Shoulders… ribs… thighs… my body ached. It's been just over half an hour since I started training. Originally, I was supposed to train with James.
But… nope, not good. It felt like my body gave up on what I learned with Shaun… My hips kept being too close, even when I fully focused on keeping them shoulder width.
Every time I messed up, I felt the training lady whack my ribs. Every time my ribcage ached and whined… I had to stop training when I choked.
My knees hit the ground at least six times, I felt the dark scars on my body scream. The training lady didn't stop and only insulted me. James tried to stop her but nothing worked.
At this point I'm struggling to hold my feet on the ground. I had my upper body tense when I raised my arms.
Hm? W-Why-
I was so ready for a hit to my ribs— even I sucked my breath in. But I felt nothing on my ribs. Did I finally move it-?
The training lady didn't hit me. Instead she gave me praise for finally doing it. Now she walked me towards a training dummy.
"Just hold your blade above your head and swing down. As you prepare it, move your right foot forward."
"Got it…" I took a deep breath in and raised my arms above my head. Deep breath before I swing. Shaun's words rang in my head as I closed my one good eye.
I let all the air in my lungs leave, then stepped forward as my arms fell onto the training dummy. My hands shook, and a loud thwack! Shook my ears.
"Again, keep your eyes ON the target. Strike the head not the shoulder!" The training lady's voice rang in my head. "If you close your eyes your opponent will take advantage of that!"
My head started to ache when something struck it. Another scolding assaulted my ears and in my face.
"I don't know how you lived this long— fourteen years? You're lucky to have lived this long you idiot! Bring your sword up again and keep— open both your eyes not just one!"
"A-Alright…" I let my head fall and opened both my eyes. The world felt so much blurrier on my left side… I could barely make out my feet with it. Is… it getting worse? Wasn't it healed?
"Ah- is that why?" She asked whilst getting even more in my face. "Can you see? If you can't, oh well."
…This is going to suck… Ugh… I shook my head when she disappeared from my sight. Keep an eye on the dummy… C'mon Yukina, you can do it.
I swung again, another thwack hummed but I majorly missed the target. I only struck its shoulder, and as a result my ribs got slapped.
Again, again, every time I couldn't hit its head. My left eye and my body not wanting to be coordinated I kept missing. Why can't…
"Girl, you need to improve your arm."
"I'm trying." I replied. With magic I could easily do this. Even when I first started using it I didn't need to practice this much…
Of course I trained… a lot, I still have a lot to l-
"Again, if you keep missing you'll never improve. Keep going."
"...Okay…"
By my eighth hit I clipped the training dummy's head. I let my head fall when I did, and I felt my heartbeat spike. I-I did it-!Even if I barely hit it!
Despite not getting praise from the training lady, I felt more motivated. However, when I tried to swing my sword a hand stopped me from moving.
"Girl, I think you should give up."
"..."
"Either your eye is too messed up or your aim is the worst."
…
"Go sit down and watch everyone."
… Alright… I dropped my sword, and found a spot nearby to sit down. That once jolt in my heart went down— I felt an urge to cry out. Yet I couldn't, people would stare at me.
James fits right in, he's sparring with another man who had his shirt off. It was a back and forth, James had a smile.
James would take a step forward, the wind sounded like it got cut in two as one arm shot forward. He's so fast…
The other guy was seemingly stronger physically— he met James's sword with ease. Unlike my hit, their clash echoed throughout the plains.
Before I could catch up, the other guy jumped back then lunged in.
James ducked the strike, dove to the side and followed up with a wide arc.
"Not bad." The shirtless man remarked as he stepped back, narrowly avoiding the hit.
These exchanges went on for so long, no hits connected with bodies. Finally they both stopped.
Eventually, James sat down next to me. Sweat caked his entire body, but there was a satisfied, yet concerned look on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked with his head turned to me.
"I feel like I'm getting nowhere." I replied without thinking. "I can't hit the dummy right… I keep missing my mark…"
"Yukina, keep trying." James said to me, I felt his hand on my head. "You'll get there… Try closing your eye when you try."
"I am…"
"I see… What's causing you to miss it?"
"I-I don't know…" I responded and shrugged…
James put his arm behind me and pulled me in.
"Just keep practicing. If it's not your specialty then it's a good practice."
That's true. I felt my face heat up. Warm…. He held me for a few minutes then let me go.
"Plus, you are talented with magic. You needed some experience with close up fighting…" James propped a knee up. A thumbs up later, he encouraged me to keep trying, even if I don't improve.
I didn't need to speak, he could tell I didn't want to continue this training today. And I'm not even tired, my body hasn't felt exhausted for a week.
"I'll just practice magic in the backyard." I thought out loud after James got back to sparring. "Don't have anything else to do aside from that and this."
For a while I sat here bored, tapping my feet and letting my eyes wander. Sometimes at James, sometimes at the other people training or on my legs.
The thought of tights was embarrassing, but they're pretty comfortable. Legs were fully covered and I couldn't see any of the bruises on my legs. Is my mind changing more…?
Am I becoming more girly…?I mean… Back in my previous life I thought tights were too girly. Ugh… Every day it feels like my mind is becoming less of how I was before.
The Mathew I once was is close to being gone. These memories feel like me, when they replay it's like I was Yukina in the past. It was… Heart pounding, the scars on this body— will I feel them? Will what I fear play in my head?
But… I can't do anything about them if they do. It's like I'll have to mentally prepare for them.
It's good he's having fun. But why is he training? I wondered as James kept going at fighting. He seemed inexhaustible with endless stamina.
His break came again. This time he laid back on the grass. His heartbeat was not racing.
"How are you not tired?" I couldn't help but ask him. "Do you normally have this much energy?"
"Mhhhm…" James replied. I guess that makes sense. "Never really fight anymore… Needed some way to release some of it."
And he's almost fourty… I shook my head before mimicking him.
The grass was soft, I could… I shouldn't finish that thought.
Instead I just stared at the blue sky and felt the once cold air become warm. How long will we be here?
"Girl, get up." The training lady swung her foot at my leg. "It's time for your break to end."