The Wayward Daughter
Chapter 4: Train My Way
Alexius woke to the heavy thudding of feet on metal. A soft growl escaped her. Rolling over she tried to go back to sleep. It was just her luck that the footsteps stopped at her door. Pretending to be asleep she allowed the Predator to get closer to her. The scent of a storm made her groan softly into her pillow.
"You know you're stealth methods suck big time Malakai. I heard you coming from a mile away."
"Get up," he commanded softly.
"Malakai if you don't go away right now I'm going to shred your sorry ass with my claws."
"I want to show you something."
"You are so freaking lucky that youkai don't need much sleep."
Sitting up, she threw aside the blankets. With care she stretched her muscles after she got up. Malakai titled his head to the side gesturing for her to follow him. Following him down a long maze of corridors she found herself in what looked like a trophy room of some sorts. Looking around she admired the handy work of the clan members. There was an ivory colored skull that caught her attention quickly and made her start. With a hunters grace she moved forward as if in a trance, she stood before the massive skull. On the crest of the skull sat a familiar symbol. Reaching up she stroked the symbol of her past.
"That's the Queen's skull," Malakai told her.
"Can I ask you something?" she began slowly.
"What is it?"
"Who killed this creature?"
"My father did, why?"
She smiled softly towards the skull.
"I knew your scent was familiar."
"How is that?"
"Did your father ever tell you the story that went along with this kill?"
"Yes, many times."
"Did he tell you about the creature he saved that day?"
From the look on his face she knew he didn't. "I didn't think so."
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Is your father still alive?"
"Yes, but where are you going with this Alexius?"
"He'll be surprised that the kit has grown up."
Her fingers traced the symbol lovingly.
"What does it mean?"
"Oh that's meiyo, translated it means 'honor'. Due to this symbol I'm indebted to your father, but of course he'd probably deny it."
Malakai nodded accepting the answer as it was and lead her to his father's room. He made her wait outside while he greeted his father. With ease he went into the room and walked back until he saw his father standing by his window staring out into the vast expanse of stars. (The conversation is going to be in Predator language.)
"Father?"
The grey dread locked predator looked toward his son from the window.
"What brings you here, my son?"
"Have you heard any rumors about me as of late?" he growled softly.
"I've been told that you've taken on a female student. No one, however; can tell me who she is."
"She is teaching me more than I'm teaching her."
"Is that so? Am I going to meet this mysterious girl?"
"She's not by any means young father. Her techniques are astounding."
"Well am I going to be able to meet her?"
"You have already."
"I have?"
"Yes, a long time ago."
Malakai laughed softly at his father's confusion.
"Malakai what is it that you're not saying?"
"Hold on a second."
He called out to Alexius to come in.
She took a deep breath and entered the room. Once she stood before the older Predator she bowed due to the significance of her heritage, a sign of respect for an elder. It was safe to say that the Predator was shocked. He thought the girl would have died years ago. Moving forward he lifted her chin up gently. Fiery eyes stared back defiantly back at his.
"So you made it through all this time?" he purred in Predator tongue.
It was a good thing that Alexius could pick up languages really fast.
"Youkai aren't ones to lie down and die easily, Elder," she said softly.
"As I see, I've never heard that word before what does it exactly mean?"
"It means demon. I am a kitsune youkai, a fox demon."
She smirked softly at him.
"I hear you are going to teach my son the ways of you're family."
"I'm going to try, Elder, but with what I am and what he is there might be a problem."
"No faith in me? I'm hurt Alex," Malakai joked softly.
"It's not that I don't have faith it's just we rely on two totally different methods of fighting."
"I don't see the difference. We both use weapons and strength."
"That's were you're wrong Malakai. I use my cunning over strength and weaponry. When I can't out think my enemy I use my claws. To teach you I'd have to teach you the ways to think like a fox."
"Then teach him," his father commanded. "That is the repayment for the debt you owe me, and if this test run is successful you can teach the others how to think like foxes."
"Yes, Elder," she said sighing softly.
The two of them were dismissed from his presence.
The two of them retreated to the training room or as she dubbed it a dojo. Alex sat down carefully in the middle of the room and gesture for Malakai to sit in front of her.
"Sit like I'm sitting."
He sat down and sat like she was. "Now to think like a fox you have to be able to focus on what's going around you. You see I use my other senses over my eye sight to find my enemy. I know you saw my fight with Kai. Before he even made a move I knew what way he was going to go. I could feel the air shift around me."
"So you're going to teach me to feel out my enemy's before they even attack."
"Something like that. You have to understand I'm over two hundred years old and I've been at this since I was just a kit. You're way behind Malakai. So what I'm going to do first is show you a few things. So close you're eyes and put your trust in me."
He closed his eyes upon the command. She reached out and placed her hands on each side of his face mindful of her claws. Closing her eyes she drew his mind into hers to show him truly what it means to be a true kitsune youkai. Sometime later they came out of the trance breathing heavily. They didn't know what time it was or how long they had been in the trance.
"That was your mind?" he asked softly while trying to breathe correctly.
"That was a small portion of my mine. That portion was my fighting half. No one but me will ever know what's in the other half unless they are my mate."
He accepted this for what it was. The thing was he was still at a loss for what he saw. She truly was a complex creature. Her fighting style complete threw him. She had been right when she had explained that they're fighting methods were completely different. He saw that when she trained she mostly did so in her own mind.
"Can I learn to train in my mind like that?"
"I guess so. I've never had to teach anyone how to train in their own mind because it's dangerous. I won't teach you that until much later. Something like that shouldn't be attempted alone unless you know what you're doing and I mean never alone Malakai."
He nodded in understanding knowing that he wanted to learn the technique. Thankfully he wasn't as reckless as some of the other Predators. The only truly reckless thing he had done was try and corner an enraged and hurt kitsune, but he'd never apologize for bringing her here. He didn't know what it was but something was drawing him to her. One of these days he figured he'd know what it was that had drawn them together. His mind was tired and he knew it could wait for another day. Shaking his head he looked at his partner. She looked beat. With care not to fall over he stood up. It took a moment for his legs to get blood circulation back into them. Alex had her head bowed as if she was asleep. Leaning down he carefully picked her up. Apparently the training wore her out more than she let on. From the look of her she probably hadn't gotten enough sleep in days.
"We will continue this later, Alex," he purred softly in her ear.
With care he headed towards her room. The door slid open admitting him to the room. With even greater care he laid her down gently on the bed and covered her up. "Sleep well my little fox," he purred lovingly.
He walked out of the room leaving the kitsune youkai alone. If he had looked back he would have seen a pair of shimmering amber eyes watching him leave. Once the door shut the kitsune youkai closed her eyes and whispered;
"Don't fall for me Kai. It'll mean your destruction in the end."
She rolled over and cried herself to sleep.