The morning sun hung low, piercing the dense jungle canopy in sharp, pale green shafts of light. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and crushed ferns as Roran led the way.
He walked with a newfound lightness, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, but there was an edge to his stride that hadn't been there before. He looked like a blade that had finally been wiped clean of rust.
"So," he said, not bothering to turn around. "You're a katana user, right?"
"I am."
"I've spent my life with a long-sword. Different steel, different philosophies." He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. "I will explain everything later. But first, you need to understand how a commoner like me reached the realm of a Grandmaster."
He stopped walking and turned to face me. A grin spread across his face, it was not a friendly grin, but a predator's smile. It made my skin prickle; every instinct I had began to scream.
