Move!” Raza ordered. Plowing through the gathering, he broke into a long-legged lope and headed down the last bit of lighted tunnel. His boots made a steady slapping rhythm down the carpet-covered rock floor. Seconds later he burst into a large, high-ceiling chamber. He pushed his way through the crowd and came to a stuttering halt on the rubbery floor. Catching his breath, he saw the cause of the commotion. The middle of the arena was empty except for two students, who both had the look of dragons in a fight to the death. It was not choreographed sparring, where one punched and the other blocked. One kicked, and the other moved to avoid the blow. No, this was all too real. Master Denna’s son, Dellakaraz—the River Dragon, was a handsome twenty-year-old who stood several inches taller than Kareez. But height, weight, and reach did not seem to be providing an advantage. Blood trailed from Dell’s nose, passing his mouth, and leaving a red smear down his neck. All Raza could see of Kareez was her back. She deflected another closed-fist punch. Before her opponent could counter, she put a foot in his chest. The kick lifted Dell off the flooring. He fell flat on his back, arms spread. Kareez sank into a beautiful fighting stance, turned three-quarters sideways, knees bent and fists at the ready. She bounced on her toes and bobbed her head in taunting. Dell roared and pushed off the floor. As they circled each other, Raza got his first glimpse of Kareez’s face. She didn’t appear to have so much as a smudge on her slim, straight nose. But it was her eyes that startled him. The pupils were dilated, leaving only a narrow rim of blue encircling pools of black. “Do something!” Kit screamed. Muttering a curse, Raza unbuckled his utility belt, letting his split-tailed tunic flow freely. He tossed the belt to Yellyn and stepped into the arena. There was no doubt that he could handle the situation. The question was could he handle it without catching one of Kareez’s lightning fast fists in his mouth. Kareez and Dell were so intent on each other that neither seemed to notice the temple master stepping into their private world. The pair circled and postured. Then Dell made his move. Under other circumstances, it would have been well executed. Unfortunately, his current opponent seemed to know everything he was going to do and was ready with a counter by the time he was in mid-swing. This time was no different. Kareez deflected his kick, spun, and threw what might have been a bone-shattering back-fist. Might have been if Raza had not grabbed Dell by the back of his tunic and yanked him out of the way. With his free hand, Raza slapped away Kareez’s fist. The contact sent a sharp crack winging through the chamber. The rest of the room fell silent, as if waiting for the next move. “Get him out of here!” Raza ordered without breaking eye contact with Kareez. Behind him, he heard Yellyn snap his fingers and issue muffled orders. Immediately, the sounds of a struggle were evidence of Dell being forcibly removed. After several tense seconds of curses and moans and groans, one final squeak of shoes against the practice mat marked Dell’s removal from the chamber. Raza shook feeling back into his hand and sank into a defensive stance. The response was a low growl rumbling through Kareez’s gritted teeth. “Oh, little fire dragon wants to play,” he taunted. Adrenaline surged through his veins, pushing away the last vestiges of the hangover and threatening to eclipse restraint. He willed his heart rate to an even, steady beat. And waited…. _______________________________ [DRAGON'S DEN by Terri Branson (Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel - cr2003) - This excerpt is protected by copyright and is for use only on the Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. website at www.dragonflypubs.com. It may not be printed, altered, or distributed without the publisher’s prior written consent.] |
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