37 Chapter 37 - A Simple Gesture (1/2)

When we walked into the sparring field, Terri was standing outside one of the sparring rings with its barriers up, looking in, but I doubted she could see anything as a thick, gray fog filled the inside ring. No one seemed surprised, so I could only stifle my curiosity for now. Unlike the rest of them, I still hadn't seen Gustavo's transformation, but I could feel it.

Before, in the house, his presence had felt like a roaring fire, but now, I could a wildly raging inferno. Although there was still a trace of contempt coming from my bloodline, I could also feel the desire to fight start stirring. His bloodline was slightly weaker than my own, but in his berserk state, I could sense a hint of danger coming from him that strangely made me want to beat it out of him.

As we closed in, I saw the inside barrier ripple once then twice until it was constantly quivering. Terri jumped back in alarm and I could finally see a trace of Gustavo, a set of aqua-green, scaled fists beating on the shimmering wall. She looked over her shoulder and gave a grateful expression when she saw us.

”I don't know what's going on. He's never started attacking the barrier directly before,” Terri said.

While the other girls gathered up in a small group, I continued passed them and stood just outside the outermost barrier wall. Blood was starting to pound in my ears as I watched the ghostly fists smash against the wall before disappearing within the fog again. Separated by no more than four feet and three energy barriers, I could hardly resist the urge to test myself again him.

”I can guess the problem,” Yue said.

”Becca?” Katye called.

Only when I heard Katye's voice did I finally snap out of the dazed state I was in and pulled my eyes away from the ring. I couldn't feel it, but everyone's expression told me that my eyes had changed without me trying, showing my instability.

”You okay?” Terri asked.

”Yeah, I just want to fight him,” I laughed.

”You've lost your mind, right? You didn't see what he did to that last Piasa Bird,” Terri warned, completely dumbfounded by my statement.

I chuckled darkly as I raised a hand and placed it on the barrier. Suddenly, my scales covered my hand and I flexed my fingers against it, testing its strength. The whole barrier dimmed as a small ripple rolled away from my hand and I turned back in time to see Yue's eyes grow wide since she was the only person who truly understood just how strong these barriers were.

”Do you think you could let me inside? I feel like it could help both of us,” I asked, still looking at Yue.

”Becca, I don't think that's a good idea,” Yue replied.

”Let the dragons sort out their own messes. I'll handle them both if it becomes a problem,” Katye said, but there was a strange overlay with her voice.

”Zlo, this isn't something you should meddle in,” Yue snapped.

Katye gave an unnatural chuckle that could chill a person to the bone as she glared at Yue then retorted, ”Yet you constantly call me out to deal with the Fledgling that can hardly control his power. If she can beat him in proper combat, even if he does go berserk again, his bloodline will completely be subdued by hers and therefore, she can solve the problem without straining my host.”

”And if they both lose control?”

”I'll put them both to sleep.”

”How is that not straining Katye's body too much?” Yue nearly yelled.

”I have ways of mitigating the burden or did your group push the memory out of your heads?” Katye asked as she laughed devilishly.

The other three paled while I could only look on with confusion since I didn't know what was going on with Katye, only that it wasn't 'Katye' who was talking. To my surprise, Yue pulled out a control talisman and the barrier next to me dissolved, but I didn't move as my eyes remained locked on Katye.

”Go on, shoo… I'll play with you when Katye gives me the chance,” Katye said, making a shooing gesture with her hands.

The others made a complicated expression, but no one said a word. After a minute, I simply shrugged and stepped past the first wall. It crackled back into place before the second fell and I took another step forward. The whole time our conversation went on, Gustavo's fists had never stopped pelting the inside barrier, so I knew I couldn't take him lightly.