First Training

Because of Yamato's strong physique it didn't strain him to carry the nine years old girl on his back and he could even chat with Katrina like that. Walking deeper into the forest was not as horrible as he had imagined it too.

Of course it helped that they walked a defined path through the woods, hinting that these parts sees much foot traffic, if not, if Yamato had to wade through tall bushes he would have found it unbearable. Still Katrina would use her spear to cut down weeds occasionally as she led the way deeper into the forest.

Yamato had fallen silent, choosing instead to think and observe. The sound of Tila licking the lollipop behind him kept distracting him though. He looked around noticing that the foliage grew thicker and thicker the deeper they went. At this point the canopy was so packed, the forest became slightly dark.

"This is the Sirat forest you humans fear so much," Katrina snorted.

It was one thing to suspect that they have crossed into the real Sirat forest, but another for it to be spoken outloud. Yamato immediately felt a chill go down his spine. But he pretended not to be afraid still he couldn't help but frown deeply.

Katrina was ahead of him, with her back to him, so she didn't notice anything wrong. "In Alrer there are bigger and more dangerous forests you know, but no one fears them. Anyway this is just the outer part of the Sirat forest so you don't need to worry that a demon will come eat you up,"

"That's comforting," Yamato muttered, irritated by her.

After walking for more than thirty minutes they finally arrived at a wide but shallow river which turned out to be their destination. Katrina already had chairs and a table set there. Atop the table was a small bag filled to bulging by something and tied at top.

"Get into the river," Katrina said as she opened the bag and started taking outs its content. It turned out to be fruits and snacks and she started setting them in plates that also came from the bag.

Yamato wondered when she had prepared all these things. He looked at her curiously for only a moment then attempted to take off the basket on his back but Katrina stopped him. "Do it like that," she said.

'Seriously?'

Yamato couldn't comprehend her intention but obeyed her orders nonetheless. He walked into the river with the basket - with Tila inside it - on his back. The river floor was muddy and slippery so he almost fell immediately he entered. Only by hastily spreading his hands to the side to regain balance did he prevent that.

The water was warm but it is still water, the feeling of soaking up halfway up his knees soured Yamato's mood. "Hey wise Master, can I ask what I should do next?" He asked sarcastically.

"Your footwork," Katrina said casually, not looking up from her task of sorting the snacks on the table.

"Footwork?"

"Do you know what the most important thing in a fight is?"

"Speed?"

"Yes and the best way to increase speed is by training your footwork. This river is slippery so it makes it perfect for that. Walk around and get use to it first before we start,"

"Sure," Yamato felt that this new Master of his was onto something so he didn't hesitate anymore.

"And don't dare drop my daughter!" Katrina added.

'If you love your daughter that much would you put her in a basket?' Yamato thought. He felt like rolling his eyes but endured and started walking in the river.

The mud was not the only problem, he soon realized. The flow of water also threatened to trip him. He also realized that walking around the river didn't help him get use to it, and help his balance, but actually did the opposite as it made the footing more worse. The more he walked around the more the river floor churns and the more slippery it becomes.

He secretly suspected that that was his Master's aim in the first place. Especially when she grinned at him whenever he looked at her. It was annoying to be played with by someone but Yamato didn't would endure if it'll actually help his training.

When Katrina finished sorting her picnic she picked a bowl and started gathering pebbles by the riverside. She even had Yamato help her. He picked the pebbles on the river floor feeling curious about what she intends to do with it. So after she was done he looked at her curiously.

Yamato felt that this new Master of his was about to teach him some formidable skill. Thinking of how she trashed him yesterday his expectations were sky high. But his face soon turned red in anger and humiliation when she sat back on the chair like a queen and started throwing the stones at him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Yamato growled shielding his face with his arms. His movement was awkward because of the weight on his back so he couldn't block much.

Katrina threw more stones before saying, "Shh, keep it down would you? You might attract monsters! By the way little disciple you are supposed to catch the stones and throw them back at me so I can continue to throw them at you without having to gather more,"

Yamato glared at her. "You think this is a joke? Give you stones so you can throw them at me?"

"No it is not a joke and yes that's what I expect of you,"

"Why?"

"It will help your reflexes. Now stop whining or you'll find that I can throw harder... Don't forget your footing or you'll fall, oops..."

Yamato mistakenly stepped on a big stone and stumbled almost falling headfirst into the river. He barely kept his balance and avoided soaking from head to toe. Thinking about how he almost fell down just now he glared at this so called Master sitting on a chair and stoning him without any pity, feeling more angry.

On his back Tila peaked from the edge of the basket, peered at his face and said something. Katrina immediately burst out in laughter closing her mouth with a hand.

She said something in the Alrer language too then threw a stone that hit Yamato straight on the nose. "Get moving my dear disciple,"

"Damn it!"

By the time there were done for the day Yamato felt so abused his whole body hurt. Especially his back: the weight of the skinny girl had not bothered him much at first but after jumping around in the river for hours his back felt like tearing. The pain was so intense it almost made him give up halfway through and walk away. But in the end Yamato found it too embarrassing to just run away like that.

Before this Yamato would never have believed just trying to catch stones can exhaust him so much. Usually he could go a whole battle without being out of breath in a good day after all.

The training might be hard but it was also the reason that by the end of the first day Yamato was sold on Katrina's training and was counting his fortunes that he met her. He felt that he would be so much stronger after a few months of this training regime. Just now he had stretched the muscles he never did while fighting before.

"That's enough for today, come on let's eat," After the 'torture session' Katrina said kindly.

Yamato starred at the table with the fruits and snacks atop and took in the fact that his Master didn't start eating but was waiting for him. His heart involuntarily softened.

'Yes she's just trying to train me. Besides her annoying remarks she did nothing wrong. Why was I cursing her just now?' He wondered. But even if he asked himself he didn't know the answer, he just knew that he's starving.

Since that day Yamato started training with Katrina, wholly taking her as his respected Master. The training took up a lot of his time. That's the few hours after school and in the evenings on weekends; on weekdays he has work in the evenings and on weekends it was in the mornings.

Yamato works in a Medicine shop so his physical exhaustion after every training doesn't affect his work. Not that he'll be fired even if he slacks off a little, it was only an unofficial fact that his boss considers him an extra bodyguard since he'd gotten the job. He'd beating up some thugs that wanted to extort the store on the first day on the job, since then his boss has always been partial to him.

As for his friends they started suspecting something was up with him but they didn't know what it was since Yamato didn't tell them. Not that he didn't want to but Katrina had made him promise to keep their affairs a secret.

He didn't hangout with his friends after school since he started training with Katrina. Of course he didn't hang out with them after school that much before, but the fact that a battle maniac like him wasn't interested in sparring with Zack anymore, showed that he's getting his juice somewhere else.

"Guess what Yama,"

A few days after Yamato's first training session with Katrina, in the school yard during lunch break Zack told Yamato something that interested him. "Yesterday I met a guy called Leonard that claims he's a scout from a guild. He said he wanted to meet you,"

"Is that true?" Yamato asked.

"You don't believe me?" Zack was immediately offended.

"No, it's not like that. I just wondered if you mixed something up,"

"Well what I said is true..."

Guilds as it implies is an organization that handles pro Fighters. Even though one could only go pro at sixteen years of age, Guilds could sometimes scout talents earlier. Of course it was every Street Fighter's dream to go pro so Yamato was delighted!

"Are you going to meet him?" Shandy asked.

"Why won't I?" Yamato said. 'Turn down a chance to join a Guild? What a joke,' He thought but turned to Zack calmly and asked, "When and where can I meet this guy?"

"He said he'll meet you today after school at a restaurant called Chickens and Spice,"

"I know the place, isn't it the one on the main road on the way to the city center?"

"Yeah that one. It is odd but I heard they don't really sell chicken there, is that true?"

Just then the bell rang cutting short their conversation. "Let's meet after school right?" Yamato asked as they separated in the hallway.

"Sure," Zack grinned.

"Don't keep me waiting!"

"I won't,"

Watching Yamato walk away Shandy's face looked a little nervous but no one noticed it. 'That guild is not the kind of guild you want Yama,' she thought sadly, then she turned around and starred at Zack, wondering if he knew about it.

"What?" Zack asked.

"Nothing..." Shandy said.

Yamato couldn't wait for school to let out that day, he kept thinking about the guild thing for the rest of the school hours. So after school he was the first one waiting outside the gate. Zack came next, before Shandy arrived ten minutes later.

"A teacher held back my class," she explained. "Shall we be off?"

On the way to the restaurant the three chatted with each other. Naturally the subject came again and Shandy and Zack asked Yamato what's up with him these past few days. Yamato just said that he'd been busy with work and helping out his parents.

Shandy did not believe him, however she said nothing. As a person that's hiding a lot of secrets, she thought she didn't have the right to probe his secrets....