Though not completely familiar, Peter’s usage of his Inquest to obtain martial art forms allowed him to recognize some of the movements Anaar was performing. They began slow and steady, each arc, slice and swipe deliberate and made with diamond cut precision. Gradually the movements grew faster and faster until the motions seemed like only of blur, surely enough to confound any opponent. As Peter absently carried his body along, captivated by the performance, his mind could only liken the dance of blades to the flowing of water, capable of being both beautiful and deadly at the same time.
Peter came to his senses and tapped Wu to get his attention, who had been continuing on about some plot Peter had not been listening to. “There is Anaar. I think I am going to go catch up with him.”
Picking up on the absent nature in Peter’s voice, Wu sighs, no doubt realizing his theory had gone all but unheard. “You have such a massive boner for that guy. I mean don’t get me wrong, who wouldn’t want to look like that, but I’m positive if you weren’t his mentee, you would be his stalker.”
“I completely resent that! He is just a hard man to catch up to, so when there seems to be an opportunity I thought it best to seize it. It seems neither of my mentors have much free time.”
“Sure, whatever you say. Even though you have since started getting along better with Codi, I have never heard you trying to seek her out. If you keep this up, I am going to tell Genny you are cheating on her.”
With this statement Peter became so flushed it looked as if he were suffering from an intense sunburn. “I… I do not fancy Genevieve!”
“There it goes, anytime you are trying to keep your emotions in check when talking about her you always use her full name. For you to be a lie detector, you are full of tells.”
Continuing in silence as they approached toward Anaar, Peter did his best to do a quick review of his actions to see if he was truly as transparent as Wu had mentioned. It was not until they closed in on him that they realized his entire routine was being done with his eyes closed. It boggled their minds that such fluidity was capable without using his sight. When they were about five paces away, he abruptly stopped, opening his eyes and flashing them a gorgeous smile.
“Peter, Wu, what brings you guys over here?”
“We were wondering why you were being thirsty putting on a show with your shirt off in the middle of campus.”
Peter looks at Wu appalled, ready to apologize, but Anaar seemed to find his statement quite comical, belting out a laugh that was much louder and resounding than expected.
“I really do seem like I am seeking attention don’t I?!” Picking up what appeared to be a shirt from the ground, the two realized it was in absolute tatters from what looked like it had been sliced through.
“My goodness! What caused that?!”
Jerking a thumb backwards, the two noticed Dan laid out on the ground for the first time, a long samurai sword lightly grasped in his hand, his chest heaving.
“But you don’t have any cuts on you. I thought you were a Demolitionist. I could understand if you were a Fortifier or Titan like me…”
Speaking from the ground, made aware of the newcomers’ presence, “His ass be jest toyin’ wit people! If he wanted to, he would’a never been hit a single damn time! That his way of makin’ me feel like I done did some shit.”
Dan stands up from the ground, giving Anaar an evil eye to which he only gets a shrug in response. In a quick thrust from what he thought would be a blind spot, his sword is readily parried by Anaar with minimal effort. “See dat shit?!”
“Peter I’m going to head home. Send me a message when you are heading over.”
“Hold up a minute. I’m tired of gettin’ my ass beat anyways, I’ll walk witcha.”
Wu nods, seemingly grateful for the company on the walk back to Rumble Village, and once Dan had collected his things, the two set off along the northern path, leaving Peter and Anaar alone. As they were disappearing in the distance, Anaar continued twirling his swords around as one does a pen or pencil during a boring portion of class. When the two were almost gone Anaar turns to Peter, gazing at him with curiosity.
“What brought you two over here?”
“It was a simple matter of wasting time quite honestly. We were headed back to Wu’s room to await the others when we caught notice of you. When we were on our mission, I noticed how adeptly you dispatched those we came across with just your bare hands. I never knew just how skilled you were with a weapon.”
“I could be much better, there is always something to learn or practice.”
“Have you always studied martial arts?”
“Nope, I started when I got here.”
“And you are already this proficient?! Who is your teacher?”
“Master Shin. Not only is he my martial arts instructor, he is probably what you would call a faculty advisor and a close confidant.”
“That seems absolutely astounding! I would very much like to study under him as well. Could you introduce me?”
“Why would you bother? Can’t you just download whatever art form you want? You could pass the proficiency test without the need for instruction. Especially since you are taking Principles of Combat. That already fulfills your requirements.”
“As you well know, my ability does confer some level of motor memory, but it is nothing like the experience of doing it yourself. It would be like watching a detailed video on wielding a sword. In theory I know the motions, but it does not mean my body truly understands how to do it. Not only that, but I cannot request what I do not know about. There is also the rather irksome problem of my mind simply erasing things requested by my ability after a time unless I work to commit it to memory or practice it.”
“That just seems like a natural biological limiter to me. If you acquired information and it never disappeared, your brain might literally explode.”
“That was a joke I am assuming?”
“Nope, pure scientific conjecture. You already get lightheaded or pass out if you take too much in at one time. Probably another limiter. I would liken it to your brain not having the bandwidth to handle such a vast amount of information in such a short amount of time. Like I said, speculation, but there is a scientific basis for it. I couldn’t be certain since I have never experienced it. I wonder if maybe Codi could boost your brain’s capacity…”
Peter had become somewhat traumatized when he saw the distant gleam appear in Anaar’s eyes when referring to him and knew for self-preservation it was best to stop it before it got too far. He could not help but be curious about this procedure he mentioned however and against his better judgment decided to inquire as to the details. Given his blossoming relationship with Codi, if Anaar was correct it could result in a significant power boost for him.
“What precisely do you mean by Codi’s boosting of my brain’s capacity?”
Shrugging, Anaar began explaining as if it was the most rudimentary and common knowledge in the world. “The body is controlled by the brain. The brain does this through electrical impulses. Basically the brain is then one big fleshy processing unit that tells everything what to do and also provides storage. Codi and I both take advanced medical classes, so given she is nothing but a manipulator of electrical current, if she understood neuroscience enough, I don’t see why she couldn’t basically reprogram your brain to be more tolerant. Or she could turn you into a vegetable, but since you two get along now I’m sure it would at least be accidental.”
“You could have refrained from introducing the last statement…”
“Best to know the risks! If you mentioned it to Codi she would totally do it too, she loves willing lab rats.”
Peter found the conversation taking on a darker and more concerning tone by the second and felt it would be best to stop while he was ahead. Though some part of him was practically salivating at the notion of an instantaneous upgrade to his abilities, he knew enough of the readily violent woman to know once it started, there would be no turning bac
k, whether he liked it or not. Turning his attention back to the topic that started the discussion he repeated his request.
“I would like to study under Master Shin as well.”
For a long moment Anaar stood almost perfectly still, boring holes into Peter with his eyes, finally he responded with a tone that wavering and nervous. “I… don’t think it would go well.”
Peter knew that Anaar of all people understood how he felt about being told he could not do something. His head swam with all the reasons why Anaar would then so brusquely disregard his request. Anaar was never one to hoard what he had, so it did not seem reasonable he wanted to keep Master Shin to himself. He had acknowledged Peter’s abilities, so it was not that he did not think he was good enough. After thinking about it more though he wondered if that very well was the case.
“Why do you think it would not go well? Is it because I am too small?!”
“Master Shin is like 5'6'' and at best 160lbs. Neither of you are exactly giants.”
“Then why would he deny me? You said I have talent and you are his student. The way you speak of him… The sincerity in your voice sounds as if you truly do treasure your relationship. Your skills are testament of his tutelage. Combining that with someone in an advisor role feels as if it would be truly splendid! That is something this school lacks, faculty advisors.”
“I don’t think they are non-existent, they simply aren’t assigned or impressed upon students. I mean I have like three of them, there is Master Shin, and of course Gramps, and then Miles… I forgot to tell him not to mess with my experiment until he, Jadeyn and I are all there!”
There is a pause for a moment where Anaar seems distant which makes Peter wonder. He then suddenly picks back up as if he never stopped talking.
“Faculty advisors are out there, it is just up to you to build that relationship. I personally think it would be rather cool, three generations of mentees all being his pupils, but saying he is extremely selective is like saying the sun is a candle.”
“What do you mean by three generations of mentees?”
“Well I guess technically I should say mentors and mentees. Phavian was his pupil and took me to meet him as my mentor. He then took me on as his pupil. If he were to accept you with me bringing you there as my mentee, that would make three generations.”
“This is providence then! It could not be written more clearly in the book of fate! Wait, you still think of Phavian as your mentor?”
“Huh? Oh, absolutely not! If anything it is like I’m his babysitter at this point…”
“It is settled then. We shall go have an audience with Master Shin.”
Anaar very audibly sighs, pulling the oversized shirt that was little more than ribbons over his head. After deftly placing on a harness and stowing the swords in them, he grabs his bag and looks back at Peter. When he is met with disapproving eyes, he cocks his head, a question evident in his eyes.
“You are not actually going to travel about like that are you?”
Peering down at his shirt, “What? I can say it is a new fashion statement.”
Straightening his own shirt and checking his hair, “That will never be a fashion statement.”
Mumbling to himself, “Geez you are worse than Hobb…”
“What does Hobb have to do with anything?”
“Oh nothing, just rambling. Let’s go then. Please let me do the talking.”
“I agree with Mr. Gilchrist. You look like an abomination.”
No one asked you!
Appearing in the corner of his vision, rubbing his hands together in a sinister manner, “At least now we can throw it out. Soon there will be very little left of the rags you seem to treasure as acceptable.”
Completely ignoring Hobb, Anaar strides along at a clip toward the Martial Arts Dojos. Peter noticed that unless actively engaged in conversation, Anaar had a horrendous habit of walking at a speed that would almost be considered a run. Given his long legs and the strides he took, it was one of Peter’s least favorite activities to follow Anaar anywhere.
As Anaar approached the door to Master Shin’s dojo, he sighed and looked back to Peter. “Stay back.”
“Why would I need to-”
Opening the sliding door Peter could not even make sense of what happened, but all he knew was he heard the clanging of metal, and Anaar was holding one of the knives he often carried around his chest in front of his face. Where the knife had even come from was a mystery to Peter, but as Anaar walked in, there was another clang. When Peter peeped around the corner, in a flash Anaar had lunged in front of him, another light clang resounding nearby.
“Seriously, could you not kill my mentee? And didn’t I tell you to stay back? I swear… You people…”
Picking up the objects on the floor Peter realized them to be knives and immediately began to wonder if perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew. With Anaar striding toward Master Shin and handing him what must have been the deflected knives, Peter scuttled in, making sure to stay directly behind Anaar for protection. Once he was by Anaar’s side he saw an older man whose age he could not discern. He gave off the air of someone ancient, but his looks put him not much past middle aged.
The old man seemed to be giving Anaar a disgusted look, from the trajectory of his eyes it was focused on his shirt. When Anaar shrugged to the old man, he seemed to understand there was no point wasting words on the issue and turned his attention instead to Peter. It was at that moment Peter recognized that gaze, it was the same stare Anaar sometimes had as if he was peering into the depths of a person’s soul. Wondering if Anaar had learned this technique from Master Shin, and if so, what exactly it was accomplishing, he could not help but began a jumbled rush of words.
“Is that some sage art of detection?! What exactly does it do? How can I learn it?”
Master Shin’s eyes snapped to Anaar, who slapped himself on the forehead likely much harder than he intended. “Didn’t I say let me do the talking?!” In a droll voice, one unlike Peter had ever heard from him before, Anaar began what was supposed to pass as an introduction. “Master Shin, this is Peter. He is my mentee I told you about. He wants to become your pupil. For whatever reason.”
“You did not need that last part!” Where he expected a shrug, he was surprised to get an exasperated eye roll.
“For what reason do you see fit to be worthy of learning my craft?”
Struck by the sudden address to him, not expecting the clarity of the old man’s voice to slice through him like a blade, “Well… I just thought…”
“What is it that you wish to learn?”
“I want you to teach me to be strong, like Anaar.”
Why the fuck would he go and say some dumb shit like that?! This is about to get ugly.
With words that cracked like a whip, “Strength is not something that is taught. It is earned through dedication and self-discovery.”
“I thought since you taught both him and Phavian-”
“That you would be an apt pupil by proxy? Only fools seek to chase the dreams of others rather than their own. You are so blinded by your affectations of grandeur, you do not even know where your discipline lies!”
I should have just played dumb. Acted like Master Shin was on sabbatical or something…
“Silence! This is becoming quite entertaining.”
You literally embody the entire campus! My thoughts are not disturbing you!
“But I can fight!”
“Can you now? Then it seems my efforts would be wasted upon you. If that is what you came for then you have wasted your time. Be gone.”
Is this how it normally goes?! No wonder why he isn’t well liked.
“You are just afraid I might beat you.”
Oh shit. “Well we are just going to leave now…”
Turning to guide Peter away, Anaar is knocked to the side with a force so strong that he barely has the ability to recover into a back handspring. Master Shin had crossed the gap almost instant
aneously, with Peter flying backwards into the wall, arms and legs flailing about. Shaking himself to recover, his body felt like it was on fire and he was shocked to find he was completely across the room. As they had been making their way to the dojo, he had prepared himself, partially why it was so difficult for him to keep up, and he was armed with the deadliest art forms he knew of.
Convinced he was only fairing so badly because he was taken by surprise, he pushed the pain to the back of his mind and did his best to stride confidently forward. Everyone always underestimated him. His greatest insecurity was always his greatest asset. Doing his most valiant attempt at making himself tall, he squared his shoulders and spoke with confidence.
“I knew you were unable to best me in a fair fight!”
He had done something that he had never tried before, rather than just requesting the arts, he specified exactly the manner in which he wanted them to manifest. Though it seemed subtle at first, he could tell he had more of an innate understanding of how his body should move. It felt as if he had been doing it for years.
Neither amused, nor angry, Anaar could see what appeared to be almost a sadness in Master Shin’s eyes. Slowly making his way to Peter, he stood what would be just out of his reach, peering at the small man in contemplation. Finally, despite his voice being barely above a whisper, it manifested as if it was a bellow from the depths of his gut.
“If you can land a single strike, no matter how small, I shall train you in whatever you desire. If you fail here, you forfeit the right to ever set foot in my dojo again.”
Rather than responding vocally to the challenge, Peter instead made his intent clear by immediately launching into a flurry of blows. The more he moved, the better he seemed to understand the knowledge that was imparted to him. His movements became crisper, more precise, and even bore more weight. Punch after punch, kicks, sweeps and lunges, everything missed the old man by fractions of a centimeter.
Apotheosis (Song of Sophangence Book 3) Page 26