Bryn

“Oomph.” Air escapes my lungs in a rush for the hundredth time. It feels like Flynn sat on me instead of flipping me over his hip in a move that was too quick for my eyes, let alone my mind, to follow. Thankfully Juni insisted we move to one of the training rooms or else I truly would be broken after landing repeatedly on the mess room grating instead of soft rubber mats. I’m glad Greyson’s working in his father’s lab again instead of watching.

“Again,” Juni insists, grabbing one of my flailing arms to yank me to my feet. Still short of breath, I stare at the woman in horror. To think I’d been relieved when Juni had volunteered to train me instead of Rayburn. I’m fairly certain I heard something pop in my spine when I went down the last time and Flynn is still bouncing around like a glitching monkey, his hair still gloriously windswept.

At least I’m getting better with casual touch, a side effect that Greyson’s definitely enjoying. Whenever he’s not with his mother or in his father’s lab, he’s with me. He still always waits for me to reach out to him first, but as soon as I do, it’s like all limits are off until we part again. Shoulder pressed up against mine, an arm draped over my shoulders, fingers playing with the scavenged pieces in my hair. I think with anyone else, I’d be annoyed, but with him I don’t seem to mind. I wonder if my brother is tactile or if he’s reserved, like me?

“You’re not trying hard enough,” Flynn offers and I turn my incredulous look on him.

“Seriously?” I huff. “If I could do it through will alone,” I stretch my arms up over my head and wince a little from the strain of sore muscles, “You would’ve been down the instant this all started!” It’s day three of these sessions, and I’m getting worse. Each time I get in bed, I cry, knowing that when I wake, my body will feel as if I’ve been tumbling down the recycling chute for hours. There’s just no way I’ll get better at this.

“You’ve done it all before,” Juni soothes, moving me back into position, her arm wrapped around my shoulders as if concerned I’ll do a runner. At least Flynn’s annoying grin makes me want to punch him instead of giggle like an idiot.

“Yeah, in games. Never in the real.” My skin breaks out in goosebumps as Juni steps in close behind me, her hands on my hips, shifting me in the stance that she wants.

“It’s the same thing, except this time you need to follow through,” she murmurs into my ear. “Your opponent isn’t going to vanish into sparkling credits. They’re going to get right on up and attack and because you’ll be generally smaller than your opponent and a woman, you’re already disadvantaged.”

“Hey!” I say, bristling. “I’m the best warrior in my crew.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“I’m a woman too, Bryn, so I know what I’m talking about. To win a fight, especially against someone bigger and stronger than us, we must hit first and hit hard.” She grabs my right wrist and keeps her other arm wrapped around my waist, her legs pressed up against my own until we’re close enough I can feel her heart beating against my back. “Again, Flynn, but a little slower.”

Like the last time, Flynn steps in close, readying a punch and Juni directs my arm to block and use it to hold him in place while her leg nudges mine forward until my right hip aligns with Flynn’s left.

“Now,” Juni says, stepping back. “In one swift movement. Don’t over think it!” and I catch Flynn’s smug smile inches from my face and I’m moving. I slip my right leg behind Flynn’s, keeping my hip close to his, and then in a swift, synchronised movement, I sweep my foot back, collecting Flynn’s along the way, jerk my hip up and use his arm as leverage to slam him into the ground.

I then promptly lose my balance, my knee landing on Flynn’s solar plexus. Flynn makes a pained, wheezing squeak and his smug grin vanishes.

“I’m sorry!” I scramble off him and he rolls to his side, waving a limp hand over his shoulder. I turn to Juni, worried I may’ve crushed one of Flynn’s lungs, except Juni’s bent double, one hand clamped over her mouth and the other around her stomach. She’s laughing so hard she’s silent, just huffing breaths and tears running down her face.

“It wasn’t that bad!” I shove my hands on my hips and scowl. “You know, put a sword in my hand and I’d smear the ground with both of you!”

Juni takes a deep breath and straightens, using her palms to wipe away tears.

“You know, that’s not a bad idea,” she says, stepping over the inert form of Flynn to reach the shelves lining the far wall. They mostly hold spare towels and punching shields made of repurposed canvas and stuffed with rags. My knuckles are raw from belting my frustration out on them at the end of each sparring session. Apparently there’s nothing wrong with my strength.

“It isn’t?”

“Here,” Juni says and tosses over a long wooden sword, carved and polished smooth. It has a nice heft to it, the buttery yellow blade blunt but promising a lot of damage if wielded properly. The grip is long – I can easily grasp it with two hands – and carved to provide some protection to my knuckles. It’s beautiful and I want it as my own.

“It used to be an oar,” Flynn says, still on the ground, but he’s no longer breathless. “In the Above City, Col adored historical films and games so when he saw the oars in the storage caches, he immediately thought bokken. I mean, who does that? Bokken are Japanese training swords, by the by.”

“I know,” I say, hefting the blade in both hands and then swinging it, enjoying the soft whoomping sound of sliced air.

Juni returns with another sword, using the tip to nudge Flynn off the mats. He rolls to the side and makes himself comfortable, propped on one elbow.

“What do you think?” Juni asks, stopping opposite me and moving into a guard position. I mimic her easily.

“Yeah, this is something I can work with.” I engage my combative mindset, ready to react in less than a heartbeat. The years of role playing games have trained me for this, for a sword firmly in my hands and my body thrumming in anticipation. I move first, and it’s like it all just clicks. This is my strength. This is my power. My grin is feral and I laugh.

----------------------------------------