Power Awakens

During the middle of the second year of training, not long after Tem had been promoted to an unprecedented Profent status, Tem and Jaac had joined a class ran by Mathus. These classes were usually only for advanced students.

Mathus was taking a class on Sword with multiple attackers. After he had finished demonstrating a particular Kata designed to fend off up to six attackers at once. Rolan one of the Profent students muttered to Tem that it was impossible to fend off that many attackers, so what was the point in learning the new Kata. Unfortunately for Rolan, Mathus heard the tall lanky red headed youth and immediately called him to the front.

“Listen carefully lads”, shouted Mathus, “only the best and most talented reach Master level, and only a Master can defeat multiple opponents without endangering himself, this Kata is both a defensive and offensive kata, and if learned well, it could save your life one day. At the very least you need to master the defensive parts, some of the offensive parts may be beyond you. As to you Rolan, there is someone watching today that not only can defend himself against six attackers, but he can also defeat them. Do you wish to apologise now or would you prefer extra chores this evening?”

“Sorry sir,” stammered an embarrassed Rolan “but how can anyone defeat so many it just isn’t possible is it?”

“Ok boy, shall we?” Mathus turned to look up in the stalls and shouted “Osakee, would you honour us with a demonstration for these boys?”

Osakee, who had been up in the back of the stalls as usual, reluctantly nodded his accent, it had been a while since he had limbered up by taking practice against real opponents, guard duty for the Nexii was beginning to take it’s toll, in boredom. However, Jaac still wasn’t ready for the handing over ceremony, and Kyoto had still not arrived. It had been over a year since Kyoto had tasked him to protect the Nexii, but where was he? He assured Osakee that he was following and so should have been here a long time ago. Putting such thoughts from his mind, Osakee stood up and rested Harvester against the bench he had been sitting on. He moved down the steps to join the youths and Mathus on the practice floor.

“Right now, do we have any volunteers?” Mathus continued looking round the group. Three of the second year students volunteered immediately, followed by one fourth year student. “I need more volunteers, surely you could beat Osakee, I’ll lay a little wager, one half florin to the first one to touch Osakee, competition rules”

Three of the Royal Guardsmen, who had been training in the senior practice hall, overheard Mathus. “Is this for students only Mathus, or can we join in as well?” shouted one of the Guards.

Mathus looked at Osakee, who gave a simple nod. Osakee spoke for the first time. “As there are only four students and three men at arms, perhaps you would also like to join in Mathus”

The stalls had started to fill up by this time as word of the demo and wager spread. Mathus, who liked Osakee, thought that Osakee was probably being slightly arrogant in his request, as Mathus was a Master Swordsman, was Osakee really that good? Mathus decided to accept the offer.

Osakee, who just wanted the practice, but had no intention on keeping the wager, was glad of Mathus’s acceptance, as he really did need to practice with someone more talented.

The men and boys spread out with their practice swords. Mathus hung back not wanting to spoil the demo and not entirely sure that Osakee could pull this off. The young boys attacked first and within five seconds all four boys were either disarmed or on the floor or holding their heads. Osakee had seemed to dance between them whilst at the same time keeping them between him and the three guardsmen, as well as keenly watching Mathus.

The smile which the guardsmen had on their faces since accepting the wager was now gone. Much more warily, the guardsmen spread out equally around Osakee. Mathus suddenly joined them with a look of relaxed concentration. It appeared that Mathus had reached Koan state and so was taking the spar seriously. Osakee smiled to himself as he was beginning to enjoy this and he too achieved Koan state, feeling at one with his environment, the guardsmen, Mathus and his practice sword.

At an almost unseen signal, the three guardsmen attacked simultaneously and Mathus attacked from what he saw as a blind side to Osakee. Within moments Osakee performed a perfect Sunatra Kata and seeming to flow between the forms with slight alterations for the attackers, he had disarmed two of the guardsmen, hit the temple of the third and amazingly managed to deflect Mathus’s almost perfect Reckee head strike.

Just Mathus and Osakee left and the stalls were almost full, not a sound was made across the practice hall as they faced off.

Suddenly they both exploded into action, both of them executing complex kata’s that most of the people in the practice hall had never seen before. The speed of both combatants was bewildering and it was sometimes difficult to see exactly who had executed which form. The pair moved with the grace of a large felines and the swiftness of striking Cobra’s, they danced from one form to the next and from one complex kata to an even more complex kata. The sound of the practice blades almost merged into a single sound that became louder and more frenzied.

Almost as suddenly as it began, the fighting stopped. As Mathus had thought he hit the midriff of Osakee with a disembowelling thrust, Osakee’s practice blade lightly tapped his neck. Mathus didn’t even see that one coming and was amazed that Osakee had such control. Slightly embarrassed, but mainly amazed at Osakee’s sword work Mathus addressed the hall.

“Let that be a lesson to all of you watching, Osakee is an exceptional swordsman, even against a Master like myself. Osakee has shown what a perfect execution of a kata can do. Maybe next time you will all practice the forms a little harder, Thank you Osakee, it was an honour.”

Osakee, still deep in Koan was just about to let his concentration wane and graciously accept Mathus’s praise when he felt something wrong in the stall. If he had not been in a state of Koan he would never had felt anything until it was too late.