Stolen Trinkets by Alex Steele

Author:Alex Steele [Steele, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732451827
Publisher: Steel Fox Media LLC
Published: 2018-07-29T14:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Three

I toed off my shoes by the door and paused at the threshold. I’d known my master since I was a child. He had been going gray when we first met, but his hair was fully white now. He kept it buzzed short, but his neatly braided beard was long enough to tuck into the belt wrapped around his waist.

He stepped forward and swung the katana down in a sharp motion, ending the movement with a loud shout. He slid his foot around, eyes trained on invisible opponents. Two steps forward and a thrust, then he pulled the sword back and sheathed it.

Each step and movement were perfectly precise. He had been practicing this kata for longer than I’d been alive, and it showed. He was aware that I was here, but his perfectionist nature would not allow him to leave the kata unfinished. He had always told me it was disrespectful.

He sheathed the katana for a final time, then turned to face the mirrors. He knelt and laid the katana on the mat, sliding his hand down the sheath. He moved backward and bowed deeply, his head touching the floor. With the kata complete, he rose, picked up the sword, and finally turned to face me.

“I saw the news reports.” He strolled toward me, putting the sword back at his waist. “I taught you better than that.”

I stepped across the threshold and bowed deeply. “My apologies, Master Hiko.”

His feet appeared in my line of vision and pain shot through my head as he rapped his knuckles against my skull. “Don’t apologize, just stop losing control,” he chastised. Also, didn’t I teach you to never take your eyes off your opponent? You have grown weak.”

“You’re not my opponent,” I said, as I rose from my bow and rubbed the top of my head.

“I taught you to be polite and courteous but also to have a plan to kill everyone. That includes me. Or did you forget?”

“I didn’t forget. As for losing control, it was kind of intentional this time, and also not completely my fault.”

He raised a bushy white brow. “Get your lies straight before you come here with excuses.”

His leg struck out in a blinding move. I leapt backward just in time to dodge the attack. His katana flashed toward me; I drew my own sword and blocked the strike just inches from my face. The weapons are runed to be far more durable than prosaic weapons, allowing me to do things that would shatter a normal blade. We moved around the room, our swords flashing in a complicated dance.

Most students practiced with bokken, wooden swords, but Master Hiko had insisted that was a poor way to train. He also wouldn’t let me use magic. The real risk of getting my head chopped off had lit a fire under my ass to learn quickly, and correctly. The kata had taken on a whole new importance as well. I assumed he had amazing control and wouldn't lop my head off. But I didn’t exactly want to test that theory either.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.