"I am sorry that you had to forfeit the game for me, costing you a mark." Sagiri started after everyone was seated, but no one spoke. He could not feel any feeling of hostility coming from any of them except Kaka, who always oozed hostility.
"N'varu didn't tell you?" Kiuga said with a full mouth. Kaka was wolfing down his food, not caring to give any of them a shred of his attention. Sagiri and N'varu's eyes met across the seat, and an emotion passed on his brow before he looked away. He had successfully hidden his feelings, and he couldn't perceive what they were.
"Tell me what? Sagiri asked, moving his gaze back to Kiuga.
"Our team passed, and it's all because we forfeited because a teammate was hurt. So, even though we did not stay until the end of the game, we showed quick decision-making by forfeiting an important game to take care of an injured teammate.
"Is that so?" Sagiri said, feeling oddly warm, that they decided to go to such lengths for him. "I will become stronger so I don't pull you all down next time, even so," he added, feeling obligated to do better.
"What are you even talking about?" Zolinka almost jumped over the table. "You were awesome out there, like you could see even with the invisibility gas! Like when you told me someone was coming my way and I couldn't see anything, I just followed your words and punched the air and landed!" he was totally over the top. He was almost jumping from his seat.
"Yes, newbie, you are good. " Kiuga joined in. "How did you even know there was an ambush?" he asked, and he only oozed curiosity.
"Yes, Sagiri, how did you know? You are not a Tamelku, but you even had them tensed." Ulekai added with admiration in his eyes. N'varu looked tense, but he remained silent.
"I have bad hearing," Sagiri answered. Everyone stared at him hard, wanting him to elaborate more. "I have had bad hearing since I was a kid, so I learned to use my other senses more," he repeated the lie he had told Captain Salka and his men. There were a couple of underwhelming emotions flying around after his answer. Some sighed, and some wished he were more interesting. N'varu was among those who sighed.
"You have bad hearing," Kiuga asked, surprised.
"Yes," he answered. "I use this to hear," he pushed back his hood slightly to show them the oru-shells before pulling it over his face.
"Still, it was awesome. Our team could have made it that long in that arena without your senses," Kiuga said, and Sagiri nodded, digging into his food, shutting out whatever emotions were swirling around, focusing on his own.
"Eating two servings is a disgrace," Kaka said in disgust, standing from the table, having cleared his dozen servings.
"Don't mind him, he was the first to forfeit," Kiuga said, and Kaka groaned and threw his plate at him, but Kiuga dodged it, and the two chased each other out of the hall.
"He was actually the fifth to forfeit," Ulekai whispered, leaning across the table as if he was scared anyone could hear him. So Kaka was not as cold as he seemed. He just hated showing any weakness. Sagiri thought, feeling relieved that he was not on the bad side of such a guy. N'varu left on his own soon after, and Sagiri missed the chance to talk to him yet again.
Sagiri had, however, been told to take it easy, not to exert his mind. He also wanted to earn Salka as his teacher, so he had to play it safe. He headed to the first-year Pentagon Library to study Tagayia Language Study, a compulsory subject among the twelve. He could speak several languages, but the archive inside of him still craved more.
He settled on studying more northern dialects, especially the Tamelku tribe language, which he did not know. He opened the book, and the language seemed familiar. The archive did not need to concentrate to absorb the language as if it were its second nature, as if it had created the language. He was still serving punishment since he missed a day, and so, with a few hours to spare, he headed for the combat arena to train with the dagger.
Just like the other day, Kaka was still training as hard as before, launching daggers while punching, kicking, and dodging at the same time. He was especially vicious in his training, evading even more invisible targets. He released daggers at the targets with eyes closed as if he was recreating the fight from the previous day, where they could not use their eyes to find enemies. He really was admirable in how he worked hard in places where he lacked and rectified his mistakes. He did not turn to acknowledge Sagiri, just like the day before yesterday.
Sagiri moved in front of the human dummy, positioning himself. He sank into an attacking stance, then unsheathed his dagger before he started moving. He moved just like Instructor Bekuro had told him. Attack, side step. jump back, turn around, attack again. He tried to make the weapon move to his will, but he dropped it each time. He tried again and again, but the result was the same.
"You are holding it the same way, and you are too rigid. You are obeying the dagger instead of making it obey you," a voice said behind him, and he jumped before he turned around. Sweat was pouring from his face, and he had been concentrating for a long time. He got lost in it. It was the last person he had expected to see. Kaka Asakana was standing behind him with a sour expression as if it had been painful for him to endure watching him make clumsy moves.
He snatched the dagger from Sagiri's hand and reenacted the move instructor Bekuro had made so swiftly and seamlessly, it was as if he were another Instructor Bekuro standing in front of him.
"Watch me carefully, then repeat," he turned around, giving Sagiri a strict look. "Or get out of my sight!" he snapped, then repeated the move slowly.
He moved quickly, aiming for the throat, but halfway, he dodged an imaginary enemy, released the dagger, moved his hand downward in the same move, caught it sinking lower, before he stabbed it at the vital spot between the thighs. He threw the dagger at Sagiri and moved back.
"Now move!" he commanded, seeming as if he was at the end of his rope with him. Sagiri took a stance in front of the human straw, but Kaka spoke again. "Attack me, those things don't fight back," he said, and Sagiri remembered how Instructor Bekuro had told him not to hesitate
Sagiri adjusted his grip and tried again. He barely moved before Kaka blocked, hooked the wrist, and pushed Sagiri's shoulder. Sagiri stumbled. Kaka moved his foot with his own boot. One inch back. Then another.
"You're holding the blade wrongly," he seethed before he adjusted his hand around the handle.
"Again!" he commanded, getting into
position again. Sagiri attacked again. This time, the blade stayed straight. The step followed the strike. Kaka let it pass.
"Good. Again."
They repeated the sequence. Over and over. Correction by contact sometimes and by explanation sometimes. After several rounds, Sagiri's movement stopped breaking apart. Still slow. Still rough. But functional.
"Now repeat on your own."
Kaka stayed and watched him for a while, his expression solemn as always. Even so, Sagiri could feel himself finally become one with the weapon. Kaka had made him understand what he had been missing, and although his body had not caught up, he dropped the dagger less and less.
When it hit twelve and the gong sounded, Kaka just left without saying a word. Sagiri continued on his own. His body had healed completely, and he felt lighter. He trained for a few minutes on his own, then suddenly the skin at the back of his head rose to attention. He could not see him, but he knew he was there.
"Come out now!" he growled, pushing his hood back, his eyes scanning the whole arena. There was no movement, and he let the power inside of him come alive, and the arena floor shook slightly.
"N'varu, I know it's you. Come out!" he said. There was a blur of movement so light and fast that he had never seen. N'varu came to a stop in front of him, his eyes completely white. The black in his eyes was invisible. He could only see the white that covered the. He blinked, and they went back to normal. Sagiri could still not perceive any hostility from him, and he maintained his aggressive stance. He could just feel that nostalgia hanging around him so thick that it almost brought him to his knees.
"Keeper, I greet you." N'varu suddenly said, falling to one knee, one hand touching the earth and another resting on the bent knees. He bowed his head so deeply. Sagiri could only feel respect and longing coming from the guy. he stepped back, surprised by the whole act. He had never had someone bow to him or show him such respect, which he did not deserve, yet he felt familiar with the movement.
"As one of your sworn guardians, I failed to find you and only waited to die upon my return. Please accept my apologies."
"What did you do to me?" Sagiri ignored his blubbers, yet he felt uneasy. "I was clearly weak and beaten when I passed out. How did you make it go away?" Sagiri asked, his tone defensive.
"I am not your enemy, you can search my mind if you fear so," he said in one beat, and Sagiri froze. The power inside him stirred, and he sent him flying into the opposite wall. The right eye defied the eye veil, turning red. His head hurt immediately, but he ignored him and walked to where N'varu now hunched on his arms and legs, breathing heavily.
"Were you sent by the benefactor to kill me. How does he know that? What does he want from me?" Sagiri raged, ignoring the honesty radiating off the boy. He was telling the truth, yet Sagiri did not want to believe him.
"I was not sent by anyone. I have already told you to search my memory, keeper." N'varu repeated without an ounce of anger in his voice. "If you find any betrayal in them, then you can kill me, keeper. Protecting you is my sworn duty, and dying by your hand will also be my honour." Sagiri swayed on his feet, the power draining him of any strength in his body, bringing him to his knees. Sagiri could have just touched his hand to his head to read his memory, yet he didn't. It was as if now that he was faced with the truth, he did not want to believe him.
"I can tell you don't have the memories, but you are the veil keeper," N'varu said with the same tone as if he was not spitting a mouthful of blood. "I am willing to teach you until you regain the memories."
"Stay away from me," Sagiri said, trying to get to his shaky feet.
"You can deny it, but you know I was not the one who healed you," N'varu said, spitting another mouthful of blood before he stood to his feet. "I only took care of you because after your careless display on the broken pillar and shadow arena, I feared you might lose control." Sagiri went silent. N'varu was making sense, and he wondered whether they already knew each other. He could feel the invisible barrier in his mind when he tried to remember. he had always known he was missing something, but he was not stupid enough to believe mere words from a boy he had just met days ago.
"What are you going to do with this information?" Sagiri asked, standing to his feet.
"I have already told you to search my memory," N'varu answered, standing to his feet. "I could have avoided your clumsy attack right now, but I didn't. I could have killed you in your sleep, but I didn't. You are so weak right now, even a first year at Galka can kill you. the power within you, you still don't know how to wield it, it will kill you before you kill anyone if you don't learn to control it. I will talk with you another time when you are not acting like a child," N'varu lectured. He sounded a bit mad and a bit too mature for his age.
He left just as quickly as he had arrived in a blur, and Sagiri wondered why he hid some of his skills to appear average. He had also called Sagiri foolish for his display. It was as if he was trying hard to hide who he was and what he was capable of, and on that, he was the same as Sagiri.
"Punishment complete," Instructor Torena said, getting off his raised spot at the door. Even so, he did not care much about that.
Keeper? Why did N'varu address me as the keeper?