Chapter 39
Kira snapped an icicle in two with her large battle axe and smashed the remnants with a heavy kick of her left ice skate. The icicle shattered into a million shards of ice and sprayed itself over the deck of the Ruin Ship.
"One down thirty more to go," Kira mused and moved off to find another icicle to destroy.
Apparently Salama the new shield mother decided it was best to separate Breg from Kira. After returning from the Trials, Salama calmly explained why the two were always paired together when assignments were handed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I had hoped that the both of you would learn from each other," Salama said calmly whilst arching her fingers as she sat in her high backed chair.
"I had hoped that you were able to learn from each other, the flaws you both possess are many and though they are good in their own ways, I'm afraid that they are compromising your chances of becoming shield maidens," Salama continued no quaver in her voice.
Breg and Kira stiffened. They both wanted to be shield maidens very much and they had thought they would make the cut but apparently they were now staring at the possibility that never occurred to them.
"I'm sorry, Breg. I had thought that you were the one that would bring a lighter presence to the Icecarls in this new time of unification. I wished that I could have been right. You are dismissed but before you go, know that I'll summon you for your punishment later,"
The calm voice of the shield mother didn't break its stride even as Breg turned and left. Kira looked stiffer than usual as the shield mother now turned her eagle like stare on her.
"Kira I have always known that you'd be the perfect shield maiden," Salama started.
Kira relaxed a few hairs but knew this was just a ploy to get her off guard so she remained stiff, ready to take what was dished out to her.
"You are what is to be expected and more. You, Kira, are the most disciplined and well trained Icecarl I have ever trained and I am proud to call you a shield maiden even if you don't become one. You are so talented, that even the War Chief will need to watch her back while she's around you,"
Now this was too much. Kira was good at taking verbal bashings but compliments and comparisons to legends are out of her league and even she couldn't take her own self-righteous swelling up in her. She like being complimented and although her mental block was waning she had to admit it was worth absorbing, after all she did earn these things.
"However, no matter how talented you are, you still have a long way to go. Let me tell you something. A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told no matter how moral or not. Kira you are a warrior and a warrior alone. I'm afraid to say this but it must be said; in this day and age of peace, a warrior is only needed when called upon, therefore our race will soon die as a warriors and become something new,"
"What will we become?" Kira asked afraid she already knew the answer.
"Redundant...Redundant but unified to our ancestors, the Chosen,"
Kira was silent but deep down she knew the truth. They would be redundant. Her warrior skills will mean nothing in the near future. That is if she lived that long. Kira was now starting to realise how pointless her life was and soon fell into a semi state of despair. Salama knew the look that was now showing through on Kira's face.
"Kira as I said before, you are the best warrior but as a normal human being you lack qualities that I had hoped you would pick up from Breg,"
"Like what?" Kira blurted out now angry "All I have ever learnt from Breg is patience are you saying there is more to her than her clumsiness that I haven't learnt?!"
Salama remained silent and thought deeply. Clearly shedding her warrior soul would be difficult. Then a thought arose in Salama's mind. What if she could help her a different way?
"It's seems to me you are losing your patience and as such you have not learned a thing from Breg. So I see that you are in need of a new partner. You want to be a warrior? Then fine be one, but be warned there is no room for a warrior in this new day, you're dismissed,"
Kira was taken aback but left as she was told to. As soon as she passed the skin curtain she regretted having left. It only proved that Salama was right, she was a drone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!
The icicle flew right off the edge of the crows nest and landed heavily off in the distant snow. As dark as it was from the top of the crows nest, Kira saw movement on the deck and decided to investigate. As she hopped of the last rung, Kira turned to face the newcomer and was more or less annoyed to see who it was.
"What are you doing here? Want a rematch? I'm not in the mood," Kira said turning her back to Corin.
"That seemed familiar..."
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!
Kira continued her chore of icicle bashing, ignoring the holes being burnt into her back by Corin's stare. Then Kira couldn't take it anymore.
"Do you like watching me being punished? Or do you just like seeing people suffer?" she asked huffing.
"Such an unfair comment; you know I thought you looked quite beautiful the first time we met. I had hoped we could be friends but now I know what you really are,"
"Oh and what am I?" Kira asked sarcastically, however her tone was somehow mixed with curiosity, which meant that Corin's flattery had hit its mark and as soon as she realised this she harshly berated herself.
"Poison; your beauty is only skin deep. It's a husk that conceals a beast within," Corin said lightly almost casually.
Kira wasn't offended by the remark but it had hurt her a bit. It was true she had been told she was too much a warrior but she was never called beautiful. The remark confused her. Was Corin trying to make an attempt to court her or was he just being nice?
"Look, just tell me what you're doing here?" Kira demanded.
At least that's what she thought it sounded like. It sounded more like a plea to Corin. The boy sighed and for once felt the presence of the girl he had wanted to know since he met Kira.
"I'm your new partner,"
Kira snapped an icicle in two with her large battle axe and smashed the remnants with a heavy kick of her left ice skate. The icicle shattered into a million shards of ice and sprayed itself over the deck of the Ruin Ship.
"One down thirty more to go," Kira mused and moved off to find another icicle to destroy.
Apparently Salama the new shield mother decided it was best to separate Breg from Kira. After returning from the Trials, Salama calmly explained why the two were always paired together when assignments were handed out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I had hoped that the both of you would learn from each other," Salama said calmly whilst arching her fingers as she sat in her high backed chair.
"I had hoped that you were able to learn from each other, the flaws you both possess are many and though they are good in their own ways, I'm afraid that they are compromising your chances of becoming shield maidens," Salama continued no quaver in her voice.
Breg and Kira stiffened. They both wanted to be shield maidens very much and they had thought they would make the cut but apparently they were now staring at the possibility that never occurred to them.
"I'm sorry, Breg. I had thought that you were the one that would bring a lighter presence to the Icecarls in this new time of unification. I wished that I could have been right. You are dismissed but before you go, know that I'll summon you for your punishment later,"
The calm voice of the shield mother didn't break its stride even as Breg turned and left. Kira looked stiffer than usual as the shield mother now turned her eagle like stare on her.
"Kira I have always known that you'd be the perfect shield maiden," Salama started.
Kira relaxed a few hairs but knew this was just a ploy to get her off guard so she remained stiff, ready to take what was dished out to her.
"You are what is to be expected and more. You, Kira, are the most disciplined and well trained Icecarl I have ever trained and I am proud to call you a shield maiden even if you don't become one. You are so talented, that even the War Chief will need to watch her back while she's around you,"
Now this was too much. Kira was good at taking verbal bashings but compliments and comparisons to legends are out of her league and even she couldn't take her own self-righteous swelling up in her. She like being complimented and although her mental block was waning she had to admit it was worth absorbing, after all she did earn these things.
"However, no matter how talented you are, you still have a long way to go. Let me tell you something. A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told no matter how moral or not. Kira you are a warrior and a warrior alone. I'm afraid to say this but it must be said; in this day and age of peace, a warrior is only needed when called upon, therefore our race will soon die as a warriors and become something new,"
"What will we become?" Kira asked afraid she already knew the answer.
"Redundant...Redundant but unified to our ancestors, the Chosen,"
Kira was silent but deep down she knew the truth. They would be redundant. Her warrior skills will mean nothing in the near future. That is if she lived that long. Kira was now starting to realise how pointless her life was and soon fell into a semi state of despair. Salama knew the look that was now showing through on Kira's face.
"Kira as I said before, you are the best warrior but as a normal human being you lack qualities that I had hoped you would pick up from Breg,"
"Like what?" Kira blurted out now angry "All I have ever learnt from Breg is patience are you saying there is more to her than her clumsiness that I haven't learnt?!"
Salama remained silent and thought deeply. Clearly shedding her warrior soul would be difficult. Then a thought arose in Salama's mind. What if she could help her a different way?
"It's seems to me you are losing your patience and as such you have not learned a thing from Breg. So I see that you are in need of a new partner. You want to be a warrior? Then fine be one, but be warned there is no room for a warrior in this new day, you're dismissed,"
Kira was taken aback but left as she was told to. As soon as she passed the skin curtain she regretted having left. It only proved that Salama was right, she was a drone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!
The icicle flew right off the edge of the crows nest and landed heavily off in the distant snow. As dark as it was from the top of the crows nest, Kira saw movement on the deck and decided to investigate. As she hopped of the last rung, Kira turned to face the newcomer and was more or less annoyed to see who it was.
"What are you doing here? Want a rematch? I'm not in the mood," Kira said turning her back to Corin.
"That seemed familiar..."
SWISH!!! CRACK!!!
Kira continued her chore of icicle bashing, ignoring the holes being burnt into her back by Corin's stare. Then Kira couldn't take it anymore.
"Do you like watching me being punished? Or do you just like seeing people suffer?" she asked huffing.
"Such an unfair comment; you know I thought you looked quite beautiful the first time we met. I had hoped we could be friends but now I know what you really are,"
"Oh and what am I?" Kira asked sarcastically, however her tone was somehow mixed with curiosity, which meant that Corin's flattery had hit its mark and as soon as she realised this she harshly berated herself.
"Poison; your beauty is only skin deep. It's a husk that conceals a beast within," Corin said lightly almost casually.
Kira wasn't offended by the remark but it had hurt her a bit. It was true she had been told she was too much a warrior but she was never called beautiful. The remark confused her. Was Corin trying to make an attempt to court her or was he just being nice?
"Look, just tell me what you're doing here?" Kira demanded.
At least that's what she thought it sounded like. It sounded more like a plea to Corin. The boy sighed and for once felt the presence of the girl he had wanted to know since he met Kira.
"I'm your new partner,"