling from the dark clouds overhead.
...
Two.
Rushing towards Kaitlyn, Fergus twirled the spear around him as his body twisted, letting out a barrage of fast paced attacks at Kaitlyn.
Each of his attacks letting out small shockwaves, Fergus’s attacks all were blocked by Kaitlyn’s smooth swordplay.
Undeterred, Fergus continued the onslaught of his barrage, using the recoil of every blocked attack to send another stronger one.
As the wind blew and rain began to fall, the sounds of battle sounded out from the training ground.
With the rain beginning to fall harder and harder, Fergus’s laugh and grin only became louder and wider as he believed Kaitlyn was too hard pressed to do anything but defend.
But for Kaitlyn, the story was different.
One more breath.
Inhale.
Exhale.
“Had enough fun?” murmured Kaitlyn, her blue eyes bored as they pierced into Fergus.
Blocking Fergus’s spear, Kaitlyn tensed as the next one came, cleaving forward and smashing Fergus’s spear into the ground.
His eyes popping out of his head, his jaw agape, Fergus’s hands shook, dropping the spear handle to the ground.
Shaken, Fergus took a deep breath, his eyes wild as he let out a low growl, rushing forward like a rabid animal.
Throwing her own sword aside, Kaitlyn, with disgust clear in her voice, spat, “I don’t even need this.”
Step, step, step.
As Fergus rushed forward, Kaitlyn rushed forward to meet him as well.
Block.
Her eyes sharpening for a moment, she spun.
Kick.
...
Collapse.
Having buried her foot deep into Fergus’s stomach, Kaitlyn retracted her foot as Fergus fell to the ground, the rain falling hard around them.
Her black hair soaked, Kaitlyn stood over Fergus, a scowl on her face as she stepped over his limp body.
----
Walking over towards the cheerful, giddy bench that was ecstatic over her convincing victory, a small laugh escaped Kaitlyn’s mouth, a smile on her face as they ran over to her.
Not caring about the now pouring rain, Rachel, Josephine, Oliver, and Damien had all run over, laughing and congratulating Kaitlyn on the amazing victory.
“You did amazing!” Rachel cheered, pulling Kaitlyn into a hug.
Laughing as she pushed her own wet hair out of her face, Josephine gave Kaitlyn a thumbs-up, “That kick was superb, as a martial artist, that was pure art.”
Ignoring Damien’s exclamations about how he and his shadow dragon could do just as well, Oliver patting Kaitlyn on the back once Rachel had released her, asked, “Amazing job, I must say. But why did you let it drag on for so long?”
“Well... I wanted to see his skills, just see all his techniques and how good he was,” Kaitlyn explained, walking back under the cover where there wasn’t rain, “Compare him to Jayce, you know? He was... very far from Jayce, in all honesty.”
“Beyond that,” Kaitlyn elaborated with an embarrassed cough, “It was just more satisfying to let him think he had it in the bag and then just... kick him. Rather than beat him outright.”
Suppressing a laugh, Oliver turned away to hide his smile, “I... I certainly see how that could be more satisfying. Again though, good job! We all wanted to see him get his ass kicked.”
With a smile and nod, Kaitlyn left to go get some water as well as flag over a guild worker to move Fergus’s still limp body.
“He’s not dead, right?” Rachel asked, a worried yet not worried expression on her face as she looked out at Fergus’s body laying in the rain.
Turning away and walking back into the guild hall, Kaitlyn shook her head, “He’s not. His eyes are open even right now. He’s just laying there since he doesn’t want to acknowledge his loss. He could’ve gotten up after 10 seconds or so probably.”
Questioning Fergus’s life choices, Rachel, with a bewildered expression caught up to Kaitlyn, muttering, “I see...”
