Chapter 95: Stances

She won. Not even a minute lasted. She triumphed me with her fluid movements. 

"I don't get it," Ned said. Grabbing the blade that was thrown off his hand. I can't hit her, even with my combat display on, I still, couldn't hit her. "Again," Ned said. Standing with his sweats dripping off his neck. 

"Another thousand!" cried Lady Darcey. Sitting atop the barrel with her legs crossed. 

The crew put another thousand of Pica on the table beside their captain. It was now a game about Ned, they bet if how long he would last against Cas'a. Before, they bet if Cas'a would use a hand than her blade. 

"Twenty." 

"Thirty here!" one of the crew cried. Betting Picas and gulping an ale out of enjoyment. 

"Na! I'll do fifteen!" 

"Still a minute!' cried Lady Darcey. Spills of ale exited her mouth. "Come on, lad. Last a minute!" She kept on tapping her legs with the enjoyment she can't control. 

Doesn't matter, keep on betting, I'll make sure you lose. Ned wiped the sweat on his brows. He stood, gripping the worn blade. With his display on, he could see Cas'a's different weak spots. But, without using Overclock. Ned had a hard time hitting these spots. Should I? Ned thought. Thinking to use his Overclock. No. He countered his thoughts. I couldn't rely on it—Overclock— every time. 

"Begin!" cried Lady Baba. It wasn't just the young crew joined the game. It was actually Lady Baba who got more excitements than the rest. 

With the cue. Ned rushed toward Cas'a with a precise posture. 

Cas'a stood unmoving. This time, she didn't draw her sword. She shook her head. 

Ned was proficient with weapons. This was his third time to change weapons. From wooden spears to daggers,  swords, and blade. All these, Ned was proficient. He's got speed, strength—aligned to his physical prowess. He's got accuracy. But he lacks something. What was I lacking? Ned asked. 

Without waiting for Cas'a to make her move. Ned lunged toward her. Blade points at Cas'a. 

Cas'a raised his hands, leaning sideways to evade the blade. Midway the evade, she caught Ned's wrist. Twisted it with sheer force. 

Ned moved along with the force of Cas'a's grip. He twisted himself; still holding the blade with his right, preventing himself from being thrown.

Cas'a let go of her grip. She spun and turned around facing Ned. Seashells waved along with her smooth pacing. 

Ned slid and control his balance. "There it is again," He muttered. "Everything is clear, even on my HUD, but, how come I can't hit her?" 

Lady Darcey scoffed beside. Shook her head with discontent. 

Twenty-one seconds had passed. A scoff could be heard at the side. The one that put a bet on Ned if he could last for only fifteen seconds, lost. Next twenty, and thirty. Their bets lost. 

Ned focused, his display showed digits on Cas'a's neck, shoulders, and left leg.

Ned pushed to clash with Cas'a. He raised his blade once more, aiming at her leg

Cas'a frowned. How could a kid know of her weaknesses? They've been fighting not longer than ten minutes, and he knew already where her critical spots are. But she knew she could take Ned's attack. She wasn't just taking it, she was countering it. 

Again, before the blade could hit her leg, she lifted it and evaded the attack effortlessly.

Catching Ned was easy, but hitting him, was an entirely different matter. Ned could evade a hit even at close distances. She knew this, for she tried, but failed likewise. In the end, the fight was stale. 

But for Ned, it was a complete loss. This was his first time encountering such a technique. It seemed that she could predict all of Ned's attacks. It wasn't that, it was as if Cas'a was like a fluid. 

"Enough!" cried Lady Darcey. She stood, and grabbed the piles of Pica on the table beside her. With a thought, the pile of Picas vanished and went into her inventory. 

With her cry, Cas'a stopped with her pacing. Ned stood with heavy breathing. "How?" He asked. 

"She's faster than ye, lad," Lady Darcey answered. "But that's not all, she could predict ye movements, I see ye attacked her weak spots. That's a good thing, at least ye knew a thing or two about fighting. Don't take it seriously lad. She's got more experience than ye." 

The rest of the crew went on their ways, even Cas'a went back to her station;  the rook's nest. 

More experience? Ned waved his hands to give a dismissive gesture. "I doubt that," he said. "There's more to it. She's not even using magic. How?"

"Lady Baba was right," the captain said. Stood, and gestured Ned to follow her. "Ye eyes are 'something', lad. Tell me, what did ye see?"

Ned followed Lady Darcey inside the captain's cabin. Found a barrel, sat, and explained. 

"She's not using magic."

Lady Darcey nodded. 

"She's not attacking, but waiting for my attack."

Lady Darcey smiled. 

"Cas'a was your best melee fighter."

"Aside from me," she said. "Yes."

"Yes, aside from you," Ned seconded her. "I don't understand, how?" Her movements were entirely different from what my master told me. In fact. Her style was the complete opposite of mine. Ned queried his past experience. 

"Ye said it yeself," Lady Darcey said. "That ye stance focuses more against magical beasts. Well, Cas'a chose to use a form good against an individual." 

She's right, Master Will taught me the 'Brute Stance' effective only against brute classes magical beast. My stance focuses more on staggering magical beast bigger than me. So that's it. Even in my past life, I rarely fought an individual. Ned thought roughly. "Then, how come she can predict my attacks, captain?" Stressing the word 'captain' to get more information. 

"Don't worry, lad, " Lady Darcey said. Leaning on the table closer to Ned. "Cas'a used a stance called 'Water Moon Stance', each of us has our own stances, and me sure, ye'll develop your own eventually. She uses the eight form of water moon stance, which was to use the strength of enemies against their own. Her prediction was based on a long time fighting. Cas'a was… " she paused. "From a lost tribe of the North. Their tribe uses bare knuckles to fend off barbarian invading there tribe. That's how she gained experience fighting." 

Another slave. Ned thought. How far does slavery stretch to this world? "How can I learn stances?" Ned asked thoughtfully. 

"Not sure about, landlubbers," she said. "But for us, we learn it through scrolls, find a master, join a guild, maybe academy. There are a lot of ways to learn stances. That's the furthest I can tell ye about stances, lad. Eventually, ye'll learn it by yourself." 

Master Will trained Ned since young, but that's mostly for survival against the magical beast. All his years, mastering the 'Brute Stance', Ned gained an upper hand, fighting magical beasts. In Master Will's mind, he developed Ned to grow as a hunter. And hunters focus mainly on hunting and breaking parts of magical beasts. But, Ned, never had a chance, if not, less chance to train a stance focuses on fighting individuals. 

But his 'Brute Stance' wasn't lacking at all, some of its forms could be used against a number of magical beasts—especially when Ned was surrounded by a number of them. But, his stance focuses and effective against brute magical beasts. Its form precisely attacks the weaknesses of a magical beast. 

I can learn by myself, maybe find another master. Ned thought. "Captain," he said. "How long till we reach Bogblot?"

Lady Darcey smiled. Their trip took a lot of their time. It wasn't just Ned wanted to reach a destination. Even they wanted to be back at their headquarters. "It won't be long, lad," she said. "Two more weeks, two and a half maybe. Remember, if ye have time, visit Titan Cay, were always at the heart of the sea. But don't forget ye token." She added. 

Titan's Cay, one of the seas of the Seven Seas. Each sea was said to be governed by an Emperor. And Time to Loot was under the wing of Empress Chi. Ned nodded. But even Ned wasn't sure if he would have the luxury of time to visit Titan's Cay. He would have, without his own quest, he would sure to travel the rest of Earflgard. 

A week had passed after Ned fought slash trained with Cas'a. After he finished his daily training routine. He went inside the prison area. There, Hocoff guarded the beaded coffin of Anita. Poor girl. Ned thought. Living inside a coffin. Ned spun, looked at Yaluk, but this time. The latter diverted his gaze not to connect with Ned. He bit his lip and turned his body around. He was now silent, not the usual Yaluk that attacked them. He wasn't even interested anymore with his mission. To retrieve the coffin. Yaluk's cell was divided by an empty cage, where Ned used to stay, and Next was the prison cell of Anita. 

Still, Hocoff reached the top of the deck with his towering heights. 

"Anita," Ned said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine big brother Ned," Anita said, inside her coffin. "Anita's going to be sad, big brother Ned."

Ned gave off a half shrug. "I know, Anita, I know," Ned said. Trying to consol her puppet sister. "But, that's how it is. Remember what we talked about, okay? Follow Big sister Darcey. Okay?"

Ned could hear a long breathe inside the coffin. "Okay… " Anita said, accompanied by a sighing under her breath. "When will Anita see big brother Ned?" 

Ned clinched the iron bar across him. The cell was already open, Ned made sure that Anita would never attack the rest of the crew. He also made sure to ask her that she would protect them. Which, Anita followed Ned without doubts. "One thing is sure," he said."We're going to meet again, I'm going to look for you."

Anita remained silent inside the coffin. "Th…" she said. Ned could hear her voice was clinched. As if there was something inside her that she wanted to let out, but she couldn't. "Anita was really happy. Thank you big brother Ned. Don't worry, Anita will be their sister, and will take good care of them. For you… for you, big brother Ned. I will see you soon."