~Theo~
“You’ve become really sloppy,” Fred said, swinging his blade at me. I narrowly avoided it, a tight grin curling at the corner of my mouth.
“You're the one who’s sloppy,” I retorted, stepping back to regain my balance.
I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, my muscles straining as I dodged Fred’s attack. Perspiration formed on my face, and my breath came in short gasps.
“You sure about that?”
Fred’s attack came quicker this time. He directed a fake swing at me and immediately followed up with a quick jab. I blocked the strike, feeling the force of the return attack on my arm.
“Alright,” Fred agreed reluctantly, “I’ll admit, you’ve gotten faster. But you can’t deny that you’re distracted.”
“Distracted?” I raised an eyebrow as I brought my sword up to block his next attack.
“Y
