3 days till Sodom arrived.
"To become one of the touched," began Eddie "Is to do with three different aspects. Your Khat which is your physical body, your Ka which is your life force and your Ba which is your identity."
Ok that makes sense, thought Astrea.
"Go on," said Astrea.
"I don't know how to describe it, but you get this feeling, once all three are aligned." started Eddie.
Her mind flashed back to what Holt said before the attack.
"You'll feel it when it matters."
Astrea got up. Since she didn't have more time, she had decided to start training immediately.
"Let's go, Eddie".
"Go where it's dark out now," he asked.
"You're going to train me. Right now,"
"You don't want me. If you want to be powerful, you don't want me" lamented Eddie.
"Listen man, are you going to let Sodom walk all over you. This is your ticket out, take it. With or without you I'll make Kujira recognise me"
With that Astrea, left the house disappearing into the night.
Eddie looked at his wife bleary eyed. He was stuck at a crossroads, a clear path forwards but one he was unwilling to take.
"When do you plan to take responsibility for us," his wife said clearly frustrated "You sit and mope about your life while doing nothing to improve it." She was nearly in tears now.
"It's not my fault…" he began.
"It's never your fault" she interrupted shouting at her husband. She stormed off upstairs leaving Eddie alone.
Eddie sat there, alone. The silence was suffocating. He wished now more than ever that anyone was here. Someone to complain to about how shitty his life was. There was no one to call, no easy way to get out of this. He had to take the road less travelled by.
"Fuck my life man" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Eddie got up and stormed out of the house.
######
I have no clue how to train any of these, Khat, Ka, Ba. What the hell am I meant to do. Astrea thought.
She stood on the docks, her hair flying in the wind. She knew this was her best shot at defeating Sodom.
"Damn, I need Eddie." said Astrea under her breath.
"Lucky for you I'm here" said Eddie appearing behind her.
Astrea jumped at the sound of his voice. They stared at each other for a minute. No words were exchanged for a moment.
"I'm sorry" Astrea said reaching out her hand. "I'm sorry for threatening you at knifepoint and for forcing you in this mess."
"We both know that sooner or later I was going to have to make some use of myself." Eddie said, his tone surprisingly light. He stretched out his hand meeting hers.
They smiled at each other as they shook hands.
"Let's get started then shall we," said Astrea.
Nodding Eddie smiled for the first time in what seemed like years.
"Let's get started."
Their training began with the Khat. Eddie went on to explain that the Khat was more than just the physical body. It was about connection, Connection both in mind and body. Khat was your anchor to existence.
With that he started to demonstrate. His body moved as if underwater, each step deliberate, each turn seamless. His breath never broke rhythm, and though his body shifted constantly, his centre never wavered. It was not a display of only strength. It was a lesson in control.
Astrea watched on in wonder, entranced by Eddie's movements.
"Don't just watch me, try to copy my movements" Eddie said without breaking a sweat.
Astrea snapped out of her daze and tried to copy Eddie's movements. It was sloppy, her feet felt stiff, her arms didn't move with fluidity or grace but with unfamiliarity. Her breathing staggered as she fought for control over her own body.
"Relax Astrea, imagine your body as an extension of your mind. Your soul given physical form." said Eddie. "Attention, breath and movement are the core pillars of Khat," Eddie
Astrea paused her movements and took a deep breath.
If this is what power takes, Do I have what it takes. She thought.
This thought had been weighing on her mind since Holt's capture. Was she capable of saving Holt? She didn't know. But what could she do but try.
She got back into her stance.
My soul, who am I really?
Her mind flashed back to an earlier point in her life.
A group of children, who couldn't have been older than 6 or 7 years old, gathered around a little girl curdled up on the floor. They threw stones, kicked and punched her as she desperately tried to protect herself.
"Get away from my daughter" a man shouted from the distance.
The children ran without a second thought.
"I hate all of you, you should all burn in hell" Astrea shouted at the group of children tears streaming down her face.
The man, who had scattered the children, ran up to Astrea hugging her tight.
"Are you ok. Let's go home we can make you feel better!" he said.
Astrea pushed him away rejecting his embrace.
"I'm only like this because of you, You're the reason this keeps happening to me. I hate you." cried Astrea
The hurt on her father's face was clear to see. His outstretched arms were left empty as he watched his child run away down the street. Astrea couldn't see but in that moment her father started to cry.
"Astrea…are you ok." asked Eddie.
Astrea, snapping back to reality looked at Eddie, she realised that she was crying.
"It's nothing don't worry." She spoke. "I think I get it now".
Astrea started to move, forgetting Eddie's demonstration she moved to her own rhythm. As she moved memories long forgotten bubbled to the surface, manifesting themselves in her movements. Her arms moved like wild animals; her feet shifted to the beat of her heart. This was her version of tai-chi. One that reflected her soul.
Astrea didn't stop her practice. Throughout the night she kept moving, connecting both mind and body into one singular being. Eddie had left long ago, through sheer willpower Astrea stayed.
A boy watched her tai-chi from a distance. In awe of the performance that Astrea put on. She was the one he was looking for.