Sparring

“You’re an idiot, Mikhail.”

Mikhail jumped to his feet, crest and tail fanned out indignantly. Selena was barging into his garden uninvited! To be fair, he usually enjoyed her company, so she had an unofficial, unspoken invitation at all times. But she didn’t have to be so rude!

“That’s hardly justified!” Nevermind that he didn’t actually know what specifically spurred her to action. Mikhail was certain he had a good reason for whatever it was he did.

“It isn’t?” She advanced on him, head lowered and eyes narrow. At least she was avoiding stepping on the daffodils. “What would you call it, then, challenging your cousin—who is much older and stronger than you–”

“Stronger?!”

“–to a duel?” As she spoke, she began to circle him, like a predator closing in on its prey. “A duel that all of Atlantis will see?”

Mikhail turned with her, keeping her in front of him. He wasn’t going to let her toss him around. “All of Atlantis will see it, and they’ll see me win! Have some faith in me, Selena.”

“I find that extremely difficult, given your track record. Fight me.”

Mikhail blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Prove to me that you know what you’re doing.” She galloped over to him and nipped at his tail feathers, making him yelp. “Now! Fight!”

Mikhail was not in the mood for a fight, especially not against Selena. Challenging Blackmist was one thing; they’d been bickering ever since he was a hatchling. Blackmist always treated him like one, even now as he was practically full-grown. That was why Mikhail had to fight him, in the public arena of Queen Rhys’s birthday celebration. He would prove to his cousin, and all of Atlantis, that he was no longer a child. The Queen herself approved of the idea!

But Selena… Well, he bickered with her, too. But Selena, despite her curt and often harsh words, was never out to demean and humiliate him the way Blackmist was. With her military-grade strictness, she was only ever looking out for him.

That military training made him suddenly doubt his own combat prowess. She was one of the many squires that would be officially knighted and made part of the royal guard at the ceremony. Who was he to try and fight her?

Maybe this was a bad idea. But he couldn’t get cold feet now, not in front of Selena. He couldn’t disappoint her.

When she lunged to nip at him again, he sidestepped her and headbutted her flank.

“There you go,” she said, her violet eyes alight in challenge. “Now keep it up.”

She reared up, and Mikhail dodged just in time to avoid her bashing his skull in. “That’s a bit intense for sparring, isn’t it?”

Selena didn’t answer; she only went after him again. He should have figured. He’d seen Selena training with her fellow squires before, and she was relentless. She wasn’t the sort to waste her breath talking when her sharp thumbs could speak for her.

She told him to keep up, but he wasn’t sure if he could. She was, undoubtedly, the one setting the pace of the fight. Mikhail knew he couldn’t afford to be struck even once. She’d bowl him over. All he could do was maneuver around her, keep his guard up, and hope he could wear her down. If she kept fighting so aggressively, maybe-

“Knock her dead, Mikmik!”

Mikhail froze. He knew that voice, but what was he doing here? He whipped his head around to face him. “Cass-”

Selena socked him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. He bit his tongue as his head hit the paved pathway, and it felt like his head burst open. (It did not, he wasn’t even bleeding, but he sure felt like he was dying.)

“You were supposed to do that to her, Mikmik.”

Mikhail groaned. Why did everyone think they could barge into his garden whenever they wanted? Did private property mean nothing anymore?

Selena, her guard training kicking in, stepped around him, putting herself between Mikhail and the intruder. “What do you think you’re doing here, Cassia?”

As expected, Cassia wasn’t threatened in the slightest. He hopped over the rosebushes at the edge of the “arena” and sat next to Mikhail, much to Selena’s annoyance. Mikhail was only a little mad. “I’m cheering on my friend, of course! Everyone’s heard that he challenged Blackmist.” He leaned down and not-at-all quietly whispered to Mikhail, “Now, I’m not saying that Sellie is any more or less formidable than your cousin, but I think losing to her is a pretty bad sign.”

“Thank you, Cassia,” Mikhail said, struggling to his feet. His head felt slightly less exploded. “Very helpful.”

Selena glared at the cinnamon-colored iguanodon. “Never call me Sellie again.”

“Sorry, Sellie.” He smiled, innocent as a lamb. “I’ll do better next time.”

“By her Majesty, you’re incorrigible.”

“Well, we’re both trying to accomplish the same thing, aren’t we?” He looked over at Mikhail. “I wouldn’t mind seeing Blackmist get knocked down a peg, and our dear Mikmik did us all a favor by volunteering.”

He spoke as flippantly as ever, but Mikhail knew he really did hate his cousin. He was one of the only dinosaurs in the world that hadn’t eared a Cassia-approved nickname.

“What vulgar reasoning,” Selena muttered. “I doubt you’ll get that out of the match, anyway, if Mikhail spends all of it running away.”

“I wasn’t running!” Mikhail said, despite the fact that it was exactly what he’d been doing. “I was-”

“Do not say ‘making a tactical retreat’. You clearly don’t know what it means.”

Well, there went his only defense.

“I do agree with Sellie. I’m afraid you might have to actually land a few hits if you want to win any favors from this fight.”

Selena nodded. “Blackmist will spend the whole match laughing at you if you play too evasively.”

“And so will I.”

“You two are so encouraging.”

Selena scoffed, and she began circling him again. “Enough talk. Mikhail, if you want to stand any chance against Blackmist, you have to train.”

Cassia, grinning wide, backed out of the arena, once again expertly avoiding the rosebushes. “Dear Sellie, maybe it would help if we explained some strategy to him, instead of trying to cave his head in?”

“Yes, I’m sure you will have plenty to say while you do none of the work.”

“What can I say? I’m a lover, not a fighter.”

Mikhail looked frantically between the two of them. “Can I say-”

“No.”

“We’re going to do the talking, Mikmik. Don’t worry about it.”

He was very worried. Evidently, there was no way he was getting out of this.

Mikhail sighed, and turned to face Selena again…

“Your form is awful,” she said.

“Spread your feet out farther.”

Mikhail bit back the urge to shout at them and did as he was told.

“I’m surprised, Cassia,” Selena said. “You actually know what you’re talking about.”

“I’ve watched you spar enough to pick up on a few things.”

“You watch- Forget it. You’re distracting me.”

Mikhail thought it was bad enough having Selena beat him up, but having Cassia providing commentary somehow made it worse. This was going to be the longest sparring match of his life. He hoped desperately that it would be worth it.