Chapter 41
Kira stood gob smacked on the deck of the ship. Corin had just announced that he was Kira's new partner. The news was shocking at first but then again Kira had expected as much.
"But why Corin? Isn't he in the service of the Far Raiders Crone?" Kira thought.
Kira stared at Corin dumbstruck and didn't realise that she was until Corin moved up to her and took the axe from her and started to hack away at the large icicles. Kira yielded to his touch and found herself thinking of how well developed the boy was. He wasn't even a boy to begin with. He was smaller than a thane and yet from their frequent encounters, Kira knew that he surpassed a thane's skill easily. Kira also knew from gossip on the ship that Corin was roughly the same age as Kira, maybe even older by a circling or so. Kira snapped from her trance as icicle chips flew her way. As rude as the gesture was, it was enough to spark up old flames of anger in her. Kira concentrated on the anger and fueled it for as long as she could. At least that way she could behave more like herself than a dumbstruck fool like she was before.
"This is my job, I don't need your help to remove icicles," Kira said evenly.
Corin stopped his swinging and shouldered the axe and smiled a rare smile he showed only to those who he liked. Kira found it hard to keep the anger flowing inside her and knew it was futile to keep it going as the small flame inside of her was snuffed out effortlessly by the sudden grin.
"If you want to continue your chore then by all means," Corin said from the other side of the deck.
Kira frowned at Corin.
"I'll need my axe," she said putting her hands on her hips.
Corin chuckled silently.
"If you want it then I suggest you come and take it,"
Kira frowned and strode towards Corin keeping her stare level with his amused gaze. Kira reached for the axe when she was in arms reach of the axe but was taunted when Corin yanked it from her reach.
"Enough games Corin! I need to get back to work," Kira said lamely schooling her anger into a mild irritation.
"I agree. Time to fight me," Corin said hurling the axe skillfully into an exceptionally large icicle.
Kira kept her eyes on him as he crouched into a fighting stance. The usual flare of energy flourished inside her as she felt the thrill of another fight but the energy was sapped from her as Salama's words echoed into her head.
"...A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told..."
Would Kira be duped into a petty fight with Corin because he demanded it?
Corin didn't sense Kira's hesitation and launched at her with a punch. Kira saw it coming at the last second and narrowly sidestepped it. Corin threw another punch and from there it became a dodging game. With each blow that Corin dealt came a certain satisfaction every time it was dodged. Kira should have relished in the feeling but her mind was far from the fight. Instead it had flown back to Salama's quarters.
Corin was growing tired of playing and decided that warm up was done. He had not landed a single punch and it irritated him but then again neither had Kira. The boy stepped up the fighting a notch and forced Kira to block or parry. This was a test in Corin's reckoning and he was testing Kira's worth. Corin knew he was the superior fighter but he lacked the altruism that Kira possessed but it didn't matter now. It was a survival match and if Kira didn't match up he would have to reject Salama's proposal to him.
Corin made his way to the feasting hall to collect food for his Crone. Although he felt like an errand boy he obeyed. The hall was filled with novice shield maidens and was alive with chatter. Not a place Corin wanted to be right now but he had his duties that couldn't be ignored. Corin found a tray and loaded it with food and drink for three people. Satisfied that he had enough food, Corin balanced the load and left the hall with strange looks from novices. They had apparently thought that he needed all that food. Corin ignored the stares and the occasional whispers of the word "hoarder" and quickly made his way back to his Crone's quarters.
When he finally made it back, Corin's keen hearing picked up conversation behind the Crone's door. From what he heard it was Salama who was conversing with his Crone and he decided that it would be best to come back later but as soon as he heard his name mentioned, Corin itched to eavesdrop. Knowing that it was a punishable act Corin dropped to one knee anyway and pressed his ear on the door lightly as his curiosity won out in the end.
"I'm here to claim him back. I have the right but I decided to ask first,"
"How nice of you Salama. You wish to claim him back just to use him to teach a brat of girl manners?" the Crone spat disdainfully
"He was never part of the Far Raiders and you know it, he's one of us and there is potential in him to grow even further here. I'm simply motivating the 'brat', as you call her, to see how unimportant our race is now that we have no need to fight anymore,"
"But what will you do with Corin after that? Will you abandon him again after you use him?"
"No, of course not. He will also come to know the pointlessness of his training,"
"I have heard enough. The boy is fragile, too fragile in mind to deal with such a proposal. He may have excelled like your Kira through every task I have given him but that doesn't make him your pawn! He is still a child! I won't let you claim him just so you could set him up for more disappointment,"
"I thought we could help each other out but it seems that you have steeled your mind. Very well I will claim him tomorrow with force if necessary,"
Corin heard a shuffling and a dull clap of gloves and heard heavy boots approach the door. The door opened but Corin was frozen in place. He had just heard something of his mysterious past and it had made him slow as it numbed his brain. Slowly he tilted his head and looked up at the towering woman before him. Salama was clearly just as shocked to hear him.
"Corin?" Salama's shock turned into outrage and then subsided in mild relief.
When Corin continued to stare Salama pulled him into the room roughly making him land at the Crone's feet. Shock had disappeared from Corin as he was snapped back into reality. He wasn't a Far Raider as he had originally thought. Although his past never bothered him before, Corin had always known in some ways that he wasn't part of their clan. Seeing the realisation in his eyes the Crone saw the truth.
"You heard," the Crone said rigidly.
It wasn't a question. Corin had indeed heard the heated debate about him and in some ways he wish he hadn't.
Salama proceeded to tell Corin of her proposal not caring if he heard or not.
"Corin from what you have heard, I can guess that you know by now that you are of the Ruin Ship. I will fill in the details later when you are ready to listen but for now this is what I propose. I want you to partner with a girl you are familiar with. This girl has been read by a mother Crone and although see has great potential there is something that ails her and I want you to be the cure. Do you accept to help this girl?"
"Kira..." Corin said his mind still only functioning at 80%.
"Yes Kira is the one I wish for you to get acquainted with. She needs guidance and my efforts to do so have failed and the only way I have left is you."
"Why me? What happened to her other partner Breg and what do you plan to do with me and Kira?" Corin said his mind getting faster.
"What indeed..." The Crone muttered.
"I want you two to find something deeper between yourselves, something deeper than rivalry. When you find it, you may be released from the Ship if you wish and go where you choose but until the I have you under my command,"
"Do I have time to think about it?" Corin asked.
"Yes but not too long, I fear our time is rapidly coming to an end,"
"What did she mean by that?" Corin thought as he delivered a fast kick.
Kira parried and moved back, her thoughts still far away from the fight. The two fighters battled on regardless of how distracted they were.
Kira decided to attack now forcing Corin to block. She snapped a kick straight at his jaw.
"Corin, do you know what I ask of you?"
Corin caught Kira's ankle and began to twist making Kira kneel and forcing her to fall onto her hands palms down.
"You are asking me to love her..."
Kira snapped another kick to Corin with her free leg and vaulted herself upright using her arms as springs.
Corin got to his feet and was panting hard clearly distracted as the thought was pummeled into him with flurry of attacks from Kira. Corin was knocked senseless to his knees. Kira delivered the final blow. A kick straight to the chest and Corin was floored. Kira felt the familiar victory surge and placed a heavy boot on Corin's chest in a claim of triumph. "Can you love her?"
"Do you submit?" Kira asked panting.
Corin lay there for a while not responding but focusing on Kira's face and how beautiful she looked as the sunstone light from the mast gave her a halo. Corin smiled in realisation, he could love her. Kira applied more pressure with her foot and the spikes caused Corin to grimace.
"Will you submit to me?" the question was softer than Kira had expected but an answer was given.
"Yes..." He replied.
To both questions.
Kira stood gob smacked on the deck of the ship. Corin had just announced that he was Kira's new partner. The news was shocking at first but then again Kira had expected as much.
"But why Corin? Isn't he in the service of the Far Raiders Crone?" Kira thought.
Kira stared at Corin dumbstruck and didn't realise that she was until Corin moved up to her and took the axe from her and started to hack away at the large icicles. Kira yielded to his touch and found herself thinking of how well developed the boy was. He wasn't even a boy to begin with. He was smaller than a thane and yet from their frequent encounters, Kira knew that he surpassed a thane's skill easily. Kira also knew from gossip on the ship that Corin was roughly the same age as Kira, maybe even older by a circling or so. Kira snapped from her trance as icicle chips flew her way. As rude as the gesture was, it was enough to spark up old flames of anger in her. Kira concentrated on the anger and fueled it for as long as she could. At least that way she could behave more like herself than a dumbstruck fool like she was before.
"This is my job, I don't need your help to remove icicles," Kira said evenly.
Corin stopped his swinging and shouldered the axe and smiled a rare smile he showed only to those who he liked. Kira found it hard to keep the anger flowing inside her and knew it was futile to keep it going as the small flame inside of her was snuffed out effortlessly by the sudden grin.
"If you want to continue your chore then by all means," Corin said from the other side of the deck.
Kira frowned at Corin.
"I'll need my axe," she said putting her hands on her hips.
Corin chuckled silently.
"If you want it then I suggest you come and take it,"
Kira frowned and strode towards Corin keeping her stare level with his amused gaze. Kira reached for the axe when she was in arms reach of the axe but was taunted when Corin yanked it from her reach.
"Enough games Corin! I need to get back to work," Kira said lamely schooling her anger into a mild irritation.
"I agree. Time to fight me," Corin said hurling the axe skillfully into an exceptionally large icicle.
Kira kept her eyes on him as he crouched into a fighting stance. The usual flare of energy flourished inside her as she felt the thrill of another fight but the energy was sapped from her as Salama's words echoed into her head.
"...A warrior is a drone and drones do things that they are told..."
Would Kira be duped into a petty fight with Corin because he demanded it?
Corin didn't sense Kira's hesitation and launched at her with a punch. Kira saw it coming at the last second and narrowly sidestepped it. Corin threw another punch and from there it became a dodging game. With each blow that Corin dealt came a certain satisfaction every time it was dodged. Kira should have relished in the feeling but her mind was far from the fight. Instead it had flown back to Salama's quarters.
Corin was growing tired of playing and decided that warm up was done. He had not landed a single punch and it irritated him but then again neither had Kira. The boy stepped up the fighting a notch and forced Kira to block or parry. This was a test in Corin's reckoning and he was testing Kira's worth. Corin knew he was the superior fighter but he lacked the altruism that Kira possessed but it didn't matter now. It was a survival match and if Kira didn't match up he would have to reject Salama's proposal to him.
Corin made his way to the feasting hall to collect food for his Crone. Although he felt like an errand boy he obeyed. The hall was filled with novice shield maidens and was alive with chatter. Not a place Corin wanted to be right now but he had his duties that couldn't be ignored. Corin found a tray and loaded it with food and drink for three people. Satisfied that he had enough food, Corin balanced the load and left the hall with strange looks from novices. They had apparently thought that he needed all that food. Corin ignored the stares and the occasional whispers of the word "hoarder" and quickly made his way back to his Crone's quarters.
When he finally made it back, Corin's keen hearing picked up conversation behind the Crone's door. From what he heard it was Salama who was conversing with his Crone and he decided that it would be best to come back later but as soon as he heard his name mentioned, Corin itched to eavesdrop. Knowing that it was a punishable act Corin dropped to one knee anyway and pressed his ear on the door lightly as his curiosity won out in the end.
"I'm here to claim him back. I have the right but I decided to ask first,"
"How nice of you Salama. You wish to claim him back just to use him to teach a brat of girl manners?" the Crone spat disdainfully
"He was never part of the Far Raiders and you know it, he's one of us and there is potential in him to grow even further here. I'm simply motivating the 'brat', as you call her, to see how unimportant our race is now that we have no need to fight anymore,"
"But what will you do with Corin after that? Will you abandon him again after you use him?"
"No, of course not. He will also come to know the pointlessness of his training,"
"I have heard enough. The boy is fragile, too fragile in mind to deal with such a proposal. He may have excelled like your Kira through every task I have given him but that doesn't make him your pawn! He is still a child! I won't let you claim him just so you could set him up for more disappointment,"
"I thought we could help each other out but it seems that you have steeled your mind. Very well I will claim him tomorrow with force if necessary,"
Corin heard a shuffling and a dull clap of gloves and heard heavy boots approach the door. The door opened but Corin was frozen in place. He had just heard something of his mysterious past and it had made him slow as it numbed his brain. Slowly he tilted his head and looked up at the towering woman before him. Salama was clearly just as shocked to hear him.
"Corin?" Salama's shock turned into outrage and then subsided in mild relief.
When Corin continued to stare Salama pulled him into the room roughly making him land at the Crone's feet. Shock had disappeared from Corin as he was snapped back into reality. He wasn't a Far Raider as he had originally thought. Although his past never bothered him before, Corin had always known in some ways that he wasn't part of their clan. Seeing the realisation in his eyes the Crone saw the truth.
"You heard," the Crone said rigidly.
It wasn't a question. Corin had indeed heard the heated debate about him and in some ways he wish he hadn't.
Salama proceeded to tell Corin of her proposal not caring if he heard or not.
"Corin from what you have heard, I can guess that you know by now that you are of the Ruin Ship. I will fill in the details later when you are ready to listen but for now this is what I propose. I want you to partner with a girl you are familiar with. This girl has been read by a mother Crone and although see has great potential there is something that ails her and I want you to be the cure. Do you accept to help this girl?"
"Kira..." Corin said his mind still only functioning at 80%.
"Yes Kira is the one I wish for you to get acquainted with. She needs guidance and my efforts to do so have failed and the only way I have left is you."
"Why me? What happened to her other partner Breg and what do you plan to do with me and Kira?" Corin said his mind getting faster.
"What indeed..." The Crone muttered.
"I want you two to find something deeper between yourselves, something deeper than rivalry. When you find it, you may be released from the Ship if you wish and go where you choose but until the I have you under my command,"
"Do I have time to think about it?" Corin asked.
"Yes but not too long, I fear our time is rapidly coming to an end,"
"What did she mean by that?" Corin thought as he delivered a fast kick.
Kira parried and moved back, her thoughts still far away from the fight. The two fighters battled on regardless of how distracted they were.
Kira decided to attack now forcing Corin to block. She snapped a kick straight at his jaw.
"Corin, do you know what I ask of you?"
Corin caught Kira's ankle and began to twist making Kira kneel and forcing her to fall onto her hands palms down.
"You are asking me to love her..."
Kira snapped another kick to Corin with her free leg and vaulted herself upright using her arms as springs.
Corin got to his feet and was panting hard clearly distracted as the thought was pummeled into him with flurry of attacks from Kira. Corin was knocked senseless to his knees. Kira delivered the final blow. A kick straight to the chest and Corin was floored. Kira felt the familiar victory surge and placed a heavy boot on Corin's chest in a claim of triumph. "Can you love her?"
"Do you submit?" Kira asked panting.
Corin lay there for a while not responding but focusing on Kira's face and how beautiful she looked as the sunstone light from the mast gave her a halo. Corin smiled in realisation, he could love her. Kira applied more pressure with her foot and the spikes caused Corin to grimace.
"Will you submit to me?" the question was softer than Kira had expected but an answer was given.
"Yes..." He replied.
To both questions.