The Iron Hallway

Chapter 9

Many hours later, in the dead of the night, I slumbered in a luxurious bed in one of Aaron's guest rooms. Jedrek slept on the floor, without pillows or blankets, regardless of my prodding him to accept a donation from me. How he managed to sleep in such circumstances, I had no idea, but now that I was asleep myself, it had absolutely no bearing on me. 

I awoke with a jump to someone shaking me violently by my shoulder. I rolled out of the person's grasp and squinted into the darkness, my chest moving up and down with my quick, shallow breaths. 

Finally, the figure in the dark turned the nightstand lamp on and revealed himself to be Khemera. 

"What are you doing in here?" I demanded, "I thought you had your own room!" 

"The time for your first lesson has come." 

"Are you kidding me? It's three in the morning! There's gotta be a better time!" 

"A true fighter is ready at all times to engage the enemy, as an attack can come at any time, and mostly when one least expects it." 

Jedrek stirred on the floor. "If you're gonna do this, I'll take your spot in the other room." 

Khemera shrugged. "Go ahead." After Jedrek exited the room and shut the door, the martial artist turned to me again. "So, shall we begin?" 

I huffed. "I guess so! I mean, I really wasn't planning on it, but whatever!" 

"Do you mean to say there will be nights that you do plan on me sneaking into your room to spar with you? A predictable enemy is no enemy at all, Baird." 

I crossed my arms. "What is it, then?" 

"Why, it's simply an unconscious man on the ground who tried to be your enemy." 

"Ouch. Now that burns the man who—" 

"Indeed it does. Now let's get your first lesson over with so we can go back to bed." 

"Says the one who just woke me up." 

"Says the one who is now merely wasting time by complaining, rather than increasing efficiency through compliance." 

I huffed. "Okay, fair enough. So, what school of martial arts are you from, anyway?" 

"Shǎndiàn Quán. It's Kemarian for 'lightning fist'." 

My eyes widened and a boyish grin crossed my face. "So, you just punch really fast?" 

"Essentially. You'll understand all in due time. Now, the first thing for you to learn is your attention stance." 

"Huh?" 

"Your attention stance. Pay attention so I can show you." 

Biting back a chuckle over the irony of his statement, I swept my eyes up and down his posture. He stood with a very straight spine, almost mechanically so. I swore Sila slouched more than Khemera. 

With a sigh, I stood as straight as I could, which immediately drew Khemera out of his stance to step over and correct me. 

"You don't mean to tell me you were never even taught to stand correctly?" Khemera chided. 

"No, as a matter of fact, I was never taught to stand like a robot! Strange, isn't it?" I retorted sarcastically. 

"A sharp tongue gathers unto itself many lashings." Khemera declared as he shoved one of my spinal disks back into place with his fingertips.