Fire's Mage (Book One) Kyoko of Fire Country

Chapter Seventeen

Sheikh groaned as the string in his bow snapped back at him, slipping out of his fingers as he looked at the wooden weapon and groaned. He only took up the weapon, since Jamie told that he needed another weapon that was long rang. That it was stupid if there was one long rang fighter on a team, it was suicidal to be only skilled in one type of combat.

He was better at short ranged combat, having trained with a sword the moment he could walk, training since before he understood what he was training for. Even if he was in a fight, Kyoko would most likely be fighting long range.

Jamie had rolled his eyes at that, saying that one never knew what was going happen in a fight. Which made him more interested in training with a bow and arrow, along with gifting Kyoko with a short sword.

What he wanted to know was why everyone thought bow and arrows were for weaklings? Didn't they know how much strength was needed to pull back the string without it snapping back? That it more than just pulling it back to hit a target? Crossbows he could understand giving to those who were weaker, took longer but it look less strength to pull it back.

"Need more core strength," Jamie told him sighing as he took the bow away from him. Blood going down into his palm as he looked at the damage that was left behind. "Doesn't your teacher tell you anything? Winston's smarter than this."

"Adrianne happens to be on our team," Kyoko told him from her place next to him. A dagger in her hand, they had been training with Jamie since they finished their mission, it was easy. He had to weed a garden for a lovely couple, while Kyoko had tasked with checking the seals in Red Light. Since she was on of the few who wouldn't be killed in a heart beat.

Their first round of training had gone fine, but six weeks of training with just the two of them? They were starting to be able to easily fight together, Adrianne not knowing how to fight into the routine they had created without her.

Adrianne had been the one who left looking like she had gone through a blender. Sheikh would admit it would have been worse, but at random moments, Kyoko's attention would be spilt between him and Adrianne. Something she couldn't do in an actual fight, since it would put her and everyone's life at risk.

In a life-and-death situation, Winston already knew who Sheikh and Kyoko would protect to their last breath. It was only Adrianne who was in denial, even Karina had been training nearly every waking moment. He knew this, because sometimes he would join her and Ross in their morning runs.

"That thing again?" Jamie asked them, placing the bow down as Kyoko took his hand into her own. Healing it as he kept an eye out for any of his children, which shouldn't happen, since they were in the private training set aside for the Clan head and their family.

"She got out of jail today," Sheikh remarked.

"Still hasn't learned anything from her beating, but the good news from this whole thing is," Kyoko cheerful told him as she handed him a red pill. So it had cut deeper then he had thought, great. "Winston hasn't pulled Sheikh and I back, instead she has to catch up with us."

"He showed me a new combination with my sword," Sheikh told him, grinning as picked up his blunt sword. He was Jamie wouldn't mind sparring with him. "Both Adrianne and I had to complete it, she dropped her sword on her foot."

"Spar?" Jamie asked him, picking up another blunt sword as Kyoko moved out of the way. Putting her dagger away, she would tell them when enough was enough. If needed, she'd also whack either of them over the head.

"You're improving quickly," Jamie told him, Kyoko turning her head towards the door. Catherine standing there, Shadow behind her as she grinned.

"You're not going to tell Winston?" Kyoko asked her.