Of the Way: Training of Kie

Fresh
the town was on the border of the land of ninja and another continent, and as such it had much business with travel.

But today, it was practically deserted outside, as it was raining heavily, thousands of comets of water, pounding roof, tree, and ground alike. Everybody was no longer buying things from vendors or talking about gossip, or eating at cafes. They were all staying home, doing whatever they could to stay out of the rain.

In one specific building, a quaint little clinic, a man and a boy rested, one with numerous bandages, in a bed, the other in a chair. The room was lit by a small fire, in order to keep the boy warm.

These two were strange, as no matter how many wounded travelers the doctor had treated, he had never seen a pair that had one member with pink bangs and the other unwilling to remove his mask.

But, he allowed them stay, and they rested.

The boy was currently and soundly asleep, his face unusually peaceful, even in his current condition. His chest was rising up and down slowly, signaling normal breathing. The heart monitor beeped steadily, indicating a normal pulse.

The man in the mask had not moved either, implying he was asleep.

The doctor came in quietly, and was startled slightly when the man moved his masked face to look at him. "Yes, doctor?" he asked in a deep, metallic tone hidden by the layer of wrought iron and steel he wore. He still disliked it, it was fairly eerie.

"I-I Came to give you an update on... um... Kie," he said, realizing he stuttered when he first spoke.

The man's expression changed, or at least he thought it did, that darn mask again. "And what would the results be?" he asked.

"He will be able to move within three days. I would suggest that he rest a bit less, as he will become sluggish, and that you wake him up eventually. He cannot walk yet, as his blood loss is too great, but one of my staff is trained in healing jutsu, so he will be alright within that time," he said, giving a small smile when he finished. The man in the mask turned back to Kie, and said "Thank you."

The doctor left, quietly again, and recorded the data on the boy in his books. He hadn't had one like this in over three years. He was currently wondering how on earth he got so banged up.

"Mmmm....."

Kie groaned, slowly putting his hands on his face. "Oh, God...."

Ean got up slowly, as he had been sitting there for two days, waiting for Kie to wake up. "How do you feel?" he asked, walking over to Kie's cot.

"Like shit..." Was his tired answer, as Kie put his arms back to his sides. "How long have I been out?"

Ean removed his mask, revealing lines under his eyes. "Two days," he said, wary that this may shock the boy. After all, he had been in this situation himself before...

Kie almost jerked up, his eyes widening for a second. "Two days?!" He blurted. Then, that surprise faded, and he sank back into the cot. "I must've been really banged up, then...."

Ean had to chuckle, "Well, I don't mean to brag, but you did fight me..." he said, sitting back down after checking the boy's bandages.

Kie immediately turned his head away from Ean, face set in indignancy. "Hmph." Was the only retort he could muster.

Ean leaned back, "That's what you get for fighting one of th best swordsmen on the southern continent..." he said, heaving a sigh. "i'm sorry I nearly killed you, but I guess I should've exerted more self control," he said, his face falling.

At that sudden change of words, Kie immediately turned back, eyes gazing at Ean curiously. He decided not to interrupt, as it seemed like he was about to say more.

"heh, I didn't even take into account that half of that wasn't even me..." he continued, a sad, angry smile forming on his face.

Now Kie was confused. "Ok...could you clarify? Obviously, it was you I was fighting, who else it would be?"

Ean chuckled again, "Okay, I guess I do need to explain," he said, changing his position in his chair. "I come from a place that you will most likely never visit, a continent separate from this on. It's to the southwest, and it is almost nothing like it is here."

Kie pushed himself into a sitting-up position, his ears listening intently.

"Long ago, when this land had no such thing as ninjutsu or ninja, my land had many different races, Salamanders, Sylph, Lamia, Nagas, Humans, and, my own race, the Frost. eventually, these races took on new forms, blending in with human population, as they were disliked greatly by them and their ignorance. I am the descendant of those frost, and they were ice elementals," he said, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Now, each race, along with their own unique powers, had their own quirks. The salamanders could not live near water, even bathe in it, or they would die. They could rink, nonetheless, but it still inhibited them. My own race had a mental issue, starting from birth."

"I assume that would have to do with....split personalities?" Kie guessed.

"Heh, smart boy. Yes, When a frost is born, they have two personalities within them. Eventually one becomes dormant, awakening only when something stressful happens, and it is always the exact opposite of the normal one. This can often manifest in different ways, and mine is a very thin layer of ice forming on the left side of my face, as you can see where my scar is," he said, turning his head slightly to display the long line across his face, extending from just across his nose to his ear. "When a fight gets intense, he normal rears his head, shaken by battle. I have to say, he has gotten me out of a few pinches before..."

Kie smiled weakly. "And unfortunately for me, I managed to wake him up...." He raised one hand to rub the left side of his head. "Not the first time I've done something stupid..."

"Yes, he is a good fighter. reckless, but good. Either way, I've decided something after this, and it may very well change your life," he said, continuing from where they had left off.

"I couldn't be any worse off...."

"I've decided to train you to the point of not being able to be beaten like I beat you. I'd hate to see a kid like you get killed," he said.

Kie's face brightened immediately. "Really? That's goo--"

But it faded just as quickly. He stared at Ean with suspicion. "Wait....what's it gonna cost me?"

"Nothing."