I couldn’t think of anything but the man. I proceeded to go to taverns and tell tales of this man so that I might learn more. Tired and weary I came to the Shattered Skull in Skara Brae. When I told my tale, a man came and explained that there was only one man that could do that. Jubei, a master of the blade and shadows. I could not get any other information about him. The man departed without saying more than his name. I spent weeks searching for this Jubei. How I found him I do not know. I think rather that he found me.

“Why do you seek me?” he asked as he stepped from behind a tree.

“I wish to learn from you. Your skills are like none I have seen.”

He walked in circles around me, apparently observing me. “Do you think you have what it takes? Do you think you can learn to dance with the sword without that tin can around your body and that flimsy shield, hmmm?” I removed all my armor and threw my shield into the forest.

“Let’s find out.” I said, pulling a long sword out of its sheath. He chuckled as he watched me advance. To this day I am embarrassed on how fast I tasted the earth. After I recovered he told me to follow him, calling me a brave and stupid warrior.

I spent weeks digging and pulling weeds from his garden. Soon I grew angry at the tedious tasks he gave me. The day I was going to question the tasks he told me to run, not walk, but run to town and get some apples. I ran to town and ran back with the apples. Tired and out of breath, I handed them to him. He then proceeded to throw them at me. After catching a few to the head I screamed “Stop this! You have taught me nothing. You have me wandering around like a servant pulling weeds and fetching items. What does this have to do with swords?”

“You are slow and soft. I have you pulling weeds to toughen your soft hands and have you run to build endurance. You cannot even keep an apple from hitting your head. What chances of avoiding an arrow have you, hmmm?” he replied, obviously enjoying my rants. Without saying another word he started throwing more apples at me.

A few weeks passed by and I was soon able to avoid the apples he threw. He showed me how to use the drinks that they made from herbs and taught me basic sword techniques using a light and agile weapon like the katana. I soon lost track of time, so I cannot say how long I was there. But one day he told me that he could teach me no more. There were certain boundaries that he could not cross. I thanked him profoundly even though I was a little upset about not finishing the training. When I started to tell him that I would repay him he stopped me and made me swear that I would never reveal the place where he lived and to never return. There were many that would like to see him dead, and he did not wish to be disturbed. I swore my silence and left.

I still think about Jubei to this day. I do not believe I will ever meet a more deadly opponent. I wish that he would have taught me more, but I do not know much of him or his oaths. Whatever his purpose, he has changed me forever.