I woke at dawn and lay, arms behind my head, thinking about training and how days ago Hiruko and I had never met. It was strange how we seemed to click, unlike the sword and I. What is its name?! I couldn’t figure it out. There had been no clue whatsoever to what its name was. Hiruko said that to call upon my sword in battle I would have to know its name. By this, I now realised, he meant I would have to connect to my sword enough to discover his name. I sighed. We had a fortnight, now less than ten days, to have cooperation between the blade and I.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen...” I murmured to myself, sighing. Already at dawn the shopkeepers of the market had set up their stalls. Except this time, I heard them all murmuring, as though they were anxious for something or someone. Immediately I jumped up and scrambled out of the sheets to get a view from my window.

Walking below were some unusual people...each of them wearing cloaks of the tower...and amongst them, I noted, was Nada...

Out of instinct, and instinct alone, I pulled at my clothes and changed in an instant, flew down the stairs (disrupting Hiruko and his dreams about god-knows-what) and opened the door. The people from the Soul Tower had spread amongst the market, searching for something. Nada looked confused as she eyed the cobblestones but looked up as Hiruko stepped beside me.

She gasped and dipped her head. I smiled, as I thought she was doing so for me. It was otherwise. “General Hiruko...uh... he’s... he’s here!” She yelled, and the people from the Soul Tower crowded the cat.

“General! We are to inform you of several meetings of the Divisions having occurred in your absence.” Hiruko nodded and looked up to me. I smiled back at him and he wandered off with the man, the other two people following him behind.

Nada, however, stayed.

“So, Nada, why exactly are you here...with them?” I nodded towards the obviously higher-up Division members.

She hesitated and looked down to her feet, almost as she had when I asked her name.

“Well, actually, I was on patrol of the Borders. The rest of the patrol had gone to get some more sake...” she trailed off as if distracted.

How long had it been since I’d last tasted sake? I had a sudden urge for it, and would have gladly raided the alcohol cupboard if it hadn’t been emptied by an ill-mannered cat already.

“So they picked me up and told me another patrol had already been sent out when our one hadn’t returned, so I might as well join them. I was told to keep my eyes peeled for General Hiruko...just...just why was he here with you?” She asked, raising her eyebrow. “How could you be his personal business?” My face was suddenly enveloped in red. Well, I was his personal business; however, if I said a word about it, there was no doubt Hiruko would get some form of punishment for abandoning his duties, even if it was only for a few days.

I stopped. The only thing to do was to lie.

“Well, actually, he was just staying at my house because...because he has a soft spot for the Border Market fish!” It was the first thing that came to my mind, and I was proud with the result, for Nada simply stared for a few moments before blushing and nodding.

She now held an imagined 2nd Division General close to her heart...

I sighed, relieved.

She smiled and looked up to me. “He’s an extremely private General, Hiruko. But he stands up for what he believes in. I’m quite shocked he has a weakness at all, and even more alarmed that that weakness is food, and a stereotype for a cat, at that.” I laughed nervously. Could she possibly see through the lie?

“Yeah! Sure is strange!” I grinned.

“Indeed.” Hiruko’s voice came from around the corner. Nada gasped and stepped back before dipping her head.

“General! I...” Hiruko smiled as Nada stuttered.

“What? It’s Aaron I’m going to beat up!” He said cheerfully.

“Shut up, you dumb cat!” I yelled aggressively, shaking a fist at him, but Hiruko waved his paw as to pass me off. Nada stared at us both, with a ‘what an idiot’ look.

“Well, fish isn’t the only reason why I am here, so don’t feel as though I am a typical cat!” Hiruko smiled, but as he turned around he glared at me. I grinned back at him - hoping that he would have forgotten of this later into the day.

Nada nodded and looked around to her retreating Soul Tower officials. Her shoulders slumped as she saw that they were leaving. Immediately I blushed.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Could it be that she wanted to stay here...with me?

So is this what you call brotherly love, eh? Sure doesn’t seem that way...heh. The voice chuckled softly as I told it to shut its mouth. Sure thing, kid. I guess I’ll see you in training!

That was far too cheerful... I growled, and the sword found this rather amusing as he snickered out of my mind.

“Good riddance.” I whispered to myself. Nada breathed in.

“It’s tough work, but...I guess I’m happy! Of course, there’s no one like you up there...” She said. Hiruko smiled but said nothing. I simply glared into space, rethinking her words. Had I heard her correctly?

“Uh...” she staggered, “What I meant to say was, there are no other children that I know of. The 6th and last Division is full of incompetent drunks that get to clean the halls...” Now would be the only time when I would thank Hiruko for disposing of my alcohol.

“Hey! Tower girl! Are you even coming?!” The others had become frustrated waiting behind.

“Oh! Yes!” She waved to me and ran off, clutching the back of her robe so it did not fly up in the wind. “I’ll come back Aaron! We’ll be friends!” She called out as she left. “The Soul Tower isn’t going to get in the way of our friendship!” She grinned. Shocked I raised my hand in farewell.

“Well...” Hiruko gave a sly grin.

“What...? What is that?!” I screamed pointing at his face. He snickered and continued walking.

“Oh no you don’t, Hiruko! Get back here cat!” I yelled running after him, and he turned (for once) to confront me.

“Yes?”

“Tell me. What did that face mean?”

“Oh no, nothing...she likes you, though! That girl, Nada..I believe she is fond of you! I’m surprised she even made it to a Division with that attitude. Even so, the 6th Division doesn’t really mind slackers...I guess they’re just following the General...” Hiruko was in a particularly taunting mood.

“..She likes me?”

“You seem to like that idea...” Hiruko noted as he skipped back to the house.

Great, I thought. Now Hiruko had a rising suspicion that I liked Nada. Then I wondered something.

Did I like her?!

Yeah, do you? Give up the suspense, kid! The sword spoke suddenly and used my thoughts to his advantage.

For once I said nothing in response and instead wondered if I indeed had more than brotherly feelings for her.

Impossible! Not Nada… I couldn’t like her...

And yet you can get filthy drunk and snooze for half of your life? Oh yeah, sure. Great comparison there!

I sighed. Even I couldn’t tell my real feelings.

But she liked me, and she was going to come back. At least that was something to be pleased about! I was comforting myself, but the sword was not interested in comfort and left my mind.

Shouldn’t you have had to earn my name, too? I whined, but the sword had gone; luckily. I walked to Hiruko who seemed hyped for the training session in which he could beat me up.

At least Hiruko said nothing about my fish-lie...

****

“Alright! Let’s do this!” Hiruko jumped to his crate to begin the training. “I can hardly teach you anything about battle until you have been in one. That is the reason why I have been attacking you. If I merely taught you things such as ‘strike!’, ‘block!’, ‘retreat!’ in battle you’d die.”

Hmm...how comforting...

Yes, he is, isn’t he? Shall we show him we can do better than he expects?

Here’s something we can at least agree on, kid! The sword laughed, supposedly confident that we could beat Hiruko today.

But... the sword began, we have to work together. I might consider giving my name if we win.

So it’s bribery, now, is it? I stopped and decided to ask the sword something as Hiruko rambled on as he did each session. Hiruko said the sword shapes depending on the user’s power. Does that include personality – for your personality is horrible?

Oh, how rude! The sword perked up. But indeed, my personality is matched to yours. You see, we Katana have already been created before we are called upon. As we are part of our user’s soul, we are like them in the way of power and personality – looks, however...well, I’m much more handsome.

I nodded. His personality was like that of my own, as well as his power. If Hiruko was amazed by the shape of the sword, then both the sword and I were pretty powerful.

I wondered, then, how many swords had been created, and how many of them would not be called upon.

Right, let’s beat this fur-ball up! The sword cheered in my mind.

“Are you ready, Aaron?” Hiruko asked as I drifted further into the conversation between the sword and myself.

“Hmm?” I looked up to see a concerned face staring at me. “Ah...yes.” I walked to the opposite end of the terrace and brought the sword up to eye level.

He’ll attack. We’ll try something different – instead of blocking, coming in to meet him. The sword put this idea forward.

And then I’ll swing you up towards him and around to catch him and twist him to the ground? I asked.

Yes! Then point me close to his chest and watch your feet in case his tries to flip you.

Alright, sword! I’ll think we’ll manage.

Indeed, Hiruko crept forward, until he lunged and leaped closer.

Now! The sword yelled and I speeded forward, holding it up to Hiruko’s body. Immediately he smiled and yelled, “Something that can be easily dodged!” His smile vanished as I turned the sword on its side in the air, catching Hiruko’s flexing paws and throwing him against the pavement. I moved closer, pressing the sword against his chest and minding where I stood; Hiruko chuckled.

“Ahh...! Finally a team effort! You’ve improved from several days ago. If you remember when I was using less than an eighth of my power, you were struggling? Now you have successfully been able to defeat me at that level!” Hiruko seemed pleased, but as he spoke the sword and my spirits dropped.

That was only an eighth!? I screamed out in my mind.

Apparently so... but we still have a few days to increase our power before we go to the Soul Tower... Do you really think those men will attack? And if not, then why is Hiruko so hasty to get us to the Tower? Sure, he says that there is a prophecy and now these men, but...what do we really know about him, Aaron? The sword had turned unusually serious, and although I was happy he now referred to the both of us as ‘we’, he was right. Hiruko was a General of the Soul Tower, head of the 2nd Division. What else, did I know?