Added Chapter 9 to Sword Dancers 1

CHAPTER 9
Tyree
e should spar sometime,” Tyree suggested as he
and Colin snuck back to their dorm after another
secret training session.
Colin immediately shot him down, knowing how
dangerous their weapons could be. “Yeah, no thanks. You
nearly blew up Razor earlier.”
“Sounds like you might be scared,” Tyree teased,
flashing a grin.
“No. I just appreciate having all my limbs intact!” Colin
laughed as they keyed into their dorm room.
As soon as they stepped inside, they froze. Ashley was
sprawled out on the floor, unconscious, her body encased in
armor from head to toe. A pair of wings protruded from her
back, knocking over lamps and posters around the room. On
her wrist was the Cipher, Flair.
“Oh, crap!” Tyree rushed over, panic rising in his chest.
“Is she dead?” he asked, his voice almost cracking.
Colin shot him a glare. “Really?” He gently nudged
Ashley’s side with his foot. “Ashley?”
A soft groan escaped her lips as she stirred, blinking her
eyes open. The moment she regained clarity and realized
Colin and Tyree were standing over her, she jumped up, fists
raised, ready to fight.
W
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“Stand back!” she warned, her wings knocking into the
furniture as she tried to steady herself.
The armor clearly wasn’t something she was used to, and
she stumbled around, bumping into the walls and nearly
toppling a bookshelf. Tyree couldn’t help but laugh, watching
her struggle to maintain her balance.
“You think this is funny?” Ashley snapped, glaring at
him.
“Yeah, that suit looks a bit big for you,” Tyree smirked.
Before she could step toward Tyree, Flair’s voice cut
through the air, calm but authoritative. “Ashley, control
yourself. You don’t need to fight every battle.”
Ashley hesitated, blinking in confusion as she looked
around the room. Colin quickly stepped between them, his
hands up in a gesture of peace. “Alright, alright, let’s all calm
down.”
Ashley’s gaze flickered to her reflection in the mirror. As
the tension eased, she took a moment to admire her suit. Her
eyes trailed over the gleaming armor and the hooked sword at
her waist. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but smirk.
“I look like a gladiator,” she said, sounding impressed.
Flair spoke again, the voice now carrying a hint of pride.
“You are a Sword Dancer, Ashley. A warrior, not just some
brawler.”
Ashley Ashley spun around, searching the room. “Did
you guys hear that?”
Colin shook his head, but he already knew what was
happening. “That’s your Cipher, Flair. They communicate
telepathically, but they can also speak aloud if they want.”
Tyree chimed in, trying to be helpful. “They seem to have
distinct personalities. Razor’s pretty logical, Crush is… well,
let’s just say he’s got attitude.”
“I prefer the term ‘strong,’” Crush’s voice cut in, clearly
annoyed.
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“More like stubborn,” Razor retorted, with a dry edge to
his voice.
Ashley watched the back-and-forth with wide eyes,
clearly trying to make sense of everything. Her hands
absentmindedly moved to the Cipher on her wrist. “What are
these things, really?”
“They’re called Ciphers,” Colin explained. “They’re
alien tech, I guess, but they bond with people and give them
powers—only to those they deem worthy.”
Flair’s voice rang out, softer now, as she addressed
Ashley directly. “We have chosen you, Ashley. There is a
strength in you, a fire. You may not understand it now, but in
time, you will see why.”
Ashley sat down on Colin’s bed, rubbing her temples,
still processing everything. “This is… a lot.”
Seeing her overwhelmed, Colin sat beside her, his voice
calm. “We didn’t understand at first either. But they’re here
to help. And we’re all figuring it out together.”
Tyree, feeling a bit awkward, tried to shift the
conversation. “So, uh, you want to see what they can do?”
Ashley looked between them, her curiosity growing.
“You guys have been practicing with them?”
Colin nodded. “Yeah, in the woods mostly.”
A mischievous smile tugged at Ashley’s lips as she
looked back down at Flair. “You guys want to try something…
bigger?”
Flair immediately echoed her excitement, her voice
bright with enthusiasm. “I like where your mind is going,
Ashley. Let’s see what we can really do.”
Tyree
A few minutes later, the trio sneaked off campus and
headed into the city. There was a bar called The Bear Den,
known for attracting trouble, and Ashley had insisted it was
the perfect place to test their new skills.
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Standing in the shadows of a nearby alley, Colin and
Tyree felt their nerves spike as they watched the tough, burly
men going in and out of the bar. Ashley, on the other hand,
seemed entirely unbothered, her confidence growing with
each step.
“Those guys look like they could snap us in half,” Tyree
muttered, feeling a pit form in his stomach.
“Come on, Tyree. Don’t tell me you’re scared,” Ashley
teased, smirking.
Crush’s voice buzzed in Tyree’s head. “She’s right, you
know. Don’t be such a coward.”
Tyree clenched his fists. “Shut up, Crush.”
Ashley, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with
excitement. “Let’s do this.”
“Let’s,” Flair echoed, her voice sharp and ready.
Colin, ever the peacemaker, tried to rein things in. “Guys,
we aren’t exactly experts at this yet. Let’s try to take it slow.”
Ashley ignored him, her focus locked on a group of men
who had just exited the bar. They were rough-looking, their
clothes worn, and their eyes scanning the street for trouble.
They quickly zeroed in on a young couple walking nearby,
surrounding them like wolves on prey.
One of the men grabbed the woman’s purse, and her
boyfriend’s attempt to stop him was met with a hard shove.
“That’s our cue,” Ashley muttered, activating Flair.
Her armor materialized instantly, the wings stretching
out behind her as she stepped out of the shadows. Colin
groaned, but he activated Razor and followed her lead.
Tyree hesitated again, his heart pounding in his chest.
Crush’s voice slithered into his mind, taunting. “What’s
wrong, Tyree? Afraid of a few lowlifes?”
“No, I’m not afraid,” Tyree whispered, his voice
trembling slightly. He activated Crush, the red light
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surrounding him as the armor took form. But his hesitation
lingered, and he felt a sharp pang of uncertainty.
Ashley
The leader of the group rummaged through the woman’s
purse, laughing as he tossed her belongings onto the ground.
The boyfriend tried to intervene again, but one of the men
shoved him roughly to the pavement.
Before they could continue their harassment, Ashley’s
voice cut through the night. “Hey! Why don’t you pick on
someone your own size?”
The men turned, their eyes narrowing, as they spotted her
stepping into the light, her armor gleaming. Colin and Tyree
followed close behind, their suits shimmering as they took
their positions beside her.
Flair’s voice echoed in Ashley’s mind. “Show them what
a real warrior looks like, Ashley.”
Ashley grinned, drawing her hooked sword. “Gladly.”
The gang exchanged glances, clearly not expecting
resistance. But they quickly squared up, ready for a fight.
“Alright, let’s dance,” Ashley said, her tone confident
and unshaken.
The Ciphers buzzed with energy, ready for the fight
ahead.