As Kenrir approached his position at the front of the class, all the students stood watching at attention.
"Now everyone, as some of you may have noticed, we have a new student joining our ranks. I would ask that you treat her respectfully and with due dilligence as you would your other fellow peers. Please keep in mind that there are to be no further introductions until after class, as each of you still has much to prepare for."
Upon completing Alena's indirect introduction, Kenrir carried on with today's lesson.
"For today, we will continue practicing our combat skills. Each of you will need to be ready for any potential incursions you may encounter throughout your initiation. For those that are unaware, the initiation is a sacred practice of us nekomata, which falls between our thirteenth and fourteenth birthday, where we are to travel out of the village, and return only once we have successfully assisted our human neighbors in an otherwise supernatural endeavor. Once you have accomplished as such, you will be welcomed back into the village, and will be permitted access to return to The Great Tree. Please note that your families will not be permitted to follow alongside you on your journey," he concluded.
Alena was shocked by Kenrir's speech, and one boy at the end of the row recognized her reaction. This must have been why their teacher was re-explaining the initiation at a time like this, but another thing that caught his eyes, was the out of place cat riding on her shoulder. Voices in the room began to stir.
"Did her parents not explain the initiation to her?"
"Why is there a new student, who doesn't even know about the initiation, starting so late into the classes?"
"I bet she doesn't even know what a human is," the students gossiped.
It wasn't long as rumors spread throughout the class, before Kenrir clasped his palms together to grab the attention of the peers.
"Please everyone, I ask that you reserve all discussions for the end of class. Need I remind you that preparation and diligent training here can mean the difference between life and death out there in the world? We must maintain order within the temple grounds," he explained.
There were few students who kept to themselves amongst the uproar of discussions, and one of those few students, Karra, was eyeballing Alena from the front row of the class. Alena, who was focused on the teacher, stood there silent; her eyes wide with fright.
"I will assure you, that if each of you heed my warnings and give your all in these lessons, then each of you will have everything you'll need to return home once your initiations are complete," Kenrir continued, "Now please, if I can have each of you focus, it is time to continue today's lesson."
Kenrir started the lesson by assuming a stance. He bowed his head slightly, placing his palms together close to his chest and chin, before raising his head and extending one arm out to the opposite side, and lifted it in an arch motion, while stepping his right foot behind his left, shifting his stance sideways to the class. Bringing his arm full circle, he stands with it extended passed the other, hands enclosed into fists and simultaneously stepping his left foot forward with a twist. His center of gravity lowered slightly. Within moments, Kenrir's right arm is launched forward, shoulders at ease, his hand opening into a sturdy palm. His feet remain stationary as his tail flicks back. As his movement comes to a halt, the class stands observing him in silence.
Alena felt inspired, though fear still lingered over her. She had not seen much in the way of combat before, but she recognized this man's movements were different from her father's.
"This thrust is what the humans refer to as an iron palm strike, in a combat style they call Chen-style Tai Chi. For the humans, this is an effective form of martial arts, but for us nekomata, that effectiveness is amplified thanks to our sheer strength and natural force. We are like the humans, but also quite different," he explained.
Alena rose her paw from the back of class. "Sir, what are humans?" she asked him nervously.
Some of the students in the class were fighting laughter, quietly sneering to themselves from the coincidential irony of prior gossip.
"Worry not, for I will address that matter to you in a separate lesson to catch you up with current affairs," Kenrir replied, "For now if you would please, do try to focus on our practice."
The class carried on with Kenrir showing various moves and forms, after which he would instruct his students to match his motions and posture. As the rest of the students assumed their combat positions, Alena stood for a moment, surprised by her peers' synchronized motions. She quickly scanned the class, and it wasn't long before she too tried mimicking their forms, though a bit shaky and unbalanced in her step.
The whole class, made movements that were noticeably fluid. Even the other younger kids in her row were more even and on par with their form.
It soon became clear, that the boy on the end of the row was more accustomed to this type of training than the rest of his age group, delivering techniques of fluidity and clarity. No distractions were perceived upon this boy.
"Enough!" Kenrir announced, as the whole class immediately stopped and stood at attention.
"Now then Kazran, if I may have you come display to our class the next technique for our curriculum."
The boy bearing a straight face bowed before his mentor, before moving ahead between his class. He stood by his mentor, facing the class expressionless and still, before bowing to his peers. Kenrir stepped off to the side.
Kazran is a nekomata who is that of an Australian Mist cat. His hair lilac, with marbling in his coat and no split. Like Alena's, his hands too resemble cat paws with human-like fingers.
He swung his leg out to the side, stomping the ground beneath it as he twisted the direction of his feet and body, facing away from Kenrir. Slowly, as if flowing within a gentle breeze, Kazran lifted his paws up and faced them outward in front of his chest, moving up until his hands were parallel with his shoulders. At this point, he slowly lowered them back down, closing his eyes and pulling his hands in, lifting them palm in, hovering up along his abdomen and flowing them up and out in a crescent motion in front of his chest. He kept his right paw in closer. As he stopped the motion, open palmed facing upward, he twisted his wrist, bending the joints of his fingers ever so slightly, his shoulders relaxed. In the next moment, Kazrin's eyes opened, and stepping forward, he shot his right paw ahead with his entire core, closing it into a fist. A zip was heard as his arm stretched forward. Completing this motion, he returned to his prior stance.
The class saw the power behind the attack, and Alena stood there impressed. However, the show wasn't over, as when the boy went on to repeat the motions, Kazran stomped forward, his eyes instantaneously going sharp with instinct, and blasting his arm forward, another zip, followed by a short gust of wind, generated by the strength behind his punch. It caused a disturbance to the silent positioning of wind chimes hanging along the side wall.
Everyone in the room vocalized sounds of shock after witnessing the movements that caused the chimes to sound. Alena's eyes were wide, as much like the others.
When Kazran turned to face the class and bow, Kenrir stepped forward.
"What you all just witnessed here, is the mastery of something I like to call, 'Pulse Instinction.' As you know, we Nekomata have a problem with our instincts getting the better of us from childhood, and if left unchecked, can lead us to peril in the worst of circumstances," Kenrir began to explain, "And what you saw just now was the culmination of what would be several years of training, if not countless to master, to call upon one's instincts at will for any ordinary Nekomata. As you can see, Kazran here has far surpassed the expections of our people, and is recognized as a prodigy in terms of combat. However, he is still a student here, and I don't want any of you to feel discouraged by his accomplishments. Rather, I'd like it if each of you takes inspiration from this display, and continue to push yourselves to new heights. We will be training in this technique over the next few weeks, but I do not expect any of you to have it mastered by the time your individual initiations begin, but fret not, and do not allow that to stop you from achieving this technique."
Kazran's eyes were glaring dead at the class as he stood at attention, but more accurately, he was intensely staring at Alena and her cat companion, who was watching over her shoulder from her back shoulder harness.
Kenrir took a deep breath, and made an announcement.
"With that, as we close on today's session, I will call my two best students forward to spar in front of the class. May it bring an inspiration to train hard, over our new student." A pause silences the room. "Karra, if you will please step forward.
Stepping away from her position in line, Karra approached the place where Kenrir and Kazran stood, a great determination displayed on her face. Her movements marching forward felt strong and precise.
As Kenrir took several steps back, Karra and Kazran stepped forward, facing one another before taking a bow.
The air grew tense as all of the students, including Alena and Elijah, observed the fight that was about to take place.