4. Combat (1)

Amon woke up early the next day, before sunrise.

Although he doesn't need much sleep, he still likes the feeling of sleeping. After freshening up he came out of his room and looked at the Dora Milaje guarding his door.

He nodded and greeted her as she bowed and told him that his father invited him to the dining hall for breakfast.

He went to the dining hall as others on the way greeted him, or for better words flattered him.

He was immune to all this shit. He went straight away after greeting them symbolically.

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T'chaka looked at his son as he entered the hall and said "Good Morning son, come sit and have some breakfast."

Amon nodded as he pulled his chair and sat down. he looked at the exotic food in front of him, he didn't wait for any further and started savoring the food.

While eating Amon asked his father "where's mother?"

"Your mother is resting. It's confirmed; now you are going to have a little sister, We decided to name her Shuri." T'chaka smiled.

Amon was surprised and thought 'It seems like the butterfly effect is turning up '

Amon smiled and said, "Really, sigh... time really flies quickly."

T'chaka was speechless and scolded "what are you reminiscing and sighing for like an old man, eat quickly before you get late to reach the combat training ground."

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Wakanda is a nation of warriors and for centuries there are combat training grounds for Warriors to train. They are divided on the basis of the practitioner's age or years of practice done.

Amon wore some ordinary Wakanda traditional clothes which were simple black shorts with a black loose sleeveless T-shirt with no fancy ornaments of bones or something.

He wore a panther mask made of wood and left for the training ground while His father and Dora MIlaje followed in shadows.

Amon went to the training ground where children of the age of around 8 or with a weapon training experience of more than two years were dueling.

He noted that the training ground was in circular shape with a lot of crowd gathered around it cheering and shouting. The soil on the ground was slightly wet and porous for cushion.

Amon watched as children from different tribes were fighting.

He noticed that they were quite skilled and started analyzing their techniques in his mind.

Soon it was his turn. He entered the ring where a boy wearing only shorts with a lion mask and a wooden staff was waiting.

"You both know the rules but I will repeat: no killing, only yielding, knocking out or incapacitating. Now choose your weapon" said the announcer.

Amon looked at the rack full of various kinds of weapons and raised one of his hand and made a claw gesture.

The other boy banged his staff on ground.

The announcer asked if both of them were ready. They both nodded.

Announcer waited for a second and shouted "Begin!"

The crowd started cheering.

Amon looked the boy who advanced at him as soon as the battle began, the boy tried to stabb him with the staff which he easily dodged it.

The boy didn't waste any time and started a flurry of attacks which he started to dodge with minimum effort.

He noticed that the boy's centre of gravity was always low as he was slightly bent and attacked while maintaining a certain distance.

Soon a minute passed and the boy got impatient , he backed off and sneered " Don't fight like a rabbit, fight like a man. Ah I see.. it's your first combat."

Amon stared at the boy through his mask and observed that the boy was breathing heavily.

He bent his knees slightly, placed his right claw near the chest while keeping the left hand straight and gestured provokingly at the boy to come "very well, then let me see how much of man are you"

The boy yelled and ran straight at Amon and stabbed.

Amon wasn't fooled and slightly leaned backward as the boy feinted and slashed from the side.

Suddenly Amon stepped forward inside the reach of the boy, jabbed his shoulder with right hand, and caught the staff with the left one. He turned slightly and striked at the staff with the elbow breaking it in half.

The boy was stunned, and groaned as he felt the pain in his shoulder.

One moment he was slashing while on the other, his staff was broken. Before he was able to react a foot came into his sight which was getting bigger and bigger....

With a bang, the boy was kicked two-three meters away. He was knocked out.

Amon felt the wooden mask shatter under his foot. Fortunately he was controlling his strength otherwise it might not be the mask only, to shatter.

The crowd was stunned, then they started shouting.

"Oohhhhh!"

The onlookers started chatting.

random guy 1: now that was a quick counter, a good one.

random guy 2: who is that under the mask , seems from the panther tribe.

other guy: may be we will see who is under the mask after his defeat.

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As they carried the boy off towards the medical camp, The announcer declared him winner and asked if he wished to continue.He nodded.

The announcer shouted and asked if anyone was interested to challenge him.

After sometime a boy with tattoos and piercing in his nose entered the ring and raised his wooden sickle called mambele towards him said " I M'shan member of the border tribe challenge you."

Amon looked at him and then at the distant tree, on which he can sense his father and said in a low voice"I accept you challenge."