Chapter 33
Whoosh!!! Scrrrusch!!! Crunch!!!
Corin cleared a barrel that was in front of him. He skated hard to gain lost speed as he jumped through the air. The wind rushed through his ashen hair. The wind pounded his ears and cut through him chilling his bones but the hard movements prevented from being cold. The air whipped up from underneath him and threatened to sweep him off his feet but he pressed on. He skated on forward ignoring the wind's threats and by increasing his speed he dared the wind to do its worst. Corin was venting frustration. He was assigned to protect a Crone and although he knew she was safe he couldn't help but become angry at the fact. Corin cleared another obstacle, a bucket of glow jellies. He didn't lose any speed this time as he sailed over it with expert ease merely tucking his feet under him. He huffed and puffed out clouds of steam.
"Be serious Corin. You're angry because you weren't allowed to go with the Crone to the Trials and not because worried about her safety. You delude yourself who are you trying to fool?" he thought to himself.
"Too young," Corin said out loud feeling his anger vent from his mind.
Corin was obviously too young to attend the Trial and was therefore ordered to stay behind. He knew he was being childish but he was a curious boy and the curiosity of what was happening frustrated him. Corin slowed his blistering pace as he finally came to grips with what was really eating him inside. He was angry at the Crone for not letting him go but he had no one to blame for his curiosity. As Corin thought these thoughts through he slowly descended into calm. He stood in the wind and didn't care that he was freezing. His fevered mind slowed as he grew colder standing in the wind. He kept his stare out over the icy lake. Nothing seemed like anything anymore. To Corin he pictured his life to be just the same old routine on the Far Raiders ship. Then all of a sudden he was informed of an impending war and everything changed when the ship was attacked. Corin thought back to the day he volunteered as a bodyguard and the events that had led him to where he was now.
"I'm too curious for my own liking," he mumbled slowly skating back the way he came.
Just as Corin started a cycle of self pity he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, movement that was almost a blur. Then as he turned to see what it was he was shocked to find the movement in the fog among him already. The moving figures were human shape so he relaxed a few hairs but he didn't know whether the approaching people were coming at him with good intentions. From the way they were skating right at him at such speeds he figured that they were either trying to run him over or didn't see him. Corin hoped for the latter but readied his sais just in case.
"Halt!" Corin said startling the two girls that were coming straight at him.
The girls swerved and almost lost balance. One girl did lose her balance and by the way of her clumsy fall he recognised the girl to be one of he girls he saw earlier.
"Breg as I recall; then the other must be Kira," Corin thought to himself a smile spreading across his face.
Breg landed hard on her butt and yelped in pain. Kira removed her mask and glared at the person who dared to startle her. When Kira realised who it was she whipped out her knifes from hidden places in her sleeves and got ready to fight. Corin looked at the knives and threw his head back to laugh. This angered Kira and her eye twitched dangerously.
"I'll kill you for embarrassing me," Kira said through gritted teeth her patience waning.
"I doubt you could lay a finger on be before I could slice you to pieces," Corin said canning his laughter.
"Is that a challenge?" Kira asked gripping her knives tighter.
"It is if you want it to be but I warn you now I'm not in the mood for playing so I might not go so easy on you like I did before," Corin said and turned his back on her to skate away.
"You dare turn your back on me?!?!" Kira yelled but to no avail.
"You ought to be more polite if you want a rematch Kira," Breg said getting up and rubbing her sore behind.
Corin stopped and turned his head a quarter to acknowledge Breg's advice but he didn't turn fully.
"You clumsy friend is right, I would be happy to oblige a rematch if you ask nicely although I wouldn't mind giving you a lesson in manners," Corin said haughtily and chuckled before slowly skating away.
"Hey I'm not that clumsy!" Breg called after him jumping in anger at Corin's comment and fell over once again as she lost her balance.
Corin smiled secretly to himself as he heard a thud and a cry of pain on the ice but then he heard a slight whistling sound approaching him from behind and knew that could only be Kira attempting to hurt him. Corin ducked and crouched into a fighting stance in one fluid movement that was aided by the terrain he was on. Kira brushed past him in a blur with an extended arm that missed it's target. Corin sighed and Kira pivoted gracefully to get into her usual fighting stance with fists out front and legs slightly bent. Corin got up and got into his own fighting stance but this time he didn't ball up his fists. Instead he left them open and stretched his arms apart, one behind him and one in front of him. Kira noticed this and wondered.
"What is he up to?" she thought as she noticed his calm face void of emotion.
Corin waited for her to attack and stood stock still ever watchful of and movement that betrayed Kira. She didn't twitch or shift her weight as normal people did before striking, which worried Corin. Kira was definitely a skilled warrior. She didn't betray her movements, so when she attacked Corin was hard pressed to predict her movements as the punches and kicks flew at him. Corin was amazed at how good the girl was at attacking stealthily but was also disappointed at her non effective techniques. Corin dodged easily and parry when he did but he was only playing with Kira and she knew it.
Kira's frustration fuelled her aggression and her movements came quicker but the boy was not impressed. After a few minutes of fighting, Corin found her weakness to be in her offense. Kira no matter how fierce she acted was not all that. Kira's biggest mistake was her affinity to attack without the intention of actually hurting the other person. Kira whipped out a kick and Corin caught it easily with both hands and played out all the scenarios of what could happen. Just as Corin predicted Kira chose the non effective option of back flipping out of the hold. Kira skated backwards a bit but caught her balance and got into a fighting stance. Corin stood up straight and frowned indignantly, his suspicions were confirmed.
"I thought you wanted to kill me but instead I find that you are holding back. You insult me," Corin said skating past her shocked face.
"What? I never hold back," Kira thought as she turned to yell at him.
"What do you mean by that?! I was fighting my best!" she called after him.
"Don't my intelligence further by playing coy," Corin said almost boredly "You know you're better than this. You lost the previous fight with me not deliberately but stubbornly. You fight at a different level. Not by trying to win but trying to win by kindness. Altruism a noble trait but it is not a trait I admire within a fellow fighter as it shows mercy and weakness is all mercy is. So as I said don't insult me further," Corin explained and turned to skate away.
Kira was flustered and speechless at Corin's analysis of her fighting skill. A million thoughts ran through he head just then.
"The ruffian is being kind to me and he insulted me deeply by refusing to fight. . ." Kira thought as she stared at his retreating hide.
Kira was shocked at actions and slapped herself mentally for staring like an idiot and geared herself up to crush him with a final comment.
"You just showed me mercy by backing away so you show me mercy!!!" she called after him.
Corin whispered his answer to the wind and picked up speed.
"Altruism. . .a noble trait. . .it is beyond me," he said bitterly and skated away quickly as if running from his moment of weakness.
Kira growled in frustration as she saw her comment roll off his back as if it didn't affect him. Breg had finally picked herself up and skated to Kira's side, dodging her wild thrashing.
"Kira calm down you won already!" Breg said retraining the wild girl as much as she could.
"What?! How could you say that?!?!" Kira said in an outraged burst "He insulted me and humiliated me yet again!"
Breg loosened her grip on Kira as she settled a little and stopped her thrashing about.
"Did it ever occur to you that you won?" Breg asked calmly.
"What?! How?!" Kira asked now confused at Breg's suggestion.
"Well he said that he wouldn't fight you because you insulted him by not fighting to your full potential but he also said it was a noble to fight with. . What was that word he used?. . .Oh yes that's right. . .Altruism. . ."
"You're not making any sense Breg even for you," Kira said her anger giving way to confusion with her friend's unusual wit.
"Did you ever stop to listen to what he said? He said that it was a noble trait. Maybe where he comes from it is a higher honour to win a fight kindly rather than by whatever means necessary. You won because you tried to beat him honorably and he couldn't face the fact that he wasn't on the same respectable fighting level that you were on," Breg explained.
Kira stood staring at Breg baffled. Breg made no sense but in her own strange way she was correct. Kira was insulted that Corin left the fight but she was also the victor because she fought honorably on a different and higher plane of fighting. Kira stood still staring as she tied to digest the new information. Before Kira could speak Breg interrupted her.
"Although if you ask me, I think that he should have won because he was actually fighting defensively rather than with dirty tactics. He also left with graceful humility by explaining himself and shrugging off your last comment, which was a little harsh. Also by the way you acted afterwards was like a spoilt brat and you had no self dignity to accept his apology however it was delivered you just thrashed about with anger clouding your thoughts. . ." Breg said getting louder as she ranted on and on about Kira's behaviour.
Kira didn't seem to listen to Breg's ranting lecture as she was still contemplating how she won. When she finally accepted the victory, however awkward, a sudden thought hit Kira.
". . .And you should be bashing your head on the ice right now for hurting the poor boy's feelings!0 He was just trying to. . ." Breg ranted before Kira spoke ignoring her.
"Corin was being nice and insulting. . .Is it possible to be flattered and insulted at the same time?" Kira asked now staring out at the ice in a dreamy but docile mood.
Breg stopped her ranting and digested what Kira had just said, marveling at the rare sight of Kira's philosophical face before adding her own two cents.
"Apparently but I still think he should have won on account of his better behaviour than yours," Breg said sliding up to Kira's side.
Kira registered Breg's presence as she slid around to face her but didn't seem to notice her. Kira was lost in thought which was rare thing indeed. Kira replayed the battle in her mind and watched herself fight. It was true what Corin had said but how did a ruffian of a boy like him know anything remotely about honour and a fighters code? Kira was silent during their trip back to the glow jelly hole and Breg was unusually silent which was odd for her but as the silence prolonged many thoughts were considered and many things were regretted. As the two girls reached the fishing hole and their buckets Kira finally spoke up.
"I hate what I said Breg I really do and for the first time in my life I actually regret my actions," Kira said squatting and resuming the tedious task of fishing for glow jellies.
"You should apologise for what you said to the boy and the way you acted but I must apologise also for losing my temper at you like that. Kira I'm sorry," Breg said hugging Kira tightly almost suffocating the girl.
After releasing Kira from her iron grip Kira smiled despite herself.
"Apology accepted but I should really thank you for opening my eyes to my faults," Kira said smiling a rare smile.
Breg giggled and Kira stopped her smiling as Breg fell backwards for the third time laughing outright to Kira's confusion and annoyance.
"What's so funny?" Kira asked deflatedly.
"Your face seems so strange with a smile. It looks so out of place!" Breg said between fits of giggles.
Kira shook her head in distain but was secretly happy because things were back to normal but with changes made for the better. Kira's peace was short lived as Salama skated in front of the girls with a scorn across her face. Ice chips flew into the girl's faces as Salama slid to a brake.
"You two follow me and bring your glow jellies," she said in a deadly tone.
Breg's laughter stopped abruptly and chocked in her throat. Kira knew they were in for a lecture and more punishment as she followed obediently.
Whoosh!!! Scrrrusch!!! Crunch!!!
Corin cleared a barrel that was in front of him. He skated hard to gain lost speed as he jumped through the air. The wind rushed through his ashen hair. The wind pounded his ears and cut through him chilling his bones but the hard movements prevented from being cold. The air whipped up from underneath him and threatened to sweep him off his feet but he pressed on. He skated on forward ignoring the wind's threats and by increasing his speed he dared the wind to do its worst. Corin was venting frustration. He was assigned to protect a Crone and although he knew she was safe he couldn't help but become angry at the fact. Corin cleared another obstacle, a bucket of glow jellies. He didn't lose any speed this time as he sailed over it with expert ease merely tucking his feet under him. He huffed and puffed out clouds of steam.
"Be serious Corin. You're angry because you weren't allowed to go with the Crone to the Trials and not because worried about her safety. You delude yourself who are you trying to fool?" he thought to himself.
"Too young," Corin said out loud feeling his anger vent from his mind.
Corin was obviously too young to attend the Trial and was therefore ordered to stay behind. He knew he was being childish but he was a curious boy and the curiosity of what was happening frustrated him. Corin slowed his blistering pace as he finally came to grips with what was really eating him inside. He was angry at the Crone for not letting him go but he had no one to blame for his curiosity. As Corin thought these thoughts through he slowly descended into calm. He stood in the wind and didn't care that he was freezing. His fevered mind slowed as he grew colder standing in the wind. He kept his stare out over the icy lake. Nothing seemed like anything anymore. To Corin he pictured his life to be just the same old routine on the Far Raiders ship. Then all of a sudden he was informed of an impending war and everything changed when the ship was attacked. Corin thought back to the day he volunteered as a bodyguard and the events that had led him to where he was now.
"I'm too curious for my own liking," he mumbled slowly skating back the way he came.
Just as Corin started a cycle of self pity he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, movement that was almost a blur. Then as he turned to see what it was he was shocked to find the movement in the fog among him already. The moving figures were human shape so he relaxed a few hairs but he didn't know whether the approaching people were coming at him with good intentions. From the way they were skating right at him at such speeds he figured that they were either trying to run him over or didn't see him. Corin hoped for the latter but readied his sais just in case.
"Halt!" Corin said startling the two girls that were coming straight at him.
The girls swerved and almost lost balance. One girl did lose her balance and by the way of her clumsy fall he recognised the girl to be one of he girls he saw earlier.
"Breg as I recall; then the other must be Kira," Corin thought to himself a smile spreading across his face.
Breg landed hard on her butt and yelped in pain. Kira removed her mask and glared at the person who dared to startle her. When Kira realised who it was she whipped out her knifes from hidden places in her sleeves and got ready to fight. Corin looked at the knives and threw his head back to laugh. This angered Kira and her eye twitched dangerously.
"I'll kill you for embarrassing me," Kira said through gritted teeth her patience waning.
"I doubt you could lay a finger on be before I could slice you to pieces," Corin said canning his laughter.
"Is that a challenge?" Kira asked gripping her knives tighter.
"It is if you want it to be but I warn you now I'm not in the mood for playing so I might not go so easy on you like I did before," Corin said and turned his back on her to skate away.
"You dare turn your back on me?!?!" Kira yelled but to no avail.
"You ought to be more polite if you want a rematch Kira," Breg said getting up and rubbing her sore behind.
Corin stopped and turned his head a quarter to acknowledge Breg's advice but he didn't turn fully.
"You clumsy friend is right, I would be happy to oblige a rematch if you ask nicely although I wouldn't mind giving you a lesson in manners," Corin said haughtily and chuckled before slowly skating away.
"Hey I'm not that clumsy!" Breg called after him jumping in anger at Corin's comment and fell over once again as she lost her balance.
Corin smiled secretly to himself as he heard a thud and a cry of pain on the ice but then he heard a slight whistling sound approaching him from behind and knew that could only be Kira attempting to hurt him. Corin ducked and crouched into a fighting stance in one fluid movement that was aided by the terrain he was on. Kira brushed past him in a blur with an extended arm that missed it's target. Corin sighed and Kira pivoted gracefully to get into her usual fighting stance with fists out front and legs slightly bent. Corin got up and got into his own fighting stance but this time he didn't ball up his fists. Instead he left them open and stretched his arms apart, one behind him and one in front of him. Kira noticed this and wondered.
"What is he up to?" she thought as she noticed his calm face void of emotion.
Corin waited for her to attack and stood stock still ever watchful of and movement that betrayed Kira. She didn't twitch or shift her weight as normal people did before striking, which worried Corin. Kira was definitely a skilled warrior. She didn't betray her movements, so when she attacked Corin was hard pressed to predict her movements as the punches and kicks flew at him. Corin was amazed at how good the girl was at attacking stealthily but was also disappointed at her non effective techniques. Corin dodged easily and parry when he did but he was only playing with Kira and she knew it.
Kira's frustration fuelled her aggression and her movements came quicker but the boy was not impressed. After a few minutes of fighting, Corin found her weakness to be in her offense. Kira no matter how fierce she acted was not all that. Kira's biggest mistake was her affinity to attack without the intention of actually hurting the other person. Kira whipped out a kick and Corin caught it easily with both hands and played out all the scenarios of what could happen. Just as Corin predicted Kira chose the non effective option of back flipping out of the hold. Kira skated backwards a bit but caught her balance and got into a fighting stance. Corin stood up straight and frowned indignantly, his suspicions were confirmed.
"I thought you wanted to kill me but instead I find that you are holding back. You insult me," Corin said skating past her shocked face.
"What? I never hold back," Kira thought as she turned to yell at him.
"What do you mean by that?! I was fighting my best!" she called after him.
"Don't my intelligence further by playing coy," Corin said almost boredly "You know you're better than this. You lost the previous fight with me not deliberately but stubbornly. You fight at a different level. Not by trying to win but trying to win by kindness. Altruism a noble trait but it is not a trait I admire within a fellow fighter as it shows mercy and weakness is all mercy is. So as I said don't insult me further," Corin explained and turned to skate away.
Kira was flustered and speechless at Corin's analysis of her fighting skill. A million thoughts ran through he head just then.
"The ruffian is being kind to me and he insulted me deeply by refusing to fight. . ." Kira thought as she stared at his retreating hide.
Kira was shocked at actions and slapped herself mentally for staring like an idiot and geared herself up to crush him with a final comment.
"You just showed me mercy by backing away so you show me mercy!!!" she called after him.
Corin whispered his answer to the wind and picked up speed.
"Altruism. . .a noble trait. . .it is beyond me," he said bitterly and skated away quickly as if running from his moment of weakness.
Kira growled in frustration as she saw her comment roll off his back as if it didn't affect him. Breg had finally picked herself up and skated to Kira's side, dodging her wild thrashing.
"Kira calm down you won already!" Breg said retraining the wild girl as much as she could.
"What?! How could you say that?!?!" Kira said in an outraged burst "He insulted me and humiliated me yet again!"
Breg loosened her grip on Kira as she settled a little and stopped her thrashing about.
"Did it ever occur to you that you won?" Breg asked calmly.
"What?! How?!" Kira asked now confused at Breg's suggestion.
"Well he said that he wouldn't fight you because you insulted him by not fighting to your full potential but he also said it was a noble to fight with. . What was that word he used?. . .Oh yes that's right. . .Altruism. . ."
"You're not making any sense Breg even for you," Kira said her anger giving way to confusion with her friend's unusual wit.
"Did you ever stop to listen to what he said? He said that it was a noble trait. Maybe where he comes from it is a higher honour to win a fight kindly rather than by whatever means necessary. You won because you tried to beat him honorably and he couldn't face the fact that he wasn't on the same respectable fighting level that you were on," Breg explained.
Kira stood staring at Breg baffled. Breg made no sense but in her own strange way she was correct. Kira was insulted that Corin left the fight but she was also the victor because she fought honorably on a different and higher plane of fighting. Kira stood still staring as she tied to digest the new information. Before Kira could speak Breg interrupted her.
"Although if you ask me, I think that he should have won because he was actually fighting defensively rather than with dirty tactics. He also left with graceful humility by explaining himself and shrugging off your last comment, which was a little harsh. Also by the way you acted afterwards was like a spoilt brat and you had no self dignity to accept his apology however it was delivered you just thrashed about with anger clouding your thoughts. . ." Breg said getting louder as she ranted on and on about Kira's behaviour.
Kira didn't seem to listen to Breg's ranting lecture as she was still contemplating how she won. When she finally accepted the victory, however awkward, a sudden thought hit Kira.
". . .And you should be bashing your head on the ice right now for hurting the poor boy's feelings!0 He was just trying to. . ." Breg ranted before Kira spoke ignoring her.
"Corin was being nice and insulting. . .Is it possible to be flattered and insulted at the same time?" Kira asked now staring out at the ice in a dreamy but docile mood.
Breg stopped her ranting and digested what Kira had just said, marveling at the rare sight of Kira's philosophical face before adding her own two cents.
"Apparently but I still think he should have won on account of his better behaviour than yours," Breg said sliding up to Kira's side.
Kira registered Breg's presence as she slid around to face her but didn't seem to notice her. Kira was lost in thought which was rare thing indeed. Kira replayed the battle in her mind and watched herself fight. It was true what Corin had said but how did a ruffian of a boy like him know anything remotely about honour and a fighters code? Kira was silent during their trip back to the glow jelly hole and Breg was unusually silent which was odd for her but as the silence prolonged many thoughts were considered and many things were regretted. As the two girls reached the fishing hole and their buckets Kira finally spoke up.
"I hate what I said Breg I really do and for the first time in my life I actually regret my actions," Kira said squatting and resuming the tedious task of fishing for glow jellies.
"You should apologise for what you said to the boy and the way you acted but I must apologise also for losing my temper at you like that. Kira I'm sorry," Breg said hugging Kira tightly almost suffocating the girl.
After releasing Kira from her iron grip Kira smiled despite herself.
"Apology accepted but I should really thank you for opening my eyes to my faults," Kira said smiling a rare smile.
Breg giggled and Kira stopped her smiling as Breg fell backwards for the third time laughing outright to Kira's confusion and annoyance.
"What's so funny?" Kira asked deflatedly.
"Your face seems so strange with a smile. It looks so out of place!" Breg said between fits of giggles.
Kira shook her head in distain but was secretly happy because things were back to normal but with changes made for the better. Kira's peace was short lived as Salama skated in front of the girls with a scorn across her face. Ice chips flew into the girl's faces as Salama slid to a brake.
"You two follow me and bring your glow jellies," she said in a deadly tone.
Breg's laughter stopped abruptly and chocked in her throat. Kira knew they were in for a lecture and more punishment as she followed obediently.