THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: HAND TO HAND

”I thought the Tamelku duo did not wish to become a trio?” a voice broke through the hostility. It was level and controlled, but it held a sharp edge to it.

”If it isn’t the mother duck,” They returned the sarcasm, speaking as one. Both of them stared at N’varu with irritation.

”Are you trying to steal my little blind or did you miss me, Tamelku and Tamelku?” It was Kiuga’s voice sitting impossibly close, matching their humorous grin, only that he did not reek of revenge.

”We were just getting to know the new guy,” one of the twins answered in a singsong voice. ”We shall be leaving now, Ash gray. Don’t forget,” they said, standing in unison. It was a promise of revenge, a promise of pain. Sagiri continued chewing on his food. It could seem he had met a guy who wanted to protect him for a reason he did not know, and in the same beat, he had made two enemies who wanted to destroy him for a reason he did not know.

”What did left and right want from you, Sagiri the blind? You sure do easily make friends.” Kiuga mocked, laughing as if the situation were humorous. It seemed he had a nickname for everyone.

”Friends?” Sagiri tasted that word on his tongue. He had never had a person he could call a friend besides his parents, yet that was not what the twins were.

”Stay away from them,” N’varu said seriously in a flat tone, still watching the twins’ backs as they walked away.

Just then another voice joined the group. It was Kayu Asari, the class president of 4E.

”I am to escort you to Principal Senraki’s office,” was all he said. What could the principal possibly want from him this time? ”N’varu Neni, you are also to accompany us,” he added. N’varu looked surprised for a moment, but he did question the arrangement. The walk to the central pentagon was silent, with Asari in the lead and Sagiri with N’varu walking behind him in silence.

Senraki was sitting in his chair as usual, going through a pile of papers, and discipline commander Torena was sitting across from him. He held a grim expression as if there had been a breach in his perfectly disciplined lot.

”Sagiri, my aged student, you are here,” Zazami Senraki said, standing from behind his pile of papers.

”Cadets greet the principal!” Asari and N’varu saluted him, getting into the respect stance with legs apart and the right hand above the heart. Sagiri had never greeted Senraki before he joined the others quickly. Torena, who was starting to frown, nodded in approval. The man is addicted to order.

”You might be wondering why I called all of you here, but for this, I needed the class president and your friend to be involved.” Zazami’s voice turned grave when he came to a stand in front of Sagiri. Am I in trouble again? Sagiri wondered. Did the missed lesson with Bekuro and N’varu’s diversion finally come to light? That was the only sane explanation. No one in the room, however, expected what followed.

”It has come to my attention that you are getting bullied,” Senraki said, his voice turning grave. ”As the principal of Galka War Academy, I know of the little rivalries going on between the cadets and recruits. They are healthy for growth, and I allow them. What I don’t condone, however, is bullying. It breaks my heart that you did not feel safe enough to report this to the instructors or me, but an anonymous person has reported that you seem to be having a hard time.” Senraki finished, still looking at him, Sagiri could feel that dangerous aura that he kept guarded expanding. So this is the reason for our summoning? Sagiri felt relieved and confused at the same time.

”I have not been bullied,” Sagiri answered, and it was the truth. Ever since he stepped into Galka War Academy, he had faced hostility, yes, but he did half of his lessons alone in libraries across the Pentagons, and he had not experienced an actual beating or direct harassment from any student. The discipline in Galka War Academy, kept by the discipline division commander, Torena, was rigid, and no one seemed to want to waste his time getting punished instead of reading. The Tamelku twins hated him, but they had not directly done anything remotely called bullying to him. Yet.

”Class president and N’varu, I hear you are the closest to him. Is he being bullied?” Senraki turned to Asari and N’varu, ignoring his answer.

”As the class president, I shall always maintain honesty, grand marshal. I have not witnessed any bullying.” Kayu answered honestly.

”I have not witnessed him getting bullied so far, grand marshal,” N’varu answered after Asari, his voice steady. There was a reason he was class president. His sense of justice surpassed most people, and he upheld integrity with his good analysis of both sides in a conflict. ”But if there has been, I ask to be punished for my incompetence, and I will report personally to the discipline division commander if it happens again.

”You three cadets do know the price of lying to the grand marshal, don’t you?” Torena stood to his feet, coming to stand behind Principal Senraki. More so, a grand marshal.

”Yes, Commander!” the three answered at the same time, this time around.

”Sagiri, are you lying to me?” Senraki asked again, and this time his voice was the most serious and sharper than Sagiri had ever heard.

”I have not been bullied,” Sagiri replied again. It is normal for those being bullied to deny the fact to avoid getting bullied even more, but he had not been bullied.

”Well then, you boys are free to go, but if I find out you lied, the three of you will all suffer the same fate,” Senraki said in his voice, still taking the serious edge.

”Dismissed!” Torena said, and the three boys streamed out of Senraki’s office. They walked in silence till they got to the fourth-year pentagon.

”You are not being bullied, are you? As the class president, I can punish you for lying.” Asari turned around to scold Sagiri. He was taller than him but still skinny and dainty. He is from the west. His clan held the same features as Miss Lakiya, and besides being tall and skinny, they are strong and agile.

”We were not lying, but the tamelku twins don’t seem to like him,” N’varu answered for both of them. Asari nodded, satisfied with the answer. The after-lunch class had already started, and they did not have any.

The next lesson was not taught by Miss Lakiya. The hand-to-hand combat lesson was taught by senior instructor Lotaga. He had his gold sash with black edges tied around his neck like a small scarf, defying all the rules of discipline. He stood at the front of the group, explaining something.

”Today, we will pick off where we stopped. For the friendly competitions to come, as announced by Senraki, you will have to do your combat dances. We will polish those in this class. Now get into formation 10 by 25, Sagiri. You stand close to me. front line.” Everyone sank into position immediately, forcing Sagiri to stand on the remaining spot at the front. Leave it to Lotaga to put a guy who has never done the hand-to-hand combat dance at the front.

The class formed a wide rectangle that was perfect. Sagiri was the last to get into formation. He copied Asari, who was standing beside him. The lines were arranged in height, meaning Kaka was at the back. The combat dance began in stillness. Everyone relaxed into a relaxed position with feet set narrow, Weight forward, Hands open at chest height, and face focused forward as if looking at an invisible enemy.

”First movement!” Lotaga announced getting into position to lead the dance while he gave instructions. Sagiri was sure.

”First movement: step forward, then follow it with a palm strike to the throat line, then immediately shift left, drive your elbow back into an imagined rib. No pause,” he finished the demonstration. Sagiri was sure he was doing it for him.

”Repeat!” He instructed, and everyone followed the movements in shared movements. The archive had captured the sequence, but his body had not fully absorbed it. He looked like a bad limp ruining the perfect formation.

”Second sequence: drop in weight. Low sweep with the leg. Hands press down as if breaking the balance. Knee rises into the centerline. Step away.”

”Third sequence: turn on the heel. Forearm cuts across the neck. The other hand pulls back, simulating a head control. Short twist. Release.”

”Fourth sequence: fall to one knee. Roll across the shoulder. Rise facing a new direction. Palm strike. Elbow. Backfist. remember to control your movements and use your belly to exert force, not your chest or limbs.”

”Final sequence: close distance. One hand checks the arm. The other strikes the jaw. Step past. Push away.” The dance ended where it began. But Sagiri was far off the line, and he had pulled himself back in. Lotaga just made them repeat once after every sequence

”Repeat now from top to bottom!” Lotaga instructed

The combat dance began again. Feet set. Weight forward. Breath controlled. Step in. Palm to throat. Immediate shift. Elbow drives into the ribs. Short step past the target. Heel stamps down as if crushing a foot. Turn. Forearm cuts across the neck. The other hand hooks behind the head. Sharp twist. Release. Drop low. Leg sweeps outward. Hands press down, forcing the balance to break. Knee rises into the centerline. Elbow follows. Step back. Pivot on the heel. Backfist snaps to the temple. Palm checks the chest. Shoulder drives forward. Push away. Fall to one knee. Roll across the shoulder. Rise facing a new angle. Palm strike. Elbow. Hammer fist downward. Close distance. One hand traps the imaginary wrist. Twist. Pull. The elbow strikes the jaw. Knee drives up. Step through. Spin out. Low kick to the shin. Forearm crushes across the collarbone. Short head control. Break contact. Step in fast. Two strikes to the centerline. Elbow. Palm. Grab and turn. Push the body away.

”Again!” he said, going around to correct stances which were already perfect in Sagiri’s eyes, except for him. He settled for moving slowly because he looked retarded trying to copy others. Even so, his stances were wrong and his attacks even worse. Why could Lotaga even make him train with the others?

”AGAIN!!” That’s all he kept saying after every complete sequence. The arena was filled with grunts and yells after every complete movement. After they repeated a dozen more times, Sagiri could at least keep up halfway, but he was still slow and kept being the last to finish.

”Recruit Sagiri! Give me 100 push-ups for being too slow!” Lotaga suddenly issued a different command, signaling for the others to continue.

”Yes, instructor!” he obliged, dropping to his hands.

”I need to improve. and quick.” is all he could think about.