Stepping out of the ring, Daimona was met with a whirling crowd of excited fans.

  “That was amazing,” an older man gasped, snatching up Daimona’s hands in her own. “Was it really your first time in the ring? You fought like a pro!”

  “Um, yeah,” Daimona answered, pulling away.

  One of the attendants dressed in the red-sequined dress looped her arm through Daimona’s left, crooning into her side with an overpowering floral stench. “You sure brought us quite the show…”

  “What’s with the fangs? Are they a part of your enhancement magic?” An excitable young man barely the height of Daimona’s chest shoved his way forward to waive a rock carved with a red sigil. It glowed with Daimona’s exhales, sparking as she began to speak.

  “Well I don’t use--”

  “Everyone, please,” A boisterous voice cut her off, and she recognized the soldier from the previous match as he forced the short man behind him by the shoulder. Standing over Daimona, he said with a smirk, “Can’t you see the poor girl’s exhausted? Give her a break.”

  Daimona’s nose twitched, a pang of annoyance striking her with the man’s condescending tone. She shrugged off the attendant and said nonchalantly, “I’m fine, actually.”

  She tried to move forward, but the man deliberately planted himself in her path, causing her face to crash into his chest. “Whoa, hey, don’t leave yet. We’re just getting to know each other.”

  His meaty hand rose, looking to settle somewhere on her right shoulder. Before it could land, however, Irina suddenly inserted herself from the man’s left, stomping hard on his foot as she wrapped her arms around Daimona in a warm embrace.

  “Daimona!” Irina greeted brightly. “It is good to see you.”

  “Did you see the match?” Daimona asked, cheeks red with relief at the sight of her companion. “I tried to find you before but you must have been busy…”

  Irina pulled back, beaming with pride as she put her hands on Daimona’s shoulders. “I would not have missed a single second, not for anything. Your takedown of that wolf was breathtaking.”

  Daimona’s eyes welled, her heart pounding. She laughed bashfully, “Aw, I was just doing my thing, it wasn’t all that special…”

  Irina shook her head. “It was incredible. You put the rest of our squad’s lackluster efforts to shame. I am honored to fight by such an extraordinary, marvelous--”

  “Hey!” The soldier from before growled, yanking Irina by the collar and growling directly into her face. “You better watch who you’re shoving around!”

  Irina rolled her eyes. She leaned in his grasp, letting her head hang back to look at Daimona upside-down. “Watch closely, Daimona. I want to show you this.”

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I’m talking to you, you bi--”

  As the soldier attempted to force Irina upright, she slammed upwards, propelling herself into the man face first. Their foreheads collided with a brutal smack, causing the soldier to stagger backwards. Irina didn’t let him get far. With one swift movement, she lunged forward and grabbed him by the shiny silver belt buckle clasped over his pants. The second her fingers wrapped around it, Daimona felt the air change, the feeling of pins and needles moving under her skin. Everyone around her seemed to freeze with the change. Daimona wasn’t sure if it was because they were scared, or if they had grown so used to watching people fight in the ring that it only felt natural to let the fight play its way out. The man stayed suspended in place, his boots at a forty-five degree angle from the ground. He shouted and cursed at Irina, flailing his arms and trying to break free from her hold.

  Irina released her grip on the belt buckle. Everyone watched in awe as the man stayed perfectly in place, and Irina slowly drew both of her hands in front of her chest. She brought them together, a slow-motion clap that came to a halt when there was but a millimeter between them. In an instant the man flew towards the cage, his belt buckle hooking into the mesh. Daimona ignored his struggle against the metal, focusing instead on Irina’s movements. A shard of her kindjal slipped out of her sleeve, floating between her palms. Blue light emanated from the shard, and suddenly, pieces of metal from all around the ring floated towards it. Keys, coins, and stray hair clips all formed a small, pulsating circle around her hands.

  Irina’s lips formed syllables under her breath, a chant she seemed to be keeping to herself. Then, when her eyes met Daimona’s quizzical, confused stare, she smiled and raised her voice. “Magnetic Drop.”

  The metal objects all merged into one, bright blue orb, hurtling towards the man’s lower back. The force sent his body through the cage, then through the other wall. Daimona watched with an open mouth as he crashed into the interior wall of the arena. The orb seemed to struggle for a moment, creating a light indent with the man’s body. Then with a grunt, Irina clasped her hands together, and the orb glowed brighter and pushed the man through the other side.

  She grinned at Daimona. “What do you think? Very efficient, no?”

  “That was so cool!!” Daimona screamed, tackling Irina in an impressed hug. “You sent him flying!”

  Irina gently pat her on the back, and as they pulled apart, Daimona noticed her palms were covered in small, hairline scratches. Irina winced as she hid them behind her back.

  “A small price to pay,” she said quietly.

  “When the payoff’s that big,” Daimona whistled, mimicking the trajectory with her pointer finger. “I’d say it’s worth the trouble.”

  “Smirnov,” Corporal Simon barked, brows furrowed with annoyance. “Do you know how much property damage you’ve just caused with that stunt of yours?”

  “It’s nothing you won’t make me clean up tomorrow,” Irina grumbled.

  “You’re damn right,” Simon huffed. “That man was a star challenger, he had at least seven more matches this week. I ought to have you fill in for sending him to the medbay like that.”

  “And take time away from my precious tile-scrubbing duty?” Irina gasped in mock horror. “I will have to consider your offer.”

  Simon brushed past her, running to meet the group of attendants already sprinting towards the exit. Will stepped forward in her wake, head bobbing thoughtfully.

  “Good work tonight,” he said, nodding towards Daimona.

  The compliment took her by surprise. “Th-thanks! Uh, thank you, Captain.” She managed an awkward salute, a parody of crooked hands. Will smiled at her, a soft laugh escaping him. Daimona tried not to squeal with delight now that his act of silence had finally been dissolved. He strutted past Irina, admiring the hole in the wall. Stars twinkled through the domed sky on the other side.

  “You know, Irina, I think you should take Corporal Simon up on becoming a ring fighter,” he said.

  “Why?” Irina sneered. “I have training.”

  “I have something better for you in mind,” Will replied, a sly smile plastered across his face. “Something we’ve all been training for.”