The mud dummy-target split in two as valor's right sword cut into it. Following through with the momentum of the swing, Valor spun, which brought his left sword powerfully through the middle of the dummy. He was breathing heavy as he watched the thick mud slowly fall apart until it melted completely to the ground.
Not bothering to talk aloud, he said "again please".
Valor waited for a response, and when he didn't get any, he turned to his massive friend who stood just outside the training ring. The ring itself was comprised entirely of stone harvested from the mountain, surrounding a soft cushion of sand. He had found this room by chance when they were wondering the catacomb of caves. The entire stadium was an underground city dedicated to racing. All the caverns were lit by bright lights that were imbedded into the ceiling. Each cave eventually fed into the stadium, which was located somewhere in the mountains, so massive that it practically dwarfed each individual mountain peak.
"Diargo," Valor said aloud this time, "again, please?"
With a sigh Diargo placed his palm on the stone floor outside the ring, channeling his galden so another mud dummy rose from the sandy pit that Valor stood in.
"you're overdoing it, we race in 18 hours." The monkey said, in a tone that suggested he already knew how his partner would respond.
Diargo knew he wouldn't answer and could already sense the dismissal. He shook his head at the stubbornness of his friend and turned out of the room, he still wanted to explore.
Without looking at his friend, Valor leapt in the air with a double downward slash. His two swords met the dummy at both shoulders, and the blades sliced through the mud until they imbedded themselves into the sand. The dummy split into the three separate parts and melted to the floor.
"Again," Valor said, his chest rising and falling heavily, his arms were sore, and he could feel the fatigue start to creep into his legs, but his mind was on fire. "Diargo?"
Valor's voiced echoed in the empty cave, and after brief scan of the cave he figured that the monkey must have ditched him. Valor let out an angry sigh and threw his swords into the sand in frustration. He dropped himself to the ground, a little gingerly as his legs were wobbly from the training session.
"I'm over doing it," Valor said aloud to himself.
"um yeah, you are." A voice said behind him.
Valor cranked his neck behind him to see a girl standing in the entrance way of the cave; she was dressed in casual rider attire: form fitted cargo pants with a shirt that was tied at the bottom to reveal a small amount of skin. She had shoulder length black hair, and Valor could see a long scar that ran from her jawline and down her neck. He swallowed and quickly scrambled to his feet.
"Oh hey, uh, I didn't see you there, are you trying to use my cave? I mean THE cave, it isn't mine!" Valor's tongue felt heavy, and he was aware of how badly he was stammering. He hadn't seen a girl in 5 years.
The girl sighed and placed her hands on her hips, "you've been hogging this room for the past two days,"
"Aren't there other rooms? I mean this can't be the only training cavern in this place," Valor replied, still a little mystified by her presence.
The newcomer shifted her weight impatiently and ran her hand down a rope that was hanging on her right shoulder, "Because all the other meatheads are using them, and this one is closest to my room," she said.
Valor didn't respond, he was busy looking the newcomer up and down. "Is that a… jump rope?" he asked finally, pointing to the heavy rope that was slung over her shoulder.
The girl stared blankly at Valor and said, "It's a Téad léim"
Valor was silent for a moment, almost a hundred percent sure that it was a jump rope. As he opened his mouth to speak, the newcomer cut him off. "Look kid, I don't care what you think it is, I'm still going to kick your ass with it tomorrow".
Valor mouthed the word kid and glanced down at himself, not bothering to acknowledge the obvious threat. He looked back up at the girl who was now climbing over the stone fence and into the ring. Feeling a new kind of nervousness well in his chest, he quickly scrambled over to his swords and picked them up. He sheathed the swords and headed towards the opposite edge of the ring, when he looked over his shoulder, he saw the girl stretching out her arms and shoulders, the Téad léim was coiled on the ground beside her.
"Hey uh, did you happen to- "Valor said before being interrupted.
"don't care," the girl said as she pulled one arm across her chest.
"Oh, no I was just asking if you've seen-"Valor attempted to say.
The girl interrupted him once more, not bothering to look at him as she knelt in the sand and stretched out her hip. "I'm sure you're a nice guy, but I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to win. So do yourself a favour, don't waste your time training, you'll be dead tomorrow anyways."
The unjustified hostility was starting to annoy him, and he raised his eyebrows at the clear and obvious threat. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
The girl stood up and laughed aloud, "Do I need to spell it out for you? You're an amateur who lacks experience."
Valor clenched his fist and glared back at the girl. "And?"
The girl narrowed her eyes, "you probably ride like dogshit".
Valor unsheathed both swords with unnatural speed, the galden was pulsing stronger from his anger, fueling his exhausted muscles. The girl picked up her rope in response his to sudden movement. The rope had two heavy handles each situated on either end, the girl was holding the handle of one end while leaving the other end in the sand, like a whip. The two of them stood still, Valor in attack position, and the girl in a defensive crouch.