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Chapter 48 Katrina barely caught the down-moving lightsaber blade before it burned into her shoulder. Cha-Lee wasted no time in attacking again, this time with a horizontal swipe aimed at her head. Katrina ducked this time, rolling half a meter away before springing back to her feet. Her opponent was ready. With a Force-aided jump he was right before her, using his height to beat down at her blade. Katrina stepped back slowly, feeling her hilt loosening in her sweat-covered grip. She was tired and knew the Caminee was also. This “practice” had been ongoing for hours. Neither had stopped for food, a drink, rest, or the ‘fresher. Katrina would be damned if she was going to show the weakness of being the first to stop. Cha-Lee kicked out before leaping and somersaulting over her head. Katrina absorbed the hit and turned to face him. She hoped to catch him off guard as he landed, but the older being was ready. Their blades hissed and crackled as they connected and four eyes locked silently. Katrina stepped forward and called a lightdagger to her hand. It flew into her palm and the thin, short, glowing blade appeared instantly. She threw his saber blade from hers and met it on its return strike, snapping out with the dagger toward his ribs. Cha-Lee twisted away just in time. The heat of the blade singed his tunic but left the man uninjured. With more space between them, Katrina could breathe slightly easier. She had barely caught her breath, however, before he came at her again. Cha-Lee now held two lightsabers. Katrina deflected a blow from one and raised the dagger to meet the other. With their blades together there was little space in which to swing the others and neither was in a position to make a well-aimed strike. Cha-Lee’s breathing was hard. His ribs rose and fell greatly with each breath and though he fought on, his movements had slowed. Katrina felt little better. She doubted that she had equaled him yet in skill or endurance, though it felt as though they had been fighting forever. The passing, vigor, and anger that he fought with were new to their training routine and Katrina was sorry for its presence. It meant that she had fallen greatly in his opinion. Cha-Lee dropped into a squat and brought both blades around in another horizontal cut. The glowing colors blended into a green and orange fan as Katrina jumped. Had she reacted any slower she would have lost her ankles and feet. Had she reacted any sooner she may have landed on the second blade and lost only half as much. She sensed the new attack before it came and had her blades crossed in time to cradle the addition to the fight. Xenritha stepped back and withdrew his lightsaber blade as Cha-Lee rushed forward with his pair. Katrina parried both blows and swept the second blade from his hand with a high kick. Only then did her sense of foreboding begin to ease, though only slightly. Both of the older Zanespots attacked, moving and acting as one. Katrina was hard pressed to keep up but had no other choice. Both men fought well and hard and-on a subconscious level at least-fought for blood. Should she falter her pain would be great. Xenritha struck low as Cha-Lee went high. Then they reversed. Xenritha went to the left and Cha-Lee struck on the right. Then they reversed again. Cha-Lee came from behind and Xenritha pushed her from the front. Again, they reversed. Cha-Lee pushed fast and shallow and Xenritha came slow but steady. Katrina’s head spun. Her lungs burned and a spotty blackness threatened to consume her vision. Her muscles and joints felt weak and she began to stumble, as though the floor was moving out from under her feet. She had not slept a full night in days and her body threatened to give out on her. Cha-Lee and Xenritha’s blades swung in identical arcs in different directions. Katrina dropped to the ground and stayed there. Both of her weapons went dark and clattered on the ground. She was panting for air, kneeling between the two men. They communicated silently with simple raised eyebrows and nods. It was Cha-Lee that first accepted her surrender. Xenritha followed suit, disengaging his blade and levitating it to its proper place along the walls of the training room. Katrina clawed at her mask, pulling it off and gulping at the fresh air rushing at her skin. Her heart beat too quickly and she was having difficulty staying upright. “You betrayed us, Katrina,” Xenritha looked down at her, “It will take a lot more work than that to return our trust.” Both men strode out as Katrina crumpled to the floor. They said nothing she did not already know. Still, it was worth it. He was worth it. |
