With their help by the end of the week, Brawn rose to number six in the class for water magic.
Combat practice went well too. By the end of practice on Thursday, Ro had successfully found and charged at all of the openings Laine had given her. She also had only been hit once. Laine had a proud look on his face as he walked over to her.
"That was well done. You appear to have it." She joyfully smiled at him. He fisted his hands again. Ro looked at them in confusion, not understanding why he did that so frequently.
"Thank you. It's all due to your training. You think I can win tomorrow?" She asked hopefully. He gave her a hard look.
"You must win at least once tomorrow." He told her, "But I believe you can do it." He reached up and tucked a wayward strand of her hair, that had escaped her ponytail, behind her ear. She blushed fiercely.
"Alright. I will win because you said so." She said it with such certainty, that he found himself smiling with her. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow after the matches." She said and turned to go.
The feeling that he got at the end of practice every day welled up inside him. Each day, this feeling, the desire to touch her, got stronger. More than anything he wanted to take her hand and pull her to him. He wanted to feel her body against his again and to feel her hands on his skin. He wanted to bury himself in that tantalizing scent of hers. He could feel his body starting to shift at just these thoughts alone.
"Laine?" Ro asked, startling him out of these thoughts. She shook her hand. He realized he had grabbed it. "Was there something else?"
"Oh," he said and released her, "There was nothing." She frowned slightly and left.
Ro woke up anxious on Friday. Rather than calming her down, achieving the five points in the exercise tests merely reminded her that she couldn't achieve the required two hundred fifty points to pass without winning at combat eight times. Seeing that she wasn't happy even after passing the tests, Ky took her hands. She looked around, worried that someone would see but the private room for the tests was empty except for the two of them. She met his red eyes with her green ones.
"Are you nervous?" He asked gently. She nodded. He smiled, "Well it's not like it's your first time fighting. And if you lose all three matches it won't be the first time you've done that either." Ro swallowed.
"But I am working so hard to get better. What if I only think I improved, and I actually haven't?" He squeezed her hands.
"Then you work harder for next time."
"But Laine-" Ky turned his head sharply as if she'd struck him.
"Don't say his name around me."
"O-okay." Ro went on, "My tutor said I need to win at least one."
"Then I am sure you will. Just do what he taught you and you will be fine." Ky said reassuringly even though there was irritation written on his face. Ro gave a half-hearted smile and looked down. He was trying hard to calm her down, she should try as well.
"Thank you, Ky." She said softly. He gently placed a finger under chin and lifted her head to look at him. His eyes were red eyes were softly pulsating. She felt as if she were falling into them. The world around her dimmed.
"Relax." He calmly ordered her, and she felt the tension that she had been carrying around all day ease from her shoulders. Her tight muscles slowly unwound and inside her mind she felt herself let everything go. She smiled as pleasant feelings washed through her body. Slowly, she realized she was still staring at Ky. She blinked dry eyes.
"Feel better?" He asked releasing her chin.
"Yeah. That was amazing! How did you do that?" Ro yawned as Ky softly laughed at her reaction.
"A lot of practice. Now, go and send the next person in." He pushed her to the door. "Remember, I am always here. Come to me if you need anything." He told her as she turned the knob.
"Thanks!" She said brightly, smiling over her shoulder at him. She left then.
After changing, Ro sat in the bleachers with Momo and Aerie. She was smiling slightly as she imagined the upcoming fights.
"Wow, you look completely relaxed." Aerie commented. Momo nodded in agreement.
"Ky did something and I don't know. I'm just not nervous anymore." Ro said.
"I wish he did something to me too." Aerie pouted.
"Oh, shut up. Of the three of us, you're the one who needs the least help." Ro retorted.
"Here comes, Sarge." Momo stated. Indeed, Sarge was walking up with his ominous clipboard. He looked directly at Ro.
"I could use a laugh right now." He said, "Nug, you will fight with Blaze." With that he sat down on the first riser and crossed his arms over his chest.
Ro calmly got up and walked into the ring. She watched Blaze approach.
"Sorry about this." He told her. She shrugged.
"Don't be sorry. It's what we do."
"I'm glad you realize that." Ro sunk into her crouch. Blaze didn't bother drawing his weapon, a sword. "I'll finish this quick." He said.
"Begin!" hollered Sarge.
The first fireball came flying directly at her before Sarge finished the word. Ro nimbly stepped to the left and waited for the next one. When it came it was slow compared to Laine's attacks, she dodged left again easily avoiding it. It felt like she was waiting forever for the next one.
Deciding she could fight this at a closer range, she made the instant decision to charge him after she avoided this ball. She side stepped to the right and immediately ran at him. She watched his eyes widened as he hurried to throw another fireball. She rolled to her left, pushed herself to her feet and kept moving forward all in the same motion. The fireball harmlessly drifted past her.
She realized if he didn't draw his weapon, he could make one more before she reached him. She ran in a straight line this time trying to draw his fire straight at her. He fell for it and as soon he threw the fire ball she dropped to her knees. Her momentum carried her to him and through his legs. As she passed under him, she dropped her head and back to the floor to fit and angled her daggers so that the tips slashed on his uniform right where his femoral arteries would be. After she passed, she lifted herself back up and let her momentum push her to her feet.
"You should have drawn your weapon." She told him in a quiet voice. Not realizing he had lost, Blaze did at that. He turned and ran at her cutting down in an overhead sweep. She swirled to the side and stabbed his back directly on the abdominal aorta. He staggered forward a few steps. Then he charged back at her again. She stepped profile avoiding the blade. Recognizing that he wouldn't stop, Ro stood still for the next attack and allowed him to place the blade over her heart.
"Why'd you stop?" He asked confused.
"You'd already lost, and I didn't want to keep doing this. I may need my energy later." Her voice rang out loudly through the gym. "Right, Sarge?"
Stunned silence greeted her proclamation. After a minute, Sarge cleared his throat and shook himself out of his dazed stupor. Grudgingly he called,
"Winner, the Nug." Ro smiled with elation and walked back to her seat. Blaze was still standing in the ring looking confused.
"But how? She barely touched me."
"She severed your femoral arteries and your abdominal aorta." Sarge told him, "You would have bled out in seconds." Blazes eyes sparkled with horror.
"But she's the Nug." He protested.
"And you lost to her. TAKE A SEAT." Sarge bellowed at him. Hanging his head, Blaze returned to his seat amid laughs from their classmates.