Throne of Bones

Chapter Four

Kana's POV: 

Today was fucking miserable. The heat here, in the woods near the base of the mountain, was scorching. The t-shirt I wore came off an hour ago, a few minutes after we started. Now I was laying flat on my back, in the hot sun in a sweat soaked white tank top.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jameel questioned. I choked down air, "Just give me a minute."

We had spent the last hour going over the flipping movements, which I surprisingly did alright. Applying them to a fighting skill wasn't to hard either, yet Jameel stated he had something harder we could try.

I of course wanted to try it, because none of the protegee's had learned this yet. I had to jump high enough to completely flip over the tallest males and females. So you took the momentum you had and proceeded to flip over the person with your back toward their head.

According to Jameel it was because the important organs were in your gut area. So it was preferred to have your back sliced so you could still fight. Jameel said, "We can stop if you want to."

"No," I said, covering my eyes with my hands, before rubbing them. The obsidian box had haunted me all night, and still I couldn't bring myself to open it. Jameel said carefully, "Nightmares?"

I shivered slightly just thinking about them, those horrible moments of awakeness and darkness. Jameel murmured, "If you want to-"

"No." I snapped, Jameel closed his mouth and frowned. Forcing myself up, Jameel nodded diligently. "Again."

So we practice the motions and momentum over and over again. Eventually even Jameel's resistance to the heat wore down, and he shucked his shirt near the rock where I'd left my own shirt.

"I think you've got it." Jameel smiled softly. I stumbled a bit, and he gripped me by the elbow. "But we need a break."

I dipped my head in surrender. We sat in the small shade of separate trees. I fell to the ground, gaping for the humid air that provided for little relief. Jameel was barely any better. He chucked me my canteen. I swallowed the cool water carefully. Praying the water sickness wouldn't find me today.

"We need to get back to the mountain, the Bloodsworn should be arriving soon." I nodded and Jameel said. "I need to drop by and see Garrison, you go on back." Snatching my things off the rock I winnowed them to my room. Before shifting and flapping into the air.

I rose high above the trees, the cool wind up here was much better relief. My owl cried out, cherishing the sky above. It dove for the mountain as it noticed three fae approaching the main entrance.

Sliding in through a secondary entrance near my room, I shifted and entered my room. Avery smiled at my sweaty state. "They asked me to help you clean up, Garrison canceled our training today because of the Bloodsworn visit."

I bobbed my head and shut the bathing room door with a click. Shucking off the soaked sweaty training clothes I sunk into the drawn bath. Avery certainly knew what she was doing, the water isn't as hot as I usually liked it. Gratefully, which meant I cooled off quicker. It wasn't cold, but it was a cooler version of warm.

When I emerged in a towel around my hair and body Avery snorted. "You have literally known shame. What if the boys were in here?"

"Guess they would have been receiving an early solstice gift." I mutter yawning, stretching out the stiff muscles. Avery arched her brow, "You mean Yulemas?"

My eyes snapped open. Fucking holidays were different? I shook my head, "My family used to exchange gifts on solstice instead of Yulemas."

Avery 'oohh's' and proceeded to throw me a nice thin whitte top, and a pair of tan pants. Part of me frowned, the people here and there heat resistance were fucking increible. "Turn." She spun incredibly quickly and I changed taking my ahri out of the towel.