I looked at Kael as he continued to chatter away.
"You are trying to sense things before they happen, but that skill doesn't work that way"
"It would be a blessing if it did," I answered.
The words were a true reflection of my wishful thoughts; the mana only amplified what was already there, and I had trained my senses to be attuned enough to catch nuances in my opponent's movements.
I could even feel rather than hear the scrape of sand beneath boots on the far bench. I felt the smallest sweat drop that would betray a twitch before someone moved.
He changed tactics then, moving from tests to attempts to shape my moves. He baited me with openings that weren't actually openings but traps to stop my bad habits.
He drew me onto the edges of the ring, trying to compress my reach and force me to choose between retreat and a desperate strike. He was patient, and he was always laying a trap.
