Fire pecks at my calves, my thighs. Each excruciating moment, the shaking grows. My legs tighten, muscles seizing at random as I try to find the least painful place to shift my weight. One whisker too far to the left and my leg buckles. I catch myself, but not before two of the round stones in my right paw smack together. Frozen, not daring to breathe, biting my lip, I risk a slow look over at Master Chingon. Hunched over, his head bobs to the rhythm of sleepy breaths, uninterrupted by the clattering of my ineptitude. My straining lungs hiss out a quiet sigh of relief. Though I appreciate any effort to make me stronger, Master's corrective zaps are a questionable form of encouragement at best. I can't help the smirk that slithers across my snout as sleep steals me a few moments of relief.
Relief bathes over me as I let my shoulders relax for a rare moment. I stretch my forelegs up, swinging the blood back into my paws. I arch my back, undoing a fraction of the pain my stance training has inflicted. Then I roll my aching neck. Oh, the respite is unfathomable. I have no choice but to lean into it, luxuriating in an extended moment of recovery. I squeeze my eyes closed, rolling my head back the other direction. Bones, muscles, and tendons sing a song of worship, praising me for the brief moment of comfort amidst all the brutal training this ancient cloud has put me through. It's all I can do to stifle the grand sigh building in my—
My eyes open to pools of glacial blue. The heat of Master's breath pours over my face, our whiskers close enough to touch. Four round stones plummet to the dirt, smacking at each other as I whirl back. Too late. His tail is already coming down on me, snapping and crackling with electric charge. A bolt of miniature lightning jumps the small gap between the tip of his tail and my forehead, pounding into my skull with a sizzling zap.
"Well, seeing that taking advantage of an elderly cat's sleepiness sounds rather dishonorable, I suppose you must have a very good reason to alter your training regimen, eh, Bokuden?" He asks, looming over me as I rub my forehead with both paws.
"I, um, well… Balance, Master. Strain and recovery, you see…"
"The only balancing you're doing is that of bull and shit." A streak of lightning zips across the puffed expanse of his white tail. "Which is strange, because the only thing I've asked you to balance are those four stones in your paws."
"Apologies, Master," I bend into a deep bow, "I shouldn't—ah!" My back seizes with cramps as I try to come up.
"No need to apologize." A concerning smile spreads across his face. "It was my mistake. Clearly I left you with an assignment too trivial to keep your focus. To think, at this point in your training, that balancing those stones would be so easy for you… It's impressive. Very Impressive."
"I…" The word barely comes out, little more than a nervous squeak. Master Chingon leans down, eyes locked on mine, and slowly snatches each of the four stones up from the dirt, carefully wiping them one by one on his haori. Then, smile still twisting his whiskers, he tosses one towards the Dojo. My heart sinks. Thud. He keeps staring, his eyes boring a hole through me. He tosses another. His expression remains unflinching, even when the second rolls and bashes into the first.
"Master?" The question almost sounds like a plea.
"Everything is training, Bokuden, especially the hard stuff…" Another stone flies from his paw.
Oh, what I wouldn't give for one of his tedious missions right now. Please let me go check the park perimeter for disturbances. There must be a message that needs delivering. Radu has been coming by far more often than before; surely the crow is in need of something. But when I open my mouth, nothing comes out but a dry wheeze.
"Any idea how long it takes the average cat to master the upright stance?" He asks, rolling the final stone back and forth on the top of his paw.
Likely a trick question, based on the self-indulgent smirk. "Average cats can never master it?" I guess nervously.
"Careful. The only thing more dangerous than overestimating yourself is underestimating others." The fourth stone soars, thudding into the moss and rolling into the other three. "Average cats may not master this technique, but I assure you that is a matter of need, not ability. No one cat can do more or less than another."
"What about your special power?" I wince, unable to stop the question before it flies from my lips. His eyes narrow. The sting on my forehead flares. Too late to turn back. "Or Azura's? It seems like Nekotsu can do much more than other cats."
"And much less." Master Chingon strolls towards the boulders circling the training ring. "I may be able to direct electrical currents, but I cannot enjoy the carefree peace of kittenhood; that most inalienable of cat abilities is lost to me. You see, some may be able to do different things, unique things, but balance equalizes all beings. Weakness lives in the shadow of strength. The pendulum always swings equally to both sides," Master lectures, making a grand arc with his fluffy tail. "So, how long?"
Aching, exhausted, and in no mood for guessing games, I say the first thing that pops into my head, "One month?"
"Wrong." Lightning zips between the tips of his ears, making me flinch. He smiles at my scrunched face. "It takes precisely as long as the average cat chooses to struggle against their Master."
All this lecturing to reinforce what the last tail-zap already punished me for? Perhaps I deserve it, but it still takes every bit of my self-control to stifle the huff pressing at my lungs.
"Azura was the quickest I've ever seen. Barely two weeks until she was steadily walking upright! Truly unbelievable. But she has proven to be the most teachable pupil one could ever hope for. And you've seen the results for yourself."
My head hangs.
"Ah, don't worry, Bokuden. Luckily for you, your master has developed ingenious techniques for teaching even the most stubborn student." His smile widens, making my stomach turn.
"I did not mean to insult you, Master." I bow even deeper than before. "I'm sor—"
"Head up! You'll have trouble walking upright with your forehead so close to the damn ground!" He snaps. The sharpness of his tone jolts me to attention. Heat strikes my body in relentless waves. My stomach queezes and my paws sweat. Master looks at me with feral intensity. Tap, tap, tapping his tail on the large boulder to his side. "Since the small stones were too easy for you, you will now work with these."
"Those…" Easily half my height standing upright, the glass-marked boulder stares at me hungrily, excited to devour every last ounce of my strength along with my spirit. My shoulders droop, my head hunches, my eyes travel laboriously from the vengeful gray stone to my smiling Master.
"Cheer up, my young friend! All you have to do is shift each stone to the spot on the right… Upright, of course, but that goes without saying, huh?" He chuckles.
Nine stones in total, each one cat's length apart, each at least half my size and easily triple my weight. I have half a mind to curse the old fool, but it was my lack of discipline that brought this upon me. I clench my jaw, grind my teeth. These damn stones stand between me and Zei Sho. My claws flex. If moving them brings him closer to his death, then I will haul them wherever Master wants.
My paws reach low, gripping at the bottom bit of the first stone. "Errrr." Its expressionless face mocks me as I strain, barely moving it from its indented seat. I heave again, getting a bit more motion from the damn thing. My veins twist and bulge under my fur. My toe beans slip on the matte gray. My claws dig, grinding away as I fight for grip. I bite down on my lip until I taste blood. My breath jets out in hungry snorts as the hulking rock finally lifts from the ground. One waddling step. My back seizes, my legs cramp, I begin to shake. But I won't give in. Huffing, I send my other leg out. My muscles scream, howl, roar until I can hear nothing but pain. The boulder slips a whisker. I dig in harder. Another slip, even further this time. My paw lands, second step successful, despite the struggle. A massive rush of weightlessness makes me feel like I might launch from the ground. The stone smacks into the moss angrily, nearly crushing my hindpaws. The ground rushes to me. I flop, folding around the stone, my muscles twitching with cramps.
"Bokuden…"
I strain to peek over the stone, hoping to find mercy on my Master's face.
"Let me help you…" My ears perk up, relief creeping towards me. "No doubt you'll find the task easier if your mind is focused elsewhere. So, what'll it be? A lecture on proper shrine etiquette, or the importance of fish oil in your daily diet?"
"Uh."
"Wonderful!" He smiles radiantly and sparks his freshly loaded pipe. "Shrine etiquette it is!"
. . .
"Looks like your fur is growing back nicely," Azura notes, joining me in the dirt circle where I lay sprawled out, exhausted from Master Chingon's brutal training.
"What's this? A compliment? From Azura the merciless?" I huff, still straining to refill my lungs.
"Just appreciating my skills, that's all," she scoffs. "You're already back to your ordinary self."
"Don't you mean back to my exceedingly dashing self." I rise onto my hind legs, wincing at the effort.
"Still wobbly."
"It's only been a few weeks." Three weeks as Master Chingon's pupil, and each day proves more difficult than the last. I gingerly rub the dirt and dust from my aching paws. Three weeks and I feel weaker than ever. Perhaps that is what happens when you are forced to gauge your strength next to cats like Azura. I should be grateful, especially after witnessing the power she protected me with, but it is hard not to burn with envy and self-doubt.
Azura springs forward, whacking me on the shoulder with a paw. "I was steady in a week and a half." She hops back, feints high, then strikes low, kicking my side at half power.
"So I've heard," I huff. "And you bury golden turds, too, huh?" I roll under a strike. Pouncing, I expect to catch her unprepared, but as usual, her guard is up. Damn those stones; their weight still burdens me. She swiftly evades another slow attack. I narrow my eyes at her. "You're lucky, if I weren't so sore—"
"What? Think your enemies will wait till you're well rested? Come on, you know the drill."
Master Chingon has a talent for finding new and increasingly difficult exercises for me, as well as an endless reserve of lecturing topics, but one aspect of my training has been consistent since day one: sparring with Azura. I charge, punching and kicking into the empty air. Throughout all of our sessions, I have landed exactly zero strikes. She simply dances around me with relaxed effortlessness. The grace in her movements vexes me. I find her way of battle both alluring and infuriating—and obviously deadly. Though hard to admit, it has become glaringly obvious that I have a lot to learn. Perhaps, if Master would quit hiding the secrets to their advanced techniques, I could close the gap.
"Stay focused!" Azura sweeps my legs with her tail, knocking me to the dirt. I roll away from a downward kick and hop back up, tossing a haphazard strike into the air where she's no longer standing. Before I can track her, she jams a paw up into my chin. Light flashes as my jaws snap together. My head swims. The air leaps out of me as she snaps a kick directly into my gut. Lurching, I thud into the dirt, groaning and struggling for air. "Come on…" Azura sighs, offering a paw to help me up.
I roll away, spring up, and slide into a sloppy rendition of the upright stance. She may be better, but I won't be bested that easily. Nor will I accept a helping paw from my adversary. Bored, she pushes forward and sends me to the dirt again.
Her paw jets down, stopping a whisker from my nose. "This is starting to feel like a waste of my time. Where's your head at?"
"How long did it take for Master to teach you your power?" The dirt is cool and softer than Azura's attacks. So I lean back, let my head plop down, and try to catch my breath.
"You think that's all you're missing?"
"How long?"
Azura's face softens; her eyes drop their predatory sharpness. "I don't think you'll like the answer…"
"I knew it! Master's holding out on me, isn't he? He doesn't think I can do it. Not ready…" I fuss, swiping at the dirt with my tail.
"First of all, do you even know what you're asking about? These powers you're so obsessed with? They're called Martial Purrs."
"Of course I know! I've seen Master's electricity, and your… your whatever it is. Perhaps the name has escaped me, but what does that matter?"
"Don't be dumb. That's not what I mean," she huffs. "How can you expect to use something you don't understand?"
"How can I be expected to understand something I'm never taught?" I snap, instantly regretting the bitterness of my words. It is not her fault I've been left in the dark.
"That's fair. But Master has his reasons. He is—"
"Yes, yes. Wise. Experienced. Senile. Blah, blah." Azura rolls her eyes at my kitten-like fit. "But you, you are not Master. You could teach me…"
"That's not my job."
"Please?"
"No. Not without Master's approval. His timeline isn't random," she defends.
"Come on, Azura. Give me something. At least help me understand the fundamentals. What harm could a little knowledge bring?" I push. She shakes her head. "Wait. Are you afraid? Worried about your status as top pupil? Hmm… Perhaps, with a bit more understanding, I'd take Master's favor from you."
"Unlikely," she scoffs.
"A true senpai shares the weight of tutelage."
"I know what you're doing." She glares.
"Very well. But once I'm top pupil, Master will surely think back to the additional strife you subjected him to with ire," I continue to poke.
"You're not going to trick me into anything, fool." She crosses her forelegs and plops down.
"Oh, how he will sing my praises. If only you could feel the warmth of such gratitude."
"Gah…" She groans. "Fine! Just the basics. But only if you shut up already." Her frown deepens as my victorious smile spreads. She takes a heavy breath and lets out a venting sigh. "I'm only saying this once, so listen up. Martial Purrs, the powers you've seen Master and I use, are unique purr frequencies bestowed upon Nekotsu by the Mikoneko. Seeing that you have some issues with your brain, I should point out that normal cats can produce purrs ranging between twenty-five and a hundred hertz."
"Hertz?"
"Just a measurement for frequency. Don't interrupt. Master says that Nekotsu are gifted a unique frequency that lies outside that range. The use of these special frequencies results in an endless number of possible effects. For example, Master Chingon's technique, the Static Purr, has an extremely high frequency. This causes his fur to vibrate so rapidly that he produces static electricity across his entire body. Through rigorous training, he has developed the ability to channel that stored electricity, discharging it in bursts via touch or close proximity."
Memories of the Void fill my mind's eye. I can see the Mikoneko once again, a vision of shining gold and radiant blue. The unearthly sound of her purr fills my ears. I remember the surge of energy that filled my body as the great spirit cat pressed its ethereal orb into my chest.
"The thing is, each Nekotsu is granted a personalized frequency. That means your Martial Purr will be something different from his," Azura continues. "Just as his is different than mine, and mine is different than any other. Master says the Mikoneko grants these individualized purrs based on one of two factors: either as a means to help the Nekotsu achieve their desire, or as a means to teach the Nekotsu the true lesson concealed within their cursed journey… You see?"
I blink in her words with vacant uncertainty, trying to sort through her explanation with the dexterity of a slug. So that means… "I think I get it. That's why you heal and Master shocks, because… of, well…"
"My power is the Ouroboros Purr, which has a frequency lower than the typical range. This lower frequency allows me to revitalize cells within a close vicinity of my paws via resonant vibration. Basically, the cells are massaged and strengthened by the technique, unless I strengthen the amplitude. If I max out the amplitude of my Martial Purr, the cells are shaken too hard, causing them to wear down rapidly. So, simply put, my technique allows me to control the life cycle of localized cells. Degradation allows me to destroy. Revitalization allows me to heal.
"Revitalization, huh?" My paw traces scars hidden under my red-brown fur. She nods, a whisper of pride in her eyes.
"The Ouroboros Purr aligns perfectly with Master's theory on Martial Purr origins, too. If you were to analyze the all-consuming desire that led to my curse, there's no doubt it was my desperate need to heal my mother. This power would have allowed me to accomplish that goal without breaking a sweat."
My ears perk up. "Wait! That's great! You just need to find your—"
"By the time I found my way, it was too late. She was gone."
"The illness?"
"No…" She shifts uncomfortably, her eyes falling away, her shoulders lifting.
"Sorry. We don't have to…" Her eyes shut and she draws a shaky breath. Her lips press into a hard line, ears pinned back. "I shouldn't have pried."
"She was executed. Because of, me," Azura's voice wavers. Her jaw muscles tighten. Her claws dig into the dirt. Moisture obscures her golden eyes for a moment before she blinks it away. "Only traitors raise traitors. At least that's the clan's stupid stance. How else could one of its esteemed members possibly be corrupted?" She scoffs angrily. "The moment I was caught with stolen goods, my mother was condemned."
"I'm so s—"
"Forget it. The point is, if you wish to awaken your own Martial Purr, look within. Neither Master or I can teach you what is uniquely yours. But if your power is the lesson type, it'll be tougher to figure out than mine was."
Azura's head hangs as she draws spirals in the dirt with a single claw. Sadness and anger hang over her like storm clouds. I doubt she'd care to share more, or even want my shoulder to cry on, for that matter. Our relationship is not one of emotional vulnerability. Nevertheless, my heart can't help but ache for her. Hers is a pain I know well. It is a shared affliction, one ever-presently poisoning my joy like mercury injected into my veins. A family stolen. Victims of pointless madness and superfluous violence.
"How did you awaken your Ouroboros Purr? Was there a trigger?" I ask, hoping the question will distract her.
She chuckles coldly and locks her golden gaze onto me. "Combat. Not sparring, real, ruthless combat."
"Oh?"
"The first time I woke up Nekotsu, I was so scared. So angry. Confusion, sadness, sorrow, they clouded my mind. Master found me crying in the dirt. He extended a paw. I did too, but not with gratitude. He tried his best to calm me, but I couldn't see past the pain. I was like a mindless beast… a demon." She kicks at the dirt, erasing the spiral. "A lesser cat would've had no choice but to kill me. That or be killed. Lucky for me, Master Chingon's not a normal cat. He was able to stop me while only giving me minor injuries. Incapacitated, he brought me here and let me rest. When I woke, my cuts were healed. My bones were mended. Guess I was purring in my sleep. Ever since that day, I've been honing my power and studying under Master Chingon."
"Combat, huh?" I ponder aloud. "Perhaps that's what I need…"
"Then stand." She rises, her claws already unsheathed. "Let's get serious."