Chapter 6: Madmartigan

Airk was rudely awakened before the break of dawn the next morning by the clang of a sword near his bed. He blearily looked up to find Raina in full dress with her sword ready.

"It's nearly dawn. I'm ready. Why aren't you?" Raina said.

"Because I like sleep. Why don't you?," Airk groaned.

"Yet here I stand with a broken arm," Raina said. "Come on, soldier."

Before Airk could blink, Raina tossed a melon at him. "Breakfast!"

"Good morning, by the way," Airk grumbled.

What have I started? Airk thought to himself as Raina left him to get dressed.

Raina was already making work of one of the practice dummies before Airk got outside. Just like he had taught her, Raina was standing wider, and her movements were more fluid.

"You remembered," Airk said.

"I'm a fast learner," Raina said.

"I can see that," Airk said. "Still fighting Kael, are you?"

"No, I'm having a crisis of conscience," Raina said. "Who else would I fight?"

"Me," Airk replied. "Put your mind off your enemy and focus on your skills."

"I have to channel my rage. It's how I survive," Raina said.

"No, that's how you almost got killed. I'm going to teach you how to survive next time. Fight me," Airk said.

"Fine, but I won't go easy on you," Raina said firmly.

"Nor will I," Airk said.

With swords and shields ready, Airk and Raina prepared to duel. In a fury, Raina ran forward, only to be kicked down with Airk pointing his sword at her.

"Your anger has just gotten you killed," Airk said.

Raina sprang to her feet and lunged at him. Airk simply hooked away her sword with his shield and smacked her with it, sending her to the ground again with his sword at her throat.

"This is because I woke you, isn't it?" Raina snarled.

"You've just died twice now," Airk said. "This is the difference between fighting me and fighting him. He's brutal, and he won't be fair. If you had stuck around before, you'd have known that."

Airk let her up and the two continued. Raina parried at Airk, who simply parried back and hooked away her sword, smacking her in the face and tripping her. Raina was turning scarlet red.

"I'm sorry, am I making the little girl angry?" Airk teased.

Raina screamed and charged at him, only to be smacked and tripped again.

"Don't fight with your heart, fight with your head," Airk said.

Raina threw down her sword. "You're not helping!"

"I'm not, am I?" Airk argued.

"No, you're just being a jerk!" Raina screamed.

"Well, you were the one who said you wanted to better yourself. You can't better yourself until you know what you're facing," Airk said. "Now, do you want to learn, or do you want to cry like a little girl?"

"I'll show you who's a little girl," Raina said determinedly.

"That's what I thought," Airk said. "Sword ready. I'm not gonna make it easier."

"Well, it's a good thing I'm a fast learner," Raina said.

"We'll see," Airk said.

He lunged at Raina who easily blocked it, smacking him in the face with her shield. She kicked him, and tossed away his shield, pointing his sword at him triumphantly.

"You're dead," Raina said happily.

"Good," Airk said, impressed. "You're finally using your head. Let's go again."

Raina and Airk continued well into the evening. By that time, Raina was parrying and trusting at Airk, keeping up with his every move. She bashed his shield with her sword, hooking it away. She wrestled him, knocking him off balance. Before Airk could regain his balance, Raina was holding a knife to him.

"I've killed you again," Raina said.

"I've never been prouder to die at the hands of a girl," Airk said.

"I hope so because my hands would be the only ones that kill you," Raina said.

"Oh quit flirting, you two," said a voice.

"Shut up, Ronan," Raina said.

"Raina, that wasn't Ronan," Airk told her.

Raina turned to find a boy with raven black hair and jade green eyes laughing hysterically at her and Airk.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Raina asked.

"Madmartigan, what did you do this time?" Airk asked.

"Nothing," Madmartigan said. "Who's your girlfriend?"

"None of your business," Raina replied.

"Oh, nice to meet you too," Madmartigan replied.

"Pleasure," Raina replied curtly.

"Madmartigan, shouldn't you be training or did you decide to be an idiot?"

Before Madmartigan could open his mouth, Airk spoke again, "Wait, don't answer that. Madmartigan, you could be a knight in the army of Galladoorn. Why do you fool around here?"

"I'm not meant for a life of servitude," Madmartigan said. "Everything they're teaching, I know. Roniro already taught me everything I needed."

"Just because you had a good teacher doesn't mean you couldn't still learn a few things," Airk said.

"Like what? I know how to fight. I don't know why I'm not a knight already," Madmartigan said.

"Can you learn not to be such an ungrateful moron?" Raina said.

"What?" Madmartigan asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Raina shrugged. "I was just wondering if you were to become a knight, I don't think they had armor big enough for your ego."

Madmartigan was incensed. "That's bold talk from a girl with only one arm to spare."

"I have more in one arm than you do, well, anywhere," Raina snapped.

"Is that a challenge, girly?" Madmartigan said.

"Why not?" Raina asked.

Before any blows could be dealt, Airk was quick to step in. "That's enough! Both of you."

"She started it!" Madmartigan argued.

"Madmartigan, shut up," Airk said. "You are going to start training, and Raina too."

"What?" Madmartigan and Raina said simultaneously.

"I'm ending this," Airk said. "You are going to work together and you're going to trust each other."

"I wish I didn't know you," Madmartigan said.

"Don't be a baby," Airk said. "You'd better be ready in the morning. Raina, come on."

"Some friend you are!" Madmartigan called.

Airk led Raina away back to the chambers. Raina was tossing her weapons across the room in fury.

"You're friends with that ungrateful pile of dirt?" Raina asked.

"He's not that bad, he's just an idiot sometimes," Airk said.

"Sometimes? That's putting it mildly," Raina laughed. "You didn't hear the troll dung coming out of his mouth. "I trained with a fancy master." "I know more than anyone." Blah, blah, blah."

"You're not giving him a chance," Airk said. "He can be a good friend."

"I don't wanna be his friend!" Raina said.

"I'm not saying you have to like him," Airk replied. "but you have to give him a chance and trust him. If you want to fight with us, you have to trust everyone."

"Even Madmartigan?" Raina asked.

"Yes, even Madmartigan," Airk sighed.

"Fine," Raina said reluctantly.

A/N: Uh-oh! Raina and Madmartigan are off to a rocky start. How am I doing? I appreciate your feedback. Thank you so much!