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It was becoming my mantra. Oddly, it worked. It meant that no matter what, I'd find a way to win. I'd either pass my courses or make an impression, but either way, I wouldn't give up.
Chapter 8
Nariana
An hour into class, Ghale decided to make his first attempt to show me I didn't belong. According to him, he wanted to test everyone's basic grappling experience, so he was randomly pairing students. For the most part, sizes were equally matched. At least until he got to me.
"Nariana," he said, gesturing for me to step into the sand pit. "And Bram."
"No, sir," Bram said, making it clear who he was. "I outweigh her by a hundred pounds, easy, and she's a first-year initiate."
Ghale scowled at him. "You know this will affect your grade, right?"
"Don't really care, sir. You put me in there against her, she'll get hurt, and her guardian will be all over my ass." He glanced over at Talin. "As well he should be. I'd do the same for my desire."
Ghale just let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Cermik? How about you, or are you scared of a first-year as well?"
The man stepped into the ring, proving he wasonlyabout Talin's size. It would've been fair to match me against one of the women, but Ghale wasn't trying to see my skill level. He wanted to see how easily I'd quit. I moved onto the sand, keeping my weight on my toes to make up for the heels on my boots, and Cermik was starting to smile.
But I'd already figured one thing out. It seemed the guardians had an inherent respect for each other's relationship with their wards. None of the guys cared about Talin's ability to fight them off. They simply knew that they wouldn't like anyone treating their own ward that way, so they wouldn't do it to anyone else. I was getting the strong impression that these priests would also jump in to help each other without hesitation too.
"Andgo!" Ghale called out.
Cermik rushed in, planning to overpower me, but I knew better. He grabbed, I ducked, intending to get behind him, but it seemed this guy knew what he was doing. He swung, catching me in the back of the skull. I stumbled to my knees in the sand - and saw Talin struggling not to come help. Grath was beside him, one hand clamped on Talin's shoulder, and the girl he'd been stretching with was on the other side. I noticed it all in a split second, but that was enough for Cermik to reach me.
I rolled onto my back, kicking out with a foot, but he dodged to the side and dropped. My feeble attempt to scoot away wasn't enough. Cermik's hand grabbed my throat and he squeezed. His other arm was fumbling to catch my wrist before I could hit him. I let him have that one and kicked at him with my leg, twisting to put some force with it.
So the fool pinned my thigh down with his knee. Just one problem. His hands were busy, my legs were trapped, I'd managed to get a really big breath - and I still had one hand free. Trying to buck him off, I got my arm between us and grabbed low. My fingers hooked on the back side of his balls, my palm pressed against his ring, and then I squeezed as hard as he was gripping my throat.
Cermik roared at the instant rush of pain, and slammed his head forward. I tried to turn, but his fist around my neck prevented it. Pain flared across the side of my face. From the edge of the ring, I heard Talin roaring out his rage, but I had this. I didn't need to see to deal with what was in my hand. I just had to add a little more pressure, bending my thumb to push his most sensitive flesh against the ring I knew had to be cutting by now.
"Fuck!" he screamed, releasing my neck. "Let go! Shit!"
Immediately, I lifted both hands, already feeling my eye starting to swell. "You're free," I told him.
Then I rolled to my feet, knowing that would be marked as a loss, yet still proud of myself for not being strangled into unconsciousness. The world swayed when I stood, and I could see Ghale glaring at me from my good eye, but I was not about to whimper. I didn't want him to think I was scared off.
"I do not condone that in my class," Ghale warned me.
"The strangulation, or the advanced student against one with only two years ofanycombat experience?" I asked. "You've got two options, because I'm not quitting. Either teach me how to do this right, or deal with what happens when I fumble around."
That was more than Cermik could take. "There was no fumbling, bitch! You grabbed right for my ring."
"Mhm, and balls. Had a feeling it would make you let go, and that's pretty much the only instruction I've had on guardians so far. Sorry about that."
"Back on the rail," Ghale snapped at me. "Talin, you're up, and Bram, you can take him."
"You good?" Talin asked when we passed - me going out of the ring and him coming in.
I caught his hand. "I have makeup for a reason. Make me proud?"
"Yes, beautiful," he promised.
The guy moving into place across from him waited patiently. "She good?" he asked.
"Yep," Talin assured him. "Pretty sure she likes it rough." Then he fell into a real combat stance.
Bram matched him. This time, when Ghale gave them the command to go, the men moved at each other carefully. Bram took a swing, but Talin blocked it with his hand, swiping it out of the way, only to follow with a kick. Bram took the hit, tried to make a counter, and ended up stepping back over and over again. Talin refused to let up. Ducking, dodging, grabbing, punching, and kicking, he was fierce in the ring.
