"The next two to spar against each other will be Ryan and Dimitri." Sir Martius gestured for the two, calling them to the center of the court.
Ryan had a smug look on his face, ever since the first day they met, he'd been waiting for the chance to have a one-on-one with Davina and now that chance finally presented itself.
"You're dead Dimitria." He made sure his words reached her ears alone as they prepared for the fight.
Davina could see him oozing with confidence. The clear difference in their physical appearance made him raise his shoulders higher. Everyone could tell Ryan was certain he would emerge the victor after their duel.
"Remember, you're here to train and not to kill each other so save your blood lust for another day." Although he said the same lines to them both before the duel began, everyone could tell Sir Martius's words were aimed solely at Ryan.
The second the match began, Ryan landed the blow on Davina's cheeks causing her to stumble backward.
"You're as light as paper," Ryan smirked.
"No provocations are allowed." Sir Martius gave his warning from the side.
Standing up from the ground, Davina dusted her trousers and resumed her defensive position. The punch Ryan landed on her wasn't due to her incapacity to defend but rather a small part of her plan.
Davina had been trained to fight for as long as she could remember. Growing up on the streets was not for the weak and she had lived most of her life on the street so she knew how to work her way around men like Ryan.
She let him land a few more punches on her so she could have enough time to study him. An unspoken rule in the game of duels is to know thy opponents more than thyself; a motto she lived by.
After a couple more seconds, she finally found what she was looking for. Ryan had a weakness, a weakness that was visible only to those searching. Each time he uses his left hand to fight, he loses his footing due to the imbalance in his body, his legs are left vulnerable and open to prey on.
With that discovery in mind, Davina moved to the right side of the court, forcing Ryan to use his lesser hand to try and land another punch. The moment he did as she wanted, she took that opening to her advantage, spreading his feet and landing a kick on the chin just as he was about to gain control.
"Nice!"
The spectators from the side cheered for her the moment she landed her first hit.
Feeling more confident, Davina landed another kick. Her fists might be weak but her kicks were mighty; her greatest strength.
Humiliated by the turn of events, Ryan's moves were now more laced with anger and misdirection. He began throwing punches that Davina could effortlessly dodge without breaking a sweat.
"Looks like someone's losing his grip." Davina taunted Ryan, trying to make him more angry.
'You can never win a fight with anger clouding your judgment.' She remembered the words her uncle would always repeat to her while growing up.
"Shut up!"
Davina's provocations worked and now Ryan was even worse than before. He lunged for her, trying to get another hit in but ended up tripping over the pebbles littered around. Before he could recover and regain his footing, Davina pinned his arms behind his back and held his shoulder in place with her feet. He was locked in and under her control.
"3...2...1... Dimitri is the winner."
Davina stood up triumphantly with a bright smile on her face as the others erupted into cheers.
"That was a great fight, Dimitri." Sir Martius had his hands behind his back, his usual calculating look on. "I'm surprised you took note of his weakness that fast." He pointed his chin at Ryan who was still lying on the ground, too embarrassed to get up and face anyone.
"Thank you, Sir Martius." Davina gave him a salute.
"Save the last bit of dignity you have and get up this minute." Martius cursed at Ryan, disapproval beaming on his face. "We all have weaknesses." He turned to the rest of the men. "It's up to you to decipher your opponent's weakness while at the same time, making sure yours stays hidden just as Dimitri has done."
"Yes, Sir." They all replied in unison
Davina's body ached all over as she returned to her position. The punches she took and the scorching sun above her made her all the more uncomfortable like she walking on pins and needles.
"You did amazing." Evan handed her a towel to wipe off her sweat.
"Thanks and you too." Davina gave him a smile and took the towel from him. She hadn't expected him to be as skilled as he was during his duel but then again, ever since she met him, all Evan had done came as a surprise to her.
"One last thing..." Martius cleared his throat, calling for everyone's attention. "Keep this in mind; Know thy enemies more than thyself."