I wish I could have told my parents that I might make the dueling team last night. Unfortunately, my dad's out of town on a business trip, and my mom apparently had to leave with a few old friends and won't be back for a few days.   

School the next day seems to drag on forever. I just want to get to training so we can keep going with the dueling tests. Finally, it comes!

I quickly strap on the armor and get ready for battle. The tests continue for a while and pay close attention to how the other students fight. I fight a few of them and win easily. I pay special attention to that new girl, Lillyana. She is powerful, I can still hardly believe that her red hair is real. She's a pretty good fighter too. I wait excitedly for when I can fight her.

She'll probably be the only one who's any real challenge. I haven't had a real challenge in a while. I can't wait to fight her. If she also has the ability to make the dueling team then I know she'll be fun to battle. At last, the coach calls for us to fight each other.

"These girls," he says, "Are the most powerful in this class and both will have the opportunity to join the dueling team as freshmen. This fight will not determine which one or if both are joining. This is merely for practice because they can present a challenge to each other."

We get our weapons. She takes a large sword, a nice one too. She has good taste in weapons. I take a battle axe. I use swords sometimes too, but right now I'm trying to get better with my battle axe.

"Fight!"

She shoots a fire blast at me immediately. I dodge it easily. I focus on calling up my power. I send waves of terror into her. She freezes for a moment and I charge and swing at her with my battle axe. In the next moment, fire explodes all around her. It's strong enough that I can feel it through my armor.

Note to self: Don't use fear on this one. It seems that when she's scared her powers explode like this.

I retract the fear and focus on something else. I make myself numb to the pain. I don't do this often, but it does stop the pain. I charge forward and swing at her with my battle axe. She gets control of her powers and dodges it. She swings with her sword. I block it. I turn myself into darkness itself. It basically makes me invisible. I hurry to catch her from behind. I reappear as I make the final swing.

She sees me and turns to block it. I force her to drop the sword and take it into my own hand. I have my axe poised near her neck and the sword pointed at her heart.

"Stop!" the coach says, "We have a winner!"

I put my weapon down and give back her sword. The coach calls both of us over.

"Today after school, a boy from the dueling team will come to challenge both of you. If you do well, then you will be allowed to join the dueling team."

"Okay, I'll be here," I say.

"Me too," she says.

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A new person, a new location, a new life.

Lillyana

We're waiting in the gym. I can't wait to start the test! I wonder who they'll send to test us. I wish I could hate told my mom about this last night. She had to leave town with a few of her old friends. I wonder if they'll send Hendrix. Ugh! Why am I still thinking about him?! I have been burned before! I will not allow myself to lose it over some guy again!

The door opens and a boy walks in. Sure enough, it's Hendrix. Great. I wonder if he's actually a good fighter. He probably is. He's got both the powers of blonde hair and the dark powers of black eyes. This should be interesting.

"Okay," he says, "You both know me, and I've seen that both of you are very powerful. Today each of you will duel against me. Your acceptance will be based on how well you do. Any questions?"

"Does anything before this fight count towards being accepted?" Rivka asks.

"No," he says, "This is a clean slate. You two are on level ground. Any other questions?"

He pauses for a minute and neither of us says anything.

"Good, let's get started."

He fights Rivka first. She's a really good fighter, but I can tell immediately that he's better. He's faster, stronger, and better with his weapon, which happens to be a sword. He also seems to be good with his magic, but he doesn't use it much other than to call up a shield. But, he might be using other powers too that I can't see. I know there are some things that give powers like heightened senses and things like that. I wonder if he's using that right now, it definitely seems like Rivka is.

They fight for a few minutes and he eventually wins. He's amazing.

Now it's my turn. We take up the position. He strikes first and lunges at me with his sword. I barely dodge it. I shoot a fire blast at him and charge forward with my own weapon. I swing at him and he blocks it. Then he does something I definitely wasn't expecting. It looked like he had cloned himself to form a circle around me. I freeze for a moment then rush at one of them. When my sword hits it the clone disappears and I feel something like my hands being turned into ice.

I look down at them just to make sure that they didn't turn into ice. They didn't, good, but they still feel like ice. I try to call up my power and shoot a fire blast at some of the clones. I get the same ice blast as before only stronger. More clones appear and they charge on me. I have to pick the real one quickly. I look around at them trying to see some hint at which one is real. Suddenly something happens. I can't explain exactly what it is but I can feel all of my senses being heightened.

In that instant, I know which one is real and target him. I shoot a blast of fire directly at him. He blocks but loses his concentration and the clones disappear. I swing directly at him with my sword. He barely manages to block it and I send fire directly at him. He calls up a shield, but I keep pushing against it and it almost gives way. He pushes back and blinds me for a moment. He charges and swings at me. I block him and try to force his sword out of his hand. As I do this I also call up my fire and send all that I can to him.

He drops his sword and I take it quickly.

"Give?" I ask.

"Yeah, I give," he says.

Did I just beat him?! I think I did! I just beat someone on the dueling team! Also, what was the deal with that clone thing? It doesn't matter right now! I did it! I'm going to make the dueling team!

"Well girls," he says, "You both did really well, and I'll remind you that no one expected you to win. That wasn't what the test was. I was testing for how well you can fight with your powers and if you have the skill and power to hold your own in a real duel. I'm happy to say that while only one of you managed to win the fight, you both did well enough to make the team. We have practice from 3:30 to 5:30 on Mondays Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Don't be late. We have our first competition of the year in three weeks and you two have some catching up to do."

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A new person, a new location, a new life.

A Powerful Outcast

Interesting. Rivka beat Lillyana, but only Lillyana could beat that Hendrix boy when Rivka couldn't. I wonder what this will mean for the girls. There doesn't seem to be one clearly rising above the other yet. They are very talented, I really hope we can get them to our side. It really would be a shame if we had to force them into giving up their powers. I especially hope that I won't be the one who has to do it. For now, at least, they can enjoy their lives before whatever we'll have to do to fulfill the mission.

No matter what, the mission takes priority. I will not fail my master.

I can't fail him.