Happy Christmas and New Year! :) These chapters are longer than the last few (several?) have been, so hopefully it was worth the wait...

Kudos to reviewers run4life, LonelyDarkWolf, and TifaRokkuhato! (If you reviewed too and aren't on the list, sorry; I'm still working through my inbox 0.o)

Enjoy! (Warning: Potential information overload in this set.)

Chapter 13

We entered the gym level to find the instructor standing a little ways in next to a rack of wooden swords.

"Today we're starting on katanas," he informed us. "Grab one and find a partner. The first 15 minutes will be free sparring time, so I expect you to be moving as constantly as possible. Get creative; try new things. We'll work on actual swordsmanship skills after that." He paused for a beat before calling "Go!"

We surged forward as one. I grabbed a katana and, seeing that Hayden and Dustin had paired up, looked at Jake. "Partners?"

"Sure."

We quickly moved off to the side and took a moment to get the feel of our weapons.

I did a few practice swings and looked at Jake. "Ready?"

He grinned. "I think so."

I tried a backhanded slash that Jake easily blocked. I slid my katana away and swung at his legs. He got out of the way without much difficulty and retaliated with a swing at my head, which I avoided by ducking. I straightened, and our edges locked in the middle as we swung simultaneously.

We pushed, grunting, for a moment before I ran my sword up the side of his and quickly jumped back out of the way. Jake was thrown off-balance from the sudden lack of opposing blade, and I took the opening to lightly smack his leg at the knee.

He grunted, and his blade hit my leg before I could get out of the way. I stumbled and almost tripped over my own feet as I tried to regain my balance. Jake took advantage of the opportunity to get to his feet, and I barely recovered in time to block his swing and the follow-up blow.

We parried back and forth for a bit, but I could tell that Jake was starting to lose some steam. That knowledge fueled me, and I whipped my sword around with a sudden burst of energy and sent Jake's katana flying, where it clattered against the wall and hit the ground.

I stared.

"Woah," I heard Jake mumble from next to me. "That was…intense."

I nodded.

"Nice move," the instructor commented, impressed, as he walked up. "Smooth and efficient disarming without leaving yourself open." He grinned. "Keep up the good work."

"Uh…thanks…." He'd already moved on to the next group.

Jake jogged over and grabbed his sword and, upon returning, held it up in front of him. "Best two out of three?"

I grinned, and the fight began.

/

The rest of the 15 minutes came and went, and the instructor yelled for us to stop. "Okay. Can everyone gather in the middle, please?" We grouped around him, and he pulled one of the katanas out of the rack. "These wooden katanas are nearly exact replicas of real katanas, but…safer." He hefted it in his hand and looked at us. "Judging from your handling of them, I don't need to start at square one with 'Don't touch the blade—it's sharp'…." He grinned as a ripple of laughter passed through the group. "I did see a few things that need to be fixed as far as grips go." His eyes skimmed us before he pointed at someone to my right. "You. Could you come out here, please?"

Dustin stepped forward next to the instructor.

"What's your name?"

"Dustin Hynek."

The instructor nodded. "Dustin, please hold your sword in an offensive position." Dustin obeyed. "Look at his grip. What do you notice?" His sharp gaze pierced our group as he stalked about in front of us.

Silence answered him.

"Really?" he asked incredulously, raising his arms. "No one?"

"Cack-handed?" I heard someone mutter softly behind me. I glanced back at Cody, perplexed, but looked back to the front as the instructor sighed.

"His grip is too tight," he continued. "This is a very common mistake and an easy way to tell if someone has had any training with a sword." Dustin glanced down at his hands as the instructor lifted his own katana in demonstration. "When I pick up a sword, I place my right hand near the guard and my left hand near the pommel. This gives me better balance and control of the blade." He slashed the air a few times in demonstration. "I want to hold it like I hold a hammer with the meat of my palm on the top of the grip and my fingers at a slight angle." He pointed with his left hand as he continued speaking. "My fingers aren't perpendicular to the grip. Can everyone see that? If my fingers are perpendicular—" He shifted his grip. "—it forces my wrist to flatten, which conducts the impact straight into me and increases my chances of getting injured. It also forces me to grip almost entirely with my front two fingers—so I lose control." He resettled his grip and raised his arms so we could see. "This is how you want to grip. My fingers are at a slight angle, and my right wrist is slightly bent while my left one is a bit more so. Now, when I hit something, the impact will add strength and control to my wrist instead of adding stress or injury." He slashed again. "Now for attacking. When you bring—"

"All cadets currently in Training in the Gym Level are now to report to Level 57 to donate a blood sample. Repeat: All cadets currently in Training in the Gym Level are now to report to Level 57 to donate a blood sample."

Fun, I thought sarcastically.

The instructor sighed with a slight smile. "Thanks for warning me," he commented drily before turning back to us. "Okay, guys. Put the katanas back in the rack and get to Level 57. We'll continue when they're done." As we left, he called after us, "And I'll know if you skip, so don't!"

/

After we'd all gotten jabbed with a needle and lost a pint of blood, we returned to the Gym Level to resume Training.

The instructor held his katana loosely in his right hand as he addressed us. "A quick review on the grip—think hammer." He lifted his sword so everyone could see and then adjusted into a basic attack stance. "When you attack, it's important that you have the proper grip so you don't hurt your arms or wrists upon impact with your target. Make sure to have complete control over your weapon at all times…."