body by running around for a while without purpose. It was enough to enjoy the sensation of moving without pain. But his body knew things it hadn’t before. It was more balanced, more ready to strike. It wasn’t much, but it was noticeable. The elation that Ryuu felt gave him energy he hadn’t known he possessed.
Shigeru waited for Ryuu to run through his burst of excitement and newfound lightness. After Ryuu had run through his initial energy, Shigeru motioned for him to sit.
“How do you feel now?”
“Great!”
“Good.”
“How did you do that? It hurt so much, but now it feels so good. You weren’t even pressing on the spots that hurt. How does that work?”
Shigeru raised his hand to halt the flow of questions. “I will teach you everything I know, and before long you will be able to do this all on your own. Have you heard of the dayblades?”
Ryuu nodded. Everyone knew the legends of the dayblades and the nightblades. They had been two separate halves of the group of people known as the Blades, over a thousand cycles ago. Both groups had been destroyed in the Kingdom. The dayblades were healers, but everyone knew they were just as dangerous as the nightblades. In the stories that Ryuu had grown up with, all the blades had been killed, but Shigeru was still here.
Shigeru continued, “Remember yesterday how I said that it is good when you notice that things feel right?”
Ryuu nodded.
“The same energy that you feel when you are in tune with your swordsmanship also applies to your own body and everything in the world. This is the very foundation of what you know as the sense. You can use this knowledge both to heal and to harm a person, but it takes cycles of practice. The dayblades are experts at using their knowledge to heal. The nightblades are experts at using their knowledge to kill.”
Shigeru paused. “The divisions aren’t as clean as the legends would have you believe. The two groups draw upon the same body of knowledge, but physically manifest their skills in different ways. That being said, a dayblade can be an excellent warrior even if they are an even better healer. Likewise a nightblade can heal as you just experienced.”
Ryuu sat and pondered what Shigeru was saying. It was different than the stories he remembered. The nightblades were evil men who had destroyed the Kingdom, and the dayblades had kept them alive. But if Shigeru was a nightblade that meant he was evil, but he had saved Ryuu. His thoughts running in circles, Ryuu’s confusion was evident. Shigeru saw the confusion, but didn’t guess the reasoning behind it.
“I’m not going to try to teach you about it now; you’re not ready to learn yet. But I will tell you that everything you experience, from the woods you walk through, the trees you climb and the people you meet, everything is connected. What is true of the outside world is true inside your body as well.”
As was often the case, Ryuu was lost at Shigeru’s explanation, but he filed it away for further use.
Shigeru let out one of his wide open grins, the one that made Ryuu believe, however momentarily, that this was an open man with no defenses. “Now, I see I’ve confused you again. I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to talk to someone who has only seen a handful of cycles. It wasn’t a part of any training I received. However, I do know that this pond is wonderful to swim in, and it will help your body feel even better. Care to join me?”
Without any more warning Shigeru dove into the pond, a small ripple the sole evidence of his dive.
Surprise halted him only for a moment. Ryuu jumped in, lacking the grace that Shigeru brought to his dive. The water was cold, but it felt wonderful to swim around. Shigeru splashed him, and Ryuu tried to pick him up underwater.
The two of them continued to swim for most of the afternoon, returning to the hut just in time to cook a meal before the sun came down. It was the best day Ryuu could remember
Shigeru waited for Ryuu to run through his burst of excitement and newfound lightness. After Ryuu had run through his initial energy, Shigeru motioned for him to sit.
“How do you feel now?”
“Great!”
“Good.”
“How did you do that? It hurt so much, but now it feels so good. You weren’t even pressing on the spots that hurt. How does that work?”
Shigeru raised his hand to halt the flow of questions. “I will teach you everything I know, and before long you will be able to do this all on your own. Have you heard of the dayblades?”
Ryuu nodded. Everyone knew the legends of the dayblades and the nightblades. They had been two separate halves of the group of people known as the Blades, over a thousand cycles ago. Both groups had been destroyed in the Kingdom. The dayblades were healers, but everyone knew they were just as dangerous as the nightblades. In the stories that Ryuu had grown up with, all the blades had been killed, but Shigeru was still here.
Shigeru continued, “Remember yesterday how I said that it is good when you notice that things feel right?”
Ryuu nodded.
“The same energy that you feel when you are in tune with your swordsmanship also applies to your own body and everything in the world. This is the very foundation of what you know as the sense. You can use this knowledge both to heal and to harm a person, but it takes cycles of practice. The dayblades are experts at using their knowledge to heal. The nightblades are experts at using their knowledge to kill.”
Shigeru paused. “The divisions aren’t as clean as the legends would have you believe. The two groups draw upon the same body of knowledge, but physically manifest their skills in different ways. That being said, a dayblade can be an excellent warrior even if they are an even better healer. Likewise a nightblade can heal as you just experienced.”
Ryuu sat and pondered what Shigeru was saying. It was different than the stories he remembered. The nightblades were evil men who had destroyed the Kingdom, and the dayblades had kept them alive. But if Shigeru was a nightblade that meant he was evil, but he had saved Ryuu. His thoughts running in circles, Ryuu’s confusion was evident. Shigeru saw the confusion, but didn’t guess the reasoning behind it.
“I’m not going to try to teach you about it now; you’re not ready to learn yet. But I will tell you that everything you experience, from the woods you walk through, the trees you climb and the people you meet, everything is connected. What is true of the outside world is true inside your body as well.”
As was often the case, Ryuu was lost at Shigeru’s explanation, but he filed it away for further use.
Shigeru let out one of his wide open grins, the one that made Ryuu believe, however momentarily, that this was an open man with no defenses. “Now, I see I’ve confused you again. I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to talk to someone who has only seen a handful of cycles. It wasn’t a part of any training I received. However, I do know that this pond is wonderful to swim in, and it will help your body feel even better. Care to join me?”
Without any more warning Shigeru dove into the pond, a small ripple the sole evidence of his dive.
Surprise halted him only for a moment. Ryuu jumped in, lacking the grace that Shigeru brought to his dive. The water was cold, but it felt wonderful to swim around. Shigeru splashed him, and Ryuu tried to pick him up underwater.
The two of them continued to swim for most of the afternoon, returning to the hut just in time to cook a meal before the sun came down. It was the best day Ryuu could remember
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