Chapter 8: Sixteen Years Old
I jumped back to my feet, sword in hand, ready to fight some more. I clashed my sword against my master's and in a quick fling of his sword I was on the ground again.
"Kotaishi, don't fight with anger, use your head," he said for the twentieth time.
I stood up and breathed, concentrating. I took my sword and schemed my plot on how I would win. My last move would be my signature move. My planing failed, however, and I got thrust to the ground again.
"That was good planning, but you need to keep your focus," my swords master said once more.
I got up and tried again, this time using a different route, but still finishing off with my signature move. This time I won.
"Good job, now keep your focus again."
I nodded my head.
"Kotaishi! Kotaishi!"
I turned my head to see Hiroshi running towards me.
"What?!" I asked. "Can't you see I'm training right now?"
"Yeah, but you gotta come see. There's this girl here see? And she claims her name is Leilani see? And she's twelve and joining up to train."
"What?!" I ran over with Hiroshi to see this for myself. A twelve-year- old girl was looking around. Her eyes had that same sad glow to them.
"Lailani?" I asked.
Her head faced me. "Kotaishi?" She ran up to me and embraced me like she could see again. A big smile crossed her face.
"Can you see?" I whispered.
"Not yet," she replied, whispering.
"Why are you here?" I asked breaking our embrace.
"To train to become a soldier."
I was about to object to that, but I decided to let the situation go for the moment. We talked and caught up on all the things we missed out on. I told her about our toran's death. She had cried. I had to be strong around my little chika. I had to support her and everyone else I loved. So I was strong a little longer.
I jumped back to my feet, sword in hand, ready to fight some more. I clashed my sword against my master's and in a quick fling of his sword I was on the ground again.
"Kotaishi, don't fight with anger, use your head," he said for the twentieth time.
I stood up and breathed, concentrating. I took my sword and schemed my plot on how I would win. My last move would be my signature move. My planing failed, however, and I got thrust to the ground again.
"That was good planning, but you need to keep your focus," my swords master said once more.
I got up and tried again, this time using a different route, but still finishing off with my signature move. This time I won.
"Good job, now keep your focus again."
I nodded my head.
"Kotaishi! Kotaishi!"
I turned my head to see Hiroshi running towards me.
"What?!" I asked. "Can't you see I'm training right now?"
"Yeah, but you gotta come see. There's this girl here see? And she claims her name is Leilani see? And she's twelve and joining up to train."
"What?!" I ran over with Hiroshi to see this for myself. A twelve-year- old girl was looking around. Her eyes had that same sad glow to them.
"Lailani?" I asked.
Her head faced me. "Kotaishi?" She ran up to me and embraced me like she could see again. A big smile crossed her face.
"Can you see?" I whispered.
"Not yet," she replied, whispering.
"Why are you here?" I asked breaking our embrace.
"To train to become a soldier."
I was about to object to that, but I decided to let the situation go for the moment. We talked and caught up on all the things we missed out on. I told her about our toran's death. She had cried. I had to be strong around my little chika. I had to support her and everyone else I loved. So I was strong a little longer.