Chapter 38: In the Battlesquare
The connection was hot and jaw-shattering. Jethro felt boiling rocks slam into his low jaw, causing him to stumble wildly to his left, almost falling to the ground from the contact. Scorch finally leaped off his head and landed on his shoulder, shrieking angrily at Durn, who was grinning at his handwork.
Jethro groaned in pain, clutching his throbbing jaw. He worked it gingerly, stretching his mouth to test if anything was broken.
"That’s it!" someone yelled from the stands above. "Beat him up! Crush the runt and his stupid lizard!"
Durn grinned wider. "You hear that? I’m going to enjoy kicking your lower Sector ass."
Jethro eyed him through the haze of pain, then sighed theatrically. He sagged his shoulders and raised his silver eyebrows in exaggerated weariness. "I never get the point of the bragging." He gestured loosely at Durn. "You’re a Class E, Silver Rank." He pointed a thumb at himself. "I’m only a Class E, Gray Rank. Of course you’re supposed to beat me."
Durn’s face twisted with confusion for a moment, but then he realized Jethro’s strategy. "I know what you’re doing!" He pointed a dramatic finger at him. "You’re trying to make it seem like beating you doesn’t count! So you don’t look like a loser when I win!"
Jethro laughed. Once. "You’re the least smart Sherlock so far. Maybe I’m the loser when this ends, but you’re the one whose first victory was against the weakest beast tamer in the Academy! How pathetic is that for you?"
At first, Durn’s face darkened with genuine worry. What Jethro said was true. Here in the Academy, everyone was vying for reputation and accolades. If it stuck that his first victory was against the lowest ranked tamer, it could affect his respect from peers.
Durn clenched his fists in anger, realizing that there was nothing he could do about that now.
"I don’t care!" he bellowed. "All I care about now is teaching you your place!"
Jethro stepped backwards.