Pure Requiem - Aja James Page 0,26

in strength and endurance,” I tell her. “It is not how humans are built. But you can hone your technique, your ability to anticipate and self-control. That is the most important part of fighting. You must accurately assess your own strengths and weaknesses as well as your opponents. Everyone has them. Once you know what they are, you can formulate your strategy.”

“And do all that in a split second, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“Right. Piece of cake,” she mutters.

After Liv departs to the adjacent gym, I walk towards the two fighters at the end of the hall, distinctly separated from the rest.

When I stayed at the Shield before, and after I recovered enough from my wounds to start training and fighting again, I practiced with Valerius and Cloud, the two fiercest warriors in the Elite. I practiced with them, but I never truly fought them. I wasn’t strong enough then.

But, today, I want to test myself.

“General,” the Protector growls low in greeting.

Valerius is a male of even fewer words than me. I have noticed that he seldom acknowledges people verbally, likely greeting only with his eyes or a slight inclination of his head. He makes the exception for me, as I cannot see.

“Have you come to join our practice?” Cloud Drako asks. “Do you prefer the long staff today?”

“Yes, the long staff,” I answer. “But not for practice. How about one-on-one combat?”

I select a two-meter metal staff from the wall of weapons and heft it in my hands.

The Pure Ones’ weapons are specifically designed for our strength and height. A typical long staff, as I have learned, is 1.8 meters in length, about six feet. Ours are tailored to our longer bodies and limbs, and three to four times heavier than the comparable human weapons.

The silence that meets my words tells me that the two warriors are hesitant to engage me. They do not want to allude to my disability and weakness to protect my pride, I suppose.

In truth, I do not know if my strength is what it used to be. I hardly recall what I used to be at all. I have only inhabited that youthful, strong body for a handful of years before captivity and torture fundamentally and forever changed me.

But I do know that I am stronger now, stronger in a way I have never felt before, and I want to stretch the limits of that newfound power.

I crook the fingers of my left hand in invitation.

“You first, Protector.”

After a few more beats of silence, Valerius takes down his own staff and gets into position about twenty feet away.

“Do not ‘take it easy’ on me,” I order, the steel in my voice brooking no argument.

“Aye,” the warrior concedes.

Over the course of the next three hundred seconds, I know without a doubt that he is keeping his word. He unleashes attack after attack, his maneuvers deadly, precise, unrelenting.

But I hold my own. To my surprise, I am answering his attacks with forceful counters. In fact, it’s almost too easy.

I know he is fast; I can hear and feel his speed. In the whistles of the staff as it whirls before it strikes. In the sudden disturbance of air, followed by eerie stillness, like the calm before a storm.

Like a dream I’ve already had, I know exactly where he’ll strike next. I rotate immediately before impact, crouch low, and sweep my staff horizontally in a swift circle, knocking him off his feet. Before he can get back up, one end of my staff is already notched into his jugular.

“Yield,” I voice low, not even out of breath.

“I yield,” the warrior replies gruffly.

I reach down a hand and help him stand.

“Impressive, General,” Valerius comments. I can hear the smile in his tone.

Truth to tell, I am rather impressed myself. I don’t recall ever moving this fast.

No, that’s not right.

It’s not that I’ve gained speed. It’s that I somehow anticipated my opponent’s moves. But it wasn’t the anticipation of honed reflexes and a deep understanding of the other fighter. It’s…something else.

My heart races from more than the adrenaline of the fight. I want to test myself again. Perhaps this was a ‘fluke.’

“Cloud,” I call out. “Shall we dance?”

“Thought you’d never ask, General,” the warrior murmurs, stepping up. His voice is tinged with amusement and anticipation.

I can well relate. Warriors love the challenge. We want to hone our skills, and we can only do so with those who are our match or those we can learn from.

He attacks so suddenly and silently, I almost don’t