Author note: Okay. The story is gonna start picking up now. Thoughts will be in ''
Chapter 5: Kim's Realization
Kim made her way down to the weapon master after being dismissed from her "test." As she made her way down she thought of Shego. 'I wonder what she's doing now' was Kim's most prevalent thought. Finally she made it to the training room and found Master Megan. Kim stood on the edge of a large clearing with the Weapons Master and 10 others inside it. The Master was unarmed and the students had an impressive array of staves, clubs, swords, polearms, and whips. A teacher on the far side of the ring from Kim shouted "BEGIN" and the eleven people sprang into action. It was over in a few heartbeats. The students were on the ground clutching broken limbs while the Master stood barely breathing hard.
Kim frowned. This was unlike any teaching style she had encountered. She stepped into the space. "Why did you do that to them."
The Master looked at her. "To teach them."
"That didn't look like any form of teaching I know of." Kim shot back.
"Then you have not learned properly." With these words the Master tossed Kim a dropped sword, which Kim caught with ease.
Picking up another for herself the Master simply stated, "Remember. No armor." And with that moved to Kim and attacked. Kim backed away from the assault but could gain no room. Finally she simply used a wrist twist to try and disarm her opponent. To her surprise the Weapon Master dropped her sword but instantly kicked it up into her grip again.
"Not bad youngling. But not quite good enough."
This went on for a good half hour with both women bleeding from several small cuts. Kim, starting to get tired, lashed out with a palm strike that drove the air from the Master's lungs followed by a sweeping kick that left the other woman standing dazed with Kim's sword at her throat.
"HAHAHA. Very well done youngling. You truly did learn then. I can teach you nothing. Report to the council tomorrow."
Kim looked a bit surprise. She knew that she was decent at the armed martial arts, but never had she thought that she could best a Weapon Master! As Kim fell asleep in her new bunk, she thought of Shego. 'I bet she wouldn't have taken half as long' was Kim's last thought before falling asleep.
KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP
Kim dressed in a soft cloak, patterned in leafy shapes and colors, peered over the edge of a small rise and looked at the small camp of slavers before her. It was still a few hours before dawn and the camp was still asleep. Kim thought back along the few years that had brought her here. She was now 23 and had brought in her share of bandits, thieves, marauders, cutpurses, and slavers. She had gone to war against a small army of bandits and had actually killed men and women in combat.
Kim shuddered at that thought. She never liked killing, even in the midst of life-or-death combat like that. But every once in a while she would hear rumors about a green skinned mercenary to the east. She would smile softly at these tales, because she knew it was Shego doing what she did best.
Suddenly there was movement in the camp below. One of the slavers was stirring in his tent. Carefully Kim used some of her Flame to enhance her eyesight, barely causing her eyes to glow under the overhang of her hood.
Kim frowned. The man stepping out of the tent below looked very familiar. As he stepped closer to a fire his features were lit. Kim barely managed to stifle a gasp. It was one of the Goba Justi council members! What were one of them doing here of all places! Kim's eyes narrowed as the rest of the council stepped into the light of the fire. Kim spared a bit more fire to augment her hearing.
"These new slave will make a fine addition to the northern mines."
"Aye. The ore they dig up will benefit Goba Justi greatly when war comes to Kel'na."
"Yes. Finally we will control the entire world and bow to no one!"
Kim backed away from her perch. The council of Goba Justi were slavers! All the other slavers Kim had brought in were competition to them! If the council was in on this then most of the upper level Eagles had to be as well. Kim couldn't take on all of them. She just couldn't. Maybe with Shego's help, but she was on the other side of the world and no help to Kim.
Kim remembered a small village near the coast that she had saved from pirates the year before. They would shelter her from Goba Justi. Maybe after a while Kim could come up with a plan.
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Two years had passed since Kim's decision to hid from Goba Justi. Traders till brought news and information to the village. The village children laughed and played as the fierce warrior who lived on the edge cliffs above the village and protected them. Indeed, Kim had not been idle during her years. She did much the same job as she used to but now only did it for the villagers. Finally one year she heard the news she feared the most. War with Kel'na and their mercenaries.
It was a few months later that Kim heard a large cry go up from the village. The Kel'na mercenaries were landing at her village of all places! She raced down the path to the village, her armor appearing as she ran. By the time she made it to the village, the first wave of pirates had retreated back to the ship. Kim went to the small plain between the village and the shore to wait for their return.
On the ships anchored off the coast she could see many armored figures getting into landing boats. Once they headed into shore Kim could see an Jade armored figure in the bow of the lead boat. 'So,' thought Kim. 'Their leader decides to come with them. Well they will go no farther.' And so she waited.
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Author's Comments: Yeah. Thing are coming to their conclusion within the next few chapters. Next up: Kigo meets.