Chapter Six - Talim
Absalom led the three of them out of the room and down the staircase then straight down the deserted corridor and out of the main temple building into the courtyard.
The sun had now set; its last dying rays still illuminated the western horizon but otherwise the night was clear and the sky filled with stars and far above the red moon could be seen shinning down on the land.
Absalom led them across the snow to one of the four wooden training rooms. He moved forwards up to the door and opened it beckoning them all in before closing the door behind them.
They were again standing in a small antechamber in front of a sliding wooden door which Absalom moved up to and pulled aside to reveal the main training chamber.
It was a large open chamber well lit by ambient lights, perfect for a large number of people to practice sparring or physical training of any kind but there was only one person in there.
Felix had for a while now been having the image of some grizzled older warrior, along Hurin's lines or like the student with the massively oversized crossbow; instead he got exactly the opposite of that.
In the centre of the training room was a young girl, she had long glossy black hair that was pulled back into two pigtails that flew with her as she moved around and around the room in gentle arcs of movement spinning and turning faster and faster running through some sort of martial arts pattern.
Hurin whistled next to him turning to Absalom standing silently next to them. "Mian Quan? (Literally, 'Continuous Fist') It's rare to see such mastery in one so young."
"She is young aye." Absalom agreed. "But she is the best fighter and elementalist we have here, she has already agreed to this mission, her name is Talim, she is both a powerful wind elementalist and adept in several forms of martial arts, including 'Mian Quan' she is also capable of 'Meihuaquan' (Mei Flower Boxing), Cuong Nu and Bajiquan (Eight Extremes Fist)."
"So she's a close range fighter then…" Hurin murmured.
"What are those things on her wrists?" Cassandra asked.
"Bladed tonfa's" Absalom replied as Felix looked closely then saw the flash of metal attached to her arms like an extension of her fists, two small bladed scythes whistling about as she swept about as if in a blurring dance or trance, almost too fast to see.
As fast as it was, it ended in an instant,she backflipped smoothly though the air coming to a complete stop the girl stood with her back to the viewers before turning and walking over towards them.
"I'd like you to meet Talim of Tundara temple." Absalom announced as he moved out towards her.
As the girl got closer it became properly apparent of the age difference between her and the rest of them. Talim was at least a head and a half shorter then Felix and she had yet to display the curves of womanhood that were so evident on Cassandra but her face bore a maturity, a wisdom that none of them possessed.
Sweat trickled freely down her toned legs below a pair of three-quarter length white trousers and she wore a simple green slash across her chest leaving her stomach and arms bear except for the wrist sheaths that held her two bladed tonfas, now retracted back in. Despite her initial slight physical appearance when she came closer to them Felix noticed the muscles and tough weathered skin across her exposed body, she was tough as well although she looked like a young girl, maybe fourteen? Felix wondered, that would make her five years his junior, was she really suitable for Absalom to send with them?
Talim came to stand in front of the three of them next to Absalom and bowed deeply to them. "Master" she said in a musical, lilting voice. "Are these the ones you spoke of earlier?"
"They are." Absalom replied. "Felix Hardi, Hurin Buenos and Cassandra."
Talim nodded to each of them as Absalom indicated each of them in turn, her soft green eyes betraying nothing.
"Although I am impressed by her command of Mian Quan are you seriously considering sending a…little girl with us? There could be blood along the road and no matter how well she can practice in a room like this how will she cope down the road we must tread? Send someone who has finished their temple training, someone older and more experienced." Hurin gruffly made out looking Talim up and down with sudden distain.
Cassandra snorted under her breath.
Absalom and Talim looked unfazed. "Talim…" The temple master began calmly but with a note of steel in his voice. "is the best warrior we've had at this temple since I have been here, she is stronger, quicker and more deadlier then anyone I have ever seen, she has defeated dozens of blood demons throughout her training and her wind elemental mastery is second to none, it'll only be a few years I think before she can begin mastering a sacred arte."
Before Felix could ask for clarification Absalom had turned away and strode over to the side of the room where a number of weapons lay, picking up a thin wicked looking sabre and with a quick flick of the wrist threw it to Hurin who snared it out of the air expertly and eyed the master carefully.
"Don't take my word for it." Absalom said calmly pointing to Talim. "If you can score a single hit on her you can pick any other person from my temple to escort you."
"Are you sure about this?" Hurin asked turning his gaze to Talim who still stood only a few spans from him, her tonfas still at her side, seemingly unchanged but Felix got the mental image of a loaded spring…"I don't want to take her head off." Hurin finished.
"Come on…" Cassandra whispered tugging at Felix's arm. "Lets back away a little."
Felix nodded and the two of them began to move back, clearing a space for Hurin.
"The sword may look sharp but it is designed to break on contact of flesh leaving little more then a cut, if you can score a single hit on Talim the offer stands, however if she is able to disarm you…you will have to accept her on this trip, deal?" Absalom asked mainintaing his distance from the two of them much like Felix and Cassandra had done.
"Deal" Hurin decided swinging the sword round once more in his arm, testing its weight…then with a sudden cry he leapt forwards left foot first, straight at the little girl, sword forwards, raised like a spear!
"He's fast!!" Cassandra gasped.
Hurin's sword blurred towards Talim but seconds before it seemed sure to strike her exposed stomach she leapt to the side, twirling out of the way as Hurin's blade passed smoothly past her.
"Grrr!" Hurin grunted as he changed direction swinging the sword round in an arc after her but Talim ducked below the blade and then her right leg shot up vertical making clear connection with Hurin's chin.
Hurin shouted aloud in rage and anger as he flew backwards crashing to the wooden training ground in a heap. Felix watched in awe and with a sudden bit of shock at how quickly both combatants had moved.
"That's no ordinary way he holds his weapon." Absalom's voice sounded next to Felix as Felix suddenly became aware of the others presence next to him. "See how he holds it."
Felix looked carefully at Hurin, he looked ruffled and blood trickled down his chin but otherwise he looked okay, he positioned himself again, left foot forwards and his left hand held out in front of him with the blade running parallel to it held in his right, again like a warding spear as Hurin crouched down, low to the ground.
"Master Absalom I've read about various combat techniques but never have I seen something like that before." Felix whispered as Hurin watched Talim wearily who was standing where she had kicked him, her bladed tonfas still safe in their sheaths.
"It's called the Gatotsu." Absalom said softly. "In battles of life and death it is rare to meet the same enemy twice, therefore if one has a single attack, so fast and deadly it takes them out in one hit there are no need for lesser techniques. It's a method designed to finish battles quickly and ruthlessly, it's quite an exotic Norkean art, quite rare to see such mastery in a mountain guide…"
"Hm? What are you trying to say?" Cassandra asked when suddenly a sound draw all their attention.
Hurin charged again, sword and hand forwards, his feet didn't even seem to touch the ground, instead he glided lightning fast, closing the distance between him and Talim in less then a half-second bringing the blade up directly for her face.
Felix had the split second of seeing Talim seem to blur lightning fast under Hurin's blade, it skimmed over her and then she brought up both fists, hard, into Hurin's unprotected stomach.
Hurin crumpled to the ground, Talim stepped smoothly away as Hurin's sabre fell from his hands as he coughed and clutched his stomach, groaning in pain.
"The match is over." Absalom shouted out. "Talim see to him please."
"Yes master." Talim called out rushing to bend down next to Hurin's crumpled form and Felix saw her put her hands out over him and pulses of light emit from her hands, a few moments passed and then she stood up and backed away again.
"While healing is not an technique that elementalists of the wind specialise in Talim is still able to heal minor wounds and the like, she will be an invaluable asset to the mission laid before you, now Hurin will you accept her."
Hurin coughed loudly but Felix watched as the man slowly heaved himself up, panting heavily. "I…agree, Talim I apologise for my earlier words and take them back completely…you will be welcomed in this quest."
"I thank you." Talim bowed again. "I will do my best to help us all to Cartilge."
Hurin nodded and slowly stood up taking it a sharp, short breath of pain in and then hobbling towards Felix and Cassandra again. "Just don't come to me in tears if you get hurt."
Felix saw Cassandra look over to Talim and shrug offering her a sheepish grin to which Felix saw Talim smile back to, a smile of warmth and courage.
"Come now." Absalom called. "The night goes on and we have wasted enough time, I will prepare you for instant travelling to the port south of Tundara."
Talim - My favourate character from Soul Calibur II (PS2) she's fast, deadly and cute! Currently out of the main characters she is stronger then all of them put together.
Gatotsu - A fictional sword move used by Saito Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin (Manga) to deadly effect, Hurin does'nt have quite the same mastery as Saito does mind you...