[The Beach, Themyscira]

[May 8, 2022]

Kara watched as the fist grazed her bangs. Her blond strands of hair moved with the incoming strike. She could feel the pressure from the attack and it reminded her of the Type-3 she had fought recently.

She leaned in and counter attacked. Her own fist lancing out to hit her foe. A textbook uppercut.

Yet the other girl was no longer there.

The world went dark and a streak of light passed over her eyes. Then her vision cleared to showcase the incoming ocean waves.

Kara blinked as confusion swept across her. Wasn’t she standing? How had she fallen onto her side so quickly?

Her analytical mind went into overdrive. It was a counter-counter strike. The other fist came from beyond her vision. It was most likely a hook.

A hand showed up and Kara ruefully took it. The other smiling blond hefted her back onto her feet.

“You’re getting better,” Cassie exclaimed as she rubbed at her bruised ribs.

Kara smiled, her own bruises and bloody nose a testament to her ‘improvements’. Yet they were undeniable. Just two days ago, she couldn’t even hit Cassie properly.

“Fe’larou!” a scream bellowed out, and the two blonds looked over to the other two.

Kori gently brushed aside Diana’s fist and struck the woman with a palm blow to the woman’s face. Then she swept the feet from under her dazed opponent.

Diana reacted immediately, as she used her hand to stabilize and kicked out with both her feet. An attack that missed, and she paid for it by getting an axe kick to her ribs.

The woman grunted, and her arms strained, but she could spread out her legs and rotate her body. Her powerful arms gripped the earth to spin her legs out. Her legs lashed out in a series of wide strikes.

Kori got hit twice. One in the hip and the other in the head. The woman quickly backed away, giving Diana the time to orientate herself.

Diana smiled as she got back onto her two feet. Her sharp eyes spied her foe. She absently wiped away a line of blood from her mouth. Kori knew how to hit hard.

Kori reset her nose. The cartilage snapping back into place as she plugged one nose and blew. Red snot shot out. Her green eyes never left the blues of Diana.

Both were grinning and began circling each other once more.

“Damn, they are tough,” Cassandra said as she squatted down onto the golden sands of the island.

“It is frustrating being the inexperienced one,” Kara agreed as she followed Cassie’s example. The rest was good.

Cassandra nodded as she stared at her aunt and mentor. The legendary woman grunted as she took a hit to the thigh in order to step into Kori’s personal space.

The Amazon simply lifted the Tamaranian and suplex the girl into the sand. The two winced at the sound of Kori’s head smashing into the ground.

The sand was not that soft. Kori spent a few moments to pluck her head out of the ground. The woman spat out sand and stood up. Her flame-red hair now caked with golden sand.

The two began their circling once more.

Kara watched as Kori, the oddly tall Kori, used her longer reach to lash out at Diana. It sometimes worked, it sometimes didn’t.

Kori was more skilled than Diana was. The Warlords of Okaara were masters in multiple forms of warfare. They had instilled both training and philosophies into their students.

Diana was simply tough and experienced. She was no slouch in terms of training. Though the Amazon unarmed styles were more rudimentary, they were simple and effective.

The two clashed, but the older and wiser Diana usually prevailed. It was about 6/4 for Wonder Woman.

Kara sighed as she stood up. She brushed off the sand from her simple leather bindings. The traditional Amazonian training clothes.

She tugged at her leather choker, the Amazon mystic artifact that stripped away one’s gift. It was used to detain prisoners but also made a wonderful training tool.

Kara hadn’t felt this weak since she was back on Krypton. As the weakest, and most inexperienced, she needed to put in more effort.

Cassandra sighed as she got up as well. Rest time was over. She found Kara a bit overbearing today, as the young girl was eager to learn.

The two blonds circled each other. Kara, the ever brave, moved first. The two quickly degenerated into grappling and submission holds.

Today was a more private training routine. Tomorrow the island’s champions and elders would assist with the training.

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Chapter 45: Life is a beach