Chapter 14

The morning was present, now regaining its position in the empyreal.

The sun's rays fulgurated on Micah, depriving him of his vision.

He got up, covering the sun with his hands, trying to return back to the darkness in the room.

Well, except one bright thing.

Asiris.

He stood in the room, startling Micah which almost woke Peter.

"Um, sir—is something wrong," he asked, very troubled by his unexpected appearance.

"No, but it's best to come with me."

"Oookay," he said. "Dress up, and meet me downstairs, I'll send someone with you," Asiris returned.

He militaristically slammed the door, finally awakening Peter.

"What in the world?" he complained, also being blinded from the sun.

By the time he turned, he found an empty bed, with pushed out sheets which he could presume he got out.

And therefore he did, dressing up into his fancy outfit with one of the heatheresses.

"Hopefully you enjoy this outfit," she said, tying the belt to his outfit.

Micah looked up confidently, trying to sound polite. "Thank you madam."

"You're welcome."

By the hall was someone who was sent by Asiris as previously ordered, which led him towards the elevator room. Seemingly, the carpet changed to green—which was the least of worries to Micah.

What was he asking, he thought continuously, merging excitement and twitchiness with his abstraction.

Before he knew, the door disclosed, pushing Micah towards a door.

It was a place, with a big circle of concrete surrounded by trees.

He couldn't understand—which started to make him feel much more nervous than before.

He walked out the door, as Asiris stared at him with a wooden stick.

It was a branch but the size of a sword, as he held another that was almost slipping out of his hands.

He quickly tossed the stick to Micah, who was now very puzzled.

If you're wondering what it is," he said, with a dark chuckle. "It is the Wooden Training Center or WTC." Micah was quite delighted, but more confused due to the name.

"It's training," Asiris concluded. "Let's see what you can do."

He straightened the stick to the tips of his fingers, and the strong grip on the handle.

"This is the stance you must do when you are sword fighting."

Micah nodded, trying but struggling to do the same.

"Okay—one, two, three."

Suddenly, in a rush he gyrated his stick, startling and alarming Micah quickly. He weakly put up his stick in fear, feeling the collision between the both.

Asiris responded with a laugh.

"Now when it comes to this, you need to study your opponent's movements."

Micah nodded, finally releasing between the two sticks. "Now, let's try this again," he suggested. "And try not to seem so scared when doing it."

Micah again nodded, but this time, he tried to interpret a stance to which he could get a good block from Asiris.

He chuckled at his efforts, but then proceeded with his attack.

Raising the sticks, they fought, for which a time that Micah actually was gaining, for perhaps it was the sorrowful sympathy from Asiris.

The thought released him to duck through Asiris's arm, trying to capture him there.

No.

The staff immediately stopped him dead in his tracks.

"If you're going to be sneaky, you need to make sure you do it faster before your fighter catches you."

As an insult, he projected the stick out of Micah's hand, discredibliting Micah into a nervous laugh.

"Pick it up."

Micah did so, trying a different stance this time.

"Now, let's say your opponent is smaller than you, you will send your weapon downwards-towards up."

Micah again for the third time nodded. "Okay, next," Asiris ordered, now changing his stick towards the top.

"If he is taller or at the same height as you," Asiris advised. "Then, keep your sword upwards towards their neck.

Micah this time didn't nod, but he understood by giving a thumbs up.

In satisfaction, Asiris complemented, "Good; now let's try again."

He now took a more accelerated position, now thrusting the stick much more faster.

He decided to block for the whole time, trying to see the pattern which Asiris used.

He seemed to use the fact as if he was using a shield, trying to stab in the little exposures as possible. So, he decided to get space, to use the momentum that Asiris was expeditiously gaining. He finally came in with a big swing, almost making him collapse himself.

But, it was unproductive due to the apparent duck Asiris executed.

Turning back, Micah was welcomed into a kick, which he stumbled back-first to the ground.

He dropped the stick due to the instability of his body, which the general of the army picked up.

"You see, that was the stone stance, which is best for swordsmen." Finding that he was wrong, Micah shamefully got up onto his feet, having returned his stick, which the near top was almost chipped from the structure. "What you did was almost unnecessary," he said, establishing Micah should never use that. "When you swing, make sure your grip is not near the bottom, and try to not add much power when you foresee a failed attempt."

Still confused, Micah did his best to try to acknowledge.

"Okay, now before you embarrass yourself more, move with me," he said, turning his tone to a calm voice, which in particular, really skeptical, confused Micah more.

Asiris positioned the stick to the top of his calf, which Micah did the same.

He slowly moved, gesturing Micah to follow, which he did.

They both did that for a while, until the throbbing started activating in Micah's legs.

"When are we gonna stop?"

"Till I say so."

He returned with a gulp, now trying to scratch the sudden itchiness on his leg.

As he was done with that, he looked up—suddenly staring at Asiris in full speed, racing towards him.

The staff now hoisted up, Micah found himself almost smacked senseless from the strafe.

Almost.

Shutting his eyes close, he drove his staff out, hoping that he wasn't dead from the attack, or in the hospital.

Very horror-struck, he opened his eyes slightly—seeing the staff broken into pieces, as well as Asiris.

"Wow," he muttered, turning from scared to amazed. Finally, they retreated their weapons, dropping them lazily on the floor.

"Well," Asiris praised. "You actually broke the staff!" Micah, quite puzzled at his amazement, asked, "What?"

"You just unleashed a snip of your power."