Seaflower -2

 

When he finally found the girl he was still thinking about the first fight he saw.  “Do you mind if I clean with you?” He asked as he did every time he found her.  She stopped, looked at him, nodded once and waited for him to grab something.  She was washing the walls with soap so he grabbed the wet rag.  “Do you mind if I talk? A memory was brought up and I would like to voice it.” 

Her eyes widen and an excited smile grew on her face.  Normally he would have only asked for permission to clean and then they would go about it in silence. He never thought to speak first.

Tye started to wipe the bulkhead, “I still remember my first day on the ship, and … some of my second.”  He sighed, “Back then, the 2100 fights were not about grudges, showing off or just to test yourself.  The 2100 fights were with the goddess to either be accepted into her class or to advance to the next level. The fights never lasted for more than 10 minutes.  If you held your own she would bow, you passed.  The goddess would then leave for the next ship, or so I was told.  I only got to witness one fight.”

Tye stopped cleaning and looked at the girl. He smiled; she was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, holding her feet and bouncing her knees.  Tye wondered how old she really was, but smiled and sat in front of her instead of asking.

“I can’t remember what she looks like, however the guy looked like he regretted the decision as soon as he stepped up.  I do remember the goddess was wearing sea green, what I’m not sure.  I only remember the color because is only a few shades off of my seaflower.

“You know, the only thing that hasn’t seemed to change is the no talking rule and the introduction.  The no talking rule is great, because they can’t just stand there and yell at each other for however long.  I love how the fights start.  The challenger, back then was normally the student wishing to advance, steps up to the block and falls to one knee.  The defender, which was normally the goddess unless it was someone who wished to start in her classes, bows.  The fighting starts as soon as the challenger can.

“The fight was about the guy starting her class.  So the goddess stood up and was very still.  I found out later that she was doing something, some kind of mind test.  After a short period the guy’s fingers started to twitch. Next she blew on her hands and cold air could be seen coming off, giving him a chance to see what was coming I believe.  She blew the cold air at him,” Tye started to chuckle, “he started doing jumping jacks, it looked ridicules, but I guess it worked. Next she pulled a wave from the water up through the hanger bay doors, he ducked, but he got soaked. She looked at him and bowed.

“I wish I could remember what she looked like.  That night I prayed to her, my family had never forced the land god on me.  They could never wake me up during the day to worship him either.  Receiving the seaflower was an added bonus.  I didn’t know anything about it.  When I asked one of the guys from my cube about it, he showed me his.  I started to ask him how to sign up for her class but he was really busy.”

Tye stopped talking when she jumped up and grabbed his hand, dragging him behind her.  The next thing he knew they were standing on one of the aircrafts in the hanger bay with a perfect view of the fight.