The World Flying Force Rebellion in the Shadows

chapter 17- Zarlique Returns

The next day was Saturday and I was supposed to study all day with Notawa. It was very surprising when she didn't show up right after breakfast. I sent her a comm asking where she was and got no immediate response. I started to worry that she was going to end up missing as well when she showed up at my door. With her was Zarlique. He looked angry, an emotion that I had seen on him before.

"Zarlique! Where have you been?" I wanted to give him a hug, I was so relieved that he was ok, but something about his body language told me it wasn't a good idea.

"I was on assignment, for the WFF cargo fleet. We had a large shipment go to the polar region, I have been gone setting it up, ready to study," He seemed very uptight. This was completely opposite of his usually carefree casual demeanor. His arms were crossed, and his face was stern. Each line on his forehead was more pronounced as he was frowning almost violently. Something was wrong.

"Yes, Zarlique will be assisting me with training today. He is supposed to review combat combinations with you, Krit'ts wasn't available," Notawa didn't seem to mind the change at all.

"Not available or flat out refused?" I asked. I'm sure he was still upset with me over last night.

"That's not your concern select reconist, let's get started," Zarlique had never called me reconist before.

We started with the combination training. Zarlique was more intense than I had remembered him. Each move he complete with more force than was necessary. That was something I thought only Krit'ts was capable of.

"Again! remember to adjust the grip on the wrist so as to have more control over the counter move,"

"Yes, privy mate, of course," I tried to use his rank as a way of being sarcastic and disrespectful, but he just wasn't picking up on my cues at all.

He had knocked me down a little bit too hard on the next move. I stayed on the ground for a little bit longer and he never offered to help me up. Notawa was having a difficult time watching me get so beat up.

'Maybe we should take a break," she suggested, but Zarlique wasn't having it at all.

"No! she must learn the moves, again!" Zarlique wasn't even panting. I got back up to try the move again. Zarlique must have outweighed me by seventy pounds. He was a giant on our planet probably more than six feet tall. His hair was blonde like mine. For the most part having blonde hair on a man was kind of odd. Maybe more men had naturally blonde hair, but they changed it because it was considered uncommon, I never really thought about it before Tesser accused me of being not human.

There was only one time that I almost had Zarlique, his wrist was in my control, but he used his body weight to push me over. I still had his wrist when we both fell on the ground. I would have gotten the hold in perfectly, but he used his legs to push off my body and I lost any control I had at that point. He countered by grabbing my leg and putting into a perfect lock immediately I felt like it was going to break and gave up.

He jumped up like he was ready to fight again, but I was over it.

"No, I need a break, come on guys," I said.

"Yes, let's take a break, Zar, please it can't hurt to refresh," Notawa added. She didn't like how intense training had been. Her mousy disposition wasn't familiar with all this conflict.

"Fine, I will wait outside," he stepped outside my room. We had cleared the study desk and the sitting area to the side so that there was enough room for the wrestling mat that Zarlique had brought, so I sat on the top of the desk.