Wizard's Sword (The Battle Wizard Saga, No.2) Read Online Free Page B
Author: C.M. Lance
knew there would be aches in the morning.
He needed to end the match if he could. He′d try passing strikes, his best move. She managed to avoid a kick at her thigh, but he raked her knee on the return. She lost balance. He whirled and kicked at her head. She leaned to the side to miss the initial kick and unbent just in time to catch his returning heel in the back of her head.
Stunned, she dropped to one knee. He grabbed and twisted her wrist, pulled her arm straight out, and kicked her twice in the side with his heel. If he′d applied full force, it could have broken her ribs. He spun and drove his knee against her extended elbow, pulling up short so he didn′t break it.
He stepped back, put his hands together, and bowed. She shook her head groggily as she stood and bowed back.
Sig heard applause and turned to see Rick with a group of ten women who stopped what they were doing to watch. They appraised him seriously.
Rick stopped clapping. "Now that you′ve beaten their number one in hand-to-hand they′ll want you to come back and teach them how you did it."
Several of the Amazons nodded.
Sig shrugged and winced. "I′ll be happy to. I need the workout, but first I need to ice these bruises. I feel like I lost. That was the toughest fight I′ve ever been in."
Arianna punched his shoulder. "You charmer; I bet you say that to all the girls. Let′s plan to do it again, but right now, that ice is the right prescription. If you feel like you lost, just imagine how I feel." She rubbed the back of her head.
Rick asked Arianna, "Who owes who?"
Arianna rolled her eyes, went over to a pile of clothes, pulled out five dollars, and handed it to Rick.
Sig wrinkled his forehead and looked between them.
Rick smiled. "You didn′t use the gas station down the street to change. I won."
Arianna shrugged and smiled.
Sig rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag, and pushed Rick toward the door.
He could feel the flush of embarrassment warming his face and neck.
Back in his room, Sig iced his contusions for half-an-hour before reporting for his first daily check up and training.
Professor Herman was already puttering about in the calibration lab when Sig showed up at 6:30 p.m. "Ah, there you are. I′ve asked Giselle to help me today." He gestured toward a doorway as the tall redheaded Amazon strode into the lab. "Giselle, this is Sig. He′s our subject for today."
"We′ve met."
He smiled and winked. "We′ll have to stop meeting this way."
She looked at him levelly. "You seem to be everywhere."
"Giselle is an expert at measurement."
Sig frowned at her. "This isn′t going to get embarrassing is it?"
She arched an eyebrow and looked him over slowly. It looked enchanting on her high-cheek-boned Nordic features. Then she said, "Do you have some measurement you′re embarrassed about?"
Sig blushed.
The Professor glanced between them. "Do I detect a modicum of friction?"
Giselle smiled. "No, it′s all good fun; although he just beat our tribe′s best hand-to-hand warrior and it wouldn′t hurt to take him down a notch."
He looked at Sig. "In that form? Impressive."
Sig ducked his head as he nodded.
She looked puzzled and asked the Professor, "What do you mean in that form?"
"You′ll see shortly."
She shrugged and said, "I′m ready with the equipment."
Sig nodded.
Professor Herman gestured at a table on which rested a candelabrum, a bowl of water, and several other artifacts. "You′ve tried all of this magic at home with your great-grandfather and with me, but I want you to do it again for baseline measurements."
Sig expressed his continuing frustration at his continuing lack of magic by exhaling forcefully through pursed lips before he said. "OK, I′ll try again."
He tried everything, again, with the same results— nothing. He still couldn′t light a candle with magic, the spell for remote viewing in the water left nothing but clear water. He couldn′t make the prism radiate light. The vellum of
He needed to end the match if he could. He′d try passing strikes, his best move. She managed to avoid a kick at her thigh, but he raked her knee on the return. She lost balance. He whirled and kicked at her head. She leaned to the side to miss the initial kick and unbent just in time to catch his returning heel in the back of her head.
Stunned, she dropped to one knee. He grabbed and twisted her wrist, pulled her arm straight out, and kicked her twice in the side with his heel. If he′d applied full force, it could have broken her ribs. He spun and drove his knee against her extended elbow, pulling up short so he didn′t break it.
He stepped back, put his hands together, and bowed. She shook her head groggily as she stood and bowed back.
Sig heard applause and turned to see Rick with a group of ten women who stopped what they were doing to watch. They appraised him seriously.
Rick stopped clapping. "Now that you′ve beaten their number one in hand-to-hand they′ll want you to come back and teach them how you did it."
Several of the Amazons nodded.
Sig shrugged and winced. "I′ll be happy to. I need the workout, but first I need to ice these bruises. I feel like I lost. That was the toughest fight I′ve ever been in."
Arianna punched his shoulder. "You charmer; I bet you say that to all the girls. Let′s plan to do it again, but right now, that ice is the right prescription. If you feel like you lost, just imagine how I feel." She rubbed the back of her head.
Rick asked Arianna, "Who owes who?"
Arianna rolled her eyes, went over to a pile of clothes, pulled out five dollars, and handed it to Rick.
Sig wrinkled his forehead and looked between them.
Rick smiled. "You didn′t use the gas station down the street to change. I won."
Arianna shrugged and smiled.
Sig rolled his eyes, grabbed his bag, and pushed Rick toward the door.
He could feel the flush of embarrassment warming his face and neck.
Back in his room, Sig iced his contusions for half-an-hour before reporting for his first daily check up and training.
Professor Herman was already puttering about in the calibration lab when Sig showed up at 6:30 p.m. "Ah, there you are. I′ve asked Giselle to help me today." He gestured toward a doorway as the tall redheaded Amazon strode into the lab. "Giselle, this is Sig. He′s our subject for today."
"We′ve met."
He smiled and winked. "We′ll have to stop meeting this way."
She looked at him levelly. "You seem to be everywhere."
"Giselle is an expert at measurement."
Sig frowned at her. "This isn′t going to get embarrassing is it?"
She arched an eyebrow and looked him over slowly. It looked enchanting on her high-cheek-boned Nordic features. Then she said, "Do you have some measurement you′re embarrassed about?"
Sig blushed.
The Professor glanced between them. "Do I detect a modicum of friction?"
Giselle smiled. "No, it′s all good fun; although he just beat our tribe′s best hand-to-hand warrior and it wouldn′t hurt to take him down a notch."
He looked at Sig. "In that form? Impressive."
Sig ducked his head as he nodded.
She looked puzzled and asked the Professor, "What do you mean in that form?"
"You′ll see shortly."
She shrugged and said, "I′m ready with the equipment."
Sig nodded.
Professor Herman gestured at a table on which rested a candelabrum, a bowl of water, and several other artifacts. "You′ve tried all of this magic at home with your great-grandfather and with me, but I want you to do it again for baseline measurements."
Sig expressed his continuing frustration at his continuing lack of magic by exhaling forcefully through pursed lips before he said. "OK, I′ll try again."
He tried everything, again, with the same results— nothing. He still couldn′t light a candle with magic, the spell for remote viewing in the water left nothing but clear water. He couldn′t make the prism radiate light. The vellum of
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