The Soul of a Warrior

By: Tellemicus Sundance

Chapter 4--Discovery

He was walking down a familiar street. In front of him was a familiar building, Kadic. He could see them standing there, all smiling and waving to him as he approached. Everyone was there and he smiled at them all; even Sissi. If he wasn't so happy to be back, he would've been surprised at how much he missed her whining voice.

Stopping in front of them, he looked at the raven-haired girl standing before him. She wasn't smiling or waving, just standing there and staring. Reaching for her face, Ulrich tried to caress her cheek, to feel her body warmth and know that she was actually there. But as his hand approached, her face blurred.

Everything began darkening around him as a bell sounded from what seemed a great distance. Though he tried to get back to his friends, the darkness consumed him. Then he felt himself lying on his back on a wooden floor.

Snapping his eyes open, Ulrich sat bolt upright. He quickly looked around for Kadic and everyone. But he found himself in his room again in the mountain village. Just a dream.

Standing, he felt an all-too-familiar ache of his muscles. His legs, arms, chest, and back all screamed in protest from the previous days' workouts. Dully, he remembered the strenuous regime that Master Riyo had forced upon him from the first day he arrived. Ulrich had trouble keeping track of the days because his life fell into a routine with his new home. Yet he knew that he had been here for easily a month and a half.

Walking to a bundle of discarded clothes in the corner, he halfheartedly dressed. Ulrich was grateful that the villagers, whom he'd come to know quite well now, had provided him with spare clothing. His old clothes were torn, filthy, and had an extremely putrid odor.

Pacing to the door of the house, he looked out over the small town. The village was slowly stirring in the waxing hours of the day. Chimney smoke began rising from multiple homes, mothers wrestled their children out of their beds, the men rose silently and dressed in preparation of the morning's warm-up exercises.

Slipping into a pair of wooden sandals, Ulrich began stretching his arms over his head as he walked toward the training field. Around him the other men and boys were also approaching, some carrying stacks of weaponry while others partly dragged their protesting children.

Taking a wooden katana, he hurried to his familiar place on the field and waited for the rest to join. They formed into a checkerboard pattern on the field with three paces distance between each person.

The morning exercises were conducted before breakfast and before the sun even peeked over the mountaintops. It was a routine that Ulrich had been forced into and adjusted to quite well. The warm-ups usually lasted for an hour, short but it woke a person up fast.

Breakfast was a simple meal of rice, vegetables, eggs, and a goblet of water. Quite plain but the food felt wonderful to Ulrich as he felt it slide down his throat. It was rejuvenating and his could feel some of his aches easing slightly.

He sat on his knees at a small table with Taki across from him. Her brother sat to the side and between them. As he ate, he listened to the siblings as they spoke in quiet voices. For the extent that Ulrich had been trapped in the village, he had tried to listen closely so he could learn their language. Only these past few days had he been able to really start understanding what was being said.

"Promise you won't hurt him so badly today," Taki was saying as she ate her rice. "It's a miracle he can even walk after yesterday."

"Hey," Tadashi said, feeling insulted. "I was assigned to whip him into shape, I'm just doing my job."

"You don't have to be so brutal, though."

"What?" he asked, setting his goblet down. "Would you rather have Master Maki teach him…? I'm gentle compared to him."

"I don't recall Riyo-chan telling you to break some part of Ulrich-san's body every time you duel," Taki snapped.

She knew that she'd have better luck trying to talk some sense into a wall of stone than with Tadashi. It was just so…painful…? Infuriating…? Saddening to watch her strange friend be pummeled by her brother without remorse.

"What do you care?" he asked with sneer. "You seem to enjoy tending to his little bruises and cuts…both of you do in fact."

"I do not!" she almost yelled.

Seeing her brother's sneer and Ulrich's half-questioning and half-understanding glance, she looked away. Thankfully she looked away, for a moment longer and she'd have seen Ulrich's following blush. Taking several breaths, she returned to eating quietly. The silence lasted for what seemed an eternity; it was very uncomfortable.

Then, picking up his empty bowl of vegetables, Ulrich held it up politely toward Taki. As she looked questioningly at him, he hesitantly said, "I thank you, Taki-san... May I have more?"

Tadashi and Taki looked at him dumbfounded for a moment. Then a smile spread her face and small laugh escaped. "I—well… Yes, please! Have—have as much as you want!"

While he refilled his bowl, Ulrich could feel Tadashi's gaze on him. It was extremely annoying to him that he had to share the same house as his sparring partner. He knew long before a moment ago that Tadashi seemed to enjoy beating Ulrich. He resented the teenager for the multiple times he'd been unable to effectively defend himself from his forthcoming beatings.

"How long could you understand what we're saying?" Tadashi demanded threateningly.

"For a few days now," he answered truthfully, keeping his gaze on his bowl. "Not a lot, but enough to understand."

Tadashi scrawled for a moment. With a sudden grin, he looked at Taki smugly. Chuckling, he said, "Well, it looks like you can be his nurse fulltime now."

"Shut up," Taki snapped.

Ulrich, though his face didn't show it, understood what had been said. He fought back a second blush that was threatening to escape. The last thing he wanted was for either Tadashi or Taki to see that he was blushing. It would give his sparring partner some new material to taunt him with if he knew.

As his mind involuntarily began to fill with Taki's face, a mental slap knocked him senseless. Yumi's face replaced Taki's and he felt his familiar emotions for her flooding through him, while his confused emotions for Taki began to wash away.

I'll be back, he told her face forcefully. I'll be back.

He knew how he could get back. He would have to devote himself utterly to his training, night and day relentlessly. He would become the best warrior that had ever walked out of this village in more than a century. He had to. It was the only way.

The dull thuds and whacks of wood on wood and wood on flesh sounded from a pair of swordsman that was training. They fought with a ferocity that in the outside world was unheard of. But in their tiny village it was an everyday event.

Ulrich ducked under slash and brought his sword up in an arc. Tadashi managed to jump back and the sword passed through the air without even touching him. Taking a cautious step forward, he gave a fast jab at Ulrich's extended wrist. The wood slapped his hand, sending confusing sensations of numbness and pain up his arm. His sword dropped from his nerveless hand as he backed away, holding it gently.

Standing with his sword on his shoulder, Tadashi let a satisfied grin on his face. Almost carelessly, he glanced over at his grandfather and Taki who stood several paces away. Riyo was expressionless but Taki wasn't. She glared at him for a moment then turned her attention back to Ulrich.

As she started approaching, Ulrich gingerly tested his hand. Flexing his fingers slowly, he could feel that it would be sore for several days. But other than that, it was just fine.

He was going to kill Tadashi for this. He hated being hurt like Tadashi was doing to him everyday, without fail. It was maddening, infuriating… in fact he just couldn't think of the proper word to use. But his anger rose with each pulse of pain that raced from his hand to his brain. Then, Taki's shadow enveloped his hands and he looked up at her.

Holding his fallen weapon out, she looked at him carefully in the eyes. As he took the sword, she said, "Ulrich-san, do not think… just fight."

"Just fight?"

"Yes," she said. "Just fight."

"Just fight," he mused as she bowed and hurried back to her former position.

Closing his eyes, Ulrich let his breath out and drew in a slow, deep one. With all his self-will, he made his mind go blank, only Taki's words remained. Just fight. With difficulty he suppressed his anger and slowly opened his eyes. Just fight. Standing in front of him was Tadashi. Just fight. Then in an instant, he understood.

He understood what she meant.

It was like an awakening in his brain. Everything seemed to be in perfect alignment with one another. He just couldn't describe it: the wind pulling at his hair and clothing and the rustle of the trees and their leaves. It was as if he had become one with his surroundings. Everything had lost its identity, including him.

He watched his opponent as he slowly flexed his grip on his weapon and brought it up into position. He could see the look of concentration on his face and he knew that he was in the same mind frame. Ulrich didn't even notice himself setting up for an attack; it was all instinct.

Then, they struck.

The clash of their weapons sounded loudly as they struck head on with one another. Drawing his weapon back, he stepped back, avoiding his opponent's following kick. Bringing his sword down in an arc, he hit only air as his opponent leaned out of the way. As his opponent brought his own sword up in an arc, he used his momentum to duck under it.

Lunging to the side, they rolled off each other's backs, swinging their weapons full force. Then, with a burst of speed, they brought their swords up to the other's throats without touching.

A draw.

Then, as suddenly as his awakening had occurred, it disappeared. He became Ulrich Stern again. In his mind replayed the fight that he'd just fought. To his utmost surprise, he realized that he and Tadashi had been fighting with speeds that no normal person could possibly comprehend. He was greatly surprised to find himself breathing as easily as he would walk down a path.

It was startling; had he been able to move like that only because he'd lost all identity? If that were true, it would explain why he'd been being beaten everyday. He had been slow, much too slow. Ulrich wasn't sure if he was relieved to have found this discovery or not.

He barely noticed Tadashi's surprised expression and following bow of respect. Snapping from his revere, Ulrich bowed as well. Looking back toward Riyo, he saw a look of pride on his face. He knew that Riyo knew what he'd found mere moments ago. He knew that the real test would soon begin.