There was the sensation of falling, followed by pain as intense as it was brief. Then there was nothing. I missed my next step even as the memories of this sudden flashback started to fade. I had no clue what just happened but whatever this had been, it had been enough of a distraction to cost me dearly. Before I could blink my eyes and regain my footing Agar'zan's weapon hit me square in the solar plexus. My heart missed a beat and the air was driven from my lungs as I was sent flying.

It was only a very brief flight though, as I landed in the soft sand of the fighting pit before I even had a chance to properly realize what had happened. I gasped for breath, groaned and blinked up into the bright sun as I lay there while two sets of conflicting memories waged war in my brain. My head was killing me and I wanted to puke. Mobilizing my last reserves I fought down the latter urge. Throwing up all over myself was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

I should roll over first at the very least. That sounded pretty reasonable. My attempt to follow up on the idea failed miserably though.There was somethign heavy on my right arm. I turned my head sideways to take a look. It was a shield. Thick wooden boards held together by iron bands. It was primitive by just about every standard and heavy. It showed countless nicks and scrapes as well. It was well used, but it hadn't stopped the blow that had sent me flying.

That wasn't really the shield's fault though. Still lying in the sand on my bare back, I turned my head the other way, to take a look at the weapon in my other hand. It was a polearm of sorts crafted from bone as far as I could tell, its edge was dull, as it was a training weapon. Right, I had been in a training fight. That thought helped clear my head a little. Those strange memories of a different life slowly subsided. They didn't disappear entirely though, lingering at the edge of my awareness instead.

"What is up? Get back on your feet, you maggot! And get that shield up properly this time!" That was the voice of Uzzana, the weapons instructor mother had hired a few years ago. Her words cleared my mind for good. After all I knew her well enough by now to know that they came with an unspoken threat of severe corporeal punishment. I really didn't feel like running laps in armor for hours, once my brother was done beating me into a pulp.

Groaning I mobilized the last of my reserves, getting back to my feet. Instincts honed by long hours of training took over. I buried my toes in the soft, black sand of the training ground for better purchase and raised my shield as well as my bone glaive. Sweat was pouring down my bare skin and my arms were killing me. Especially my shield arm felt heavy and a little numb. I better not try and block another of my brother's heavy blows.

I was tall, but Agar'zan, my older brother, was taller by far. That was just the way things were with our people. His reach was longer and he was stronger as well. He had just about every advantage as far as melee combat was concerned. That probably was the reason why he had been assigned as my sparring partner. It probably was in my best interrest to train with someone better than me, but I really didn't care for his attitude.

He seemed to enjoy beating on me all too much. Damn asshole. As he flashed me another of his condescending smirks, I resolved to wipe it off his face. I hadn't gotten ready one second too soon. As I got weapon and shield in position he started moving. He moved with all the grace of a charging rhinoceros. Well, he wouldn't need a lot of grace to send me flying again with that two handed sword he was swinging. Momentum alone would do the trick.

Blocking that thing was folly. That was a mistake I would not repeat. His last attack had been a rather halfhearted stab. Now he swung it like he wanted to bisect me. Yes, he swung his weapon like he really meant it this time. The blade might be dull, but if he hit me like that I would be sporting bruises for weeks to come. It was high time to get creative. It was time for payback! I tightened the grasp on my weapon.

My pulse quickened as I waited for the right moment and the world around me seemed to slow down to a crawl as I finally started to move. Agar'zan had his weapon raised high for a powerful overhead chop that would send me down to the sand and probably straight to the infirmary later on. What silly move. It left him wide open for a counter attack. And counter attack I did.

I stepped into his brazen attack, raising my shield high, once I was past his sword, to bash him into the face. Or rather, I smashed the heavy shield into the tips of his horns. That move wouldn't work on everyone, but his horns curved around to the front of his face quite similar to my own. It was a trait common in the family. He bellowed both in rage and pain. His sword dropped to the side, as he took one hand of the handle to cover his face.

That had been a dirty move. I might as well have kicked him in the family jewels. Right now I was beyond caring though. Every bruised inch of my body insisted that I was in the right. Now that his attack was thwarted I jumped backwards again to get some distance in between me and him once more. Now I had the advantage of the longer reach. At least for a moment or two. Without hesitation I rammed the tip of my weapon into his chest.

My glaive might be a blunted training weapon, but its tip was still sharp enough to break skin as I thrust with all the strength I could muster. My brother roared again. It wasn't a deep wound, but a few droplets of blood landed in the black sand anyway. I could hear Uzzana applaud somewhere behind me. It wasn't much as far as praise was concerned, but it was still more than I usually got. It might have been too much though.

The next moment my little lucky streak came to an abrupt and painful end. Agar'zan used my distraction, as brief as it might have been, against me. He had let go of his sword all together and grabbed the haft of my weapon instead. The bone creaked in his grip as he pulled me close again, right into a powerful straight right. I heard my nose break and could taste blood in my mouth right after as I stumbled backwards, swaying on my feet.

This wasn't the end of it though. My shield lay somewhere in the sand, out of reach, as I had dropped it upon receiving that punch. The glaive was pulled from my faltering grip as well and sent flying. I barely saw the next punch coming. It was a left hook. Then came the next punch and the another. He alternated left and right punches, hooks and straights. I tried to get my guard up and failed, stumbling a bit further back with every hit.

My vision blurred. It was all too much. Damn, I shouldn't have let my guard slip. Never give an enemy the chance to be either the first or the last to strike back. That had been one of Uzzana's first lessons. It had never made much sense, right until now. Finally the barrage let up and I dropped to the sand like a sack of ashroots. "That is enough." Those three words of our instructor were the last things I heard before consciousness fled me.

As my consciousness faded those strange memories of another life surfaced again. Memories of people in strange clothes. Memories of strange, sky high buildings. Memories of strange music. Memories of strange foods and drinks. And last but not least memories of falling. Memories of someone standing at a balcony railing far above me, smirking. I kept falling and falling as these memories surfaced and submerged again. I kept falling until I landed in a soft bed, falling into a dreamless slumber at last. Damn, what a crappy second chance at life.