Inaki had done risky training exercises before. The most risky he could remember was sparring while on a tightrope over a river with one of the masters when he was only sixteen years old. But Inaki definitely had not done a training exercise in his life that could possibly include getting crushed under a rock.

He stared as the rock tumbled down at him, he didn’t have much time. He jumped—falling seemed like a better alternative than getting crushed by a rock.

He grabbed a handhold with one hand dangling, he probed at the wall with his foot, repeatedly kicking trying to get a foothold. His grip slipped from the hand hold and he slid down the wall, grabbing with all of his life.

He caught the wall and stopped to take a breath.

But of course he didn’t get much time. Another boulder came rolling down at Inaki. He threw his body to the side. Grabbing at a ledge, he tried to stabilize himself. His entire body was now covered in scratches, and his robes were ripped up from scratching against the wall.

Inaki caught a foothold first this time, and then caught a handhold. He quickly found another handhold, and pushed himself up. He didn’t know when another rock would come, and he wouldn’t wait for it.

Inaki moved to the side as he climbed. His arms, back and chest were threatening to stop functioning, his fingers and toes were threatening to tear off from his hands and feet.

Another boulder came tumbling down at Inaki. Inaki jumped to the side, grabbed by both hands. He once again probed at the wall. He couldn’t find anywhere to plant his feet. With all the strength in his body he did a pull up. He remembered when he could do a hundred pull ups while holding a sword in his teeth, but now one pull up and he was completely gassed out, gasping for air.

The next rock came tumbling down at Inaki. Inaki jumped and looked back, and saw that since Yan had started throwing rocks at him, Inaki had made barely any progress. Inaki moved to the side trying to dodge the boulder. He pushed himself up.

Another boulder came tumbling down at Inaki. Inaki looked around for a place to jump to, but he was too slow, the boulder came running down at him. The boulder hit Inaki, and he began falling down, the boulder which was as big as his body pushing him down.

Inaki was locked in combat with the boulder, he turned back, forcing himself above the boulder. He then grabbed at the wall. The boulder kept moving under him. Inaki felt a bruise in his ribs, blood leaking from his lips, and scrapes all over his body.

Inaki grabbed a hold of the mountain, facing the other way. He stared down at the land. It was absolutely beautiful. His shoulder had taken the impact of slowing him down after his fall, but he ignored the pain. The sight was beautiful.

Inaki turned around, and stared up at his goal.

Even though he was in horrible pain, the experience was truly thrilling. He forced himself up with all the energy in his body. He stared at the boulders as they rolled down at him, challenging them.

In that split time he felt the old him taking control. The one who wasn’t scared of a boulder. The one who fought a Diamond with a wooden sword and won.

Inaki jumped to the side and grabbed with both hands, he pushed himself up and kept climbing. He forgot the pain in his toes and his fingers, he didn’t focus on his erratic breathing.

He focused only on the sound of the wind whistling. The sound of his heart beating in his ears. He looked at the boulder, but it was weak. Too slow, it couldn’t get to him.

Inaki jumped up, and pulled himself. His muscles groaned but Inaki didn’t care. Inaki couldn’t care. The mountain was his opponent, and whenever Inaki fought an opponent, he won.

Inaki began scaling the mountain, the boulders weren’t impeding him like they had been before. He wasn’t scared. He looked down, and instead of feeling fear, he could only appreciate the beauty.

Inaki looked up at Yan, whose smile had become even wider than before. He continued rolling down boulders at Inaki, but Inaki didn’t care. He kept climbing, he dodged each of the boulders. He fell into the rhythm of jumping to dodge the boulders, then climbing up for a few steps.

As he reached near the top, the boulders didn’t scare him anymore. A boulder rolled past him, the range was too short, he wouldn’t be able to jump to dodge it. He just let go of one hand and swung to the other side, the boulder rolling past him.

Inaki swung once again, facing the mountain once again.

Inaki grabbed the last ledge, and with all the remaining strength in his blistered fingers and hands he pulled himself up. He stood up on the ledge. His hands covered in blood and blisters, his bleeding cut up toes were a ghastly sight. His chest and front were covered in scratches from sliding down the wall, but this time Inaki didn’t collapse. He looked down from the height, he saw the forest, the lion chasing the deer, the hyena then eating the corpse after the lion was done. Looking down at the city, Inaki felt like he was Okan.

But soon the high was gone, and Inaki became himself again. The injured failure. He fell onto his back on the sandy dirt, and looked up at the sun.

But he still laughed.

“That was fun wasn’t it,” Yan said.

“Yes,” Inaki said.

“You still have to go down,” Yan said.

Inaki rested for some time, and without even taking the Urima herb solution, he tied his rope to the last remaining boulder, and began rappelling down the mountain-side.

“Why didn’t you tell me that I could go down like this,” Inaki said as he rappelled down, side by side with Yan.

“Because this is the coward’s method of climbing down,” Yan said. “But you’ve gone through enough today.”

Yan climbed down the cliff-face like he was a mountain goat, reaching the ground before Inaki did.

Inaki left the rope there and the two of them began walking back to the city.

“So what more do you have for me,” Inaki said.

“More exercise,” Yan said. “You’re not touching a sword for the whole week.”

Inaki spent the next two weeks going through this grueling training. Every alternate day he would train, leaving one day for recovery in between each day of training.

“Urima herb solution will just heal, not strengthen, you still need rest for your muscles to strengthen,” Yan had told Inaki.

Yaz started coming to meet Inaki on all of his rest days. Every few days Yaz would give Inaki a book, and Inaki devoured the book. In just two weeks, Inaki had ended up reading three heavy tomes.

Yaz and Inaki spent their time together chatting. Yaz also gave Inaki other herbs to speed up the strengthening of his muscles. Inaki began looking forward to speaking with Yaz every day. It was the highlight of his time there. Inaki didn’t know what the feeling was. He had never really had any friends, nor had he had any romantic interest in anyone in his life. He was confused, because he had never had either feeling, friendship or romance in his life.

On the first training day of the third week, Yan walked into Inaki’s room. After sunrise instead of arriving four hours before like he usually did.

“Hello there, boy,” Yan said. “Slept well.”

“Yes,” Inaki said.

“I have some good news,” Yan said.

“What,” Inaki said.

“Today, we start your training to fight spearmen with your sword,” Yan said. “You finally get to pick up a sword again.”

Inaki felt both happy, and extremely scared. What if he picked up his sword after this grueling training and he was still bad. The fear almost made Inaki not want to pick up his sword again.

Nevertheless, Inaki got up and ate two apples for breakfast, then stepped out into the garden.

Inaki picked up his wooden practice sword and began swinging it. It certainly felt more natural in his hand than it had felt before. It still felt more foreign than it had before his accident.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Spears win nearly every fight against the sword,” Yan said. “But, if you want to win against a spear there is a way.”

“What is it,” Inaki asked.

“Keep close,” Yan said. “The spearman will always try to push you away, you must not get pushed. Stay as close as possible.”

Inaki stood straight with his sword. Before Yan could say anything more, Inaki began his kata. It was one of the Fundamental Five, the one that focused on agility.

Inaki moved with the dance, and he was actually able to do it. He moved without slipping, he jumped around. He ran and he didn’t slip and fall. He began the strength kata, and he was doing well.

The Fundamental Five katas were once again like breathing for him, like they had been once upon a time, and Inaki hadn’t even trained holding a sword.

Inaki quickly ran through all five of the Fundamental Five katas, and he was finally good at them again. He fell down, into the grass. He felt like he was going to cry.

“Thank you,” Inaki said, “I can’t thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome,” Yan said. “But this isn’t the end, try doing a more difficult kata.”

Inaki got up, and began the Tigerstance kata. He wasn’t falling over himself, but it definitely still lacked grace, like his Fundamental Five had been before. His strikes still weren’t the most accurate, and he still lacked proper coordination between his hands, legs and eyes.

“We’re going to have to improve these,” Yan said. “Your exercising will continue, along with us sparring once a day. The only way for me to teach you to fight Farrow is by fighting like him.”

Inaki stepped in front of Yan and raised his sword in the Tigerstance.

Inaki stepped forward and ran at Yan. Yan raised the back of his spear and blocked the back of Inaki’s sword. But Inaki’s sword was going to where he wanted it to. His accuracy was getting better.

The sharp end of Yan’s spear flew at Inaki. Inaki dodged back. He was so much better at this. Yan stepped forward stabbing at him. Inaki continued dodging back.

“You are allowing me to make distance,” Yan said. “Come on, step forward, close the gap.”

Inaki ran at Yan. He executed the jumping cross slash of the Tigerstance, but he still wasn’t there yet. He crashed onto his feet, barely keeping his balance, his sword missed.

Yan twisted his spear holding it from the middle, the sharp end came flying at Inaki. Inaki blocked with his sword and stepped forward slashing at Yan’s legs. Yan blocked with the bottom of his spear. Inaki continued slashing. Barely moving, Yan blocked by just twisting his spear.

Yan jumped back and thrust his spear forward at Inaki. Inaki dodged to the side, stepped forward.

“I am currently fighting at the level of an Iron spearman,” Yan said. “If you can’t defeat me now you won’t be able to defeat Farrow.”

Inaki jumped forward to close the gap and slashed at Yan’s neck. Yan held his spear upright and pushed it forward blocking it, then slammed it down at Inaki’s head. Inaki just barely dodged the strike to his head, but the spear still hit Inaki’s shoulder.

Yan pushed the spear over Inaki’s shoulder, holding it at opposite ends with the spear behind Inaki’s neck, he pulled forward, kicking Inaki in the shin.

Inaki crumpled onto his knees, and Yan whacked Inaki with the back of his spear.

“Two minutes rest,” Yan said, turning his back to Inaki, holding his spear over his shoulder. But Inaki was already on his feet. He rushed at Yan and slashed. The Sage blocked by moving the spear over his shoulder a little bit. He turned back and thrust the spear forward. Inaki swatted it away with his sword, and stepped forward.

“This is the skill of Iron spearmen, then how would a Sage fight,” Inaki said.

“Much faster and stronger,” Yan said. “Only reason you’re able to dodge is because I am fighting like an Iron.”

Inaki realized he wasn’t huffing and puffing for air like he had been just two weeks ago after such a short fight. The exercise was working wonders for him.

Inaki stepped forward and slashed at Yan. Yan blocked all of Yan’s slashes, counter attacking, but Inaki dodged. He remembered the swordsman he used to be. Faster than the wind, stronger than mountains. Yan thrust his spear forward at Inaki’s face. Inaki moved his neck, then grabbed Yan’s spear between his neck and his shoulder and hit Yan in the shoulder.

He wasn’t even one hundredth of the swordsman he used to be but that didn’t matter. He remembered the feeling, the control over his sword. It was intoxicating.

Yan smiled at Inaki.

“You can run very well,” Yan said. “Now do you believe me?”

“Yes,” Inaki said, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Come on, just because you got one hit in doesn’t mean the fight is over.” Yan said.

Inaki held his own against Yan fighting as an Iron, but in the end he lost the battle of attrition. He couldn’t get enough hits in, but he was tired, and fell to the ground.

“Come on,” Yan said. “Two minutes rest, then we go for a run.”

Inaki fought for air on the ground, but this was nothing against climbing mountains, and he had done that thrice in two weeks.

Inaki stood up and jumped ready to go for a run.

The rest of the day went like an ordinary training day. Inaki first went for a run, then did a hundred push ups, a hundred sit ups, and a hundred squats. He then did duck-walks around the garden to end the day of grueling training.

“I am ready,” Inaki said as Yan was about to leave.

“For what,” Yan asked.

“To get my metal blade back,” Inaki said.

“Oh sure you are,” Yan said. “You have to win how many duels to get your metal sword back?”

“Five,” Inaki said.

“Oh, you could do that tomorrow itself, I’ll come to the training hall and officiate the duels.”

“Thanks,” Inaki said.

Inaki walked into his room and crashed on his bed. He couldn’t wait to go and challenge the Wooden spearmen the next morning.

Inaki woke up the next morning, and he wasn’t even as sore as he was usually after a day of training. He was getting used to the training. That was good for him, since he didn’t need to use any of his Urima herb solution.

Yaz came to his room with his breakfast, and some breakfast for herself too.

“Father told me what you’re doing today, so I don’t want to stop you for too long,” Yaz said.

“No problem,” Inaki said, handing Yaz a book that he had finished two days prior.

“Did you like this one,” Yaz asked.

“Loved it,” Inaki said. “How do you know my taste so well?”

“Probably because our tastes are the same,” Yaz said.

The two of them ate breakfast, and chatted as they usually did at this hour. Once both of them were done eating, Inaki got up and put one of his wooden swords at his waist.

“Do you want me to come and watch,” Yaz said.

“I don’t know,” Inaki said. “I am either about to do something very stupid, or something very brave.”

“What?” Yaz asked.

“You’ll see.”

Inaki had thought over the man that he used to be and the man he was now. The man he used to be wasn’t all bad. He was competent, and believed in himself, but he had too much of that second part. Inaki didn’t know how, but he needed to find a balance.

Yaz and Inaki stepped out and through the little path that Inaki was allowed to traverse outside his garden, they entered the training hall.

Trish was training the Woodens, and Nilun was out in the garden, sparring with a few Irons.

“I’ll definitely defeat her next time,” Nilun said. “You’ll see.”

“You say that everytime Nilun,” Another Iron said.

“This time I mean it,” Nilun said. “I finally defeated you didn’t I? Oh, Inaki, long time.” The two of them shook hands.

“All of us have been jealous,” Nilun said. “The Sage is training someone himself and it’s the swordsman that Farrow is going to kill, everyone is very confused.”

“As am I,” Inaki said. “How have you been?” Inaki didn't remember ever asking such a question with true interest ever. The old him had never cared about other people.

“Just getting better with the spear as usual,” Nilun said. “Have you gotten good enough for us to spar yet?”

“No,” Inaki said. “Unfortunately not.”

“Give it time,” Trish said, walking out of the training hall into the garden. “Soon he’ll be defeating you.”

“Soon I’ll be defeating you,” Nilun said.

“Want to try me,” Trish said.

“Yeah,” Nilun said.

Trish and Nilun ended up rushing to the Iron’s part of the garden, and began a spar. Nilun held his own, but he was soon defeated.

The Woodens began pouring into the garden.

“Hey, Inaki is finally back,” Jonar said. The man looked like he was in his thirties, thick bushy beard, deep voice, and short blonde hair, but he was only a few years older than Inaki.

“Come back for another beating,” Taraval said.

“Inaki,” Yanop said. “How’ve you been?”

Inaki shook hands with all of them and said, “As you know my metal blade was taken away, and I need to win five duels to get my sword back. Just here to win those duels.”

“Wow,” Taraval said, “What confidence.”

Yenovar—the woman that Inaki had fought—said, “So you’re saying real officiated duels and not just sparring?”

“Yes,” Inaki said.

“Then what’re we waiting for,” Jonar said. “Let’s begin.”

“I actually am waiting for someone,” Inaki said. “Lord Yan.”

“He’s coming here,” Taraval said. He stood straight and held his sword up.

“Were y’all talking about me?” Yan asked as he walked into the garden.

“Just said I was waiting for you,” Inaki said.

“So, let’s begin the duels, shall we,” Yan said.

Inaki raised his sword, ready.