Everyday, for the next six months, was spent obsessively training with my wakizashis. It was a new feeling, holding two swords, but I was getting the hang of it. For the first while, I noticed that I was using one sword more than the other. I had to tell myself out loud that both had to be used equally. Once I got that figured out, I started working on my speed. It was amazing how fast I could go now that I had such lightweight swords.

Deflecting instead of blocking came easier than I expected. As my speed and agility started to improve, I found deflecting came almost automatically. I felt I was still a far cry from using the skills in a real battle though.

Presently, I was training with Captain Hirota. He had his long sword and I had my wakizashis. We were going at half speed so that I wouldn't break my blades while I was still learning.

"You've got quite a knack for those swords, Kat." The captain complimented.

"Thank you, sir."

"Keep it up and you'll be better than me in no time."

"You really think so?"

"Of course. You've learned a lot in such a short amount of time. I give you a few years, and I'd wager you'll be able to beat anyone on the Phoenix."

I couldn't help but smile. It was nice to hear such high praise from the captain. He was a good man, my dad probably would have liked him.

The thought of my dad turned my joyful face into a sad one. Tears started to stream down my face. I tried to hold them back. No one else on the Phoenix cried, so why should I? It was three and a half years ago now. Should I really still be crying every time I think about it? No! I wiped the tears from my eyes and fought back my grief.

"Captain!" Thane called from the crow's nest. "We've got trouble heading our way!"

Captain Hirota took out his telescope and looked in the direction that Thane pointed. "Shite! It's the Dark Phantoms!"

"The Dark Phantoms?" I echoed.

"Sorry, Kat, but I'll need you to fight in this one."

"But I don't think I'm ready!"

"You are ready. Even if you weren't, it would be better for you to die in battle than be taken hostage by them."

"Why? What makes them so bad?"

The captain let out a sigh. "Do you remember the stories I told you about The Claw of the Sea?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, their rivals were the Dark Phantoms. They are just as cruel and ruthless as the Claw was. We are all going to have to fight."

I felt fear freeze me in place. This was going to be my first battle! Every other time the fighting was about to start, I hid below deck. I had never killed anyone before. I didn't even know if I could.

"I-I don't know if I can…"

Captain Hirota crouched down in front of me and placed both hands on my shoulders as he locked eyes with me. "I know it can be scary, but if you don't, you'll die. This is what it means to survive."

I had no idea that surviving meant that I would have to kill. Was it really necessary?

"What if I just hurt them enough to get them to stop?"

"Then they'll kill you." His face grew more serious. "Kat, when we pick up a sword, we accept the fact that we will kill at some point. Sometimes it comes down to your life or theirs." He stood up keeping his eyes locked with mine. "Now, you have a choice to make. Will you die today?"

The power of his words reached my heart. "No!"

"Good." He stood up again and drew his own sword. "As soon as they catch up to us, do what you've trained to do."

"Yes, sir!" I held both swords at the ready. My heart was beating rapidly inside my chest and my adrenaline was starting to pick up. "I will not die today." I whispered to myself.

Moments later the ship pulled up alongside us and we were quickly boarded. I was quickly met by a man who was three times my size. He lifted his large sword above his head. I dodged and his sword crashed into the deck of the ship.

"Yur gunna have to do better than that!" I taunted. I don't know why I did it. I was terrified, so why was I making jokes?

"Get back here, you little runt!" He charged at me again.

I dodged forward, quickly turned around and gave him a jab in the back. He cried out in agony, but he was still standing and turned to face me. Our eyes locked. There was a fire of hatred in his eyes. No compassion, no love, and no fear. I knew right then, if I didn't kill him, he was going to kill me.

He came at me full force again. I barely managed to dodge because of the speed of his attack. I turned to give him another jab, but the hilt of his sword smashed into my face and sent me flying. I ached all over as I stood back up.

He swung his sword over his head and was about to bring it down on top of me. I forced myself to move; the adrenaline helped. His sword landed on the deck behind me and I ran him through the heart and the gut with my swords.

I looked up at him. There was shock in his eyes. He spat up blood and it landed on my face. I was frozen for a moment as the look on his face burned into my mind. I withdrew my swords and the man collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

I just stared at him. I looked down at the blood on my swords. I had no idea this is what it really meant to wield a blade; and I had chosen to wield two. I had just killed a man. If I hadn't, he would have killed me, but did that make it okay?

The captain's appearance right in front of me and the sound of his voice brought me back to reality.

"Kat, quit standing around! You can do your soul searching later!"

I gripped my swords tighter. He was right. Right now I had to survive. "Yes, sir!"

I lunged back into battle. I started taking down one man after another. It seemed like any opponent I fought didn't know how to deal with a kid with two swords. Their shock was what I used to my advantage. If I didn't, then I knew they would kill me.

After several hours of fighting, I was getting tired, but my adrenaline was still flowing freely. I was clashing swords with yet another man, but he was using a smaller sword than the first guy I'd fought. He was quicker too.

I did my best to deflect, but I was too slow on my next dodge and the tip of his sword grazed across my stomach.

I cried out in pain and collapsed to the deck clutching my stomach. The whole area throbbed. Thane quickly came to my rescue and ended the life of the man that had injured me.

"You alright, pretty boy?"

I did my best to examine my wound. As much pain as I was in, it didn't look fatal. "I think so."

"Good! Now let's finish these bastards!"

"Right!"

I forced myself to stand up. I didn't care how much pain I was in. I had heard of some men fighting with missing limbs or after they'd been riddled with arrows. I wasn't going to be a yellow belly! I was going to fight!

Finally, just as the sun was setting, the fighting came to an end. I was so relieved. I felt myself get light headed and start to fall. I felt strong arms catch me.

"Alright, pretty boy, let's get you fixed up."

I looked up and saw it was Thane. He took me to the captain's quarters and laid me on the bed.

"You can leave now, Thane." Captain Hirota ordered.

"Yes, sir."

I felt the pain in my stomach start to get worse and I couldn't help but groan.

"Hang on, Kat. Akiba is going to patch you up good as new."

Akiba was his second in command. He was a good physician, but I'd never been wounded before. I didn't know what to expect.

"Sorry, Kat, but I have to get a little personal." Akiba tore my shirt open and I instinctively covered myself.

"Relax. He already knows." The captain reassured me.

I relaxed my arms.

"Here, bite on this." Akiba instructed. It was a piece of leather.

"Why?" I groaned, still in pain.

"Because I have to clean the wound and stitch you up. The wound is deep and we don't have the means to cauterize it."

I took the piece of leather in my mouth.

"Hirota, I'll need you to hold her still. Because of her young age, she won't have the same tolerance we do."

The captain firmly grasped my shoulders. "Just look at me, okay?"

I nodded.

The whole procedure was painful and I was grateful for the piece of leather in my mouth. After what seemed like forever, it was finally done.

"Alright, Kat, now I need you to stand up."

Was he serious?! How was I supposed to stand up?! "I-I don't know if I can…"

"I need you to try. It's the best way I can dress your wound."

I slowly got up. With the captain's help, I was able to stand. Akiba wrapped the bandage around me and gave me a clean shirt to wear. The captain helped me lay down on the bed again.

"How long till you figure she's back on her feet?"

"I'll say two months, although, she could be ready as early as six weeks."

Captain Hirota turned to me. "You're on bed rest till you're ready to get back to work."

"Yes, sir."

"Get some rest now, you fought well out there today. You've earned it."

"Thank you, Captain."