I said, “Oh, I’m sorry. So, the demons there are the memories and pain of losing your family?”
Alexia said, “Yes.”
Aeyli said, “But, Alexia, tell me, how do you feel about going there? To Nobrus?”
Alexia said, “Aeyli, if it were just Mark and I, I would go there gladly. I feel like if I am leaving Tranna for the first time in 60 years, I should go back to Nobrus and start over. But like I said, you had a greater loss even than I did. And I hid myself away; you didn’t. So, I feel like I want to go to Nobrus and release demons…and I feel like I never want you to remember the place!”
Aeyli said, “I like the idea. That’s why I thought of it. Let’s take our weapons and our new lives and go to Nobrus and slay demons! I know that the spot on the road where the attack took place, where our parents’ blood fed the ground, will be a difficult memory, but I think that I have a plan for that in mind. Maybe we can replace that memory with another, better one. Mark, what do you think?”
I said, “If you say that you’re troubled by demons, I say point me in the direction of Nobrus and stay here while I go and kill them for you! But of course, I can’t do that. We each have to fight our demons for ourselves. But we can have help to do it. If you want to go to Nobrus, then let’s go to Nobrus. If not, let’s go somewhere else and maybe go to Nobrus at some other time.”
Rani and Belle and Sashar were all gathered around at this point. They all knew the implications of going where we discussed.
Sashar said, “Girls, I’ll go with you and be with you the whole time if that’s where you want to go.”
Aeyli said, “I want to go to Nobrus! Mark, this time, if a White Ape hunts us, it’s because he has chosen to have us end his life.”
We walked on in silence for a few minutes.
I said, “What do you know about the state of Nobrus now? Are there people there? It has been 60 years. What do you think that we’ll find?”
Aeyli smiled and said, “We’ll find a deserted ruin at the edge of a wood. It was being abandoned as we left 60 years ago. We’ll find a village with no people. The buildings will be in the same shape they were the last time I saw them. It will be a nice village full of ghosts. Of course, the vegetation will have taken over some of it and animals will have taken over what they can as well.”
Belle asked, “What about White Apes? Or Banth? Or wild Calots?”
Aeyli said, “I don’t think so. There are few of the apes left now. At least not in this part of the world. Banth are more likely in more densely wooded areas, not out here on the open plains. The same for Calots and other large beasts. We’ll see. I think that it will be good for Mark to teach all of you the ‘bokken’ as he calls it, before we get there though.”
When we were about a mile from the gates, Aeyli turned us to the right and we walked on.
Chapter 30 First Day of Training
We walked for perhaps another mile and then turned about 30 degrees off to our right again.
Walking in the lower gravity goes faster even for people without my extra muscles. Think of the timing of musical notes. If I walk along at a pace where every step is a half note, two beats to a second, perhaps each step is two and a half feet and I move at about five feet per second. That’s about three and a half miles an hour.
Now, the gravity of Barsoom is about one sixth that of earth. Stepping in the same way, it would take about six times as long for your feet to hit the ground with each step. That’s if both of your feet left the ground at the same time, but that isn’t how people walk. Running, yes, but not walking. However, even walking, the girls took longer strides than you would on Earth. I would estimate that a fair walking rate on Barsoom might have been five and a half miles per hour instead of the three or four that we do on Earth.
But when jogging or running, the stride was much longer. Perhaps six feet at a stride. At four beats per second, the girls traveled about 24 feet per second, or 16 miles per hour. When running fast, it was possible to do twice that speed, and since the impact on the bones was much lower, the pace could be kept up for much longer. With my extra muscles, I could do about half as much again and maybe hit 45 miles an hour.
There was a difference in bone density between me and other inhabitants of Barsoom though. The greater gravity of Earth had forced my bones to be more dense. Though I could not break stones easily or grab a tree and rip it out of the ground, my strength did make so that my strikes did crush bones more easily. Especially when concentrated by my fist or a sword.
So, we walked. And then we jogged. And then we walked. Mostly we walked at a leisurely pace, just enjoying the journey. Sometime after noon, Aeyli announced that we were headed straight at Nobrus. We stopped for a bit of fruit and afterward we had our first session of bokken training.
We started with a fighting stance and then a proper grip. I showed the correct strike motions and then demonstrated the five main targets: head or neck, chest or shoulder or elbows or ribs, arms and wrist, leg or knee, and finally thrusting to the face or chest or stomach.
The girls were all fast learners and Aeyli was already practiced at all of these techniques.
Alexia was especially focused on the training and practiced harder than anyone, including Aeyli. Sashar surprised me by practicing nearly as hard as Alexia.
Belle asked, “How far is it to Nobrus?”
Aeyli continued to practice her basic moves and answered, “Well, if we walk, about three days. If we run comfortably, maybe a long day or a day and a half. Are you in a hurry?”
Belle thrust with her bokken and said, “No. A few nights on the moss will be nice, but if we are traveling, we have less time to practice. I don’t mind the journey, but it will also be nice to be in a place where we have a base and no plans.”
Aeyli said, “Yeah. I enjoy the practice. I would like it if we practice for an hour and then walk for an hour and then practice and then walk,” and she swung her blade in a strong strike to the skull of her imaginary opponent.
I said, “It’s best if we train for about 30 to 40 minutes and then walk for an hour. The body wants time to assimilate what it has learned. You will find that the next time we practice that you have improved even though we haven’t done anything.”
After a bit, we started off again. I had the girls keep their bokken in their hand, carrying it lightly with the left hand where the blade balanced naturally. The more they became comfortable with the weight and balance, the more comfortable they would be with it overall.
An hour later, we stopped again. We reviewed the basics that they had learned and then I introduced the first ‘Kata’; a set of patterns meant to simulate a short battle sequence with an imaginary opponent. I watched the progress and made corrections where indicated and lavished praise when I could.
Alexia practiced fiercely. I stepped about 20 feet away and sat on the moss and called her to come sit beside me. She stopped and came and stood in front of me, but I asked her to sit down.
I said, “Do you trust me to teach you?” as I watched the other girls work through their movements.
Alexia leaned forward watching every move that the other girls made intently and said, “Yes.”
I said, “Really? Will you do whatever I say related to the training?”
She said “Yes,” and continued to watch the others practice.
I said, “Then, lie down and put your head in my lap.”
Alexia looked at me and started to protest, but the look in my eyes and my smile seemed to quiet her. As she lay on her back and put her head on my thigh and looked up into my face, she still looked like she wanted to question me about what I was thinking.
I look down at her and said, “Princess, there are a lot of aspects to this training. The things that you are learning right now are just the very beginning. These moves are just a little bit of it. Tell me, when you cut a piece of wood, do you force it to do what you want? Do you force the wood to be what’s in your mind?”
She looked at me.
She said, “How do you know about that? Some workers do just that. They grab the wood and cut it to be the way that they want it to look. It’s violent. When I do my work, I picture what I want to make and then I look for the wood that wants to be that thing. It’s one of the odd things about how I work. If you let the wood decide for itself, the thing that gets made is better. And easier.”
I said, “So, that’s how this training is. I will teach you things that I can’t teach the others. Maybe Aeyli will learn them, but I can see that the others won’t. They can learn to a certain point. They will be very proficient and fierce if they need to be. But if you let me, I’ll teach you the ‘odd’ ways that others won’t learn.”
She said, “Yes, of course I’ll let you teach me! I’ll do whatever you show me and I’ll practice harder than any of them!”
I said, “I know that you will work harder, but when I told you to lay in my lap you hesitated and seemed frustrated.”
She sighed, “You’re right. I did. It was my mistake. Oshen taught me what he could, but he doesn’t understand odd ways. Now I know that you do. I’ll let you teach me and I’ll quit teaching myself.”
I said, “Good. I know that you’ll like it. So much of the training is what you would call odd. The true swordsman is very odd. I won’t be able to explain what we’re doing at every step. Some steps have to be practiced before you can understand them.”
She said, “I’ll do it and you explain it when you’re ready, um, when you say that I’m ready.”
I said, “If I tell you not to train, will you trust me that even that is training?”
She said, “I will.”
I said, “Good. I’ll teach you everything I know. Are you ready?”
She said, “Yes!” and she started to sit up. I put my hand on her head and pushed her back down into my lap.
I said, “Your next lesson happens here. In my lap. I’m very serious about this.”
Alexia tried to relax in my lap and said, “OK. What do I do.”
I said, “You are going to practice while we make love.”
Her eyes went wide and she said, “OK? Um, OK. I… I’ll do what you tell me to.”
I said, “You enjoy making love with me, don’t you?”
She said, “Of course! Mark, I love you and being with you is more than wonderful. Last night was so good. If you want to make love, we’ll make love!”
I said, “No, I want you to practice. But I’ll show you how, while we make love. Trust me. This is important for you. Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. Breathe slowly. Deep breathe in…and now out, slowly.”
As we breathed together, I placed my arm across her chest and cupped the bottom half of her left breast. As our breathing went on, I stroked her gently, running my hand over her chest and circling her breasts and fondling them. Her nipples began to harden, but her breathing stayed steady and relaxed.
Her eyes were closed and I said, “Now, stay very relaxed. In your mind, picture your sword in your hands. As my hands flow over your chest, picture your sword mimicking the movements. It goes around and around. It holds its stance and then slices through the air. Your feet follow my hands. Slice through the air and now pivot on your heel and slice down behind where you were a moment ago. Don’t think about your movement; let my hand make the movements. In your mind, your feet and arms move how I direct them as I caress your breasts.”
I let my hand slide down to her stomach and drew circles and lines. “Keep your breathing slow and deep. You are doing the dance with your sword as I tell your body what to do. Tell me what you see, but keep your eyes closed.”
She said, “I see leaves and blossoms falling from a tree! Your hands move me and the leaves fall around me. My sword arcs through the air in moves that you haven’t taught me…until this moment! My feet move where you tell them to!”
I played with her body a little more firmly, giving it squeezes from time to time.
I said, “Alexia, you are a warrior princess. These leaves are your training partners. Strike them, but gently. Slice at one and then move to another. Take the one behind you…and now the two to each side.”
I began to circle her nipples with my fingers, first one and then the other.
I said, “Spin in a circle. Let me move you faster and faster. Your breathing will increase, but stay in control of it. You can move faster than that. Strike at the leaves. The head! The shoulder! The wrist! The knee! Now, pierce the heart! Behind you! Cut the chest! Now, take two strikes at each leaf! Head and leg! Chest and head. Wrist and heart! One more! Now, choose a leaf and strike it three times!”
Her breathing was faster, but still deep.
I said, “Now, quickly, stop and put the point of your sword on the ground and lean over and lean against it, and spread your legs!”
Alexia took a deep breath and her legs parted in response to her picturing them doing the same as she rested over the top of her sword. I shoved my hand down between them at that moment and began rubbing at her mound and brought her quickly to an orgasm. She arched her back and gave a stifled cry and a droplet of milk formed on each of her breasts.
I moved my arm back to her chest and hugged her into my lap and said, “Now, slow deep breaths. Rest from your practice. You did well and I’m proud of you. Lie down in my lap and rest. You deserve it. Just breathe.”
Alexia took a few more breaths and smiled and opened her eyes. “Mark, I swear, I’ll do whatever you say from now on! Anytime, anywhere!”
I said, “Oh, did you enjoy your lesson?”
She laughed, “I did, but I learned too! Mark, I saw things I can’t describe! I saw things about how the sword works. And it wasn’t me that did it. It was…I don’t know what.”
I said, “Alexia, at the moment that I strike, it isn’t me that strikes, but my sword strikes my opponent on its own.”
She said, “Yes! Yes! But, you made love to me and I couldn’t think or see or feel, but I saw the leaves and I struck the leaves and I felt the leaves hit my blade and I felt you move my body to face each one!”
I looked down at her and said, “Now, hush, this is between you and me. I can’t teach them everything that I will teach you. We had better get up and be with the others.”
Alexia look deep into my eyes and said huskily, “I want you!”
I smiled and said, “Believe me, I want you too!”
She said, “OK then. As long as we understand each other. Let’s join the others.”
We got up from the ground and the girls asked, “So, did you two have a nice ‘chat’?” and they giggled.
I said, “We had a very nice ‘chat’. I look forward to having a nice chat with each of you very soon.”
We laughed and got back on our way.
When we stopped the next time, we worked on blocking the various strikes that the girls knew.
I said, “The attacks that I showed you are universal. A Great Ape will strike at your head or arm or leg. Another animal will come straight at your throat. A swordsman, even if he uses a different kind of sword will use similar movements. A knife is used the same way, even by someone who has never trained. All of those will be less effective than you are because they haven’t practiced like we do. So we learn to block those attacks. Aeyli, come here and face me. Good, now step forward as if you were going to strike the top of my head, but go slowly and carefully.”
Aeyli took a position in front of me and raised her bokken and brought it down slowly. As the sword came over my head, I stepped back just a foot and the point passed harmlessly several inches in front of me.
I said, “The best way not to be hit is not to be where the hit would be. Go again.”
She repeated her strike and I stepped back just enough to let it miss me.
I said, “You don’t want to get far out of the way; just enough so that it doesn’t hit you. You’ll see why later. Now, do it again.”
She stepped forward to strike, and this time I stepped toward her and raised my sword as a shield
above my head. Her blade hit my own and slid off and downward past my shoulder.
I said, “To block the overhead strike, I step toward my attacker and hold my blade like this so that they slide harmlessly off to the side. Let me show you why. We’ll work on this in steps. Don’t try to do this right now. Aeyli, again.”
She stepped forward with her strike, and I blocked as before, and then I looped my sword around and made my own strike at her head, but didn’t hit her; and then I quickly stepped behind her and thrust forward as if to pierce her back and into her heart. I asked her to repeat it again, and this time, as she struck, I stepped back so that she missed me and then stepped in with my own cut to her wrist, then her chest, and then her head in three quick strikes.
I said, “The object is not to block your opponent. The object is to incapacitate him. Aeyli, one more time.”
This time as she struck, I stepped to my right and her sword passed through the air near my left shoulder and my sword struck toward her head at the same instant.
I said, “See how it may not be two movements, a block and counter, but just one. Pair up, size doesn’t matter, and I will show you the ways to avoid or block each strike.”
I paired with Aeyli, Rani with Belle, and Alexia the six-foot-two-inch giantess with Sashar the five-foot-no-inch pixie.
I said, “Now, one of you take the slow strike at each of the five targets and let your partner avoid or block it. When you have done all five, switch so that the other strikes and the first blocks. Go nice and easy. Don’t hurt anyone.”
Aeyli and I started our practice and went over the moves twice each. At that point, I had each of us step to our right so that we practiced with a new partner: the one on the end, rotated in on the other side. This time, I was with Alexia. We went through our practice and when we had gone twice, I had us rotate again. I practiced with each of them in turn and made corrections where necessary, but they were all doing very well. When we had practiced with all of the available partners, we sat down and drank a little water and traveled on.
The Start of Time Page 26