Wizard's Sword (The Battle Wizard Saga, No.2) by C.M. Lance

started walking. Sig hurried to catch up.
    She glanced sideways at him. "I call her Commander because she′s the elected head of our tribe. We don′t use the term 'queen′ anymore, since we split into tribes, and chief has too many masculine connotations, so she′s Commander."
    "Not mom?"
    "We don′t develop parent child bonds like you′re used to. The tribe raises the young. We have specialists for various duties. We find it efficient."
    Sig nodded, "Efficient… interesting."
    "Now she′s coming to check you out."
    Sig stopped and looked incredulously at her back. She continued walking for a few more paces. "Check me out?" He asked.
    She turned and walked back. "I should have expected this. I didn′t think much of it when you asked to spar, but you′ve been holding your own, more than holding your own. You′ve been teaching us. It′s hard to keep something like that from the Commander."
    "She wants to watch a match?"
    "I suspect she feels she has to defend the tribe′s honor. She′ll probably fight you."
    "I′m not fighting anyone′s mother."
    She gave him a wry look. "You don′t want to fight my sixty-six year old mother?"
    "Sixty six? Of course I don′t want to fight her."
    "She′ll kick your ass." Giselle said confidently.
    Taken aback, Sig said, "What?"
    "Amazon′s reach their peak of power after many years. The Commander came into hers about five years ago, shortly before she became our leader. She′s as strong as Bella and Arianna combined, faster, and more skilled. Oh yeah, she′ll kick your butt."
    Sig enjoyed working out with the Amazons. Despite what she said, he knew he just held his own and only because he improved right along with them. Sure, he taught them things, but he learned as well.
    He had improved, but enough to hold his own with someone stronger, faster, and more experienced than his sparring partners?
    "She′s really that much better?"
    "My mother bench presses four hundred and fifty pounds. That was last year. She may be stronger now."
    Sig shut his mouth with a snap when he realized it hung open.
    "Now do you understand my suggestion that you retire from sparring for a little while?"
    Sig nodded slowly. "Yeah, probably good advice, but I can′t back down or I′ll always be backing down."
    "Not a surprise. Not wise, but not a surprise."
    She turned to walk back to the Game Room. After a moment, he followed her. What had he gotten himself into?

 
    "You failed me. I should send you back to your mother," growled the Dark Mage.
    "Please, not that. My brothers are too mean. Please, let me stay," whimpered Dmitri.
    "You lost the demon′s egg. Do you realize how long it took to get it?" shrieked the Wizard. "Do you know what promises I made, what I had to give up?"
    Dmitri hung his head.
    "How can I ever trust you again?" The Dark Mage asked.
    Dmitri hung his head further. "Please give me another chance. I won′t fail you again."
    "He defeated you. He destroyed my egg. I found it for my gateway to defeat the Battle Wizards," the Wizard screamed.
    "But he′s so big, so fast, and so strong. You never told me."
    The Mage whispered, "I shouldn′t have to tell you everything. Take off your shirt." He opened a cupboard, withdrew a braided whip with a forked tip, and laid it on a table.
    Dmitri moaned as he stripped off his jacket and shirt.
    The Wizard screeched, "Strip off your pants. Grab the shelves." He took up the whip and cracked it.
    Dmitri sniveled as he stood above old bloodstains soaked into the wooden floor and clutched the bookshelves. The Wizard wielded the whip until his arm ached and Dmitry collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
    He put the whip back in the cupboard, rubbed his arm, and then cackled. "I feel better now."
    The Dark Mage mused, "What is the next step now to destroy the Battle Wizard? Andras again?"

 
    Sig swayed back so far to dodge a kick; he had to stop his fall with a hand to the floor. He used it to bounce up and catch Arianna′s leg at the ankle as