Chapter 182: A Mutual Respect (Part 1)
Monica and Eric both reached their assigned training platform. They stepped onto the cool dark stone. The transparent energy barrier shimmered into existence around them sealing them off from the rest of the noisy training hall.
An awkward silence hung in the air between them. Monica looked at Eric her expression a complex mixture of her earlier burning anger and her new competitive fire. She was ready to fight. She needed to prove herself.
"Since you chose me to be on your team," she said her voice sharp and challenging
"I expect you to fight me with your full power. I want to see your real strength. Don’t hold anything back like you did when we fought in the garden." She held a simple wooden practice sword in her hand its weight familiar and comfortable.
Eric also held a similar wooden sword which he had picked up from the weapon rack that materialized on the platform.
Hearing Monica’s words Eric just nodded his head. He didn’t say anything. He just met her gaze his own expression unreadable.
Monica was a little surprised by his simple quiet agreement. She had expected him to say something arrogant something dismissive. She watched him carefully trying to figure him out. I don’t understand him at all, she thought to herself a familiar frustration bubbling up. First he shows so much attitude in the auditorium.
He calls me weak in front of everyone. And now he has chosen me to be on his team. What is going on in his mind? I can never understand him. Shaking off her confusion Monica focused on the task at hand.
She got into her fighting stance her body perfectly balanced. She shouted at Eric across the platform her voice full of challenge "I’m ready! Are you ready?"
Eric simply nodded his head again. He gave her a signal that he was also ready. His quiet confidence was infuriating to her.
Seeing his signal Monica did not wait. She charged forward.
She ran at him with incredible speed a blur of motion. She brought her wooden sword back far behind her waist gathering all her strength. Then with a great deal of force a power that would have broken a normal man’s bones she swung it forward in a wide powerful arc. Right in front of her stood Eric waiting.