Primal Saga Volume 1: The Queen of Silence

Chapter 7: Time to Duel

My body soared through the air for what felt like an eternity. Within this moment, I took the time to reflect upon how I ended up here.

Two weeks have passed since I have arrived in Termina. Classes have been an uphill battle for me. I haven't been doing well on my exams but I am passing - barely. The material just hasn't really been making sense to me. I have just been feeling defeated over the past few weeks. Like nothing makes sense anymore.

The only thing I seem to have enjoyed is the time I got to hang out with my classmates Aila, Isaac, and Jenny. They are the closest thing I have ever had to real friends. However, friends can share things with each other. There are a lot of things about me I would rather just leave on Old Earth - never to be mentioned here on Termina. Because of that, however, I don't feel like I will ever be fully accepted here. Regardless, life persists just like gravity does.

My body slammed against the dojo mat with a loud slap - knocking my mind back to reality.

"Good throw," I said in a raspy voice - devoid of air.

Brave stood over me with a smug grin and his arms crossed like his hot stuff. "Hahaha. Yer not much of a challenge so your flattery means nothin." 

Hayaiken, or "swift blade" or "fast sword,"  I forget how it translates from Japanese, is a martial art that was formed here in Termina by the sentinels. However, that name is an odd choice because, aside from the fact that kicks and throws are legal, not everyone in the sport uses a sword. Pikes and these things called tonfas are also fair game for weapon choice. The reason behind this is because these weapons are also used by both the prefectural guards as well as Sentinals. Sentinals are a product of some of the early visitors in Termina hiring special Japanese mercenaries to protect them. Those mercenaries later become known as sentinels - a society of specialized officers formed to protect the people from threats beyond the walls. These officers adopted a lot of traditional samurai values which includes martial arts. In addition, they wear metal armor equipped with a variety of weapons like some kind of human swiss army knife. Their main weapon of choice is a blade called a tachi. The blades are mainly just a show of rank. Only sentinels widly use them but they also function as a survival tool. The blades themselves are manufactured from a rare metal only found in Termina called talynite. Due to how toughness of the metal, after the blade is formed the only way to sharpen it is with a laser. A very fitting weapon for a neo-samurai wouldn't you say?.

The sentinels themselves are divided into three clans which serve the colony they are assigned to. Each colony has a clan leader. The three clan leaders form the counsel which answers directly to the representatives and the prime minister. Why am I telling you this? Because my aunt is the Laurensia clan leader. Because of this, she thought for some reason it would be a bright idea to put me in the hayaiken class as my extracurricular activity for the semester. Low and behold she is also the head instructor of the class.

"Point one goes to Blaze," said my aunt. She oversaw the match with a cold aura.

Now you are probably wondering. Why am I battling a veteran student when I have only been practicing this martial art for a few weeks. Well, I asked my aunt that same question and she said, "Your enemy may have a clear advantage over you. You need to face the odds and improve your skill or die trying." She made a deal with me. If I can move up a rank in the class before the end of the semester I can change my club. And I already know which one I want to do. Robotics club here I come. In order to do that I need to beat higher-ranked students and impress my aunt.

What Blaze and my Aunt don't know is that I am no stranger to street fights. I actually let myself lose that round. Can't reveal my secret weapon just yet.

I stood up and grabbed the practice sword lying to my right. My carbon fiber practice armor creaked in protest. I looked through my helmet's visor at my opponent. Then suddenly, my vision was dyed green. This was not a feature of the school's practice armor but rather Ace giving me assistance from the locker room. I told Ace to activate my augmented reality vision as soon as I lost the first round.