Hello all! I wrote this story for a writting contest. The requirments were that it had to be fiction and less than 100 words. The last part was extremly hard to pull off, and I still didn't quite make it! But hey, they only give those limits so they're not reading 24 hours a day to get them all done by the deadline! Anyway, I packed in as much suspense and action as I could, so enjoy! Reviews would be appriciated!

Beyond the Sword

Tsali held a firm stance in front of his master. He gripped his blade tightly in hands slick with cold sweat. His heart beat strong and fast in his throat.

Tsali lunged, unleashing a terrible war cry from his lungs, yet his teacher easily deflected the strike. He leapt forward again, to a similar fate as before. Brute force would not bring down this opponent.

The boy stepped back and quickly formulated a plan. Once more, he lashed out to meet the master’s blade. Once more, the mentor prepared to counter. It was a last second change, deadly and lightning quick: Tsali drove the sword into the ground at his master’s feet. Using all of his chi (internal energy), he sent a resounding shockwave across the field. The teacher was startled and knocked off balance, and Tsali took his chance. His heel connected with the back of his master’s knee, bringing him to the ground. He grasped his mentor’s fallen sword and positioned the tip over his chest. His stance did not slacken until the master spoke, “Congratulations, you pass!”