Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43
Training with Master Florian again was tenser than the last time, I was pissed and he was aggravated by something I didn't care to know about.
That's the universe punishing him for going to tell the Principal about my injuries.
“You're awfully not focused today,” he grunted after landing a swift blow to my neck.
“You said you're teaching me how to take the pain. One doesn't need to be focused for that, do they?”
“Quit being a smartass Alira, we have a lot to cover. You were beaten to a pulp this morning. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
“Wait, you have feelings?”
Pow!
The punishing kick sent me flying into the air and gravity pulled me to the ground.
“For one so pissed about the possibility of someone else hurting me, you're not doing any better to keep me safe and healthy.”
“I'm not trying to kill you,” he drawled as he stalked towards me, “I'm trying to pull out that raw strength in you that you hide behind this fear and doubt clogging your vision.”
“First it was my Chi being blocked,” I groaned as he dragged me back to the center, “and now you're going on about me blocking my own strength. Listen to yourself sir, if I had any hidden strength, wouldn't it have come in handy when…”
“You're going to spill the truth one day so I advise you separate yourself emotionally from whoever is causing you this pain because when I find them, I'll break every single bone in their body and feed them to Zephyr.”
Damn, who turned up the heat out here?
“Don't worry, I'm not developing any feelings for you. You're not my type.”
“You're my student, well technically not yet but I don't do children who haven't even learned how to land a punch.”
His tactics today were different and I should have been more prepared mentally but Dragon Theory class today was quite engaging and I rushed down here afterwards.
My body had just been getting beaten up all evening and I had just stopped bothering with anger and shock.
Or any emotions at all, except when he opens his thin lips to utter words.
Anything he says affects me.
Am I too toxic to enjoy this?
I know he's not enjoying this, hurting me and he really believes beating me to a pulp will somehow make me stronger but I loved the way he always came after me, checking to see if I was healing.
Then he'd make small talk, wait until I was stitched back by the Chi he'd unleashed in me, and then, demand a rematch.
Which is just another fancy word for having my ass handed over to me.
“Okay, let's go over this again,” he grunted after I finally moved from the position he'd placed me in, no longer in crippling pain. “You need to learn your fighting stance again.”
“What's the point of it? You're simply going to beat me to bits again and again.”
“Well if you had just sat your ass down on the planet you belong in, we wouldn't be having this conversation, would we?”
“That's low,” I growled, “even for you.”
Flashes of my life swarmed behind my eyes, memories of pain for years, from a place I was struggling to get back to again.
“I'm sorry,” he whispered under his breath, “I shouldn't have said that. I can't imagine you had a lot of fun there.”
“I was a loose cannon for the first few years of my life and you can't imagine how much damage that led to. You think I chose that?”
“When you say loose canyon, do you mean literally or is it just this bratty attitude of yours?”
I didn't answer, admitting that I was a murderer even before I knew how to pronounce my own name accurately wasn't how I envisaged tonight to go and I'd gone too far already.
I swallowed and forced myself to get up, and I might have heard something crack but I couldn't figure out where, everything hurt.
“I should take you to a healer.”
“Why? When did you start caring if I die in my sleep?”
“I enjoy beating you to crap every night and I won't want that to end.”
“Well, look at you finally being honest,” I rolled my eyes.
“If you want it to stop, simply stop doubting yourself. Stop holding back. Stop believing you're the weakest link in the circle.”
“But I am. It's not a belief system I created. I'm a fawn in an army of wolves, what am I supposed to believe?”
“That destiny wouldn't bring you back home if it didn't think you're ready. You already know how to take pain, although I don't mind dishing it out for a few more weeks or even months. But you must learn to fight back soon. When the Trials begin, you'll be forced to face your fears and there are bigger ones than what will happen to your soft hands if you thrust them in someone's way.”
“My hands are not soft,” I grumbled as I removed my hair band from my hair.
I heard a sharp breath intake from him and I turned to see him looking at me weirdly.
“If I didn't know better, I'd say you like me,” I teased, “but the bruises on my body say otherwise.”
“You can stop it if you want,” he shrugged, ignoring the other part of the sentence.
“I've heard you Master Florian,” I breathed, “I'll try to find the courage to run headfirst into danger and not be scared of death. You sound so ambiguous, no offence.”
“None taken. It's your body that's gonna suffer until you learn to believe everything I say. Now get into your stance. Remember to lean into your strength.”
I did as we'd practiced over and over again, widening my legs and squaring my shoulders.
“Your hand should be squared on your face, not your stomach Princess,” he snapped, tired of saying the same thing over and over again.
Whenever I find my way back to Earth, I'll never complain about a spreadsheet again, or a silly roadside driver, or anything at all.
Everything on earth was child's play compared to the madness down here.
I can't even believe that I'm okay with this whole beating you to a pulp thing but he'd released my inner powers and for the situation with Baldwin, it was a very good thing.
Since then, my body simply accepted everything he did, including beating me furiously in the name of sparring.
“You know what?” master Florian growled, “This is frustrating and I have a headache which is strange now that I say it out loud but please, just fucking go home. I'll tell Kava to shove these things into your head. If she's so hellbent on making fun of me by throwing you my way, then she might as well play her own part.”
I happily returned back to normal state and gave him the bow I'd seen in Chinese movies.
“What is wrong?” He asked, immediately rushing to grab my shoulders and trying to look me over.
“I'm fine, I'm fine,” I squeaked, his hands on my body making my neck burn with a startling, pleasant sensation.
“I doubt that. Come on, I have to take you to the healer.”
I didn't protest, I had missed the free ride he gave me that day more than I'd care to admit.
Besides, this will cut short the amount of time I have to spend walking, which means I can spend longer in the library.
Finding a way out of here.