“In all known time there has never been a greater monster or miracle than the human being.”  

Tinn would’ve loved to say she had been doing well in warrior training. She’d have loved to say she was winning some fights, impressing the other students, etc., etc. Problem is, if she did say any of that, she would be lying.

Truth be told, Tinn was doing terribly. Since the fight with Katana days earlier, she hadn’t improved.  She was doing a mock fight with Chen, Kai, Tao, and Jessica, and even though she was pretty sure they were all going easy on her, she was being beaten. Even worse, she noticed after a while that Kris was watching from one of the corners of the building.

After a while, she was done having her beat. She wiped the blood from , knowing what she needed to do but not at all wanting to do it. With the eyes of the people who just beat her watching, she got up and made her way to the door.  

The route to the dojo was incredibly long and complicated and for some stupid reason went through one of the many forest areas of the camp.  But she knew there was one, she had found that much out. And she was willing to bet that was where the girl- Katana- went during the day.

Finally, after too much walking, Tinn walked into a clearing that held a huge building. It looked completely out of place there… all the other buildings in the area looked like farmhouses or school buildings. This looked straight from ancient Japan. The roof curved elegantly upwards, and the wide red doors looked daunting.  She took a deep breath and entered.

What Tinn saw inside surprised her. It appeared nearly the entire building was one almost empty room, with only some shelves near the walls. And a girl sitting calmly on the floor, facing something.

The girl was definitely Katana. But she seemed different like this- her eyes were closed and she was sitting perfectly still. She appeared at peace.

“I need your help, Katana,” Tinn announced, trying to keep her voice steady.

Katana practically jumped up at her voice and looked surprised. The girl stared at Tinn for several seconds confusedly, so Tinn repeated herself.

“I need your help.”

The girl nodded slowly.

“I can fight, and I thought that was enough. But you’re right, I can’t win. Teach me how to.”

The girl looked as if she was contemplating something, then nodded again. She rose to her feet in a single fluid motion, gestured for Tinn to wait, and then ran out of the room. So the entire building wasn’t just one room. Interesting.

She came back several seconds later holding a white cloth. She ran to Tinn, and before she knew it, Tinn felt a coldness go across her face. The hell…?

When the cloth was removed, Tinn realized Katana had been cleaning off blood from her face.

Oh.

Katana threw the cloth away from them, then looked directly at Tinn.

Her eyes were blue, Tinn realized. Dark blue.

The girl smiled for the first time. “Hit me,” she said.

“What?” Tinn was taken aback.

Katana laughed lightly, and Tinn had to admit it was a beautiful sound. “Hit me. Once you do that, we can continue.”

“Why?”

“You don’t take directions well, do you?” the girl asked, her smirk gracing her face.

“I take directions just fine,” Tinn defended herself.

“Sure you do. Then do what I tell you.”

Tinn shrugged and swung her arm with all her might. But she instantly realized she was going to miss, as the girl moved with lightning speed away.

Tinn got her sense of gravity back, then looked in surprise at Katana. She was still smiling, and Tinn realized she knew that was going to happen. “Try again?”

The two continued for a long time, Katana always keeping an arm’s reach away from Tinn.

Several hours later, after the sun had gone down, time found the two girls sitting on the roof of the dojo, each with one leg hanging over the edge. Tinn had been surprised when Katana had invited her up there, but the younger had seemed insistent.

Tinn had realized she had hurt her arm, and Katana had several healing salves that she had insisted she use.

Over the hours they had been together, Tinn had become much more comfortable with Katana. She knew nothing about her, but she didn’t seem quite so strange anymore.

Tinn shivered and flinched as the girl rubbed a cold salve over her arm.

“Sorry,” Katana said quickly.

Tinn shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Katana emptied the jar and set it down. She wiped her face with her sleeve and Tinn saw something on her sleeve in the moonlight.

“Are you wearing makeup?” Tinn asked.

“Something wrong with that?” the girl countered.

“No but…” Tinn fumbled over her words. “No one sees you... ever!”

“Well, I sure ain’t wearing makeup to impress any of you!” she said with a smile. Tinn was taken by surprise with the causal English. “And oh, come on, I’m pretty sure Kai wears, or at least has worn makeup.”

“Kai is obsessed with his image. You don’t seem like you are. And wait, how do you know Kai?” Tinn shook her head, then shrugged. “Whatever. I didn’t even know they sold makeup that pale.”

“They don’t. I get it made custom.”

Custom-made makeup? Tinn thought. She couldn’t even imagine that. She couldn’t afford any makeup. Hell, sometimes she even couldn’t afford dinner.

“What’s your story, Katana?” she asked.

She looked quizzical. “What?”

“You know, where did you come from, family, why are you her