Unseen by D. K. Holmberg

Author:D. K. Holmberg [Holmberg, D. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: ASH Publishing
Published: 2021-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Interlude

Imogen looked up at Master Liu. He held the long staff and kept it pointed at the ground, but he did nothing to hide the disappointment in his eyes. She had seen the disappointment enough times that she recognized it, and she knew just how irritated he was with her. She still had not mastered even the most basic of the sacred patterns, despite all of her best intentions.

“Bring up your reed,” Master Liu said.

Imogen fought back her exhaustion as she looked around the training chamber. It was small. She had been in the temple for the better part of two years and still struggled as she tried to learn everything Master Liu could teach her, yet even as she did, none of the sacred patterns had been enough for her. None of them had guided her the way she wanted them to. None of them had provided her any greater insight.

And so for the most part, Imogen had started to shift her training, focusing not on the sacred patterns that Master Liu wanted her to learn but on the traditional patterns. She had failed to do anything with the sacred patterns, so she thought it made sense to focus on the ones she could actually succeed with.

She brought the reed up using both hands, and she peered across the distance to him. “I’m trying,” she said, more irritation in her voice than she intended.

She wiped the sweat off her face, moving her hair. Imogen had cut her hair short since coming to the temple, which was easier than dealing with her long hair. She didn’t have to bind it back, didn’t have to worry about finding lace or leather to keep it out of her eyes. She had taken to wearing the jacket and pants that most of the male disciples preferred, but she also put her own twist on it.

“Trying?” Master Liu asked.

He swung his staff and Imogen danced back, not even trying to block. At this point, she didn’t know if trying to defend against it would even make a difference. All she knew was that she had to find some way to stay away from the end of his staff. She’d been struck enough times, her skin bruising, and the agony from each of the painful cracks he landed served as a reminder of just how little she knew. Of just how much she failed.

She couldn’t stop him. He was too skilled.

There was no look of satisfaction in his eyes, nothing there other than annoyance. And worse, Imogen knew she had earned it.

“Use what you have been taught,” he said.

“It doesn’t work.”

“You must find it within you. You must understand the flow.”

She let out a sigh. “Flow doesn’t work for me.”

This time, there was no attempt to ignore the forceful nature of how she said it. There was no attempt to mitigate her annoyance.

He kept talking about the flow, but there was one thing she had learned when she was training with the Leier: there was no flow.

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