Training ring three sat inside the second wall of the academy It was not a normal gym It was not a boxing ring or a mat It was a shallow stone circle with a thin layer of water spread over the floor The water was barely ankle deep and perfectly even like glass The surface did not move unless you stepped on it Light from above made the whole ring glow pale blue

Evan stopped at the edge and stared You fight in water Mara nodded Yeah He looked at her So I am going to slip and bust my head open in front of everyone She smirked If you do I will laugh but then I will heal you She tossed her own armor aside and rolled her shoulders loose The light plates flowed over her arms and ribs and locked into place She wore no helmet No shield Her stance was relaxed but coiled like someone who has been in a lot of fights and still wants more

Other trainees were already there lined around the ring Some leaned on the railing Some sat on steps A few stood with arms crossed watching with open interest Word had traveled fast They wanted to see the flameborn who did not drown and did not break They wanted to see if he was real or just talk

Mara stepped into the water without looking The surface rippled under her feet but did not splash The water bent around her steps like it respected her She turned and faced him Come on Brooks

He stepped in The first touch of the water felt colder than he expected His boots sank just enough to grip He did not slip The water under him thickened fast like gel and held him upright He blinked Okay That is kind of cool Mara snorted Stay on your feet and I will show you cooler

He stood across from her and tried to copy her stance Knees soft Hands up Chin down Weight centered He had done basic hand to hand drills back home Always with gear on Thick gloves Limited movement Different problem Here he felt exposed No helmet No coat No mask Nothing heavy to hide behind He did not like that feeling but he knew it That was how you felt in a hallway after you dropped gear to get a pinned victim out faster and walked back in with just your body because you had no time to think

Mara pointed to his shoulders Drop them You look like a wall right now We do not stand like walls We stand like current He let his shoulders fall She nodded Good Rule one Water never stops Rule two Water never swings wide Rule three Water does not waste anger You get mad you get sloppy You get sloppy you get cut You get cut you go to Lira and Lira yells at me and I do not want Lira yelling at me

He gave a tiny smile You afraid of her Mara lifted her chin I am not afraid of her I respect her voice volume

He almost laughed then Mara moved She did not warn him She did not count down She was on him in half a second Her right hand flashed toward his jaw He blocked too slow Her palm hit his cheek hard enough to ring his teeth The hit snapped his head to the side He stumbled one step and the watching trainees made a low noise

He fixed his stance She was already in again Left hand now aiming at his ribs He dropped his elbow fast and caught her forearm His arm stung She flowed around his block like she was made of rope and drove her knee toward his stomach He twisted enough to take it on his hip not his gut It still hurt

He grunted and stepped back Mara shook her head Already bleeding points Brooks I told you Do not be a wall He spat a little copper taste out of his mouth You hit fast Mara grinned I am being nice

She came in a third time He was ready now He met her hand early with his wrist and pushed her strike wide The first block that felt good His body knew how to do that part That is just control timing weight He felt his rhythm start to settle The same way it does when you lock into a hose line with a partner and both of you stop fighting each other and move as one piece

Mara used her left knee again He dropped lower this time and let it pass He drove his shoulder forward into her center mass to break her balance He did not hit full force He remembered Lira’s rule You cannot hurt her They will chain you But he gave enough contact to make her step back one pace in the water