After Kayden’s sparring session with Cassius, he agreed to fulfill his promise of personally training her. Twice a week, on top of all of Kayden’s other duties, she would train with Cassius when everyone had gone to bed and the gym was empty.
She was getting even less sleep than before, but she felt more excited than she had in a long time. She looked forward to the nights when she would get to train with Cassius, even though by the end he would leave her battered and bruised.
Cassius had been going easy on her when she landed that killing blow. Now he was taking her seriously, and that meant not pulling his punches.
He used his aura in a mixture of her father’s technique and Rem’s. Of the two methods, most of the Nikiphero men preferred the second. It was much easier to learn and honestly much more powerful because it didn’t have to work within the confines of what a person’s muscles allowed. On top of that it could also act as armor.
The reason why her father preferred the former method was because whereas it lost power and defense, it made up for it in versatility. And with enough training it could bridge the gap between the power levels.
What really took her father’s style a tier above the other was that it required much less of one’s aura divested toward it. When one mastered it, it almost became like one’s aura was a part of their body, another fuel source which they could draw upon so long as it was available.
It reminded her of gate magic in a way. Gate magic was all about increasing the harmony between the aura and body. What separated them was in how they went about it.
Whereas her father’s method worked in tandem with his muscles, almost like a second set of muscle fibers interwoven with his existing one’s, gate magic went directly to the source.
Or at least that was what Kayden had gathered. It was still just theory at this point. She still wasn’t even sure if it was possible to achieve.
The reason why Cassius utilized both methods was because at the beginning the only method they taught was her father’s, but as they became a more prominent gang and needed to train recruits more quickly, that is when they had implemented the new method.
At first her father had been against it, but even he had to admit that the results were undeniable. Even if people learned Xolan’s method, it ended up not being worth the time that it took. Only someone who had truly mastered it could make it worth it, and that was a difficult thing to achieve.
Currently there were only two people that were masters of this method--well one with Xolan being gone. Kayden was surprised to learn that it was Kauru, the man that had escorted them back from the abyss. He had been in Nikiphero long enough that he had been around when they used that method to teach their recruits, and was one of the few that excelled at it like her father.
Unfortunately, Cassius had never been like that, so when they had started implementing this new method, he had decided to learn it as well, and his hybrid method was the result.
It proved to be clunky, but Cassius somehow made it work. He used the exoskeleton to give himself more strength, and the enfusion method to stay mobile and limber when he needed to move quickly.
It was clunky because focusing on the two methods made them both suffer as a result. They got in the way of one another. For instance, if he tried to move in a way that the exoskeleton did not allow then he was forced to relinquish control of it.
Or if he needed more power to use his exoskeleton to defend himself but it was already infused into his body for mobility then he had to transfer it over which wasted crucial seconds that could result in his demise.
The consequence was that he had to constantly juggle the two abilities back and forth, and ensure that neither took too much of his focus, otherwise they would both suffer as a result.
All in all, she could see why nobody bothered with mastering both. What you ended up with wasn’t something more powerful, but something that only worked because the one using it didn’t make a mistake.
And that was where the true genius of Cassius lurked. He didn’t make mistakes. Every movement was precise, controlled, and thought out five steps in advance.
Cassius didn’t lose because he knew how to make someone defeat themself. He carefully led them toward their own destruction whether it be by utilizing his surroundings to cause his opponent to trip up, open up their defenses by guiding them into a trap, or by using their own strength against them.
And as Kayden advanced and began to see through his schemes, she found that there was always a contingency. Schemes within schemes.
For this reason it was effective for him to use both methods of fighting, because the real fight was never one with fists or the power of his aura, it was one of minds, and Cassius always won that fight. It was like he was playing a strategy game; and his fists, feet, aura, and any other tool he could use in the fight were the pieces.
His fighting style might not be the most efficient for aura use, but it didn’t need to be. What made Cassius shine was in not being limited to a single avenue. He would use whatever he could to be victorious. If the situation called for him to use his exoskeleton then that is what he would use, and the same was true for infusing his aura.
Cassius was adaptable, but above all he was ruthless. If Kayden had any weakness, no matter how insignificant, Cassius would use it to tear her apart.
“How do you kill someone?” he asked on their first day training together.
Thinking back to their sparring match Kayden answered, “You stab them in the heart.”
Cassius nodded. “Yes. What else?”
Kayden thought about it. “Slit their throat.”
“Messy, but effective. What else?”
“Poison.”
“Poison is an option, however, fast acting poisons are expensive and hard to come by. Anything else would take too long to activate to prove useful in a street brawl.”
“You could use poison to weaken your enemy. It doesn’t have to kill them outright. Just make an opening.”
“True,” he conceded. “But poison is volatile. You can never be sure how your opponent will react to it. And you have to be careful not to accidentally dose yourself in the middle of a fight. There are more direct ways of killing that don’t require so many contingencies. Your first two answers were better. What next?”
“Freezing them,” Kayden offered.
“An unconventional method, and one not viable under normal circumstances. Is there a reason you brought it up?”
“I’ve been experimenting with my shadow dagger. It can cause people to go into hypothermic shock.”
“Hmm, interesting. And how long does it take to take effect?”
“Seconds,” then she added, “If I can get past their aura’s defenses.”
“That is often an issue with direct spells.”
When trying to affect the world with magic there were two methods. Direct and indirect.
Direct, changed the elements of whatever you were manipulating through direct means by forcing it to take on a different state it otherwise wouldn’t have.
Indirect, was by summoning something into the environment that affected it as a consequence of it being there, such as in the case of a fireball.
Direct, had the disadvantage of having to overcome natural resistances, whereas indirect had to overcome external resistances.
She had learned all this in the Academy, but admittedly it hadn’t been for the purposes which she was currently discussing with Cassius.
Cassius continued, “For the moment, we will set aside that method, and focus on your first two methods. They are part of what are known as the seven lethal strikes. Once you have mastered the seven lethal strikes then we will move on to utilizing your focus.”
He came up to her and gestured to different parts of her body. “Base of the skull, neck, armpit, chest, right side, groin, back of the knee. Each of these parts of the body contain vital organs and arteries. If one of them should become damaged then the result would be immediate and catastrophic for your opponent. These are the areas to attack and protect in a fight.”
He then showed her exactly where each of these organs and arteries were located in the sections of the body he had mentioned, and how to angle the blade to most effectively reach them.
“Good,” he said once she came to quickly memorize the information. “The next step is more complicated: striking these areas without exposing yourself in the process.”
Instead of simply explaining it to her, he illustrated through sparring. He stayed on the defensive while Kayden attempted to strike one of his vital areas. Every time Kayden went in for a strike, she found that not only did Cassius deflect every one of her blows, but had counterstruck with a killing blow of his own.
After many failed attempts, they came to a stop and Cassius explained. “The most dangerous aspect of a knife fight is the fact that the two opponents are so close to each other. If you can strike me, then I can strike back. A knife fight isn’t simply about defeating your opponent, it is also about mitigating losses. You must always remember that whenever you extend yourself beyond a position of defense you are opening yourself up to attack. It is also important to remember that if you never make a move you have already lost. Therefore, the time to strike is when your opponent is at their most vulnerable and you are at your strongest.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
The following weaks he took her through each of the mistakes she made in their bouts and how he used them to his advantage.
That is where knife fighting became truly complicated. Anyone could learn how to shove a blade in and slash it to sever the carotid artery, but only a master could do so while mitigating their own injury in the process. And the only way to become a master was through constant repetition and practice in learning how to read one’s opponent so that they could determine when to strike.
Knife fighting was about planning and timing. Know your opponent better than they know themself. Know their feet placement, how they hold their knife, what they are looking at, and even the way they breathe. Any of these things could reveal the weakness to be taken advantage of.
Amidst all this knife training, Cassius also expected her to keep up on her traditional hand to hand combat because it was an important part of knife fighting. He would often kick and punch her while she was distracted avoiding his knife strikes which would open her up.
So, Kayden continued to try to expand her aura control to other parts of her body in her free time.
But her duties in the kitchen continued to interfere. And Bog was determined to crush her spirit. So, just when she felt like she was getting a handle on everything, her duties increased.
Not only was she expected to keep the kitchen and mess hall clean but she was also put in charge of laundry. And seemingly spurred on by Bog, the other initiates made sure to make her life even more difficult by making their clothes more filthy than they otherwise would have been.
Despite her initial excitement at training with Cassius, it felt like the whole world was coming crashing down on her, and she felt pushed to the edge of breaking at any moment.
As if sensing her fragile state, and like they were wild animals cornering an injured animal, the other initiates became even more cruel, taunting her whenever she made an appearance, which was constantly because she had to clean up after them.
There were a couple people who refrained and even stepped in to put a stop to it like Launi, and surprisingly Corsin.
Corsin never acknowledged her, but whenever one of the other initiates was giving her a hard time in the kitchens, he would yell at them to get back to work, so the kitchens became her only safe haven.
She didn’t know why Launi was being kind to her, but whenever he saw her he would say hi and smile. He would often interfere when her harassment became too much, but for the most part he seemed not to care about it or didn’t notice it. Kayden assumed it was the latter because he was always training.
From what she understood, he was a relatively new initiate, but already one of the most advanced, and was rapidly gunning for the number one spot. He didn’t have time to constantly be monitoring Kayden.
Kayden was slightly jealous to see his progress. She was sure that if she was able to train as much as him, she would be able to surpass him. But then she felt guilty because he was one of the only nice people to her. It wasn’t his fault she couldn’t train as much.
One day she found out why Launi was training so intensely.
She was cleaning up discarded clothing and towels around the gym when she overheard Launi talking with a group of other initiates. Usually she kept to herself but when one of the boys asked Launi if he thought he had a shot at winning the tournament, Launi responded with his usual goofy grin, and answered that was the reason he was training so hard. The tournament was only a month away and if he wanted a shot at winning then he had to put in the work.
Hearing about the tournament for the first time, Kayden couldn’t help but interject. “What tournament?”
Everyone looked at her, but the boys refrained from badgering her as they usually would because of Launi’s presence. He leapt down from the bleachers where he had been taking a break with the others and came over to her.
“You don’t know,” he said. “There is a tournament at the arena every year for rookie fighters to debut their skills. It’s open to the public so anyone can fight. All of the fighting gyms around Ivossin Cavern get involved. It’s tradition for the initiates to enter. Nikiphero has taken first place for the last nine years. There is a grand prize, but Cassius also adds a special bonus for the initiates. To make sure we defend our title.”
“What’s the prize?”
“A week off at Hedone Resort and a leadership position within the organization.”
Kayden didn’t care much about staying at Hedone Resort but the leadership position was intriguing. If she could get that then the other initiates would be forced to respect her.
Launi saw the glimmer in her eyes and grinned. “You’ll have to beat me if you want that prize.” He slapped her on the shoulder. “Good luck.” Then with that he headed out of the gym to wash off.
Kayden was distracted with her thoughts so she didn’t notice the other initiates surrounding her with Spax leading them and his twin and shadow, Shiloh, right beside him.
“Planning on entering the tournament?” Spax asked, pretending to be casual.
“Launi said the initiates were expected to.”
“It’s more tradition than being required.”
Kayden looked around at the boys surrounding her, thinking of how to extract herself from this situation. Spax could see her unease and leaned in to wrap his hand around her shoulder.
He leaned in and said in a whisper but loud enough that everyone could hear. “You should probably sit it out. Don’t want a delicate Uptown girl like you to get hurt and all.” Then he reached up and cupped one of her breasts.
Kayden reacted instantly, kneeing him in the groin and pushing him off balance so that he fell to the ground. She tried to make a break for it but the other boys blocked her way. She turned back to Spax while he was climbing back to his feet and laughing.
“She has been hiding something under that shirt,” he said. Shiloh tried to help him up but Spax shoved him away, stumbling the rest of the way to his feet on his own. “I told you guys she wasn’t pretending to be a girl. Maybe there is a reason they let an Uptowner into Nikiphero. To give us boys something to play with. But first you need to be shown the proper way to handle a man.”
He lunged toward Kayden but she jumped out of the way. She tried to break her way through the ring of boys, but as if by some unspoken signal, they trapped her in with Spax. It was like Spax was their pack leader and they were waiting for him to take his first bite before they began to feast on the scraps.
Unable to escape, she turned back to Spax as he circled her. Her heart hammered in her chest and it was like all of her training over the last few days was gone. All she could think about was escape. She was back to being that helpless girl that needed to be saved like Darris had said. But Darris was gone and wouldn’t miraculously appear to save her again.
That thought shocked Kayden out of her panic and she took a deep breath, and even though it wasn’t smart in the middle of a fight, she closed her eyes to clear her mind. She pictured herself with Cassius. This was just a sparring match, nothing more.
Her eyes flashed open just as Sapx lunged for her again. Strengthening her arm, she ducked under his lunge and rammed her fist into his stomach. He flew backwards into his friends with a gasp, spittle flying everywhere.
“You whore!” he screamed.
Kayden turned her aura sense on and watched as Spax summoned his exoskeleton into being. He was nowhere near Launi’s level, but still, it was more impressive than many of the other initiates. He even managed a full exoskeleton encasing.
Kayden still had trouble infusing her legs with her aura so she would have to rely on her fists.
Even though Spax was angry, he didn’t immediately lunge at Kayden as he previously had. Just like Kayden, his training was taking over, and he was facing off with her as if she were a real opponent.
For a moment they watched each other, gauging each other’s stances. Spax was the first to move. He swung a fist at Kayden’s head.
Kayden made the mistake of trying to block it. It was so powerful that even with her aura enhanced arm it completely shattered her defense and sent her flying to the ground, her vision darkening.
Spax fell on top of her before she would recover and began swinging. She tried to raise a defense but he battered past it. She just wasn’t as strong as him. She hadn’t had enough training to reach his strength, especially with the handicap her method caused her.
Fists rained down on her face. Pain flashed through her with each blow. She could taste blood in her mouth.
She desperately tried to escape, and channeled all of her available aura into a single fist which she slammed into Spax’s head. He reeled to the side off of her, and she climbed to her feet, swaying slightly. She blinked trying to clear the stars in her vision.
Spax had recovered and could tell she was struggling to stay upright. He touched the side of his lip where she had drawn some blood and bared his teeth at her. “You’ll pay for that.”
Kayden hated to admit it, but there was no way that she could beat him. She still needed more training. And even if she did beat him, there were still the other boys to contend with.
A couple of them looked uncertain about what was going on, but it was too late for them to back down. They were caught in this just like Kayden was, and she wasn’t about to trust the mercy of one of the boys who had been tormenting her for weeks to get her out of this predicament.
She needed to think of something quickly, and there was only one other thing she could use to break free.
She reached out to that part of herself which held the shadow dagger and summoned it to her hand. The cloud of darkness formed and the familiar weight of the dagger pressed down into her palm. She held it out in front of her, swinging it around in front of the faces of the boys surrounding her. They looked on with surprised and fearful eyes.
“What is that?” Spax said, aghast. “Where did you get that?” He made as if to grab it from her, but Kayden swung at him. He only narrowly managed to snatch his hand away and take a few warry steps back.
“That’s a dagger focus! She has a dagger focus!” Someone called out. Another said, “Take it from her!”
Suddenly, they were all looking at her hungrily. She swung the dagger around and channeled her aura through it. Instead of the cloud of darkness she was familiar with, the blade began to trail a black energy. She didn’t know what was happening, but she didn’t have time to question it.
“If I cut you with this, it will kill you,” she said wildly. “Even a shallow cut is enough.” She was bluffing of course, but they didn’t know that. And for all she knew, it could be true. Her dagger had never done something like this before.
Her warning was enough to stave them off and she began to back away. There was someone in her way, but she slashed out and they jumped from her path.
Her path to the door was clear and she backed away toward it as the group continued to trail after her. But luckily they kept a safe distance away.
As she reached the door and tried to open it while still keeping her eyes on the boys pursuing her, Spax spoke up again, “Hand the dagger over. An Uptowner doesn’t deserve it.”
“I’m not an Uptowner! If any of you try to touch me again, I’ll kill you!”
Then she turned around and fled through the hall and toward her closet in the kitchen. She didn’t stop until she was safe and barricaded inside.
She fell with her back to the door, breathing heavily in a panic.
She didn’t think anyone had chased after her, but they didn’t need to. It wasn’t like she could get away. They were all trapped in the same compound, and if she tried to leave then she would lose her chance to find her father’s killer.
No matter what happened, Kayden had to stay here. She wouldn’t give up after having come so far. Except now the initiates had an actual reason to attack her besides just wanting to make her life more difficult.
That night, Kayden couldn’t sleep. She stayed awake, fearful, with her shadow dagger pressed against her chest as she stared at the door. She had locked it, but that wouldn’t be enough to stop them if they wanted to get in.
Sure enough, some time later, someone came for her. She heard his footsteps echoing in the kitchen and then pause as they came up to her door.
She held her dagger out, causing it to glow with black energy that was hard to make out in her dark room.
The doorknob twisted and Kayden’s heart pounded. She stood up and prepared herself to fight.
She knew she was going to die, but she was going to take out as many of them with her as possible.
She berated herself for staying here. She could have run. She should have when she had the chance. Losing her connection to Nikiphero was better than dying.
Just as she was coming to terms with her inevitable demise, the doorknob stopped twisting, and instead of the door being kicked down, there was a knock.
“Kayden?” a familiar voice said. It was Cassius.
Feeling a strange sense of euphoria wash over her Kayden stumbled to the door and opened it to find Cassius standing in front of her. He looked at her in confusion as he took in her face, which was battered and bruised, then at the dagger in her hand. His face immediately flashed to anger.
“Who?”
But Kayden couldn’t answer. Her legs were weak and tears sprung unbidden to her eyes.
Don’t cry. Not in front of him. He will know how weak, how powerless you are. He will send you back to Uptown and say you weren’t made for this world. He’ll leave you like everyone else.
But her tears didn’t listen and they spilled down her cheeks. She couldn’t stop trembling as all the adrenaline that kept her huddled in the darkness through the night suddenly left her.
She collapsed against Cassius, not caring how it looked. She just wanted to feel safe and protected.
His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly to his chest. The dagger hung limply in her grasp and collapsed into smoke as Kayden could no longer keep it maintained. She let all of her strength go and relied completely upon Cassius to hold her upright.
“Who?” he asked again, his voice cold and quiet.