Chp 43

There are water spouts everywhere as we make our way down the hallways and more water to the glass fountain escalators.
These are training grounds, not a tourist attraction, clearly Stone and Beauty didn't get that. But it doesn't matter what yer magic is, these are built to stay.
Up and up we go. We reach our room. I half expect to see more whirlpools and bubbles but (gasp) we walk into a normal looking room. Normal for training.
Elder Mdu wastes no time. He gets us to line up. I'm first in my line, four others stand behind me, there are also six others leading their groups of four.
"Good morning class," Elder Mdu says. When he's done there's spittle in his mouth.
"Good Morning Elder Mdu." It's a chorus. Our voices blending together.
"I hope ya came prepared." He holds his hands at the small of his back and walks with his usual brisk pace between us, leaving spittle everywhere. "For two weeks ya'll take Wing chun classes with me until ya rotate to another trainer who'll train ya in something else. Wing Chun is a concept-based martial art and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close range combat."
We nod.
"So why are we standing in lines then sir?" Water asks. Worry lines frame his mouth and tag at his milky eyes.
Elder Mdu stops and allows seconds of silence. He's wearing my steels and his infamous braided knee-length goatee. Word has it, he almost died the night Leza was murdered. They say the ugly scar visible on his collarbone runs down his mind back, across his torso, through the side of his left knee, all the way down to his ankle. They claim D'ziko is to blame.
If Elder Mdu knew who and what I am to D'ziko, he'd kill me.
He looks at me and his nostrils flare. It's as though he can smell my betrayal. Smell my pretenses. Smell my deceit. Smell D'ziko on me.
"We'll get into position in a minute. Patience yang fellow." He turns away from me and bows. I can't bow back. My muscles have turned into concrete. "It is often referred to as taking the blindside or fighting on the outside gate."
"Why?" the gangly kid to my right asks.
"Due to poor positioning that always allows ya to strike with both arms, while yer opponent can only strike with one of their own."
"Slick."
"So are ya ready?" Elder Mdu asks.
I will never be ready for this but I find myself joining in on the chorus of "yeahs"
What comes next is two hours of excessive muscle straining. We punch the air, kick it. Our hips bend in impossible ways. My knees protest every time I try to put my weight on them.
By the time the afternoon rolls around I can't move. My muscles hurt so bad. I still have to attend my next class, Weapons. Elder Zahara will teach us how our swords work and also how to better control them in combat.
During the hour and a half of this class, I manage to cut up my left cheek, almost lose my finger and beat the lanky boy from down the street on a one-on-one. But if there was any doubt that I can't fight then they've now all confirmed it. Behind Lanky Boy, I'm the worst. They're probably wondering how I won and I don't blame them. I just hope none of them is smart enough to figure out I might've gotten help.
After class, I take a quick trip to my room. I take a quick shower and a nap. D'ziko's reading a novel aloud when I wake up. He's voice is a melody.
"I like yer hair this way," he says.
There's a familiar clenching in my stomach at the sight of him.
"Right." Of course he likes it when I'm sure it resembles a bird's nest. "Where did ya learn to read this good?"
"Whele taught me."
"He knows how to read?" I crane my neck to the side and stretch. Ahhh. That feels so good. I do it again and strain a muscle. Ouch. "Who taught him?"
He shrugs. "Search me, maybe he taught himself because not a lot of people that haven't gone to school can read here, unless yer sword allows ya to know things our nation doesn't."
I yawn and the last of sleep ebbs away.
And then it hits me. The excitement pours out of me and so do my words. "Ya're right. There's a reason we have Tech and Knowledge." I sit up straighter. "Ya're so smart D'ziko. That's a great idea."
He frowns, also snapping to attention. "What idea?"
I spring from the bed, take my sword and bolt. "We'll talk later," I call out as I enter the hallway.
The guards return my smile as I pass them. It must be contagious. I make it to the dinning table a second before the doors close. This evening I sit next to Mama and Papa. I've missed her. And we need to talk.
"Mama," I say as a greeting, and look on the other side of her. "Hi," I say to my father.
He takes Mama's hand and although she tries not to, she flinches. She even shifts her chair, angling it away from him. Does she even love him? Does she even want him back? If she doesn't, why did she take him back?
"Hey baby. I missed ya." And she actually sounds like she means it.
"Ya've been scarce," I say.
"She's been busy," Papa says and he has the nerve to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively. It's bad enough knowing yer parents do the dirty, it's another thing when ya have the same image but of parents ya've never seen together. I was never mentally prepared for this.
Ew. "Right."
"Sorry,"he says.
I dish up for myself and Kaseke asks me to pass him some salt. He smiles at me and points at my left cheek and then at Mama.
"I can fix that for ya," Mama offers, seasoning papa's eggs. She obviously saw Kaseke's gesture. She means with herbs. I'd take her up on the offer but her herbs smell horrible once blended together.
I pour three tablespoons of sugar into my cup and stir. "No Mama, that's quite alright." I scoop some coffee to see if I've put enough. It doesn't taste quite right. I add another spoon. "I wear this mark with pride."
"Pride?" Her eyes widen. "A cut that deep will leave a scar"
"I don't mind."
"Silly girl," she says while she flicks off my nose, something she did all the time when I was younger. "Now eat."
She smiles ear to ear. I smile back. She's just so easy to please. It's just so easy for her to please me.
Though my father sits next to her, though he holds her hand, though he doesn't forgot to shower her with kisses every second, Mama is still as sad as she was before he came back.
"Are ya okay?" I ask her.
We all stare at her.
She smiles but it doesn't touch her eyes. "Yes Imy, why?"
I frown. "ya look like ya might cry."
"I'm just happy" A lie. "Tears of joy."
Hmm. How curious. She looks like she just buried someone she loves dearly.
"Okay then Mama, if ya don't wanna tell me."
Kaseke rearranges his facial features so that his face is asking: what is wrong? What's going on?
I shrug. I don't know big bro.
We finish at the same time and my brother and I and walk together to training. When the tall building comes into view he stops. I do too. He looks out into the mountains. I look at him. He squirms.
"I met a girl."
My eyebrows raise.
Kaseke meets and gets familiar with a lot of girls but he's never bothered to specially tell me about them until now. This is something different. This is special. She is special.
"Leza! That's amazing. Do I know her?"