The Shadow Kingdom

Chapter 8 - Training For Real Life

Diana is too busy plotting an assassination to pay attention to me, so I've been forced to entertain myself all day. I enter the exercise room and examine all the equipment Adrian has; dumbbells, bench-press, pull-up bar, treadmill, and wooden dummy. I try taking a few swings at the dummy as Diana did. After about ten punches, I accidentally bash my face into one of the wooden slats and end up bent over, moaning in pain.

"Bored?" Diana asks. She stands at the entrance with a large, metal attaché case.

"How could you tell?" I reply snidely. "You killed the guy yet?"

"Not yet, but soon enough. Are you considering a career in contract killing?"

I grimace. I am so not in the mood for sarcasm right now. "Adrian said that you are going to teach me how to fight. I think that's a good idea. The next time a group of guys come into my house with guns, I want to be able to fight back. I know I'll never be as good as you, but I'll take whatever I can get. There is no worse feeling in this world than being powerless."

She smirks at first but then drops the case. "Help me move some of this stuff out of the way."

We rearrange the exercise room such that all the equipment is pushed to the side. Diana removes her winter coat and stretches her arms, all the while staring at me as though she is ready to kill me. When she assumes a fighting stance, I begin to second-guess Adrian's decision to have Diana teach me. Shit, I really am going to be her dancing partner.

She beckons me with her hand. "Hit me."

"What?" I ask in confusion.

"I said hit me," she replies impatiently. "As hard as you can, hit me."

"But, shouldn't we start with something more basic..."

"You wanted me to teach you!" She shouts. Her countenance alone makes me take a step back. "First lesson – never question what I say. Now, hit me!"

I summon every ounce of courage I have and charge at Diana. I raise my fist as I get close, and as I take my first jab at her, Diana dodges and knees me in the stomach. The blow was so hard that it ripples throughout my entire body. I drop to the floor, clutching my stomach in agony.

"Now, get back up."

"Go to hell!" I scream. "Please, I need help! Get Adrian, I need Adrian!" I don't even know if Adrian can help me. It feels as if my intestines have prolapsed. I might need surgery!

Diana lets out a deep sigh. She walks around me slowly, mocking my pathetic stance. Then she kicks me in the back so hard I feel my spine shake. "Ah! No, stop! What the hell are you doing?"

She then gets on one knee and beats me across the face five times in succession. By the time she is finished, I don't even have the strength to groan. I lie helplessly on the ground with my nose broken and my blood splattered on the hardwood. "Second lesson – before you can learn how to fight back, you have to learn how to withstand getting beat up," Diana says. "We'll continue this when I get back."

I lie there, praying for death to take away the pain. Ages go by until I see Adrian standing over me. He kneels down and takes one of my hands in his. I see the healing light appear, and my body parts slowly return to their rightful places. "Diana called me," he says. "I came home early."

"How considerate of her." I sit up, and my head is still spinning. "Your sister is a real bitch."

"She is trying to help you."

"This wasn't helpful!" I yell.

He smiles. "You'll be surprised when she's done with you. Be glad she even agreed to train you. It means that she thinks you are worth her time."