I'm really sorry about the effin HUGE delay. Here are the main reasons:

-Guild Wars (not mine btw)

-Coursework

-Devoidness of ideas

-Perfectionism

-I can't do fight scenes!

Anyway this is chapter four.

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"Pirates!!!"

Yunsung responded to the cry instantly and tugged the rope to roll up the sails, so they could not be slashed. He whipped his head around to see another ship, nearly the same as theirs apart from a dragon carved into the front, sidling alongside theirs, with men firing flaming spears at the crew, who quick and organised, meeting such troubles before. Everyone- roles were interchangeable- spread around the deck, snatching up their blades and shields, or one of the few muskets. The captain flicked out his own sword, but bellowed orders as hard as he could at the crew. Yunsung took to the side of the ship, one foot up on the edge, watching the Chinese pirates, with helmets like cymbals, also readying their weapons.

There was one precious second of silence, where the two crews faced each other, each with a careful glance at their respective captains. Then, Shiffur, Yunsung's captain, gave a roar, and Yunsung pounced.

It was a simple jump to the other ship. About five of the pirates immediately circled in on him, eyes cold but dancing with a slight malicious pride. He grinned at them, edging closer and closer on him- they appeared to know that he must be dangerous to have the bravery to pounce forward in front of everyone else. Yes...that's it...closer...closer... Yunsung thought calculatingly, smiling wider- it was good to be back in battle again, it gave him a distraction, and a pleasant adrenaline boost he needed.

Close enough, he thought. He whipped White Storm from his belt and let fly with a pirouetting attack; his feet spun, while his sword slashed at the same time as if they worked seperately. This didn't connect, but Yunsung never intended it to-it broke them apart, and so after the third spin, Yunsung readily and unexpectedly let a flying kick out to the side with a jump. It smacked a totally unprepared soldier in the face, throwing him sideways. Another kick to the stomach winded him enough for Yunsung to turn to the next enemy. There happened to be one beside him too, close enough to sweep their feet...

oOoOoOo

But the battle was over in minutes. Now Yunsung was left in the crow's nest, to dwell upon his fate and what had happened to Talim. Of the battle, Yunsung hadn't stopped to wonder about what Talim would have said or done. She wouldn't be so aggressive as him. She knew what she was doing, but she fought with such grace one think she was simply going through the motions. Her body would move in some speedy ballet-a speed Yunsung had never seen matched. Yunsung was quick, but took pleasure from battling and showed off as much as he could. Talim did the bare minimum (well, what seemed to her was the bare minimum), and said she fought a godly fight- a fight to 'banish the bad out of people so they may see their wrongs'. Yes, Yunsung could remember when Talim last fought him...

oOoOoOo

"Tic...tic...tic...tic...tic...tic...tic."

This was, apparently, how someone achieved clarity of mind. Talim called it a 'mantra'. One had to focus on the sound, and try not to think of anything else.

Yunsung sat, legs crossed, making this ticking noise, in the town's arena. The arena was usually used for shows and special events, but it was open to the public, and Talim and Yunsung decided to use it as a training ground. Upon arriving, Talim sat and began her mantra, and Yunsung tried to join in. His head was buzzing at being with her, however, and couldn't concentrate. He claimed it was because he couldn't put both his feet on either thigh, like she could.

"Oh, that's got nothing to do with it."she sighed, her plimsolls comfortably behind her knees, "It's harder for boys to do it, and I know lots of boys who can achieve a mantra."

"Why can't boys do it?" Yunsung grunted, his pelvis burning as he tried to force his leg farther.

"Because girls are more flexible."

"So why are girls so flexible then?"

"...erm...because we need to give birth."

"Ah."Yunsung stopped forcing his leg. He was always halted by facts. In his opinion, facts and figures were so irrepressibly boring that they stopped people talking. Talim did make them seem less boring, however, simply because she was nice to look at.

"Ready?" Talim hopped up, disentangling like an insect.

"Who needs a mantra?" He grunted confidently, "I can take anyone."

She smiled humorously. They stood up, stationed themselves about two and a half metres apart, and faced each other. There were a couple of people in the stands- it was a regular meeting place for young people. Talim and Yunsung bowed to one another respectfully. Then they stared at each other, waiting for the other's first move, clenching their fists- there were to be no weapons. Yunsung's eyes were lowered slightly.

She moved first. She dashed forward and flipped herself through the air, like a vertically thrown discus. Yunsung held up his arms in a cross shape to block her, but she used it as a platform and sprung back effortlessly on her feet again. "A-a-a!" Talim cartwheeled across the ground towards him, her hands and feet so fast, Yunsung couldn't hold one, and was crushed into the ground. He rolled over and got up quickly to see that she had been ready to kick him on the ground. Yunsung delivered a kick of his own to her chest- it knocked her over, but she rolled back up again.

It became a wonder to Yunsung as to how Talim achieved such acrobatics. She could lift herself high into the air and flip without any aid. She was rarely outed on the ground- she tended to use it as a spring to rocket back up onto her feet.

Yunsung took a few evasive seconds to judge which approach would be best. Talim's main weakness was that she was light and small. So he set himself as firmly as he could into the ground, and beckoned Talim with her finger. Her eyes flashed. She charged towards him, preparing to use her cartwheel assault again. Yunsung thrust his shoulder forward solidly, and with a satisfying thump, it smashed into her middle body, and she was sent backwards and onto the ground. She struggled to get up, but Yunsung sent his sandal across the side of her head in springing over her. There was a pained cry- it penetrated his meditative subconscious. He tried to shake the feelings of shame away- this was a battle, he couldn't think about having hurt her...

He sent his shoulder into her once more, then, once she was in a headlock, Yunsung said, "Stop?"

She coughed affirmatively. He released her, and she knelt onto the ground, panting. Yunsung knelt beside her and pushed a few strands of hair from her face. She was sweating, her cheeks were red, and there was bruising around her eye, but she made a slightly disjointed smile at him.

"That was great."she wheezed.

"Yeah. Let's get your eye sorted out." It had totally consumed him now.

"Ok...wow...owch...I so wasn't ready...ahh..."she grunted, "I need ice..."

He laughed nervously, "We're getting that, Talim." He lifted her onto her feet.

"Sorry...I can't think straight...s'all your fault..."

"My fault?"

"Yes...has anyone ever told you...that you have...funny eyes?"she wheezed.

Yunsung grinned at her, "You have funny eyes too. Come on. The stream's close by, we can bathe your eye there."

"Ok...just make sure I don't bump into anything...my head hurts..."