Aether's Guard

by Schinhofen, Daniel

  “No, Dia,” Gregory said.

  “The bath and dinner are required before anything else?” Yukiko asked.

  “Yes. Everyone must be freshly bathed before dinner, and dinner will be served as a clan meal.”

  “I have no questions,” Jenn said quickly.

  “Dia, I have a request,” Gregory said.

  “Yes?”

  “Can someone send a request to Adept Klim? She was the weapons trainer for me. I’d promised to spar with every weapon against her, but now that I’m not in that class, I’m unable to do so easily. I want to know if she’d be willing to meet me at the blue arena at sixth bell to spar tomorrow, so I can fulfill my promise.”

  Dia’s lips widened into a smile. “Keeping one’s word is important. I’ll make sure it’s done, and will have an answer for you at dinner.”

  “Thank you, Dia.”

  “Eat your snacks. Gin will not be kept waiting,” Dia said before going back inside.

  ~*~*~

  Gin walked out of the clan hall, Inda trailing him. He nodded when he found them already lined up and waiting for him. “Good. I learned what your class was like from Magus Dia. We’ll be doing less stretching than you had been, and the run will be different for you. After that, we’ll have some hand-to-hand, then weapons. Ah, and I will be joining you for the run. Do not let me pass you.”

  “Yes, Sensei,” the three novices said in unison.

  “I found a better place for us to stretch and run,” Gin said. “Follow me.”

  Following Gin and Inda, they went all the way up to the top floor, then up a ladder. When they finished climbing, they were on the roof of the clan hall. Gin took up a position across from the three of them, with Inda a dozen feet to his side.

  “This is where we will meet for the first part of training. Now, we start with the legs…”

  Stretching was less involved than their physical conditioning class had been, and the run ended up being a lap around the wall of the academy. The guards patrolling the wall looked at them with raised eyebrows as they sped past them. Gin was on their heels for most of the run— the last hundred yards, he slowed his pace, and Inda matched him.

  “It seems I’m the one in need of more running,” Gin said when they finished, his breath still not completely caught. “This is good. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen so far. Now, we will spar, and that means down to the ground again.”

  Trooping out of the clan hall, the three novices lined up on the sand to the left of the building. Gin joined them, and behind him was Inda and her sister, Indara.

  “Indara will be your opponent today, Yu. Jenn, you will contend with me, and Gregory gets Inda,” Gin said. “I will call an end to sparring for weapons training, at which point, Inda will be teaching Yu and Jenn, and I will be teaching Gregory. Full contact, no aether… not for a month, at least.”

  The three groups split apart and separated out to make sure they had room. Gregory lined up across from Inda, bowing to her. Inda bowed back before settling into a defensive posture and beckoning Gregory.

  Gregory took a moment to look over her form, but he couldn’t find a weakness. Advancing slowly, he made sure to keep his balance. Just before he got to striking distance, Inda bounced forward. There was nothing else Gregory could call it— her legs flexed and she closed the distance in a single spring. Luckily, his balance was solid, so he was able to move with her, using the attack to help slide to the side. Inda was just as quickly standing apart from him again, as she had kept the movement going.

  “Good. Balanced,” Inda said and set her stance again. “When fighting someone who isn’t entirely human or human at all, you need to account for their advantages. My bloodline has exceptional mobility, allowing us to make sudden attacks or retreats.”

  ~*~*~

  Gregory was picking himself off the ground when Gin called a halt to sparring. “Separate into your weapons groups. You have a few minutes to catch your breath before we start.”

  “Thank you, Sensei,” Jenn said, still huffing and trying to normalize her breathing.

  “You did well; you have a solid base to build on. Inda is a master of the wakizashi. If you truly wish to master the weapon, you will not find a better instructor inside the walls of the academy.”

  “Yes, Sensei,” Jenn said.

  “Inda, train them as you see fit, but make sure they face each other at least twice.”

  “Yes, Master,” Inda replied.

  Jenn blinked at the title Inda used. Her eyes darted to Gin, then back to Inda. Yukiko noticed and leaned over to whisper to Jenn. Inda’s eyes twitched and the ghost of a smile crossed her face.

  “You were learning the su yari, right?” Gin asked Gregory.

  “Yes, Sensei.”

  “We’ll continue with that, then. I already know your skill with the naginata. What was this sparring contest I heard about?”

  Gregory kept his face impassive as he explained to Gin.

  “Ah. I’ll be there to see that,” Gin said. “Make sure to save the naginata for the last weapon. Ending with a win will be good for you.”

  “I’ll suggest that to Klim, Sensei.”

  Indara brought two training su yari to them. “Master, the weapons you wanted.”

  “Thank you, Indara. You have the items ready in case of accidents?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Gregory managed to keep the wince off his face as he thought about what Gin was alluding to.

  “Now, Gregory, show me what they taught you this week.”

  ~*~*~

  “What’re your plans for tomorrow?” Jenn asked them.

  “We’ll likely keep to our usual schedule, at least for the first part of the day,” Gregory said. “Wake early for breakfast and studying. After that, I have some sparring to do.”

  “Oh, can I come watch?” Jenn asked, pushing some of her hair back behind her ear.

  Gregory nodded. “Gin is going to be there, too.”

  “After that, we’ll be heading into the city,” Yukiko said. “Greg has plans for my birthday.”

  Jenn blinked. “Tomorrow is your birthday?”

  “Yes. I came a few days away from missing the academy this year.”

  “That would have been awful,” Gregory said.

  “Agreed,” Yukiko smiled.

  “What’re you going to do for her birthday?” Jenn asked.

  “I’ve been keeping it secret, like she did for mine,” Gregory said, “though dinner here will be part of it.”

  Getting the hint, Jenn nodded. “Ah, okay. Maybe I’ll use the time to meditate.”

  “Make sure to get some training on all three paths,” Yukiko told Jenn. “You don’t have to push hard, but make time for it.”

  “Didn’t Elder Lightshield tell us to take our days off... off?” Jenn asked.

  “He did,” Gregory said. “We’ve found this pattern works for us, so we’ll likely keep with it. It means we’ll do less than a normal day, but still more than nothing. The more we do now, the easier the future will be.”

  “Yes,” Yukiko nodded. “If we can widen the gap between us and Nick, it’ll be easier for us to deal with trouble.”

  “I can see where that would be a good idea,” Jenn nodded. “Guess we should get our studying in.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Stepping out onto the arena floor, Gregory was surprised to find Gin speaking with Klim. Now I know why we didn’t find him at the clan hall… Gregory thought.

  “There he is now,” Gin said. “I’ll be adjudicating these sparring sessions. It will be as follows; bo, su yari, kama yari, guandao, and then the naginata. Any questions?”

  “No, Sensei,” Gregory said, bowing his head to Gin.

  “No, sir,” Klim said. “I’m surprised we have an audience, though.”

  Gregory looked over to find not just Yukiko and Jenn, but the entirety of the clan, including the clan staff, present. In addition to them, Paul Erichson was there with his clan head, Master Chen, and
a dozen other magi of various tiers from the Iron Hand.

  “It looks like our clans are expecting us to do well,” Gregory said.

  “Indeed,” Klim said as she accepted a bo from Inda. “Let’s do our best.”

  Gregory thanked Indara for bringing him the bo, then turned back to Klim. “As it should be, but I’m sure you’ll win most of the matches.”

  Klim gave him a smile. “I would embarrass my clan if I didn’t. I will be trying to win them all.”

  Gregory nodded. “I’ll be trying, too, even with no training with the third and fourth weapon.”

  “Bow to the audience,” Gin said.

  Once they had bowed to the audience, Gin, and then each other, Gregory and Klim set themselves into a defensive posture.

  “Fight!” Gin commanded as he stepped back.

  Gregory came forward fast and hard. He knew any lengthy encounter would heavily favor Klim. Klim nodded, clearly expecting him to take the initiative. The clack-clack of the two wooden staves meeting echoed over the sands.

  Separating, they circled each other, both looking for an opening. Gregory darted forward again, thrusting hard at Klim’s ribs only to be met and rejected by a cross block, pushing his bo well to the side. Klim followed the block with a downward chop. Gregory anticipated the return attack and was able to step in and to the side, using the trailing end of his staff to deflect the strike.

  The two separated and circled again. “You’re more skilled than the novices left in the class,” Klim said. “I was sad that you left. I don’t have a valuable training aid now.”

  “I follow my sensei’s instructions,” Gregory said. “Besides, it’s obvious that the classes are now even more dangerous to be in.”

  Klim agreed as she darted forward, her bo spinning a complex figure. “Indeed.”

  The hard wooden smack of the staves meeting again echoed in the air as Klim pushed on Gregory. Gregory was focused on Klim, but could feel his chances of prolonging, or even winning, rapidly decreasing.

  Not even a minute later, Gregory, well off-balance from Klim’s constant assault, stumbled and lost his footing. Klim slapped Gregory’s right leg, pulling it out from under him. Going down, Gregory winced and tried to bring his bo up to stop the next attack. Klim’s staff slammed into the sand an inch from his head.

  “Stop!” Gin called out. “Adept Klim wins the round.”

  Klim bowed to Gregory, then to Gin, before turning back to help Gregory to his feet. “You never should’ve stopped attacking me,” Klim told him. “You gave me time, which let me set the stage for my attack.”

  “Agreed,” Gregory said as he got to his feet. His right calf twitched in anger, the bruise already forming.

  “I would like even matches,” Klim said, giving Gregory’s shoulder a squeeze.

  The warmth of Klim’s aether flowed through Gregory for a moment before it vanished. Flexing his calf, the pain was gone. “My thanks. Sparring with a healer has some bonuses.”

  Klim laughed as she exchanged the bo for the su yari that Inda held out for her. “Minor as those may be.”

  Gregory exchanged weapons with Indara, bowing his head to her in thanks. “I don’t think it’s a minor one,” he replied to Klim.

  “Bow to the audience,” Gin said once they’d reached him.

  The moment he told them to fight, Gregory attacked. He had a better feel for the su yari than he did for the bo staff, which gave him hope for this match. Klim’s smile became a frown of concentration as she defended herself. Gregory didn’t let up— he pushed into the attack, trying to win as quickly as he could while still being mindful of the proper forms.

  The fight lasted minutes this time, but Gregory still lost. Klim eventually executed a beautiful counter, catching Gregory off-balance and driving him back. She ended it with a thrust that he didn’t block in time.

  Wheezing slightly, as the strike had hit him hard, Gregory gave her a pained smile. “Almost...”

  “Much better than the last time we fought,” Klim said. “It amazes me how skilled you are after only a week of training with it.” She healed his ribs. “Almost broke it... glad I didn’t.”

  “Me, too.”

  The kama yari and the guandao weren’t nearly as competitive. The kama yari might have gone better if Gregory had trained with it at all, but since he hadn’t, he failed to account for the side blade. Klim easily won when they fought with the guandao, which was a more powerful style than any of the other weapons.

  “Four of four,” Klim sighed. “I’m disappointed. I thought you’d do better with the kama yari, at least.”

  “I’m disappointed in me, too,” Gregory said as he traded weapons with Indara. “I won’t lose this match, though.”

  “Very confident,” Klim chuckled. “I know you beat an apprentice with a naginata, but I’ve had much more time to train with it.”

  “That’s true, you have,” Gin said. “You’re quite skilled with all the weapons you’ve sparred with so far.”

  “Thank you, Armsmaster,” Klim said, bowing her head to him. “Might I entice you into a match?”

  Gin chuckled. “If you beat him this time, I will spar a single match with you.”

  Klim’s smile grew wide. “I look forward to it.”

  Gregory kept his face impassive as he took up his position across from Klim. He did as instructed, bowing to the audience, Gin, then Klim. When Gin called for them to fight, he stood still.

  Klim frowned when he didn’t attack. “Your form is good,” Klim said. “Better than when you’ve held any other weapon, in fact... But playing defensively won’t win this for you.”

  Gregory stayed impassive, his weapon completely still.

  “Very well. I’d hoped for more, but I’ll end it quickly,” Klim said.

  When Klim came forward, Gregory just waited until his training naginata caught hers and deflected it. The follow-up strike was also pushed away from him, though his feet never moved. Klim reset her stance, wearing a puzzled expression on her face. She tested with another attack, only to be defeated with Gregory not moving an inch.

  “What is this?” Klim murmured as she started to circle.

  Gregory shifted with her, his feet moving as little as possible as he kept her in front of him. Klim watched closely, waiting for him to make a mistake, but she made it a hundred-eighty degrees around and his balance never wavered from perfect.

  “You seem very poised,” Klim said.

  Gregory didn’t talk, but he did move. His footwork was perfect as he launched his attack. Klim deflected the first, second, and third attacks with little effort, but by the fourth, her balance was being shifted little by little and she knew it.

  Determined not to be positioned to his will, Klim launched an attack of her own to force him back. Gregory deflected it and used the momentum to unbalance Klim further, slamming the shaft of his weapon against hers. Klim grunted— the attack made her take an unwanted step, but she thought she was safe.

  Gregory stepped closer as Klim started to regain her balance. Letting go of the naginata with one hand, he grabbed Klim’s kimono with his free hand. Klim blinked, not having expected him to grapple with her, and was startled when he began to twist.

  Klim let out a startled cry when she was suddenly airborne for a few feet. The moment she landed, she started to roll back to her feet, but a tap on the back of her neck stopped her.

  “Stop!” Gin shouted as he moved forward. “Match is over. Novice Pettit wins.”

  Gregory bowed to Klim as she stood, then turned and bowed to Gin and the audience. “At least I wasn’t swept.”

  Klim shook her head. “There was no flaw in your stance or attacks... It almost felt like you were toying with me.”

  “That weapon is the one he is most skilled with,” Gin said.

  “I agree,” Klim said, bowing to Gin. “My thanks for your time, Armsmaster.” Turning to Gregory, she bowed to him, as well. “My thanks for keeping your promise, even if it wasn’t like I h
ad envisioned.”

  “My thanks for the matches and the learning experience,” Gregory replied, bowing just as formally to her.

  With the fight over, they handed the weapons back to Inda and Indara before heading for the exits. Yukiko and Jenn met Gregory as he left the waiting area.