43 Sparring (1/2)

Father led Crow and me out to the back patio, then took a back seat while I talked to Crow.

”So,” Crow started, ”I heard you got jumped at school.”

”Yeah, I wasn't careful enough.”

Crow nodded in agreement, ”Hm. It's good you recognise that. From what I heard you didn't even consider them a threat.”

”I do now.”

”Good. So, let's get to it. Your father tells me that you want to learn how to use a whip. I don't mind showing you a few things since he asked so nicely.”

”Thanks Crow,” Father chimed in, ”I really appreciate it.”

”It's no trouble at all. Well, then, show me what you've got.”

I connected with my qi, then commanded it to flow out of my right palm. A golden tentacle gushed out, coiling down onto the floor.

Last night, I had struggled to find a way to hold it. Grabbing the end didn't work, so I had to keep the whip anchored to my soul.

”That'll do,” Crow affirmed, ”now tell me, can you recover that qi?”

”Yeah, I can pull it back in.”

”Good, good. Do that as fast as you can.”

From experience, I knew that the more intense my emotions, the stronger my qi's reaction. I summoned all the sadness I felt from listening to mother and channelled it into my qi.

The whip shot back into my palm with an elastic snap, the force blowing back my hand.

”Hm, excellent,” Crow nodded in approval, ”and how long can you make it? Try shooting it at me.”

Crow stood about 30 feet away from me. I closed my eyes and funnelled all my emotional intensity, assuming a side on stance. I tucked my palm into my neck and imagine that I was holding a shot put.

Pressure built in my soul as my qi rampaged; bubbling and struggling against its cage. In one explosive burst, I unleashed it, corkscrewed my body, and thrust my palm towards Crow.

A blast of qi surged through my arm with ferocious power, spouting from my palm in a pressurized jet. It spiralled in a helix towards Crow, showing no signs of stopping.

Time seemed to slow down as I started to panic, worrying that the stream would hit Crow. It was five feet from him, and he was doing nothing! A single foot, and he was motionless!

Then Crow flicked his hand so fast, it was just a blur. A translucent purple disk appeared by his side, slicing into my qi, and slamming it to the ground with a crack.

The disk disappeared, and I realised that the disc was just an afterimage of his glowing chain, which now rested on the floor.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't control my qi and it latched onto the chain, slithering up to Crow's wrist. Crow took a quick glance to his side, before stepping forward and whirling his chain again.

He pivoted around his leg and the chain reversed direction, scattering wriggling tendrils of my golden qi across the courtyard.

”That's some dangerous qi.” He remarked, before whipping the chain around his neck and body, where it coiled at rest.

The purple glow faded, and the chain returned to dull iron. I retracted what was left of my qi, but I could seem to control the last five feet.

”I've seen enough,” he walked over, drawing a book from his storage ring and handing it to me, ”there are a few forms in this book that would be best for you.”

The book was called 'Four Styles, Eight Steps Whip Technique.'

”Since your goal is simply to touch your opponent,” he continued, ”this technique is best. In time, you can learn the Mountain Expel Whip Technique, and the Body Protection Whip Technique.

”That book should teach you the forms well enough, but I'll demonstrate them for you. Since you can rapidly expand and contract your whip, some forms will be modified.

”There are six basic techniques to learn before you can study the forms. The first is Spinning. Carlo, if you could join me as a sparring partner?”