Stolen Scales

Chapter 55

Lyss leads Kyma to the base of the waterfall and stops to look at Kyma in concern. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"I'm as sure as the breaking waves."

Lyss sighs. "Very well. Try and stay in the very center of the flow of water. It will protect you. I'll be right behind."

Kyma gives Lyss a nod before she positions herself beneath the waterfall and starts to use her powers. As she lifts up through the waterfall, she looks out at the stormy sky. The rushing water makes her vision blurry, but she can still see the gray sky despite that. There is a bright flash of lightning from the sky that almost blinds her. The thunder follows an instant later, indicating that the storm is right on top of them. Which isn't very surprising, considering it's day two of the storm.

She steps out of the waterfall and into the shelter of the waterfall cave. It doesn't take her long to feel the wet stone become dry as she continues into the cave. She is momentarily shocked at how quickly the stone shifts to dry before she realizes that the waterfall is blocking the rain so only the water from the waterfall itself can get in. Well, except for the spot where the land path is. She takes a seat on the rock Alai had chosen the day before and waits for Lyss, knowing that Lyss would rip out her own scales if she got there and Kyma wasn't in sight. She takes her job extremely seriously, despite the low risk of harm to Kyma.

Kyma cranes her head to peer around the waterfall at the sky and winces as she sees the intensity of the storm in full force. Despite Eilean Mhara being close to the rest of the Dominican Republic, Kyma has never seen a storm this bad in all her time living there. But then again, she had lived inland before. Besides, she had lived in houses far less exposed to the elements than the merrow homes were. A spray of water from the waterfall hits Kyma on the face and she looks over just in time to see Lyss step out of it. Kyma can almost see Lyss sigh in relief upon seeing Kyma sitting on the rock.

Kyma scowls. "For the sake of the tides! I'm not that bad, Lyss."

Lyss raises an eyebrow at Kyma. "I've been keeping track of how many times I have to remind you that as your guard, I have to be close to you."

"And I'm not in any danger, Lyss." Kyma mutters under her breath. "At least not yet."

Lyss pretends she didn't hear that last bit. "So how are you going to train? I think the only thing in that bag of yours is that abalone shell." Kyma pulls the gray pouch out of her bag and Lyss just looks at her in confusion. "Kyma . . . the dagger can't possibly fit in that tiny bag."

Kyma grins slightly to herself and summons the dagger to her hand before she sets it on the stone beside her. She pulls out each of the throwing daggers next, and lays them all out into a line. When Kyma glances up at Lyss, she is pleasantly surprised to find her gaping.

"How in the seas did you manage to do that? Where did those small daggers come from?"

"They were in the pouch. I found it at the same time I found the dagger."

Lyss groans. "Please don't tell me that there is anything else in the pouch."

Kyma shrugs. "Okay."

Her eyes glimmer, belying the truth, but Lyss doesn't see the glimmer. "What are you going to work on first?"

Kyma frowns. "Is ranged defense or close contact defense more important?"

"I'll be there to defend you in long distance situations, but if someone gets past me you need to be able to defend yourself immediately. So let's start with the close combat weapon. Keep that dagger sheathed and I'll use my spear."

Lyss twists her spear and the bottom of it pulls away. She places the spear on the ground beside Kyma's throwing knives and bag, leaving her with a short section of wood. She steps toward Kyma and stops just out of arm's reach.

"Show me your stance." Kyma crouches and places the dagger in front of her, with the blade pointed directly out towards an invisible attacker. Lyss instantly shakes her head. "That positioning will do nothing. Position the dagger more for a slashing motion than a stabbing one."

Kyma quickly does so and looks at Lyss. "Is this good?"

Lyss moves forward a bit to adjust Kyma's grip. "This is better. Your stance is good, but don't be in a full crouch." Kyma rises up a bit and Lyss sighs. "No, no. You just need your legs to be slightly bent so that you can easily move in any direction."

Kyma gets into the correct position and waits for further instruction. "What next?"

"Show me a strike with the dagger." Kyma frowns with confusion and Lyss lets out a sigh before elaborating. "Show me how you would strike at someone."

Kyma lunges forward and lets out a slashing motion. After she follows through with the lunge, she falls forward and instinctively sticks her arms out in front of herself. As her hands come into contact with the hard stone floor, the force pushes the dagger out of her hands and it goes skittering across the floor, stopping at Lyss' feet. Kyma looks up at Lyss and grimaces.

"Oops?"

Lyss just sighs. "We have a long way to go before you are fit to defend yourself with this. Maybe you should learn how to defend yourself without weapons first."

Kyma shakes her head. "I already know how to do that. I was taught by one of my older foster siblings a couple years ago."

"Then let's go over what you did wrong here. You put all your weight into that lunge. Now you can't pull back. You always want to be able to switch maneuvers. Never devote yourself to one. That could be your downfall."
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How long do you think it will take Kyma to be able to defend herself reliably with her daggers? Will she need to use that skill? Tell me what you think!

Happy reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.