THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: THE QUEEN II

Hands grabbed. Bodies slammed.

”Maintain your formations!” Miss Lakiya barked watching how some teams broke apart under pressure. ”Team five and seventeen eliminated”

Kiuga sank into frog position and disappeared from Sagiri’s eyes for a minute, he was not only first but he was managing to keep three opponents grounded. He was not rendering heavy blows but he was just going for their vital points taking away their mobility. He moved again, taping one to the vital point at the back above the kidney. He was not going for the kill but the opponent staggered and fell to his knees, the other two circled him deeming him too dangerous to turn their back to him. They charged at the same but kiuga dodged them and jumped so high before twisting mod air, while he was upside down he tapped another’s back vital point.

”The back stabber!” He yelled before he landed to his feet gracefully sliding a few feet back before he sank in his frog defensive position again. indeed kiuga Inzadi of the Lofekeni tribe was a character. The Lofekeni tribe were known for their secret art which was good at hitting the back. You don’t turn your back to the Lofekeni, your back turns to them. fighting an opponent who mostly went for your back in a battle was quite unnerving by itself. N’varu Neni was holding back, he was not just fast on his feet, his feet did not make any sound at all. He was not as good as kiuga but he was still good. kaka was surprisingly still, he had moved even closer to sagiri, the first to go after him were the most unlucky lot because Kaka was a whole small battalion by himself and of course he was not one to listen to to instruction not to use too much force.

Kaka captured one by the neck and tossed him a few feet in the air before his back connected with a pillar.

”Kaka, I said no injuries.” Miss Lakiya yelled from her position but Kaka was not listening. He swept the other off of their feet and when they jumped up to avoid the deliberate attack he suspended his body weight on one arm and kicked him with both his feet which sent him flying just a few feet. Sagiri had seen the move being used by captain Salka. Kaka however wasn’t half as powerful as Salka’s yet it did his job. He had used lesser force for the attack after being chastised by instructor Lakiya, yet the opponent staggered back and fell to his knee clutching his ribs. One opponent managed to slip past N’varu Neni and headed straight for sagiri exploiting the small opening while kaka was busy, it was a small second but it seemed the other two were just his decoys.

Sagiri’s senses did not miss him and he sidestepped quickly yet the opponent changed his maneuver quickly and used his other hand to tap him on the shoulder so slightly. Kaka turned quickly but it was too late, their queen had been tapped and that meant one member had to go. The assaulter did not wait to be attacked by kak before he fled. The damage was already done.

”Team 25 queen tapped once! one member eliminated!” Miss Lakiya announced and Kaka cursed, punching a hole in a pillar. Perhaps it was their strategy or just luck but it had changed the dynamic causing every member of team 25 to retreat and be on the defense at Kiuga’s command.

”I am eliminated.”N’varu Neni announced. If a team could not decide who to eliminate then miss Lakiya could eliminate anyone but if that someone was kaka then they were doomed. It was quite honorable for N’varu Neni to eliminate himself and it saved the team time as they fell to the defense circling around Sagiri. He was pulling the team down but there was nothing he could do but watch. He had been too slow to even dodge a tap. How pathetic he thought and turned to watch his teammates fight. They were strong but against two teams with one less member the following few minutes were rough but they held on.

”All teams, stop. ”Miss Lakiya blew the final whistle. ”Time is up!”

Everyone froze at once but remained in defensive positions till their opponents retreated. Sagiri’s team exhaled in relief. Kiuga fell to his back dramatically.

”That was tough, I hate working this hard, it’s your fault, King Galka, you should smile more, you have made an enemy of everyone,” he whined.

”I don’t indulge in such useless behavior,” Kaka said in a matter-of-fact tone, and Kiuga groaned. Miss Lakiya scanned the arena, counting the remaining teams.

”Ten teams remain. Good enough but it’s more than I thought.” She nodded once. ”Tomorrow, you will all repeat this exercise with reduced visibility. Prepare accordingly. The top three teams will get assigned ten points which will be shared among each member and this point which will already apply in your final exam” team combat is marked out of ten and only the lucky one got to score more than half in the final exam. A seven could even be considered excellent.

”Cadet dismissed!” She announced. Sagiri and the others stepped back, breaking formation before turning to leave.

”You almost made us lose,” Kaka snarled regarding him with disgust. ”We could have done better just by tying the sash to a pillar and protecting it.” He said moving impossibly close, and Sagiri could feel aggressive energy pouring off of him in waves. He was right, however, and Sagiri just nodded before he turned to leave. He had the basics of weapon handling training, and since he had spent the whole lesson being protected, he was quite rested.

Instructor Bekuro was already waiting by the time Sagiri got to the small dagger training arena on the outer nonagon. He wondered if he could ever make it in time. The lesson went beyond stances this time. Instructor Bekuro taught him to understand that a dagger was not held the same way at all times.

”Try to stab me,” he instructed as soon as they got into position. Sagiri hesitated, lifting his dagger slowly. Instructor Bekuro moved fast, slapped the dagger out of his hand, and in one move spun it in his arms before pointing at his throat.

”I have already told you to stop hesitating! Now attack!” Instructor Bekuro chastised, tossing him the dagger again. Sagiri braced himself before he charged. He didn’t even get close before Instructor Bekuro moved and slapped the dagger from his hands before pointing at his throat again. He was so fast.

”Sometimes direct attacks don’t work,” he said after he slapped the dagger out of Sagiri’s hand a dozen times. ”You need to make a weapon a part of you and change it to your own will when in battle.”

He then taught Sagiri to switch grips mid-motion, from forward to reverse. He performed several alternative moves. Blade sliding across his palm, hilt caught between fingers, without ever breaking movement. Sagiri failed each time he tried. his eyes had understood the motions, but his body had not yet caught up. They moved to the straw bodies, but the result was the same. Footwork followed. Advance, cut, pivot. Slip past, stab, turn, again and again. By the end, Sagiri was breathing hard, sweat dripping from his chin onto the stone floor, yet he had not managed to make the dagger obey his will.

”You will practice tomorrow by yourself, I’ll check on your progress, and if you haven’t grasped the basics, you are going in the cooling chamber.” Instructor Bekuro said. ”Recruit dismissed!” He added before leaving. This place sure has many torture chambers, and he had a feeling he was going to visit every one before the exam in three months. He drugged his now sore body to the first year weaponry class taught by Yavaga, and this time he was even more sloppy than the day before. The boy he was paired with made a living man straw dummy out of him with the number of taps he got in. It was as if the body got more sore as days went by. Every part of his body was hurt.

”Is it me, or did you get even slower?” Yavaga mocked after every first year had cleared out, and Sagiri was still stooped forward, trying to catch his breath. ”It will get worse before it gets better,” he tapped his shoulder, and Sagiri winced. Even being tapped was too painful. Sagiri sat alone at dinner, but midway through the meal, the hall went silent, and heavy footsteps echoed. The discipline commander and instructor, Torena, walked in looking as stoic as always. His eyes zeroed in on the room, and everyone held their breath, hoping he was not the subject of his arrival. His eyes finally stopped on Sagiri. What am I being punished for this time? He wondered.

”Recruit Sagiri!” he called, and Sagiri scrambled to his feet and got into the discipline stance. ”Your clothing is quite an eyesore. Get to the central building now and pick your uniforms. If I see you in those rags a minute longer, I will take all your hours of sleep for a week. The Galka Academy uniform is part of the discipline code.”

”Yes, commander!” Sagiri replied, partly relieved that he was not being punished. Torena turned around and left. He rushed through his meal before rushing to the central pentagon. The uniform department was silent, and only the sound of sewing machines could be heard from the inner chambers.

”You must be recruit Sagiri,” a short, plump lady said in greeting. Sagiri nodded. ”Follow me,” she said, leading the way.

They walked into another room then into an inner room which smelled of fabric. ”Wait here,” he instructed before going into an inner compartment before coming out with a pile of fabric.

”Every student gets two uniforms which are renewed every three months. Yours were especially made to fit your condition. She said, handing sagiri the bundle. ”That is the changing room, change and hand me those old ones, they will be put away in your compartment with any thing you came with that is not allowed in the academy. The only thing sagiri had not been allowed to take with him was his retracting weapon that he still did not know what it held or how to use.

The uniform is made from thick, tightly woven dark grey fabric. The surface is slightly rough and dry, built to resist tearing and scraping. It does not stretch easily, but it bends where it needs to. Inside, the fabric is smoother and softer, meant to sit against the skin without rubbing. At the elbows, knees, and shoulders, the material is reinforced and heavier. These areas feel stiffer and more protective. The sleeves and legs are loose and baggy, allowing free movement and hiding the exact position of the arms and feet. The fabric folds naturally and does not cling. The pockets are firm and structured, their edges stiff enough to guide the hand without looking. Even when wet or dirty, the uniform keeps its shape and does not sag. It is practical, durable, and made for training and combat, not appearance.

Sagiri flexed in the uniform pulling the attached mask up to just below his eyes and the hood above his head covering half his face. The gloves were the same fabric as the mask but hardened at the knuckles. It was surprisingly comfortable, warm, light and easy to move in. He already felt a ton lighter. The boots added an inch to his height and made his feet feel slightly better. He tied the ash gray sash around his waist before stepping out with his old clothes.

”You finally don’t look like an eyesore.” Torena was standing in the middle of the room. ”Now you need to work harder to be worthy of that uniform.” He added before walking away.