As long as you are breathing

Importance of fun

“Weakness, huh?” asked Ponhpaiboon, “Interesting. To think even after this many years of polishing my art, a weakness would remain. Tell me what you have found.”

Kalil smirked again and answered, “I will show you.”

Kalil threw two jabs which Ponhpaiboon dodged with ease. Kalil threw a right roundhouse kick which Ponhpaiboon checked.

But then he started spinning in the opposite direction and chambered his right leg. Ponhpaiboon lifted up his left leg to check it. But Kalil didn’t throw any attack from that leg. Rather he lifted his leg for a kick aiming for his head.

It hit Ponhpaiboon clean on his temple. He stumbled a bit towards the side but then regained composure.

“It’s called a 360,” said Kalil, “It's taekwondo kick. But it looked cool. So I decided to keep it.”

“Interesting,” said Ponhpaiboon, “I never faced an attack like that.”

“Oh, you are yet to face anything,” said Kalil.

Kalil started spinning like the 360 again. But this time, Ponhpaiboon parried his chambered leg so that Kalil falls unbalanced and ducked below the kick.

But Kalil, even though missed as planned, didn’t fall down as planned. He landed safely.

“It’s a 540,” said Kalil, “It is much like the 360. Except, you land on the leg you are kicking with.”

“Hmm…” said Ponhpaiboon.

Kalil rushed then towards Ponhpaiboon. He feinted a jab but ducked low. It will probably be an uppercut.

So, Ponhpaiboon was ready to back sway.

But nothing came from below. Rather Kalil’s leg fell on his head. Ponhpaiboon’s head fell crashing on the ground.

He stood up as fast as he could but it wasn’t possible to regain composure this fast.

“And that was the cartwheel kick,” said Kalil, “And now is my opportunity.”

Kalil then threw the normal attacks he always used. Ponhpaiboon is too shaky to dodge or block them properly. Jab, cross, hooks, uppercuts, low kicks, feints, high kicks, body kicks, all of which Ponhpaiboon always had an answer to, is hitting him cleanly.

But interestingly for Ponhpaiboon, Kalil’s maximum target was the body. Kalil’s aggressive barrage went on as he continued throwing punishment on the old man’s body till the old man couldn’t stand anymore and just fell.

“Huff… Huff... Huff…. Can we both agree that… Huff…. Huff…. I won this match…. Huff…. Huff….” said Kalil.

“Perhaps, we can,” said the old man on his knees holding his body by arms, “I think you broke a rib too.”

“Sorry for that,” Kalil said. “Now, I am supposed to kill you somehow. Right?”

“Yes,” said Ponhpaiboon, “Nothing much I can do about that. All I can say is thank you for the amazing fight.”

“Well, I decide to add you to my team,” continued Kalil.

“What!” exclaimed Ponhpaiboon.

“You are strong and helpful,” replied Kalil, “You would make a valuable addition to the team.”

“You are naïve as always,” said Ponhpaiboon, “How would you make sure I won’t betray you?”

“You are promising this on your life. A true warrior never breaks his promise,” answered Kalil.

“You still aren’t going to make solid contact with me with a third party pressure as we do in our usual world. It is not possible here,” said Ponhpaiboon.

“Our conscience is our contract and your ideal is my third party pressure,” said Kalil.

“I would still call that naïve,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “You can easily get tricked if you go this way.”

“I have thought things through. Know your enemies they say. Well, I did that pretty good and that’s the reason for me to give you this offer. I wouldn’t give this offer to a different enemy,” said Kalil. Then he smirked on to say, “But if you don’t want this offer so bad, then maybe you can just prefer death.”

Ponhpaiboon smiled and said, “Consider me proud to have such a cunning grand disciple. You try so hard to get me on your team with these brilliant traps. All my other disciple hates me.”

“Umm… I hate you too. I don’t really like the way you do things. Look at how much of my time you wasted,” said Kalil, “I guess you treated them this harsh too.”

They both then hurried downstairs and went in the direction to get to Khestri’s team faster. Kalil’s worry increased with each step. They were running their heart out.

But Ponhpaiboon fell down.

“Master! Are you alright?” asked Kalil with concern.

“I am proud. You managed to damage me this much. You sure grow very well,” said Ponhpaiboon.

“Stop with that lame master and disciple things,” said Kalil, “Hop on my back.”

Ponhpaiboon stared at Kalil a bit surprised for obvious reasons. He then said, “You want to carry me all the way to that cave?”

“Well, I think that’s the better plan,” said Kalil.

“You are crazy. It might be an hour-long journey by foot,” exclaimed Ponhpaiboon, “You will be so tired after reaching there that you won’t be able to fight. It will be all useless anyway.”

“But one hour is sufficient for you to recover enough for the battle, isn’t it?” asked Kalil.

“You want me to fight the whole battle?” asked Ponhpaboon.

“You will get allies when I release Khestri and the other three,” said Kalil, “You should be able to do this much for the sake of the team you are in, right?”

“I guess so. It will be fun to fight someone with that inhumane speed as Spess. Count me excited for this,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “But don’t blame me for getting tired after carrying me all the way.”

“Well if we both run, we will both be tired. Rather have one recovered warrior than two half-tired fighters,” said Kalil.

“You thought this through, haven’t you?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“I sure have,” answered Kalil.

Ponhpaiboon then accepted Kalil to let Kalil carry Ponhpaiboon. Kalil sat down for a crouch so that it becomes easier for Ponhpaiboon to get on Kalil.

“Do I feel too heavy?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“Do I feel like a boyfriend to you?” asked Kalil.

“Hmm?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“Well, these days that’s a line girlfriend says to a boyfriend when they are carried. Girls care a lot about their weight in this era,” said Kalil.

“I see,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “Well that was odd.”

They both started their journey as Kalil began running towards their destination. Although their speed was more similar to a jogging speed. It was more of a marathon than a run.

Kalil’s body was still in pain. Some from the falling off the cliff and some from the damage he received from Ponhpaiboon.

The terrain was starting to get snowy and the floor was getting slippery as it was more ice than snow. There were giant pillars of ice everywhere. They were both wide and tall. It was a majestic view.

“Oh boy! This is going make things harder for us, isn’t it?” sighed Ponhpaiboon.

“Nah, this is going to make things easier,” answered Kalil.

“Huh? How?” Ponhpaiboon exclaimed.

Kalil then started sliding across the field.

“Isn’t this kinda risky?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“It is. But I think it is better than running here,” said Kalil, “Rather fall once or twice and get there faster than go slow at the moment.”

“I guess you are right,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “Especially since we aren’t sure we won’t fall even if we run.”

“And it decreases our load thus saving more stamina,” smiled Kalil.

After a few minutes of the quiet journey, Ponhpaiboon asked, “Hey Kalil?”

“Hmm?” said Kalil.

“You said you found a weakness in me, right?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“Yes,” answered Kalil, “I sure did. What about it?”

“What is it?” asked Ponhaiboon.

“You seem pretty interested to know,” grinned Kalil.

“Well it’s going to benefit all of us, you know,” said Ponhpaiboon.

“All? How so?” asked Kalil.

“Well, since I am in your team now, if I know my weakness and improve upon it, then the enemy will have a harder time dealing with me. And what if Spess finds it, we need to find a solution for that beforehand,” answered Ponhpaiboon.

Kalil’s grin widened. He said, “Well, we aren’t a team forever. At the end of the game, if our team is the only team standing, we will need to fight amongst ourselves. And if you know your weakness and more so, if you improve upon it, it will be harder for me to defeat you.”

“Fine,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “Don’t say if you don’t want.”

“Haha,” laughed Kalil, “I was only teasing you.”

“Well that was annoying,” said Ponhpaiboon, “So, will you tell or not?”

“Your weakness is creative attacks,” said Kalil, “You have too much strength over the basics. You understand them in and out and any attack combo that derives from the basics, you crush them way too easily. You don’t even find a hard time dealing with strategies that are based upon the basics.”

“Are you telling my weakness or strength?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“Oh, don’t worry, your weakness lies inside your strength,” answered Kalil.

“Consider me interested,” said Ponhpaiboon.

“Well, you learned so many basics and practiced them so well, it must have taken a lot of discipline, didn’t it?” said Kalil.

“Yeah it did,” answered Ponhpaiboon, “What of it? I am not really a fan of flattery. Criticism is far more precious.”

“Haha,” Kalil laughed again, “You are further proving my point. You were way too strict and disciplined. You should have made a little time for fun. All the attacks I threw were very easy to counter. So much so that we are told to never use those attacks.”

“Yet I fell for it cause I have no experience with those attacks,” continued Ponhpaiboon.

“Exactly,” answered Kalil, “That’s the reason you lost and that is your greatest weakness: fancy moves!”

“I see,” replied Ponhpaiboon looking a bit down.

“But don’t worry. The solution to all of them is simple,” said Kalil.

“And that would be?” asked Ponhpaiboon.

“Diagonal back step,” answered Kalil, “All of those attacks take too long to hit. So, a diagonal back step can help you avoid them way too easily.”

Suddenly, Kalil tripped off unnaturally causing both of them to fall on the ground.

“I guess sliding wasn’t so safe after all,” commented Ponhpaiboon.

“No, it’s not that. I felt something on my legs,” said Kalil.