Chapter Thirty-Three: Hirot Ne Inshi

A few days later Stratin regained full control of his faculties. He awoke a few minutes after Kilvic had broken the link with his light. For the sake of secrecy, Kilvic kept his silence when he woke. He asked Stratin nothing of the pure light. He asked him nothing of what he’d done or why he’d done it. He told him nothing of what had been done to keep his life here, fixed in his body. He said nothing on the subject.

In the early days after his recovery, classes were a special kind of ordeal. Stratin’s way with the sword delved head first into the realm of sloppiness. His moves contained all the determination but lacked all the precision. His body, it proved, no longer listened to him as it should. He suffered for it. Grunald had never seemed more displeased at anyone before, and he voiced it in as many harsh and disappointed words as he knew.

Haru’s class was were Stratin’s suffering grew. He failed at executing every form. Each blow direc