18. Body Senses
The day before the archery competition, the two were still practicing. However, Adira will include a lesson on how to use feelings in combat on that day.
Adira and Prince Dylan are already outside before the sun rises to train, even though almost all of Prince Dylan’s attempts to hit the target are always in white. So, even though the tournament is tomorrow, Adira is still training with Prince Dylan.
“Five more, and when all the arrows hit the target, you can rest for a while because we will move on to the sword.”
Dylan looked at her as if to say that she was serious about what she said. “Don’t look at me like that. I focused on teaching you how to use a bow and arrow, and you haven’t even held a sword for days. It’s good now that we try to activate your senses when there is a sudden enemy.”
He ignored her and focused his attention on the target. All five pieces are now buried in the white color on the target. She can tell that he is ready for tomorrow.
She approached him and took the bow he used. “It’s time for you to hold the sword again. ” She went over to the weapons and picked up the two swords. She handed him one. “Get it.” He took it immediately.
“You know the basic move because I already taught it to you. What you will learn now is how to use it when there is a sudden enemy in front of you, on either side of you, or behind you. Watch what I will do, but try to feel where I can find a way to injure you.” She readied her sword. “Are you ready?”
The prince nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”
She just walked five steps away and faced him again. Now they are face-to-face with serious faces. She simply put her right foot on her back to have the force to run. “Can he overcome what we will do now?” she said in her mind.
She suddenly ran with the tip of her sword on the ground, which is why there was a streak on the ground toward Dylan. She raised the sword, which he immediately blocked. Now he was the one who moved, but slowly, so she was able to swing her sword easily. They did almost all their defense. “I’ll see if you’re feeling better.” Because Dylan was looking right at her face, that’s why she was going to do a trick to trick him. While their swords crossed, she looked at the ground on the right side and pretended that she had a chance to attack, so she got his attention. What he didn’t know was that she would turn to the left. She started the trick, and she wasn’t wrong. He watched her movements, thinking that she was going to attack him on the right side.
“What-” He couldn’t finish what he was going to say as he frowned.
“I told you. Use your senses. Based on what I saw earlier, you are watching what my facial expression will be and where I am looking. Remember not to focus on the eyes, face, body, or hands. Trust me, you need your senses, because once you learn to use them, you will easily know if there is an object or person near you. Your body will move automatically.”
“Isn’t it based on the eyes? Sometimes it can see where the enemy will attack.”
She shook her head and smiled a little. “Everything is baseless, my dear prince. You can be deceived by just looking. Sometimes the enemy is right next to you, and you don’t even know it because they are so good at deceiving you. Sense is what you need in everything. Even if you stare into the enemy’s eyes, your body should be alert when they plan to do something, even if your eyes are closed. ”
He winced, which surprised her. “It’s hard to do that. It’s hard to do that when your eyes are open, then try to do that with your eyes closed. I don’t know if anyone can do that.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “Let’s see if anyone can do that.”
“How?”
“I’ll do it while closing my eyes or putting a cloth over my eyes so you can be sure I’m not cheating.”
He couldn’t believe it while he was staring at her. “Are you crazy?” There was an emphasis on his words, and she knew he was wondering if she was going crazy.
“No, just tear a small piece of fabric from the side of your shirt or the one tied around your waist.” The clothes Dylan is wearing now are not the ones she gave him. He was wearing ordinary clothes, but there was excess from his arms to his feet, so the fabric in his clothes was too much. Dylan still seems to be having doubts about whether he will follow her.
“Faster!” she shouted. He immediately removed the cloth from his waist. “But this is my only warning to you: while I’m blindfolded, act as if you want to kill me like the enemy.”
Dylan’s eyes flashed, and he looked everywhere. “I can’t do it,” he said without hesitation.
She frowned and looked at him evilly. “How can you not? What you do is easier than what I do.”
He looked at her with a serious face, but there was a moment of doubt or concern in his eyes. “You might get hurt, and I don’t want that to happen.”
Adira heard Prince Dylan’s words weakly but clearly. She tightened her grip on the sword and ignored what she heard from Prince Dylan.
“Let’s get started. No matter what injury I get, I can endure it. You might forget that I come from a world of people who are merciless when it comes to the life of a person, and I’ve also experienced getting deeply wounded because of my missions.” She stared at his eyes, which still showed doubt. “You act like you don’t know me. Use everything I taught you, even if I can’t get rid of your sword.”
Adira put the long cloth over her eyes and tied it tightly. She was just standing, and the sword was in front of her, buried in the ground, while she was holding it.
Meanwhile, while the two had not yet started, General Agustin went to where Adira and Prince were. He just stood at a distance near the palace wall and silently observed the two. “Their training is different now, especially with the young lady. I think she will use her senses, so that’s why she is blindfolded. Now I will see how far she can use the sword.” General Agustin folded his arms while looking at Adira.
The cold wind blew, and Prince Dylan still didn’t move.
“Why don’t you start rushing yet, dear prince?” She shouted with strength.
“We can fight, but you must not be blindfolded!” He also shouted back.
She sighed at the stubbornness of the prince. “I’ll grant you one wish if that’s the only way you’ll move.”
Prince Dylan seemed to think about what Adira said.
“Really?”
“Did I say that there should be a substitute just to order him?” she said softly. “Can we get started?”
The surroundings fell silent, and Prince Dylan didn’t answer, so it seemed that Prince Dylan had already caught Adira’s words. It didn’t take long for the prince to come running. A few steps away, Adira felt that someone was coming, so she pulled out her sword from the ground and, just in time, blocked Prince Dylan’s first turn with it.
“It’s great that he uses the tricks I taught him about using the sword and where he should hit,” she said in her mind. But she still doesn’t take away the focus, especially on the senses, in case she gets hurt.
The sound of clashing swords could be heard around them as the two fought. Adira isn’t just being silly; she’s also fighting back.
“Arghhh!!” Dylan shouted.
She stopped. “Did my sword hit you?” There was a little concern in her voice as she asked. But she felt someone close to her again, so she prepared herself.
As Adira dodged Prince Dylan’s sword, she didn’t seem to feel anything cut from her hair yet.
She stopped. “It can’t-” She grabbed her hair, and the cloth tied over her eyes loosened at the same time.
Adira’s braided hair is now loose down to her waist. She looked at Prince Dylan in disbelief, but Prince Dylan just looked at her for a long time.
“What did you do?!” she shouted while still holding her hair.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
He smiled at her. “I don’t want to hurt you, so I just cut your hair tie. I can’t imagine how long your hair is and how beautiful it is. You look like a real lady when your hair is loose.”
She looked at him badly. “You cheated!”
He frowned. “Where was the cheating in what I did? I still used my sword, and I still rushed and fought you with the sword. How was that cheating?”
She was so annoyed that she sighed heavily. “You don’t know how long it took me to get my hair done!”
“I repeat. I don’t want to hurt you, so it’s better to just tie your hair. ”
“Why don’t you want to hurt me? I told you it’s okay for me to get hurt because it’s my job to get hurt!”
The smile on Dylan’s face disappeared and was replaced by a serious one. She couldn’t read the other expression he showed. “You’re not my enemy, so I won’t use my sword just to be stained with your blood.”
She frowned as he opened his mouth to say something, but no voice came out of it. She just got bored and parted her hair from the front to the back because she didn’t have a tie anymore.