Chapter 54: Aches and Pains
I climbed the stairs slowly, my body screaming at me to just sit down and curl into a ball. I had spent the afternoon with Kanan and his friends, giving them all a good fight. I would't lie to myself... I was a better fighter than them. But... I was nice and at least held off my win for a while to make them think they were giving a good show.
Hey... I'm not one to lose if I don't have to.
The bolas and electrified gloves, however... they proved difficult. Kanan had untangled my embarrassed ass from the wiring more times than I cared to admit. The glove wasn't necessarily difficult to wield, since it was literally designed to let anyone hold the power of a bender in their hand. It just... didn't resinate with me. I preferred quick and calculated movements. Something about the glove felt clunky to me, and I didn't like that I couldn't feel with my fingers through the gloves.
It honestly freaked me out. Kanan kept pushing to train with it, but I refused. That might bite me in the butt later... oh well. The bolas are a working progress... but Kanan promised that he would continue to work with me on them.
Still... I was feeling the workout. From the run in the morning to the duels... to training with Kanan... Not to mention the fact that I had died only a few days prior.
Healing... that's what I need. I'll have to find a non-public bath.
Unfortunately... all the baths available to the chi blockers were community bathhouses. The sexes were divided... but apart from that... there was a high chance that someone could walk in and see me glowing blue.
Can't have that... There was always Amon's bathroom...No. Nope. Even if I've used it before... I just... No. I shook my head, heaving my leg up to scale the next stair. No way am I doing anything in his vicinity that I don't have to.
I finally made it to the top of the stairs, and I could feel my joy and feeling of companionship slipping away as I rounded the corner to see the double doors. Guards stood on either side, both of them glancing to me, unreadable behind their masks.
"I'm supposed to come for dinner?" I said in a half-questioning voice.
They nodded to me silently before returning to looking forward. Okay, then... I stepped between them, rapping my knuckle softly against the door.
"Enter," The baritone voice called loudly from inside. I hesitated, my hand curling around the doorknob slowly. Breathe... just breathe...
I turned the knob, stepping in without a sound. I stopped after the door clicked behind me, feeling the sweat roll down the center of my back. I feel disgusting... I kept my eyes on the ground... remembering what had occurred that morning.
"Don't call me that."
"Excuse me?"
"A pawn has no name. You have murdered the girl known as Tikanni Ouru."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, letting my eyes slowly slide across the floor, up the polished side of the desk, to see the scattered papers and his scribbling pen. I kept my gaze there for a while, watching the ink appear on the parchment, swooping along in gentle lines. I built up the courage to look further up, my blue orbs following the coiled muscles of his arm to see the tensed shoulders, finally to his bent head, the stark white mask gleaming from under his dark hood.
I felt the chill return to my chest upon seeing the black slits that led to his eyes, hidden in the shadow of the mask. Bastard... I stood silently for a few moments as he continued to work without looking up. He obviously knows I'm here. He told me to come in... I grit my teeth, my jaw clenching angrily.
"How was training today?" He asked without lifting his head.
I glared at the white porcelain. I actually beat the shit out of one of your guys and then made some friends. It wasn't all that bad. Fun, even... But I'm obviously not going to say that. "What do you think?"
He looked up at my icy tone his eyes unreadable. I heard him breathe out through his nose heavily, as he looked me up and down. "You look appalling." My jaw dropped. "Surely training was not that difficult." I didn't answer, instead choosing to stare at him silently. He glanced back down at his papers, shifting some sideways to look at the next. "Where have you been, anyways?" He asked like a scolding parent, still reading the page.
"Did I have a curfew?" I asked venomously.
His eyes cut up, glinting with amusement. "Training was over before lunch today. I spoke with the Lieutenant. I do that, you know." No shit. "So?" He set down the paper, leaning forward with his fingers laced. "Where have you been?"
"Around. I didn't run away, if that's what you were afraid of." I spread my arms out while glaring a hole in his mask. "Still here."
He chuckled darkly at me. "I can see that. Could it possibly be true that you made some friends today? Were you with them?"
Why is he talking like some parent who's suspicious of his kid's activity?
"The Lieutenant said that we don't have friends in the program," I answered evenly, my hands folding behind my back. "By the way, you failed to mention that I had to go through trials to achieve your deal. If I don't make it in, do I lose my bending?"
Amon stood from his seat, his fingertips pressing into the polished surface of the desk. "Of course. That would violate our deal."
I ground my teeth. "That's absurd. You're absurd."
"No, Kanni." He shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm not. I know you're good enough to be on the Lieutenant's squadron. I can't just throw you in, though. You need to prove yourself. Earn some respect. I heard you did that today. Congratulations." He nodded to me, slivers of pride shining through his words.
I barely even heard them. There was only one word echoing in my skull. Kanni. Kanni. Kanni.
"I told you not to call me that," I whispered in between his words. He stopped, rounding his desk slowly.
"What?"
I cleared my throat, wringing my hands behind my back. "I told you not to call me that." He looked at me questioningly, before I saw the realization dawn in his silver eyes.
He sighed, moving forward towards me. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. He stopped, though, looking me up and down. "As I said before," He droned icily. "You look terrible. Go and bathe before dinner."
I lifted me heel, sliding it back as I turned towards the door. I heard a frustrated sigh behind me. "Where are you going?" Amon's voice grumbled, obviously irritated.
"The..."
"Use this one. There are already clothes in a bag on the couch. Choose some and go." I turned quickly, nodding silently, before scurrying towards the bathroom. I didn't want to fight with him, in all honesty, and his tone was terrifying enough to stop the words from spilling from my mouth.
I snatched up the bag that was on the couch on my way, slipped into the bathroom, and locked the door behind me. Oh spirits. Well it looks like I'm using his bathroom. I dumped the bag on the counter, fishing through it to find both the night clothes I had worn before, as well as the gear I had worn while working in the infirmary. Alongside the familiar green shirt was a maroon one, as well as a dark blue wrap-top. I found flats inside, along with clean black pants.
At least I won't be disgusting. I cranked the faucet to hot, feeling the steam floating off of the water as it pouring into the basin. I placed out the maroon three-quarter sleeve with the black pants, along with clean underclothes. Stripping swiftly, I laid down my gloves and arm guards gently before bundling the rest into a ball. I slipped into the tub quietly, the water nearly scorching my skin, but welcome to my sore muscles.
A sigh escaped my lips as the water pooled up around my shoulders, darkening the ends of my hair. I poured soap onto my hands, massaging it into my scalp. As I dipped below the surface, I allowed my bending to run free, feeling the water curl around my ribs in a soothing embrace as it glowed blue. I broke through, pulling in air as I felt the healing move down to my sore legs.
I rubbed more soap along my body, thankful for the sweet lilac smell that came with the bubbles. Does Amon use lilac? I found myself chuckling. So he smells like a girl? I glanced to the counter to see different soap. My face fell as my mind wandered. You know that he doesn't smell like a girl. Incense. Musk. Cologne. That's what he smells like. I shook my head, scrubbing at my body with more vigor.
I rinsed a final time before stepping reluctantly out of the warm water, bending it off of my body swiftly. I wrapped myself in the fluffy white towel, wringing out my hair that I allowed to stay wet. I slipped my undergarments on, quickly pulling the black pants up to my waste and sliding the shirt over my head. It fell nicely around my hips, pulling in at the waist.
I spied a brush in my bag, taking it happily, and tried to untangle my messy hair. As my arms were bent up above my head awkwardly, I found myself frozen as I stared in the mirror.
Amon put out lilac soap for me. He got a bag full of supplies for me...
I shook my head, fighting the warmth that was threatening to melt the ice I had put around my heart. Finishing brushing out my hair, I slipped my feet into the black flats and packed up my bag again. I sucked in a deep, calming breath, I opened the bathroom door without a sound.
His chair was vacant, but I sense him in his room, moving about. I glanced quickly to his half-closed door before putting down my bag and tip-toeing to his desk. The papers and maps were still scattered across its surface, open for my snooping. My fingers brushed across the parchment, my eyes scanning Amon's careful script.
Let's see... what do we have here? Some speech notes... some formal looking letters... oh, hello there... what are you?
I stopped at a cluster of folded pages, as if they were together in an envelope. I heard rustling from Amon's room, so I quickly unfolded the papers, scanning quickly. A few looked like financial papers with notes along the sides in both Amon's handwriting and one I didn't recognize. I stopped when I saw the crest at the top of the page.
Why do I know this?
"Find anything interesting?" I jumped, papers fluttering to the ground around me. My mouth moved soundlessly, my mind searching for words that wouldn't come. Amon stepped out of his bedroom, his hands folded behind his back as he strode towards me.
I didn't know what to say... my mind was blanking.
WHAT?! I always lie so smoothly! Why is he messing with me? Pull it together here, Kanni!
"I..." I glanced to the papers on the ground. "Not really," I said with some cheek. There we go...
I saw Amon's silver gaze narrow at me from behind his mask. "I've told you multiple times not to lie."
I crinkled my nose at him. I'm still mad at you, you bastard. "Fine," I spit, crossing my arms. "The crest. I know it."
"Do you?" Amon stepped around his desk, now on the same side as me.
"Yes."
"From where?" I stared at him as I tried to sort out my brain. "Come now, Kanni," Amon chuckled darkly... Using my damned name again! "I thought you were clever."
"Well maybe if you SHUT UP!" I turned away, scolding myself both for yelling at the damned leader of the revolution and for letting myself be distracted by said leader. What is wrong with me lately? It's like I have no control anymore...
As I ranted to myself, Amon stayed silent, his stance still professional and calm on the other side of the chair. I gnawed at my lip, glancing around at the pages that littered the ground, all bearing the same crest... weird shapes that looked like a... gear?
"Oh no..." I whispered. I looked up with frightened eyes to see Amon looking at me thoughtfully.
"Yes?" His voice held genuine curiosity as he took another step forward.
I felt my lids slide close as the weight of the situation fell on me.
"Future Industries."
Author's Note:
Hi there! So this week was a bit of a Hell week for me, since the semester is coming to a close soon. This hellishness continues until almost christmas so YAY, right? Ugh.
So I'm doing what I can in between projects, essays, studying, and trying to find time to get a good sleep in. I won't lie, this week caught up to me in a whirlwind today and I slept basically all afternoon.
And now I'm posting at 2am. Good work, Ryder... *sigh*
Oh well. Well to all you people in the midst of your hell weeks, too... I wish you all good luck! And, I hope you can find a little bit of an escape through the story like I do!
Enjoy!
-Ryder S. Block
