The Makings of an Exterminator

aka What did I get myself Into?!

Story: Before the Twists of Fate

By: Sky

Well, he wasn't what she would have exactly called an 'ideal student'. He excelled at being a slacker, didn't like to change out of his 'cool kid' clothes to get into the practice gee. He was rude. He was crude. And now, he was her responsibility. Sango looked up from her writing pad to see Yasha working on one of the basic forms that she had set him too. And he wasn't doing too badly at it anymore. Well, she hopped he would have learned it better by now, since he had been stuck just doing this one for several days straight now.

Years of fighting on the streets had actually strengthened him. Yasha was by no means a weakling. Any person he would have met on the streets, besides her and those of her training, would have easily been pummeled by the strong youth. However, now she had to hone his strength, so that was a more reliable tool for him, and a stronger one. And he was shaping up pretty well for being such an ass. Though, after the first few times on complaint, and finding himself belly-up on the ground because he had been thrown, he had learned to keep them to himself.

Sango watched his movements with a critical eye. As he progressed between the three forms she had shown him; apparently bored at just doing one of them. The transition from one to the other wasn't solid, or really fluid, but they weren't as stiff as they used to be. Nor did he have to pause for more then a brief moment to know which movement came first for the next set. He was learning, and that on its own was a remarkable feat, though Sango would never say anything about it. Yasha would get uppity at her praise, and think she was getting the upper hand, and be unmanageable for the rest of the day, and part of the next. So, she kept it to herself now, though nodding occasionally in approval when she noticed an increase in his progress.

She was taking notes about him, and how she taught him. It had been a very long time since and outsider had been allowed to learn the training of the Exterminators. Normally, the elders took on the fresh blood, since there was much to teach them, and it had not become part of their lifestyle. Yasha was actually her first pupil; finishing her own training barley a year and a half ago. Normally, in the order of how they worked, Sango would have been sent a pupil almost done with their own training, and already set with the basics, to finish their training. If that had gone well, she would get a younger trainee that wasn't so well trained, and start with them. Aftrer that one was finished successfully, they would give her a very young trainee, who would need to learn the basics as well. Though, they would have an understanding already of what to expect, because they would have grown up in the Exterminator lifestyle, and with the beliefs.

She however, had a trainee who was not raised in their beliefs, did not have the same view on things, and had had a hard start to his life. He was unpredictable at best; sometimes sliding back into his street language and rules, in which Sango would have to take precious time to knock them right back out of him. Sometimes, Yasha was an absolutely willing student; hungry for information and for knowing what she taught. Other times, he wouldn't have given a thought if she had thrown him out a window, because he was too preoccupied with gloating over how strong he was already. Many times, Sango wanted to strangle him. Many more times, she wanted to wash her hands and be rid of him. But something about him made her always think twice, and keep working with him. And many of those times, she was rewarded with his learning. She took notes about the training so that if something went wrong, the elders could see what she was doing, and correct her so that she did not make the same mistake with anyone else.

Though there were no demons rampaging around like in the older days to fight with and train with, it was with general agreement amongst the Exterminator populace that there where still some demons out there. The longer-living ones could not have died off so easily, and the shorter living ones that had a more human appearance, were probably hiding their features and living amongst the humans. Though, an Exterminator could still find them. And when they had, if the demon was a trouble-maker in the community, it would be quietly eradicated.

Her attention turned back to her pupil, who was doing the forms over again, and she decided it was time to give him a new one to contemplate, since he had been doing so well with those. She picked up the staff beside her, and headed into the large blue mat-strewn arena that Yasha stood in the middle of. He, on his own part, finished his forms before he stopped at faced her. She had ridden him hard at one point when he had stopped when she had approached, and had learned not to do that again.

The arena was the width of the training building at the temple. Many generations of Exterminators had been trained in this very room, and for the earliest ones, their weapons of their profession were still hung along the outside pillars, in a proud display of heritage and remembrance. Lights had been built into the roof of the building at one point, so now the arena was illuminated, so that training didn't have to just take place during the day. A small fortune in mirrors were along the side wall, so that students could practice their maneuvers and be able to see what they were doing wrong, and what they were supposed to look like. Even with great care, over the years, some of the mirrors had been broken with flying objects, so they did not look quite all the same anymore.

Without a word, Sango turned and faced the mirrors. She watched as Yasha beside her followed suit. Holding the short staff out directly before her, she waited again as he followed suit. Then she settled the staff into the first stance. It took them a half an hour before Yasha could choppily make it through the new form. But he still knew basically what to do. Wordlessly, the two worked side by side, and whenever it seemed he was struggling to remember something, Sango would wordlessly repeat it, and have him follow suit. After an hour of making sure he knew which movements to use, Sango went and sat back down; watching. Though sometimes he slowed in trying to remember, Yasha never stopped again, or missed a move. Sango pointed out again that it was choppy at best, and less then fluid, but that would come later with time. She jotted down some more notes on her pad, then turned to watch her trainee again.

He had the makings of an Exterminator no doubt. He learned at an alarming rate, he was increasing his stamina quickly, and his strength was increasing at a steady pace. She wondered if maybe there was a branching off of the bloodline somewhere, where a child or two had unknowingly slipped off from the Exterminators extensive and descript lineage, and was the fore-sire of this boy. If there was no diverting of the lineage, he was most certainly a prime specimen outside of the line, and one that they needed. Not many could keep up with an Exterminator, that's why they were on their own; a breed apart.

Once again, after a few steps, Yasha slipped back into the series; doing the first form, moving to the second, then the third, then pausing for a moment before he started the fourth. She had to smile at him. He liked variety, and hated being stuck with one form for longer then he thought he had needed two. And it seemed, after the first two, that he was picking up the others pretty steadily.

Had this written for a while and wasn't sure if I was going to put it in the story. So It will sit here for now.

*For those of you who do not know, Forms are something you do in martial arts. They are most of the time not fast at all, though they can pick up speed as they are learned better. Though, you start out slow. You ease from one position to another, and try to make it as precise as you can. They help with your focus. Though, they can also be used later, and faster, as a defense. It's a way to make yourself more accurate, and there are a combination of moves in them, instead of just one. (Well, that's what I know forms to be at least)