Karikalan: Saviour of the Cholas

Chapter 44: The (Alli)ance

Valavan beckoned Alli. "Come on. We don't have all day! Strike."

Alli hesitated. In the two weeks that had passed since the first day of her training, Alli had managed to get her stance perfect and learn a few basic attacking techniques. So far, all Alli had struck had been thin air and wooden dummies. Now, however, Valavan was asking her to hit him.

She shook her head helplessly. "I can't."

Valavan cocked a brow. "You can't or you won't?"

Alli crossed her arms, not answering him. Ilanchezhiyan, who was seated in one corner of the training room stood up. He had arrived yesterday in order to keep up the pretense of visiting Azhundur every two weeks. The moment he heard about their training sessions, he had insisted on accompanying them during it.

"Here", he offered. "Attack me if you are unwilling to attack the Prince."

Valavan suppressed a laugh. Alli glared at Ilanchezhiyan. "Do you think it's about him? I don't want to hit either of you!" She paled, looking at Valavan aghast. "What if I strike the wrong way and end up killing you?"

Chezhiyan sighed and shook his head before he went back to sit in his corner. Valavan snorted. "Trust me, you are not going to come anywhere near that."

Alli bristled. "Oh, is that so?" With a yell, she swung her sword hard. Almost lazily, Valavan blocked her blow. This angered her even further.

"Just wait! I'm going to get you good." With another cry, she swung in a different move, screaming at him. This went on for a while. Valavan easily blocked all her thrusts without even breaking into a sweat, a smirk plastered on his face all the while.

Alli finally stopped, breathing hard. "Was I any good?", she asked, fearing his reply.

Valavan shook his head. "Not at all. That was terrible." Alli blew out an exasperated breath. There is no pleasing him.

Just like there is no winning against him by arguing either.

"What did I do wrong this time?", she asked, exhausted. 

Valavan ran a hand over his hair. "First of all, you talk way too much."

Alli looked at him, eyes incredulous. "Are you kidding? You talk nonstop during a fight!"

Valavan's lips thinned. "If you had enough memory to remember rule number two and a little patience, all the questions that are constantly running inside that pretty head of yours would be answered." Alli fell silent. "I talk mostly before I strike. Even if I do talk in the middle, I would not let my concentration waver and would be in anticipation of the opponent's next move at every instant. Let's not forget that I've trained far more than you ever have." He pointed at her. "You, on the other hand, let your focus slip every time you talk. You're letting your anger cloud your judgment." He looked at her hard. "Never. Ever. Do. That."

Alli sighed. "I see your point."

Valavan shook his head. "That is not all. Your talking and yelling doesn't affect you alone. It affects your opponent as well." Alli looked at him, perplexed. He explained. "Aside from the fact that you let your opponent's taunts get to you and exhaust yourself much more than you should in the process of trying to retaliate, it also makes your opponent aware of your moves." He folded his arms across his chest. "Even if I had had mediocre training, I'd have had you killed before your second strike."

As much as she understood that his points were valid, Alli couldn't help but feel offended. "That... that was uncalled for."

Valavan seemed unfazed. He acted as though he was a stranger in the training room, all his playful behavior gone. "Was it? I was merely stating the truth. Anyone would have been alerted by your incessant screaming and would have prepared themselves for the next inevitable strike that you would surely deliver."