RYLIE
Rayah was fast and I did not want to disappoint Silas. Clenching my hands tightly around my weapons, I sidestepped her next attack, blocking with one blade and striking her straight across the face with the hilt of the other blade in a blow that was so brutal that she was thrown back by the force.
She spat out a mouthful of blood, surprising me. I was worried until I saw her maniacal smile, her white teeth stained red. She crouched into position again and came running at me.
Inhaling deeply, I met her halfway. Now that my head was settled, I was able to carefully assess her moves, blocking where I needed to, giving as good as I got and Rayah was quite good. I was proud that my training had paid off.
Soon, we gathered a little crowd around the ring, people cheering and calling out random encouragement. Silas stood in front where I could see him, attentively watching the both of us.
"Stop." It was Silas, his voice rising above all other noise.
We both ended the fight, moving to stand at opposite ends of the ring again. I had more than two stinging cuts on my exposed legs, and I always insisted on wearing shorts. With her bloodied mouth, Rayah now had a cut: a red line along her chin and another on her arm.
"Don't hold back anything, Rayah," Silas ordered and I did a double take. She was holding back? I was just good enough to handle her at this level, I knew I could go no farther than this.
Again, her maniacal smile covered her face, and as usual, she came running before I had a moment to think, not that it would have made any difference; this time, she was swift as the wind, striking me before I could see it.
Then, she was back at her own end again, hair flying and a long bleeding cut now marred my arm. I looked from my hand to her in disbelief. How would I match up to her speed? I knew she was not as fast as Silas but she was still too fast for me.
That smile came on her face again and I instinctively put my hands in front of me, trying to protect myself from the blow I knew was about to come.
After her attack this time, I was left with a matching cut and a level of anger that was steadily rising.
I cut a look to Silas, he was watching quietly, arms folded, and face devoid of expression. Rayah continued her assault and I was soon filled with leaking cuts all over. I parried the best I could, but her attacks came from every direction, and I could pinpoint none.
Inhaling in ragged pants, I watched Rayah come at me again, her movements fast and I felt the lid of my anger explode. I felt boiling rage and I let it loose. Time slowed, and even the crowd quieted down like they knew something was about to go wrong.
With my anger as my only lead, I let my legs carry me, and suddenly, I could match Rayah; I went after her with all the rage I felt, escaping blow after blow and filling her with numerous cuts. I could hear Silas scream my name to end the fight, but his voice was so far away, and I could not hear him over the blood roaring in my ears.
My attacks did not slow Rayah down; she was still as fast; I was just faster. She escaped many blows but some struck home. I could not see past the film of red hazing my eyes, and I kept on striking at my opponent; the only thing in my head was to bring them down.
"Rylie, stop!" Silas echoed.
When that film of red dissolved, I was being lifted, my hands tightly held to my body, restricting my movements.
My blades dropped to the floor, a different type of film covering my eyes when I beheld what I had done.
Rayah lay on the floor, her hair scattered around the ring, the length of it was now barely to her shoulders, it hung at uneven lengths and her body showed several cuts underneath the holes I had created in her clothes.
My vision became blurry, and I tried to call her name but I could not speak over the lump that had formed in my throat; shame clothed me, and my head hung low.
The crowd was quiet, observing the scene with hushed expressions, I could not look at them. When Silas saw that I was back to normal, he let go of me. I was forgotten as he rushed to a bleeding Rayah, raising her injured body off the floor.
My legs moved faster than my brain and I was running out of the training hall, tears blurring my vision.
"Ry!" I heard him shout after me, but I could not; I could not behold the destruction I had caused.
I let my legs carry me far away, until I was back in my cottage, safe from the prying eyes and the evil I had done. My legs finally gave out, and I fell across the floor, wailing my feelings to my wooden enclosure.
What had I done? I stared at my bloody hands, images of the fight flashing behind my teary eyes; I could remember the burning rage I felt, the urge to destroy and kill, my anger fueling it. I remembered the ungodly feeling of enjoyment when I wore her down to the floor. If Silas had not shaken me back to normal, what would I have done? What were these hands capable of?
The tears flowed down my face freely, the weight of my actions pressing heavily on my chest. What kind of monster was I? What evil lurked within me, hidden behind the facade of who I thought I was?
I remembered then how fast I had moved and realization dawned; in that moment of utter chaos, I had been as fast as Rayah.
No, I was even faster.