Soon thereafter, we arrived at the dojo. "Well now, since you had the feel a real sword. We can begin your training properly using a wooden sword and strength building," said Kenshin. I agreed and then he gave me a wooden sword. It was not as heavy as the steel sword, but it still carried some weight to it. "Okay, I need you to stand with both feet about nine inches apart and hold the wooden sword in an upright position, "said Kenshin.
With this, he demonstrated how I should look. Then for the rest of that week, he had me practice basic swings until I could swing it freely without any problems. The following month after a lot of training, for some strange reason, he took the wooden sword and handed me a practiced blade to practice. It was similar in weight to the blade I had before, but not as heavy. He said, "I want you to practice the basic swings with the practice sword and that meat cleaver over there..."
I interrupted him, "Wait a minute! Did you just say a meat cleaver? I can barely lift the practice blade; how can I do the same with a meat cleaver, and on that note, sir, why a meat cleaver?" Kenshin continued, "To build up strength, so you have no problems piercing the skin to kill should you have to. Though I'm sure you shouldn't have to do so at all in the near future, let us hope. Better to be prepared for anything."
I stood there a moment thinking, looking at him while holding the practice sword in a weird position. Then, before I could respond, he said, "Hold a second there Xeonix, why are you holding the sword that way? You must not hold a sword straight down parallel to one's body with the blade facing front. This is an advanced position with the intent to kill one's opponent in one attack.
Typically used by those as a last resort." Slightly frightened, I responded, "Oh! I'm sorry about that. It became a habit after looking at my grandfathers for so long. He was always in this stance with his blade in hand and his sheath on his back. I have a picture of him in my room. I look at as a reminder of what he looked like. Guess I kind of memorized the stance."
When I looked at him, he looked amazed for some reason. Then he said, "I cannot believe you got the stance down so perfectly from just a photo. Whereas it took me a good year under him to get it right." Then he caught himself and stood up again with proper posture. Then he continued, "Well anyway continue practicing, we will begin combat training soon, okay?" I agreed and began.
The primary training was hard and long. We continued this training for five more months; however, I still could not do the meat cleaver. So, he told me to forget the meat cleaver for now, and we would start basic attacks and combat practice.
Depending on how well I perform and master the basic attacks. He told me he would teach me the special attacks of my grandfather's style to the best of his ability. However, he cautioned me on complete imitation as the attack will not be as strong as the original. That it's better to create a new unique attack that's my own to fight my body type and fight style.
He told me my lack of stamina is the reason I can't use the meat cleaver yet, though I still think it to be a bit extreme. Combat training was one of many ways to build up my stamina. So, from that point on into the next four months, I practiced basic attacks and combat with Kenshin Sensei. However, there was something he told me while training that kind of stuck with me to this day.
"Remember this young Xeonix. The whistling sword is a style that is guided by the wind. If an attack is made right, you will hear the whistle of the wind. You will then be able to command the winds themselves with your blade."
Even though he said this, I have no idea what he meant. Though time and time again, I asked him to demonstrate what he meant. But all he would say is, "I could show you some of my attacks, but in this style, each swordsman must find his own way of attack. Only then will he hear the whistling winds himself."
And with that, our major training was complete, or rather in the sense that he could not teach me anything else. At this point, it's been a little over a year and a half since I started training. I feel a lot stronger, no lie, but I felt like I still needed practice. So, I decided to head home like I do every day on my bike so I can eat with my family. Of course, they still didn't know about my training.
I finally decided to go home. Riding at incredible speeds, on my way home, I hit something solid out of nowhere...… My bike was sling-shot straight into a tree completely totaled. Wondering how I was going to get home; I went back to see what I hit. I found a glowing box on the ground where my bike went airborne. It was a rectangular shape, possibly three feet by one foot in size and half a foot thick.
As a young, naïve child, I picked up the box and opened it. And to my surprise, I found what appears to be a brownish-green handle with a sharp, broken blade attached. At first, I'm like this is useless to me, I may need a blade, but this thing is broken.
Then I thought for a moment, "Why can't my dad refine this? Not sure if possible, I'll bring the blade home and put it in my room until my dad gets home. As for my bike, well, my mom is going to be mad. Wait, I just thought about something, how am I to get home anyway? I can't do anything about my bike, so I guess I'm walking. You know now that I look at this sword, it looks kind of familiar to me."
So, I did what any child would do and took it out of the box. As I examined the blade carefully, I saw what appeared to be a small woodwind instrument symbol on the side of the handle. At first, I did not recognize it or where I was at for that matter.
It was when I examined it carefully; then looked around to see where I had been riding at. It dawned on me, I was in the middle of the battlefield of the long since passed Cervest War, or to be more precise, I was in Oakland Country, where the war took place.
It was over this land the war was fought, but due to the war, the lands sustained so much damage that it was deemed farmland instead for the capital city, Sacar. But the blade I had in my hand was clearly one the soldiers from that war, possibly one of the royal mage knights. I was so excited about my discovery, but to keep people from finding out, I took some tape and wrapped it around the handle. I was so ecstatic until I remembered the blade was broken.
Then just as I was about to put the sword back in the box, I heard a faint weird howling sound for a few seconds, shortly after this tremendous rushing wind came through. Scared half to death, I attempted to drop the blade.
However, as soon as I attempted to let go, the rushing winds began to take shape and wrapped around my hand all the way to the tip of the broken blade. It followed by the strange howling again but much louder than before. I admit it; I was so scared I couldn't move.
Then all of a sudden, the sword began to radiate a bright clear, opaque green aurora. However, with all this wind, it is making it really hard to see. In fact, the winds were so strong; it felt like my arm was going to break off. I tried to forcefully let go of the blade when I saw something amazing.
Right there before my eyes, I could see the blade being repaired by the very winds that surrounded it. Then, as if possessed, I swung the blade upward towards the sky, and with a mighty shout, I said, "Here is the mighty sword of wind! Return unto thy true form and protect thy user from all danger. Be yet guided by the stream."
As the winds cleared, I was amazed by what I was now holding. There was no denying it, that this very blade in my hand was the same as one of the mage knight's corps that my grandfather was part of. I was so excited I ran straight back to the dojo to show sensei the blade I had, only to find he had already gone home.
I'll admit I was a bit disappointed that he left so early, but still, I had a sword at last. No more using a practice blade or a bamboo rod. Now I can learn to fight with a real weapon. It was at that point I remembered I said to Kenshin Sensei during my training, "I vow to become the best swordsman in the world and to exceed that of my grandfather and continue his legacy!"
Then I thought for a moment, "If I can't swing or dodge a practice blade, let alone a bamboo rod. How can I become the best swordsman in the world?" Then I heard a soft voice from behind me saying, "With a lot more practice."
Frightened, I turned around to look at who it was, to my surprise, it was Kenshin Sensei. "Sensei, I'm sorry for coming back so late in the evening," I told him. "It's okay Xeonix, I came back to get my bottle of medicinal herbs and my sword. Come to think of it, why did you come back here? Isn't it late, you need to get home?" He said.
"To show you the blade I have, but then I thought about it. What good would it do if I can't even use a practice sword or a rod made of bamboo? I think I'll just hold off on showing you until I get better at swinging a regular blade," I replied to him.
"I see, then I will wait to see what you have in the box then, okay?" he said. I replied, "Yes, Sensei." He then proceeded to tell me that I am welcome to come to the dojo to train anytime just as long as I clean up when I'm done. Then he left and went home.
As for me, well, I went inside the dojo. I figure I might train a little bit since I'm already here. It's the only way to get better, and I still need a lot of practice. Unannounced to me, that naivety in staying and training would end up being the last time I could have gone home.