Nightblade by Ryan Kirk Page A

had left behind any terrain he recognized as familiar. His legs agreed. He could feel them wobbling with the effort it had taken him to come this far.
    They were still in the old woods in a clearing that was only twenty paces wide at any point. Given the chance to observe his surroundings, Ryuu imagined the clearing as a fort in the woods. The woods they had traveled through had been dense, even thicker than the considerable growth around Shigeru’s hut. For a boy of the plains to be enclosed by the majestic trees of the old woods was novel. It excited his imagination.
    Forgetting how exhausted he was, Ryuu ran around the clearing, trying to find the best vantage point for spying on the outside world. No matter where he looked, he couldn’t see more than a couple of paces in any direction. Even the hint of a footpath they had followed into the clearing twisted in such a manner that it didn’t provide a view out of the clearing.
    “How did you find this spot?” Ryuu asked, admiration in his voice.
    Shigeru did not reply, and Ryuu saw he had taken the wooden swords off his back. A surge of energy and excitement ran through him. Today he would learn how to be a swordsman like Shigeru.
    The excitement lasted only as long as it took Shigeru to give Ryuu his first instructions. To Ryuu’s great disappointment, he learned that his sword lessons were not to begin right away. Shigeru stood in front of him performing a series of moves that Ryuu was supposed to follow. Almost a cycle ago Ryuu had seen dancers who had visited his village. To him the moves seemed equivalent. What was the purpose of moving without a sword when you were learning how to fight with a sword?
    After what felt like a hundred repetitions Shigeru stood back and had Ryuu perform the actions on his own. After several more repetitions Shigeru attacked in the middle of a repetition. Ryuu was caught completely off guard, but his body had become so focused on repetition it was stuck in a rut. His reaction was to finish the movement Shigeru had taught him. He blocked all of Shigeru’s light punches.
    When the surprise of being attacked had worn off, Ryuu realized that Shigeru was teaching him defensive combinations. What at first seemed to be a dance without purpose was instead a new way of showing his body how to move, how to be effective. Once Ryuu had put the pieces together he threw himself into mirroring and learning Shigeru’s movements.
    They broke for a quick lunch of berries, dried meat, and rice and then returned to their training. This time Shigeru picked up the wooden swords which had rested so peacefully throughout the morning. The same practice was employed. Shigeru demonstrated a technique. Ryuu copied the technique under Shigeru’s critical eye. The sword tip always had to be in a specific spot. His foot placement was just a little off. Ryuu soon realized that Shigeru’s only expectation was perfection.
    Ryuu learned that there was an exact spot where the sword should be at any given time. If the sword was at the correct point everything fell into place. If the sword was positioned well he could block and cut faster, and all swordsmanship seemed to be about speed and accuracy. Over the course of the afternoon his body responded in less and less time. Ryuu mentioned this once after a practice cut.
    “There is a movement to all things in this world. Nothing stands still. Even this planet we are on moves, which is why the sun rises and sets every day. What you are feeling is called centering. Memorize the feeling, make it your home. It applies not just to swordsmanship but to life. A centered opponent is a fearsome enemy. Stay centered and stay alive.” Shigeru paused, noticing the puzzled expression on Ryuu’s face. “Don’t worry, after a couple of cycles of hard training, you will understand what I am talking about. But it is good to recognize that some things feel right.”
    Ryuu simply nodded, lost right after Shigeru began speaking. The