Kadian

The Great Breakdown (Long Chapter)

“Don’t be sloppy!” Mohassen barked as Kadian narrowly dodged his attacks.  “Careful!”  She nearly skidded her knee.  Kadian clocked Mohassen in his jaw, and back flipped before his kick could reach her.  “Gedaan,” he said quickly when he saw her charging towards him.  She skidded to a halt and bowed.  “Gedaan.”  

Mohassen rubbed his face.  “Where did you learn to do that?”

“Do what?”  She asked.

“Be a gymnast.”  He smiled a little when she laughed.  

“I taught myself on Tuesday,” she answered.

It was only Wednesday. Mohassen rubbed the back of his neck. “ That is…it is always good to take initiative when it comes to training.  Good job.”

Kadian beamed.

“With that being said, I think we can do much better.  Your hand to hand combat is impressive, no doubt.  But it is still not where it needs to be, in my opinion.  In the meantime, we can incorporate a weapon to speed things along!”

“Really?!”

“Really!  A weapon is a necessity for any warrior, let alone The Savior.  It will also help boost your coordination, helping you in more ways than one.”

“Aw, cool!  What are my choices?”

Mohassen frowned thoughtfully.  “Oh, you have no choices-I chose for you.”  When Kadian’s face fell, he quickly added “No worries, no worries!  I am an excellent craftsman, Kadian.  I am knowledgeable about all weapons.”

“All weapons?”

“ALL weapons.  You see, great warriors dabble in a bit of everything.”  Sometimes, Kadian forgot that Mohassen was someone important before she came along.

“Every warrior has a signature weapon,” he continued.  “For me, it is my bow and arrow.  For you-” Mohassen paused to pull something out of a bush, and presented it to Kadian.

Kadian tried to hide her disappointment.  “A staff?”

“Yes!  Isn’t she a beauty?  She’s the finest and sturdiest of them all.  You like it?”

“It’s...nice.  I like it.  Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on spears?  Or anything else?”

Mohassen’s smile disappeared.  “What is wrong with the staff?  Is it not good enough?”

“No, no, it probably is...for some people.  I’m just not sure how good it is for someone in my circumstances. You know?  I don’t know if that’s enough for whatever I’m up against.”

“I see.”

“Are there any guns here?  Or swords, do we have swords?  I saw this blue one down in Elder Zee’s-”

“You saw a blue machete.  And you may not use it- it was my mother’s.”

Kadian cringed.  “Sorry.”

“You’re fine.”

“But what about machetes in general?”

“No.  I am still responsible for you, and I say the staff is best suited for you. If you’re such a savior, I am sure you can manage.”  Kadian frowned, but accepted the thick, wooden staff.  She was alarmed by how light it was.

Mohassen stepped in front of Kadian and bowed.  “Gedaan.” She did the same.  “Now it’s time to teach you the basics of the basics- you are going to learn how to hold it.  First, show me how you think you should be holding it.”