CHRONICLES of a PC Gamer Stuck Inside an RPG (Book One: Duelist)

Chapter 12 - The Butterfly School of Swordsmanship

The little minx was unbelievably FAST. I knew that the cat race was faster than the human race but I didn't realize the gap was so large! I chased after Kalistra for at least a half-dozen blocks weaving through mid-day traffic on the busy streets. Yet, I was able to keep her in my sight. Somehow. I suspected that the cat girl was purposely slowing down in order for me to follow her back to her dojo. After all, I was her get-out-of-punishment card with her dad.

Despite my dead man's run at my top speed, I was never able to close the gap in distance between Kalistra and myself. Mercifully, I saw her round a corner at a more secluded part of town and came to a complete stop in front of a building. It was a traditional looking dojo with a ten-foot tall stone wall surrounding the compound. Two large heavy doors stood at the entrance. Next to the doors were a statue of a cat swordsman to the left and one of a cat swordswoman to the right.

I was panting heavily by the time I caught up with Kalistra and decided to examine the statues more closely while regaining my breath. The male warrior had his left foot out front while leaning more heavily against the back right foot. His sword was held in both paws and the sword handle was pulled behind the right ear. The tip of the sword was pointed at a downward angle at the imaginary opponent's chest.

The female warrior had a much different stance. The positioning of her feet was a mirror image of her male counterpart in having her right foot out wide while the left knee was bent to support the weight of the body. However, the sword was held across and in front of her chest. The blade was turned in her paws to run parallel to her torso. Furthermore, the blade was raised so that it was just under the wielder's chin.

Kalistra stood in front of the doors as if to wait for someone to open them. Her fluffy ears moved periodically as she stood silently. However, once my breathing became normal again, Kalistra pushed on the right door and opened it with only her right hand. She turned her head back toward me and said, "Follow me."

I resisted the temptation to face palm my forehead when I entered the compound. As I went through the doorway I couldn't help but notice the thickness of the door. The middle was made of wood like I expected, but the exterior was lined with iron. I wondered if I had the strength to push it open with both arms, let alone with one hand like Kalistra did. This cat girl had some serious strength in those skinny arms!

As I followed her my head swiveled back and forth like a clueless tourist. Immediately beyond the doors was a large courtyard with several groups of students practicing either armed with swords or unarmed. Another group of students was running along the walls. None of the students paid attention to us as we passed by. I noted with interest that the students were of mixed races and not solely cat people like I was expecting.

I saw that we were heading toward a building beyond the courtyard. There was a stone terrace on the left and inside was a small pond; I heard the water stir as I walked past. Apparently, there was fish inside. On the right side, there was a well.

Finally, Kalistra led me to the building in question. As I approached the dojo, I examined the building more closely. It was only one story tall but very long horizontally in the style of Chinese architecture. It was also built on top of a raised platform. The walls and pillars were plain looking. However, the roof had a sweeping curvature that rose on the corners in the style of a religious temple.

As I contemplated the style of the roof I could hear the sound of steel clashing from within the dojo. Before we stepped inside, Kalistra looked down at my feet and said, "No shoes are allowed inside the dojo. Please remove your boots and leave them here."

I quickly sat down on the ground and removed my boots. I tilted my left boot to ensure that the precious platinum coins hidden inside remained in the toe section. I winced at the smell of my stinky feet.