Page 38 of The Blackened Blade

Pulling myself up straight, I cut off any words he has when he opens his mouth.

“And don’t delude yourself, you know nothing about me, Kane.Nothing.”

A bell rings out in the distance as I hear Xander and Anders call for Kane.

I make my way through the group and over to Mr. Valor, handing him the wooden blade as he glances back toward Kane and the growing crowd.

He looks at the wooden blade and then back over to Kane, a brow raised as he watches me, his lips slightly tilted before he quickly schools it.

“I had heard you had no magical attribute. I guess you’ve made up for that in other ways.” He twirls the blade between his fingers like it weighs nothing, before throwing it toward a pole a few metres away, hitting it dead centre.“Don’t be late again, Ms. Bane. Your time is better spent learning.” He begins to make his way toward the crowd.

“Micai.” I call as he turns around, a brow raised in question.

“My name's Micai.Ms. Banedoesn't really suit me.” I grew tired of hearing it. The same surname asher, and the old memories that came with it. A powerful and prestigious family name that I didn’t need anymore.

An unreadable look forms on his face as he slowly nods, and then leaves for Kane and the crowd.

“Class is over. Can someone help Mr. Fields up so he can walk it off. You're a shifter…” He pats him on the back, an apathetic look on his face. “You should be able to handle one hit Mr. Fields.” He turns back toward me.“Even if it was a pretty impressive one.”

He goes around taking all the wooden weapons back as my eyes meet Knox’s. He’s standing beside Anders and Xander who are helping Kane up. His brows scrunch together, his mouth opening slightly before I turn away and head back toward the dormitory, ignoring any of the noise around me.

Was he planning to complain about me hitting Kane?

He would need to get over it.

It was a Defence class, and there would be plenty more bruises in the future,especially if any of them were paired with me.

I leave the grounds and make my way into the dorms, grabbing something quick to eat and showering.

When night falls, I’ll slip back into the forest's shadows and train. I’ll go over what we learnt today and add my own variations.

If today has shown me anything, it's that I’m getting stronger. My body was still in pain and sore from the attack earlier, but I was healing, my body recovering quicker than it had before. By night I might even be fully healed.

Maybe I couldn’t take a shifter out just yet with my strength, but I was able to hold my own, and soon I would be able to do much more.

CHAPTER10

Ifeel the sweat pour down my back as I push myself harder, twisting and bending, pivoting my body as I shift from one stance to another, until it all flows into one. Almost as if I’m dancing.

It was becoming easier to train, my moves quicker and seamless, my body shifting naturally even before my mind could decide what to do next.

I was also lasting much longer. If that little ‘punishment’ of laps from earlier was any indicator, my endurance was improving too.

I let my body take over as I close my eyes, opening my senses; I take a breath, moving with the sway of the wind and leaves around me, listening to the nature surrounding me, and the nocturnal creatures awakening to the night.

I hear the bristling of the leaves in the trees, the fluttering of wings above me and in the distance, a low hoot in the trees to my right, followed by the pitter-patter of a small creature's feet scurrying along the forest floor bed to my left.

A small smile curves my lips as my movements come to a finish, sweat dripping down my face as my heart thrums in my chest.

I slowly open my eyes, focusing fully for any other movements in the forest around my small clearing.

I’d claimed the area as my own every night, and had watched carefully for anyone entering the forest.

I’d seen the silver-haired guy from the previous time again, just a few nights ago, but thankfully he always seemed to head into the darkest part of the forest, and where there were more wild magical beasts.

Was he training too? And against magical beasts?

I shake my head.

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