center of the room. Rage was already inside the metal bars. He had taken off his shirt. Damn, that man was built like a brick house. She had a sudden urge to rub her hands all over him. She shook her head. She needed to stop this way of thinking.
“Ready?” he asked as she climbed into the cage.
“ I guess so. What moves are we going to practice first?” She had her back to him. She was surprised when she felt her legs knocked out from under her. “What the hell?”
“Never turn your back on your opponent.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “I know that already.”
He moved back so she could stand up. She kept her eyes on him as she got back to her feet. They circled each other, both analyzing the other’s movements.
“Your opponents are going to be bigger, stronger, and faster than you. Accept that and find a way to circumvent.”
“Circumvent? They are bigger, stronger, and faster. How am I supposed to get around them?”
“There are three things you need to learn if you want to stay alive in the circuit. One, know your opponents’ location at all times. Two, know your opponents’ weaknesses. Three, know what techniques to use as countermeasures.”
“Right, sounds easy.”
She was surprised when Rage moved quickly and pulled her back up against his front. Then he placed the blade of his forearm against her throat and pulled straight back, holding his arm tight with his other hand. “This is a typical choke hold. How do you get out of it?”
Rachel struggled and pulled against his arms. Normally she could break the hold if she was fighting another human. But the Bestial fighter was just too strong. “I can’t.”
He sighed heavily. “Break the hold by grabbing my forearm and turn your body towards my shoulder. Then pull down on my elbow and bring my wrist up over your head. You will be able to place me in a figure forearm bar.”
Rachel followed his instructions and found that it worked. “I did it.”
“Don’t get cocky. You need to know the hold moves and the breaking hold moves. Then adapt those to be specific for your opponent. Your first match will be against a Sorian halfsie. What do you know about Sorians?”
“They are super-fast, fast enough to cause wind tunnels if they run circles around you.”
“Correct. They are only slightly stronger than a human, so you just need to concentrate on their speed.”
“I won’t be able to match their speed no matter how much I practice.”
“ You have to compensate for that. What counter moves can you use against someone who moves really, really fast?” He waited to give her a chance to answer. He huffed when she shrugged. “Come on, human … think. Did you ever box before?”
“Yes , of course I boxed.”
“What is the golden rule of feinting?”
“Always do something different than expected.”
“Right. A Sorian can’t create a wind tunnel unless they have their target in the center. Your job is to be anywhere but in the center. Feint, then move to a different location to throw them off.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“You think so?” He gave her a gleaming look. “I’m not as fast as a Sorian, but let’s see if you can keep me from putting you in the center.”
That was all the warning she got. For a big man he was light on his feet. He ran around her, forcing her to step back, moving her to where he wanted her to be. She was confused , not knowing where she was supposed to go. Then he suddenly stopped.
“Human , you are not even trying!”
“It’s Rachel.” She grunted when she was spun around from behind. “Okay. Let’s try that again.”
Rage began running around her again. This time, Rachel moved in the opposite direction from where he seemed to be moving her. During his next pass, she turned her body and threw a punch at him. It landed on his side. Though it was not enough to knock him down, it threw off his momentum, causing him to spin out of his circling path.
“ Better, … Rachel.” He
“Ready?” he asked as she climbed into the cage.
“ I guess so. What moves are we going to practice first?” She had her back to him. She was surprised when she felt her legs knocked out from under her. “What the hell?”
“Never turn your back on your opponent.”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “I know that already.”
He moved back so she could stand up. She kept her eyes on him as she got back to her feet. They circled each other, both analyzing the other’s movements.
“Your opponents are going to be bigger, stronger, and faster than you. Accept that and find a way to circumvent.”
“Circumvent? They are bigger, stronger, and faster. How am I supposed to get around them?”
“There are three things you need to learn if you want to stay alive in the circuit. One, know your opponents’ location at all times. Two, know your opponents’ weaknesses. Three, know what techniques to use as countermeasures.”
“Right, sounds easy.”
She was surprised when Rage moved quickly and pulled her back up against his front. Then he placed the blade of his forearm against her throat and pulled straight back, holding his arm tight with his other hand. “This is a typical choke hold. How do you get out of it?”
Rachel struggled and pulled against his arms. Normally she could break the hold if she was fighting another human. But the Bestial fighter was just too strong. “I can’t.”
He sighed heavily. “Break the hold by grabbing my forearm and turn your body towards my shoulder. Then pull down on my elbow and bring my wrist up over your head. You will be able to place me in a figure forearm bar.”
Rachel followed his instructions and found that it worked. “I did it.”
“Don’t get cocky. You need to know the hold moves and the breaking hold moves. Then adapt those to be specific for your opponent. Your first match will be against a Sorian halfsie. What do you know about Sorians?”
“They are super-fast, fast enough to cause wind tunnels if they run circles around you.”
“Correct. They are only slightly stronger than a human, so you just need to concentrate on their speed.”
“I won’t be able to match their speed no matter how much I practice.”
“ You have to compensate for that. What counter moves can you use against someone who moves really, really fast?” He waited to give her a chance to answer. He huffed when she shrugged. “Come on, human … think. Did you ever box before?”
“Yes , of course I boxed.”
“What is the golden rule of feinting?”
“Always do something different than expected.”
“Right. A Sorian can’t create a wind tunnel unless they have their target in the center. Your job is to be anywhere but in the center. Feint, then move to a different location to throw them off.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“You think so?” He gave her a gleaming look. “I’m not as fast as a Sorian, but let’s see if you can keep me from putting you in the center.”
That was all the warning she got. For a big man he was light on his feet. He ran around her, forcing her to step back, moving her to where he wanted her to be. She was confused , not knowing where she was supposed to go. Then he suddenly stopped.
“Human , you are not even trying!”
“It’s Rachel.” She grunted when she was spun around from behind. “Okay. Let’s try that again.”
Rage began running around her again. This time, Rachel moved in the opposite direction from where he seemed to be moving her. During his next pass, she turned her body and threw a punch at him. It landed on his side. Though it was not enough to knock him down, it threw off his momentum, causing him to spin out of his circling path.
“ Better, … Rachel.” He
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