Nomad: Luke's Story of Life
Chapter 11: Guardia Five
The next day, after Luke and Ryoga rose from their respective tents, Luke went to Crono's house.
"Good morning, Mrs. Temporus. I'm here to train Crono," he said as he arrived.
Rather subdued, she gestured for him to follow her. The two walked up the stairs to Crono's room.
Crono's mother opened the blinds, then gently touched Crono's shoulder. "Crono, it's time to get up."
Crono mumbled and turned over, shielding his eyes. He shot to his feet and grabbed his katana when he saw Luke, half drawing it before he recognized him.
"Good reflexes, it's a good start. But we'll leave target recognition for another day. Today, we spar," Luke said, diving right into business.
Crono rolled out of bed and onto his feet. "Let's do this!"
The two walked out the door, reassuring Crono's mom that they would eat food after their spar.
They walked off into the woods a little way. Luke took his staff-fighting posture, Crono his typical sword stance.
"All right, begin!" Luke exclaimed.
Crono quickly took the offensive, charging straight in with a sword thrust. Luke countered by sweeping the blade to the side with a circular motion of his staff. Crono kept his momentum and swung the sword's pommel at him, catching Luke in the head. He quickly kicked out, pushing Crono back.
"Good! I wasn't expecting that!"
Luke took the offensive, charging in with a sweeping low swing that Crono jumped over. Luke pulled his staff back and into another sweep, this one high, countered by Crono's katana blocking close to his face. Luke swiveled his staff around Crono's sword and hooked him behind the head, throwing him to Luke's rear. A quick spin and Luke held a staff tip at Crono's head.
"Gotta pull back quick. That's enough for now."
Luke helped Crono to his feet. All of a sudden, Magus appeared before them.
"Whoa, uh, who are you?" Luke asked.
"Magus? What's up?" Crono asked.
Magus looked back and forth between the two, then settled his gaze on Luke. "You've seen a blue-haired girl in your recent time."
"Yeah, Xian Pu. You know her?"
"How have you come to know our language?" Magus asked, in what he knew as the ancient language of Zeal, but Luke knew as Mandarin Chinese.
"I was taught many languages, and this one happens to be used by a tribe of warrior women called the Chinese Amazons. Xian Pu is one of them."
"Xia La is my sister. I've been looking for her across space and time. Where is she?"
"She's in the future, my time."
"I see. I take it you don't know how to get back."
"No."
"Then we shall go to the End of Time."
"Wait, what?" Crono asked.
"Apparently, his sister wound up in my time."
"It will take me a while to make the preparations to go to the End of Time. I take it you will be adequately occupied." He disappeared.
"That... was creepy," Luke exclaimed.
