[Flashback]The way of the Katana (Part 2) (Solo)

[Revy Hiroe]

28th day, Spring 501 AV. A lone teenager could be found trotting through the streets of Riverfall again. People who frequented the route that particular girl used, could recognize her as a student at the Vantath Ralo Sasaran. She had been using the same route from the inn she was staying at for the fourth day now. Young Akalaks that wanted to talk to her usually got put off by a single look from that particular girl. She wasn't in the mood, nor was she even interested in their attention. All she wanted was to study under the myrian Isa. After arriving at the dojo, half a bell early as always, she picked up the bokken she always prepared the evening before. Gripping it with both her hands, right one on the bottom of the grip and the left one slightly above the right now so they would create a leverage point. Then she started her warm-up with two sets of fifty cuts. Those cuts were performed by raising the bokken above her head and place her leading foot a little forward and then as she performed the cut, moved her back foot in as well. The second cut was performed in the opposite direction, so instead of her leading foot forward, it would be her back foot a little backward and as the cut was performed, the leading foot would follow as well. After having performed the warmup, Isa had arrived. Looking at Revy she said: “Today you learn a set of strikes. I'll teach you a couple and then I want you to start using them in succession. This you will have to repeat from now on. I want you to be able to switch easily between different stances that way.” The young girl nodded and prepared herself. She took on the third stance as that was the only one she knew right now. ”Okey, what do I need to do?”, she asked her myrian teacher. What ever she would come up with, the girl had prepared herself to do it. ”Right, I want you to practice horizontal cuts. You might need a different stance for those, but that's for you to find out right now. I will correct you if you show an error that can develop into a bad and probably fatal habit.”, Isa told her pupil. Revy nodded and took a deep breath. Her first attempt at a cut was to say it at least a little gentle.... hopeless. Her blade wavered, she moved as if she were made out of wood. She had tried to do it from the basic stance she knew and immediately noticed how hard it was to do a proper horizontal cut from that position. But stubborn as she was, she didn't give up. Instead, she shifted her position and brought her bokken down, the tip pointing to the ground and the cutting edge facing outward. Her feet had shifted apart automatically to give herself a stronger base. Then she did another attempt at the cut, but just from being in this stance she felt as if she just had to shout with the swing. And as she did so, her blade unwavering, the shout she emitted was loud enough and carried enough spirit to make Isa widen her eyes by only a little. The teachers that were on their way hurried over and saw that it was just Rei training under Isa. Rei felt confident about that slash and wanted to follow it up with another one unconsciously. By turning her hands a little, she had the blade facing forward high over her head and then with a fast step forward, she brought it down. But the spirit she had from the Quartes stance, that was the one she had taken on, had left her and left her with a slightly wavering blade. This didn't escape the eyes of Isa and she said: “Stop. I told you only to do a horizontal cut. What you did was a cut aimed to diagonally cut your opponent down. While that was a good strike, the follow up you had intended was not. Remember that when you lose your spirit in a fight, you'll die.”