Summer 5 116
Enthusiastic energy flowed through the dojo students' space as they anticipated the next form they would need to learn with great anticipation. The sky outside had changed from a bright blue to a gloomy orange-red color as the sun descended slowly behind the horizon, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. It was a swordsman's life aspiration. Up until the point at which their capacity was determined to be good enough to move up a class, they were always willing to learn more.
Caelum thought his abilities were boundless, but he was sure that this was not true for everyone. When he reached a fighting plateau, his swordsmanship would soon catch up to that of his teacher, but he hadn't given it much thought.
"All right! With this form, we're exploring a new kind of technique! Astraen gave his thronging class of students a half-growl, half-shout exchange.
"This one revolves around multiple strikes." Everyone, including the dragon, tensed up as they awaited the reveal of this form's nature during a dramatic pause that began, "Do this, then this, and then, in a flash you drive your opponent back with terrifying speed delivered in a flurry of blows."
The teacher alternated between standing and kneeling, his thick hands resting at his equally meaty waist and his eyes fixed on an opponent that appeared to be floating in midair in front of him. Caelum had to wait a moment to realize that the flickering motion in front of the Instructor was actually two lethal cuts that moved so quickly that it was difficult to track either strike with the eyes. He thought excitedly, "Now that's swordsmanship."
The dragon grinned. He was impressed with how smoothly the teacher could perform the moves. Brief and direct, without any of the puffery that frequently accompanied the arrogance of other educators. The instructor waved his hands, and everyone went into stance.
"Begin!"
Caelum knelt as instructed, his hand struggling to grasp the hilt so he could draw it when the moment came.
Astraen yelled, "Draw!" in a voice akin to a drill sergeant. He instantly pulled out his practice sword, holding it over his head and across his body as the command reached his ears.
"Swing!" Caelum felt a sharp pain travel from his shoulder through his abdomen as a result of the slash he did, but he gritted his teeth and planted both of his feet firmly at shoulder-width apart.
"Swing!" the teacher growled once more, and the dragon's downward cut was considerably more controlled because the pain prevented him from unleashing another wild cut that would have burned into his mind and caused him to see another wave of excruciating colors.
"Sheathe!"
Caelum easily brought his practice sword home as the form came to an end. He exhaled, closed his eyes, and got ready to head home for a well-earned rest when he heard a sharp cry "Begin!"
It took the dragon hardly any time to get into stance when the teacher called out. Rushing, he hadn't taken enough time to lower himself to the ground, and his knee suffered greatly as it smashed against the hard surface of the wooden floor. Nevertheless, he didn't have time to feel the pain
"Draw! Strike! Strike!" the teacher cawed out in quick succession, and Caelum's concentration on his body's movements distracted him from the pain in his knee and torso.
Once more, his draw carried the practice sword over his head… however, this time, he needed no control to move from the upward blow to the downward one. He then held the practice sword motionless in his right hand, leaving only the sound of his breathing and the sounds of other men and women who filled the void.
"Sheathe!" Several practice swords were slid back into their correct positions, and everyone exhaled with relief. Astraen's stern-looking eldership gave the impression that he was going to drill his students one more time, but all he did was watch as they filed out of the dojo. Though his expression appeared more like a scary mask due to the hideous scar, it was thoughtful nonetheless. The dragon ran his hand over his own lip, wondering what lay behind the teacher's intense gaze.
Caelum had not regretted his decision to drop in on lessons, even after these first several days had passed. With the exception of the first day, when he went over a number of forms for the students to learn, the controlling teacher most of the time just watched the ongoing arguments between the students and rarely offered guidance. He then allowed them to experience firsthand how each form worked well in each circumstance. Caelum was so taken by that in the man that he almost wished he had followed instructions so well from the beginning.
The class took a break and got back together again shortly after lunch. By now, the majority of students had arrived and were getting ready for another evening of fighting. The fact that the dragon always arrived at the dojo ready for a fight caused the others to pick up their pace of preparation. While most people didn't seem to notice the boy who seemed most determined to hurt, no, fight Caelum twisted his face in disgust as he strode by.
Astraen grabbed everyone's attention and clapped, saying, "This evening we will be another of sparring. Use the conflict to better yourself."
Caelum watched the bully approach him, his dark features casting menacing shadows as the taller boy flicked his chin up in challenge, the dragon brushed the thought from his mind. The bully seemed even more enraged when Caelum looked at him silently for a brief moment, but soon enough the two were facing one another, bowed stances on their torsos. The dragon wanted to deal with his opponent, to defeat him so one sidedly that he wouldn't dare spar him again. Even though Caelum detested his opponent, he could not help but observe the notable disparity in his raw strength. The boy only looked to be slightly older than himself, but he probably could have taken down a fully grown man.
The bully took a strong stance, as usual. He utilized his weight to drive hard at Caelum, forcing him to back off a few steps. He then reset his stance, countered with a cross-body slash, and once more "sheathed" his practice sword. The bully simply countered the attack with a stronger, more focused attempt, rendering Caelum's defense completely ineffective. In less time than it had taken for them to exchange words, the two of them were panting heavily, their skin shining with sweat as they gave each other frank looks. As the bully watched Caelum, hatred burned brightly in his sunken eyes and his fingers quivered and uncurled in a steady rhythm.
The teacher approached, his hand reaching for his own weapon, assuming a familiar stance. Then came another student, and another, until Caelum was surrounded by as many as five assailants
"What's this?" The dragon's question was a little too direct, but the teacher just grinned.
"You are surrounded in a circle and have numerous weapons aimed at you... What do you do?"
Caelum dropped to a knee, repositioned the practice sword at his sheath, and reminded himself to maintain his balance throughout the move. In this situation, his momentum would be his most powerful tool. The teacher grunted silently as he moved forward, using his hand to swiftly draw his practice sword. The others followed suit, attacking at the same moment. But none could react quickly enough because Caelum suddenly leaped out of his kneeling position. With his feet outstretched and his arm whipped out, he spun and pulled out his practice sword at the same time.
It wasn't a great attempt and in no way meant that he was ready to take on multiple opponents at once, but at least he knew the right thing to do to hopefully push the assailants back a short distance.
Everyone just stared at him approvingly for a moment before someone yelled, "Heads up!" and the dragon was hit full in the face by someone's shoe as he turned to face the direction of origin.
Astraen picked up the shoe and slapped dust off it, muttering, "Your reflexes are too slow still. You could use some more practice."
The students all seemed to be laughing so hard, but Caelum ignored them. He had a feeling the teacher was probably hiding somewhere, waiting to hit him with the shoe once more. He was correct. The sound of leather flying through the air behind him was the only warning this time. Caelum knew there would be a second shoe, but his awareness allowed him to drop to his knee and avoid the first. The second whacked him on the back.
"Alright that's enough teasing. Let's end the lesson here." The students dispersed and Astraen came to help Caelum up. It was all in good fun and he didn't think less of his teacher for helping him improve.
