he could avert his gaze.
“I will keep my eye on you. Farmer!”
Shiro nodded again.
Tishima stood on his tiptoes and whispered in Shiro’s ear. “Farmer with interesting callouses. Sword, yet you chose the staff. Try your hardest or I will cut out your heart. I can do that without magic…or with it.”
Sweat beaded on Shiro’s forehead as Tishima moved to the front of the class. He had spent more time with him than any of the others. So much for hiding. It seemed he had a sign on his forehead that said, “Exceptional Apprentice - Treat Badly” Something else for his nightly conversations with Boreko.
Tishima strutted back to his position and looked out at the apprentices from the raised walkway. “Split into groups with similar weapons.” He whispered something in his assistant’s ear as Shiro looked for others carrying staffs. There were only seven out of the entire group.
The assistant came over to their group. “You need another man to fill up your ranks. I’ll work with the farmer.”
The eyebrows rose on the other apprentices. The Guild rules were explicit on leaving the lives of apprentices behind when they joined the Guild. Calling Shiro ‘farmer’ wasn’t an approved nickname. Shiro watched the man as he sauntered back to their group.
“Follow me.” He said as he led them to a corner of the practice yard. “Practice forms, now.”
The assistant began with a series of staff practice forms. The others obviously knew the routine and, since Shiro was new, he had to follow along.
“Your name, apprentice?” the assistant said as he continued to lead the forms.
“Shiro.” He gave the assistant a quick bow with his hands at his side.
“Desiku.” The assistant returned the bow. “I will teach you the practice forms until you are proficient. You will not train with any other arms until you are proficient with the staff. Do you understand, Shiro?” Desiku spoke Shiro’s name as if it were dirty, foul and unpleasant on his lips, however the man’s eyes didn’t show any hatred that he could detect.
“Practice until the Master declares the session over. There will be no matches today,” Desiku said to the group as he turned to Shiro. “We will work together, you and I.”
Shiro stood with both hands on his staff to ward off Desiku’s offense.
“No,” Desiku said with a grim smile. “You will attack me.”
What could Shiro do? He’d never even seen anyone fight with a staff before. He could use the staff like a very long sword, but his moves would be very clumsy. He eyed a few strokes by the other students and struck out with a horizontal blow. Desiku twisted his hips and jammed his staff hard into the gravel to block the blow. The shock shook the staff and stung Shiro’s hands. He dropped the weapon at the impact and leaned over to pick it up. Desiku slid past him and struck his rear end. Shiro dropped the staff he’d just picked up and rubbed his wound. Desiku slapped at his hands.
“That won’t do, farmer.” Why did all of his opponents call him farmer? Mistokko, Tishima and now Desiku. He didn’t believe it to be an expression of endearment, but Mistokko’s tone was gently chiding compared with the derision he heard in the two weapons instructors’ voices.
Mistokko. Shiro smiled and turned to face Desiku. He grabbed one end of his staff with both hands and backed up, dragging the weapon on the ground. Desiku walked closer. Shiro grunted and quickly pushed the staff with all his might until it was between Desiku’s legs. He flipped the staff up and stopped his upward motion just before he would have struck Desiku in his crotch. The staff went well past the loose pantaloons that the man wore.
Desiku inhaled deeply as Shiro quickly withdrew his weapon making it ready for a defense. The assistant just stood and grinned with his fist on a hip. “Not many would be so bold, Shiro,” he said, this time the smile on his face seemed genuine. “Definitely offensive.” He
“I will keep my eye on you. Farmer!”
Shiro nodded again.
Tishima stood on his tiptoes and whispered in Shiro’s ear. “Farmer with interesting callouses. Sword, yet you chose the staff. Try your hardest or I will cut out your heart. I can do that without magic…or with it.”
Sweat beaded on Shiro’s forehead as Tishima moved to the front of the class. He had spent more time with him than any of the others. So much for hiding. It seemed he had a sign on his forehead that said, “Exceptional Apprentice - Treat Badly” Something else for his nightly conversations with Boreko.
Tishima strutted back to his position and looked out at the apprentices from the raised walkway. “Split into groups with similar weapons.” He whispered something in his assistant’s ear as Shiro looked for others carrying staffs. There were only seven out of the entire group.
The assistant came over to their group. “You need another man to fill up your ranks. I’ll work with the farmer.”
The eyebrows rose on the other apprentices. The Guild rules were explicit on leaving the lives of apprentices behind when they joined the Guild. Calling Shiro ‘farmer’ wasn’t an approved nickname. Shiro watched the man as he sauntered back to their group.
“Follow me.” He said as he led them to a corner of the practice yard. “Practice forms, now.”
The assistant began with a series of staff practice forms. The others obviously knew the routine and, since Shiro was new, he had to follow along.
“Your name, apprentice?” the assistant said as he continued to lead the forms.
“Shiro.” He gave the assistant a quick bow with his hands at his side.
“Desiku.” The assistant returned the bow. “I will teach you the practice forms until you are proficient. You will not train with any other arms until you are proficient with the staff. Do you understand, Shiro?” Desiku spoke Shiro’s name as if it were dirty, foul and unpleasant on his lips, however the man’s eyes didn’t show any hatred that he could detect.
“Practice until the Master declares the session over. There will be no matches today,” Desiku said to the group as he turned to Shiro. “We will work together, you and I.”
Shiro stood with both hands on his staff to ward off Desiku’s offense.
“No,” Desiku said with a grim smile. “You will attack me.”
What could Shiro do? He’d never even seen anyone fight with a staff before. He could use the staff like a very long sword, but his moves would be very clumsy. He eyed a few strokes by the other students and struck out with a horizontal blow. Desiku twisted his hips and jammed his staff hard into the gravel to block the blow. The shock shook the staff and stung Shiro’s hands. He dropped the weapon at the impact and leaned over to pick it up. Desiku slid past him and struck his rear end. Shiro dropped the staff he’d just picked up and rubbed his wound. Desiku slapped at his hands.
“That won’t do, farmer.” Why did all of his opponents call him farmer? Mistokko, Tishima and now Desiku. He didn’t believe it to be an expression of endearment, but Mistokko’s tone was gently chiding compared with the derision he heard in the two weapons instructors’ voices.
Mistokko. Shiro smiled and turned to face Desiku. He grabbed one end of his staff with both hands and backed up, dragging the weapon on the ground. Desiku walked closer. Shiro grunted and quickly pushed the staff with all his might until it was between Desiku’s legs. He flipped the staff up and stopped his upward motion just before he would have struck Desiku in his crotch. The staff went well past the loose pantaloons that the man wore.
Desiku inhaled deeply as Shiro quickly withdrew his weapon making it ready for a defense. The assistant just stood and grinned with his fist on a hip. “Not many would be so bold, Shiro,” he said, this time the smile on his face seemed genuine. “Definitely offensive.” He
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