Edited by buggabee

2014 Copyright © A. M. Forest

All Rights Reserved

"Apolla!" Came the familiar yell of her mentor, Labren.

The voice echoed through the hallway, which gave said person time to push the figure next to her off the bed with a thud before Labren appeared in her room, stopping to stand a few feet away from where the culprit lied.

The sunlight streamed in from the small windows on the far wall, giving him a good look of the woman that laid on the bed. Her long white hair fell around her shoulders and chest as she sat up to greet him, Apolla's round face covered in a  slight sweat with a telltale flush.

"Well, Labren, what a surprise!" She said, her blue-green eyes widened. She paused and scrunched  her eyebrows together as she examined him. His usual collected demeanor wasn't shown in his ready stance. "You look rather crazed. What ruffled your feathers this early in the morning?"

His eyes went wild with annoyance, a look she had grown accustomed to over the years. "Apolla, why is it I hear that one of your and Argon's fights led to the destruction of the weapon room, again?" His usually slicked back silver hair danced in front of his golden eyes, causing him to bring his hand up to push it out of his face. "Why is it that I am always woken up with the messes you two leave behind?"

Apolla sighed, moving the sheets from her body. "Well, what did you expect?" She asked as she moved across the room and stepped over the pile of clothes from the day before. As she walked, her hair moved to cover her back. Apolla grabbed the silk white robe that was hanging by her closet and pulled it on to cover her nudity. "I wasn't going to let him bad mouth me in front of the underlings." She turned with a smirk as she tied the knot of the of the robe. "Sometimes that costs a building or two."

Labren was unfazed by her sex appeal, having been around her for so many years. "Apolla, this is no joking matter. This is the fifth incident this month. When are you two going to grow up and treat each other with respect?" She rolled her eyes at him and sat on the bed. "You are both adults that are about to become full-fledged warriors and both of you are fighting like children."

She crossed her arms defensively. "How dare you. You rather I allow that bird tarnish my reputation than fight in a duel for respect?" Apolla glared daggers at her mentor who returned the favor.

"There is a difference between a duel and a destructive battle. You shifted in an enclosed space!" He yelled as a vein popped out of his forehead.

Apolla pointed at it. "Before that vein bursts, I suggest that you go for a walk. We can have this talk again in five hours." She smiled and moved her fingers in a wave.

He growled and pointed angry fist at her, his mouth open to speak; he then turned to leave, giving Apolla a chance to breathe before he turned back again to face her. "Do tell Argon I have to cross words with him. He wasn't in his room this morning." He looked around the room suspiciously.

She nodded a little too quickly. "Will do."

With that he left and she swiftly crawled to the other side of the bed to look at the figure on the floor who stared up at her with bed-ready hazel eyes. Argon had his arms folded behind his head, his lips lifted in a smirk as he watched her skim over his naked body with predatory eyes. "You seem to want to have your way with me... again."

A playful smirk found its way to her lips. "Would you let me, Argon? With your injuries?" She raised an eyebrow. "You think you could take it?"

His broken bones had healed over the night, but the bruises from the fight, and the following night events, scattered his body in places of injury and pleasure. Argon jumped on top of her, positioning himself between her legs. "You aren't in the best shape ever to be doing such tasks, either." He slowly untied the strings keeping her robe together to reveal a shimmer of marks covering her from her navel to neck.

She relaxed against his body, causing his to do the same. His eyes grew darker and he moved a stray white strand from her face, watching the blue flames dance in her greenish-blue eyes as a slow knowing smile appeared on her lips.

The events from much earlier that morning replayed in her head but was soon replaced with other thoughts.

"I heal quickly."

~~~

By the time she emerged from the bedroom for training, it was just after sunset. Renewed and ready, Apolla walked into the open arena with a slight bounce in her step, and with her choice in battle attire--a white wrap wrapped around her chest and a floor length white skirt with two slits going up the sides of it--the bounce was slightly more noticeable.

The wind that hit her was cold at this altitude, but she paid it no mind; she was used to it after living up there for so long.

As she watched the last of the fight going on below her, she moved around the arena to where Labren sat in the podium. "I see you finally decided to show your face this evening." he muttered to her in irritation.

Apolla smiled at him, "What did you expect me to do? I had to heal from last night's duel."

Labren shook his head as the match below came to an end. "The winner of the match is Envoy Rivera!" His deep voice echoed around the cheering crowd. He turned to Apolla. "Well since you seem to have new found energy, it's time for you to put it to use." He motioned to the arena. She got the message.

She jumped off the podium with a flip and landed soundlessly below.

"Apolla, you are to fight Jenoph." Labren announced, motioning to the large man moving into position in the center of the arena.

Apolla eyed him up. He was about 6'7" with a large muscular build. Each of his arms were the same width of her torso and probably weighed just as much. To add to his menacing look, scars scattered his face and neck, ugly claw marks from previous battles.

"Eh." She looked up to Labren in the podium. "You couldn't find someone more challenging?" She asked, completely unsatisfied by the brute's appearance.

A growl rumbled from the beast across from her. "You dare insult me, little girl?" The deep, daunting voice of Jenoph echoed in the arena, the underlings watching from the stands shivering from the after effects of his lingering power.

Apolla was unfazed and sent him a bored look. "I've had meals scarier than you. I wouldn't even have to shift." She sighed with disappointment and turned back to Labren who raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why you little—" the floor vibrated as Jenoph charged at her with a roar.  As he drew closer, his arm turned to scales, long white spikes decorating it. He swung and surprisingly missed his target, Apolla's speed incomprehensible to the eye.  

She yawned with boredom. She always got stuck with the bark-but-no-bite type of 'warriors', if she could call them that. How could she hone her skills with this unskilled fighter? "How do you plan to hit me with that kind of attack?" She asked, her body language showing no interest. He attacked again and again, Apolla dodging with ease, her hands clasped behind her back.

"This is getting quite boring, Labren. Why couldn't you pair me up with someone who could actually fight?" Her tolerance level was almost to its peak. Labren always seems to waste her time with the weaklings.

Jenoph's whole form changed as his anger intensified with every taunt Apolla made. "How dare you!" He grumbled, his words muffled by the deep growl of his humanoid Scorpio Dragon form. Dark scales and spikes covered his head and body, his form ready for an attack.

"Ooh, a scorpio lizard. I see." Her eyes opened up a bit with interest. "No wonder you couldn't touch me. They are known to be too slow to do such simple tasks." She's fought his kind many times before. They were all the same, single-minded, stubborn, and easy to angry.

He roared as he charged headfirst at her, and for once Apolla didn't move.

The underlings watching started to gasp and began to yell in protest.

"Ah, they never learn." She tsked.

Apolla smiled and just as he was about to make contact, she reached out and stopped his advancement with her left hand, the other one tucked behind her back.

Dust accumulated around them from the force and the arena fell in a stunned silence as the dust settled and she held him. She rolled her eyes. Why must they always test my patience and strength?

"Will you stop playing with him already? I have training of my own to do, you know!" Came the arrogant voice of Argon. A jolt of excitement spread through her body as she held the struggling brute in place.

Apolla turned her head in the direction his voice came from and found herself looking at the arena entrance where Argon was leaning against the outer wall, a smirk on his face. He was completely healed from his wounds, his tan skin healthy, his dark red hair messy from the events of earlier that day.

"Very well," She said, turning back to Jenoph who was fighting against her unmoving arm. "It seems my time is limited and I have no more of it to waste." She grabbed the center spike on his head and twisted her body, flipping him onto the ground with enough force to cause a crater to form from the impact. He went limp under her hand.

Apolla dust off her hands and looked up. The moon lit the sky by the time she finished the match.  Five minutes.  She sighed. That took too long to finish. Time for personal training.

She moved towards the entrance where Argon was, punching him in the arm as she passed. "Don't bother me when I train the underlings." She growled under her breath as the echo of Labren's voice announced the winner of the match.

"Apolla Dudgeon is the victor of this match!" The crowd roared.

As she walked down the hall, Argon called after her. "Tomorrow night, here. Apolla Dudgeon, I want my rematch." The energy from before spread through her again and she slightly remembered the fight for the night before. Too easy; too quick. This time she would drag it out to spare his feelings.

She paused in thought, then looked over her shoulder with an excited smile. "I accept your challenge, Argon Fera."

With that, she left her words to echo with her departure. She soon found herself in the outskirts of the Guardinal Training Facility and jumped off the mountain.