by J. W. Lolite
I didn’t bother responding and set my jaw. Instead, I concentrated on the field, channeling my anger into determination. I had planned to do my best and hope it was enough, but now that was loser talk. I wasn’t going to be beaten by someone like her. I was going to leave her in the dust!
Meissa walked over and surveyed us before announcing, “On my mark.” She raised her arm, and I braced my legs. “Go!”
I shot forward in a flash and out of the corner of my eye saw Kaira and Markus do the same. My feet pounded into the ground, moving with as much speed as I could make them. My competitors started to pull ahead, Kaira in the lead. Their long strides gave them the advantage; my shorter legs required me to take twice as many steps to catch up. I stared after Markus, the impossibility of the situation starting to set in. They had to save me from being attacked, and now they were going to outrun me. You’re no warrior descendant, you’re just a –
“. . . and it’s all your fault.”
My aunt’s words rang in my ears. Is that all I was to everyone? Just some mistake that everyone hated and blamed? I glanced at Kaira’s back. No! They were all wrong; I was more than that. I thought about what Principal Ursa said about believing in me and about Lesia. Ty. My heart pounded as a new surge of resolve lit through me. I was more than this.
My legs doubled their effort, and soon I was equal with Markus. Kaira made it to the end of the field, and in a motion more graceful than anyone should be allowed to possess, turned and started making her way back to the start. She was coming past me. It was only for a fleeting moment, but as her hazel eyes met mine, time stood still. Victory and superiority shone back at me, and it was all the motivation I needed.
Nearing the end, I surged forward. My body knew exactly what to do as I threw myself sideways. Using my arm as a support, I whipped my body around and shot off, my feet kicking up a large cloud of dirt. My whole body was in overdrive, and Kaira’s back was getting closer. The finish neared. She was barely in front of me. We were neck and neck. I was crossing the edge of the field. There was a tree right in front of me.
Crying out, I heaved myself to the side, rolling out of the way. I spun around a few times before settling on my back. I lay there, panting and coughing. That was one hell of a wipeout. My legs burned from the intense ordeal I just put them through, and I was content not to move.
“Well, it appears we have a winner,” I heard Meissa’s voice carry over, peppered with amusement.
“No,” Kaira panted out. “Impossible . . . she can’t . . .”
“But she is,” Meissa stated. “Markus, Kaira, we’re done for the day. You two can take the afternoon and rest.”
“Yes, Master Meissa.” It was the first time I’d heard Markus speak since arriving. I heard the sound of crunching dirt get quieter until it disappeared. A shadow passed over me, and I opened my eyes, squinting at the figure.
“Was the physical exertion too much for you? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
Ignoring the dig at my lack of fitness, I smiled. “I really did it. I won!”
“As if there would be any doubt,” she scoffed. “It is exactly as I predicted.”
“But how did you know I would win? It was pretty close at the end.”
“Didn’t I already tell you, silly girl. I’m never wrong.”
Sitting up, I rolled my eyes. I tried to look exasperated, but not even Meissa’s arrogant sense of self important could dampen the feeling of exhilaration that ran through me. I really did it. Against overwhelming odds, I beat two fitness gods in a footrace, but more importantly, I overcame some of the negativity that had been building in me. Maybe I really was worth something after all. The feeling was so intense that even though I knew I probably looked like a huge dumbass, I couldn’t seem to wipe the huge grin off my face.
“So, where to next, Granny?” I asked, rising to my feet. I looked at Meissa, and taking in the expression on her face, braced myself for a slap. A totally incensed looked marred her features, and against my better judgment, my smile grew even wider. It crossed my mind that I should probably be fearing for my life, but I was still too pleased with myself to care. That was all. It absolutely didn’t have anything at all to do with the small sense of satisfaction at seeing her get ruffled for a change. I tried to tell myself I hadn’t been waiting for this moment since I first met this woman, but who was I kidding? I stayed quiet, waiting in anticipation to see if she would stomp a crater into the hill. Only then would my vision be complete.
“Watch your mouth!” she snapped. “I haven’t taught you to fight yet! Now, come!” she barked, whirling around on her heal. “I have much to show you. And wipe that stupid grin off your face!”
That would take some serious effort at this point. I made sure to stay behind her as she sped her way down the stone paths. My cheeks ached almost as much as my legs, and I had to half-jog after her. We came to our destination, and I forced a serious look on my face when she turned to look at me. I shifted my eyes around and realized we were at the large main building of the campus. I was about to ask why we were here when she turned back and opened the door. Following her inside, I wondered what would await me.
The first room was huge and very empty. The dark wooden floor had been polished to a beautiful finish, but I could still make out some scuff marks and scrapes here and there. A few work out mats lay piled up in one of the corners. I looked up, and with some surprise, noted that the room was lit with electric lights.
“This is our main training room,” Meissa explained, walking along the edge of the room to a door on the side. “It is also where we practice sparring, but you shouldn’t concern yourself with that. It will be some time before you are ready to participate, though I’m sure you will have no shortage of opponents when the time comes.” I didn’t need to see her face to know she was smirking. I’d be sure to put her on the list.
We entered the door and walked down a short hallway. The hall was dim and ended in a small room. There must have been at least a hundred candles in the room. I noticed that unlike the training room, this one had no signs of electric workings at all. In the center of the room, a wooden platform stood. It was about the four feet tall, and when I moved closer, I realized it had the same Orion figures carved into it as the table in Meissa’s room. On top of the platform was a round stand covered in a fine, green silk cloth. There was nothing on the stand, and I wondered why such an elaborate display would be prepared for nothing. It actually looked quite lonely.
“This is where the Orion Stone was housed,” Meissa said. “Though as you can see, that is no longer the case.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise and looked at the empty stand again. So this is where the all important keystone was stored away. And stolen from. Gutsy cat burglar, I thought, glancing around the room. I realized there were no windows to speak of. I looked at the roof and noted it appeared quite solid; the same could be said for the floor. In fact, it looked like the only entrance was from the hall we just passed through.
“Wait a minute. You’re telling me someone just waltzed in here from the door and took the stone.”
Meissa gave me an approving nod. “A good observation,” she said, pleased with my analysis, “and one that is most troubling.”
“And no one noticed?” came the incredulous question. Just what kind of operation was going on here?
“It is not unusual for tourists and visitors to come to the temple during the day,” Meissa explained. “We try to keep an eye on them, but sometimes we become occupied. The buildings are off limits to the public, so we didn’t think there was much to be concerned about.” Yeah, so much for that.
“So, some Ankida in a floral shirt came and took the stone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Meissa scoffed. “Had an Ankida entered the grounds, we would have noticed immediately and dealt with them. In any case, no Ankida would be foolish enough to attack during the day.”
I furrowed my brows in thought, thinking about where all this wa
s heading. I knew what she was implying, but since hearing about the history of the Ankida, I didn’t think it would have been possible.
“It was a human,” I voiced my thoughts, “and they gave it to the Ankida.”
Meissa gave me a grim smile. “That is certainly what appears to have happened.”
I didn’t respond, staying lost in my thoughts. Why would any human in their right mind give the stone to the Ankida? It was like building a doomsday machine and handing over the keys to your enemy.
“That’s all for today, Ingrid,” Meissa said, breaking me from my musings. “I will come up with a training program based on what I have seen, and we can cover that tomorrow. Don’t make any plans because I have a feeling it will be quite extensive.”
I tossed her a glare and muttered a goodbye before seeing myself out. As I walked, I kept thinking about the stolen Orion Keystone. Since I had decided to go along with this whole warrior deal, I figured I would have to battle against the Ankida, but did this mean I would be fighting humans as well? Meissa said that the bloodlines erased any traces of the Ankida from history, so who would have the knowledge of the keystones. Perhaps there were more people involved in this than I originally anticipated. I let out an exasperated sigh. Why was I always the last person to get in on everything?
Chapter 15
Noon
“Let me get this straight; my training consists of running laps and lifting weights?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“Hell, if that’s it, I could have just joined a gym,” I grumbled. At least, then I wouldn’t have to haul ass across town.
“What did you expect?” Meissa shot at me. “Becoming a competent fighter doesn’t happen overnight. You need to start with the basics, and in your case, that involves building up endurance and strength.”
“I beat your competent students in a race yesterday,” I argued, feeling I was being underestimated.
“You also couldn’t climb that hill without wheezing like a strangled duck,” she pointed out. “Perhaps I should add that to the regiment.”
I shot her a stabbing look before asking, “How long do I do this for?”
“You will come to the temple every afternoon after school and also for a couple of hours on the weekends. The more you work, the faster you will get to the combat training.”
I had a feeling that’s what the case was going to be. It was also something I dreaded. It meant that as long as I continued learning from Meissa, the less time I would have with my friends. A sudden longing filled me, but I did my best to push it away. I would miss hanging out with Lesia and Ty, but for the first time, I’d found something I could commit and really belong to. Although I couldn’t explain why, it felt right to be here and learn how to be a warrior; it felt like this was what I was meant to do.
“Of course,” Meissa continued when I didn’t say anything, “you could go to a gym. Though I seriously doubt they would be willing to provide dinner.”
“What was that?” I snapped to attention. “You’re going to feed me?”
Meissa gave me a doubtful look. “I expect the best from all of my apprentices, and I simply refuse to have you interrupting the peace with your stomach groans.”
“Okay, I’ll do it.”
“It seems I should have brought that up first. Now I know how to get you moving,” Meissa teased. “You can start tomorrow afternoon. It’s actually beneficial that you aren’t ready for training yet. It will give me time to contact your partner.”
“My partner?”
“Yes, you can think of it like a personal trainer and mentor. Your partner will help you adapt your regiment to suite your needs, and when the time comes, begin hand-to-hand combat.”
“But I thought that you . . .”
“That I would be training you personally? I hate to disappoint you, but I have other matters to attend to, and I can’t afford to train each student from scratch – as if they could keep up with me to begin with.” I rolled my eyes. “Using more advanced apprentices to train new ones has worked out quite well. It turns green fighters into experienced ones and experienced ones into masters. You’ll have to make do without me.”
“I’m sure I’ll manage to survive,” I said dryly. “But why use someone who’s away. Couldn’t Markus just teach me?” It didn’t make sense to me to call in someone who was away doing . . . something just to start teaching a newbie. Especially when two perfectly good fighters were already available. Well, one in my case. My gut told me Kaira wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to spend more time with me, much less be my mentor.
“I think you’ll find the person I have chosen is a better match,” she replied, a sly glint in her eyes, “and I already have other plans for Markus.”
“Oh, yeah?” I questioned, standing up and eyeing the door. This didn’t take as long as I thought it would. I would have the rest of the day to figure out how I was going to tell my friends I couldn’t hang out with them anymore.
“We’re done,” Meissa said, indicating towards the door. I took the hint and used the opportunity to start leaving. “Ingrid,” I heard behind me, “bring your friends.”
I turned to ask what she was talking about, but all I caught was a glimpse of her back as she walked into the bedroom. Shrugging, I stepped out the door and started down the path. What did she want with Ty and Lesia?
“Hey, Sidewalk!”
I stopped and glanced around, wondering who was being called. It was a strange greeting; that was sure. Upon seeing Markus running up to me, my eye twitched. Sidewalk?
He stopped in front of me and held out his hand. “After getting whooped yesterday, it occurred to me that we haven’t really been introduced. I’m Markus Starke.”
“Ingrid Fairheit,” I replied, taking his hand. His grip was strong, and I did my best not to flinch. It was a good thing we didn’t have an arm wrestling competition. “Beginner’s luck I guess.”
“Trust me, that was pure talent,” he argued. “I’m not just saying that because I got last. Although, Kaira doesn’t seem too convinced.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I won’t be making her buddy list any time soon.”
Markus chuckled and patted me on the back. “I wouldn’t take it too personally. She’s just sore she lost to an . . . well, ah, you,” he finished, giving me an apologetic look.
“Don’t worry about it.” I waved him off. “I kind of figured it out.”
“I’ll work on her,” he promised. “But I’ve got to warn you, Kaira Murua is one of the most stubborn women I’ve ever met.”
“Seems to be quite common around here,” I muttered.
He chuckled and crossed his arms. “Speaking of which, did Master Meissa ask you to help her find the Orion Stone? Will we be seeing more of you?”
I pursed my lips. So Meissa hadn’t told them I would be training here. It wasn’t like she needed permission from her students anyway, but it would have been nice to inform them of the change. She probably didn’t feel like listening to any lip. I guess she figured Rigel’s bitching was enough. And all that meant it was up to me to deliver the good news. Thanks, hag. On the bright side, at least now it could be announced with all the glory and importance it deserved. I straightened my back and lifted my chin.
“Actually, I’ll be learning to fight. I’m the Tiberon warrior or something.” That didn’t come out nearly as cool or impressive as I had planned. My shoulders slumped as I deflated from my moment of pride. I’ll have to practice that for next time. Bringing my attention back to my companion, I noticed with interested the way his eyes lit up with surprise before clouding.
“The Therion descendant. Are you serious?”
“That is exactly what I thought,” I pointed out, “but she seems pretty convinced. I guess that race yesterday was my test.”
His eyes lost focus for a moment, no doubt deep in thought. Markus shifted on his feet before forcing a small smile on his face. “I’ll be seeing you.”
“
Wait,” I stopped him. “Are you a warrior descendant, too?”
“No, I’m just a Lockman,” he replied, bitterness mixing in his voice.
“A Lockman?” I asked. Meissa hadn’t said anything about those before.
“Yeah, sometimes branches from the main family or from families honored enough to know about the stones offer themselves or their members to help protect the stones and the warrior line,” he ground out. It didn’t seem like it was such an honor to him. “We aren’t the gifted ones, but we do our part.”
“I’m sure the Orion Stone wouldn’t have remained here as long as it did without you,” I said.
“Maybe,” his voice was monotone, hard to read. “I’ll see you around, Sidewalk.”
“Bye,” I called, my eye twitching again. I watched as he stalked off towards the large building at the end of the main walkway. A Lockman, huh?
I headed down the stairs. So, that would explain why Markus and Kaira were here: Lockmen to help protect the Orion Keystone. Markus may not think so, but it sounded like a pretty important job to me. Especially considering the born protector was nearing retirement age. I chuckled at Meissa’s expense while remembering back to what we talked about. What was I supposed to do again?
I waited for my friends to digest what I told them as I glanced forlornly around the lunchroom. Pizza day.
“And you’ll be going every afternoon for some kind of martial arts training?” Ty asked with raised eyebrows. I nodded at him and waited to see if he had anything else to say. I feared everything would be weird between us, but he just showed up this morning at the intersection and acted like nothing had happened at all. I was quite relieved, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “Because she thinks you’re some kind of great warrior’s long lost grandbaby?”
“More or less.” I shrugged. “I’m still not totally convinced about all that, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to learn some self-defense.”