Fragments of Alchemy: The Code Breaker

Chapter Twenty ~ Aikido ~ Part I

Chadwick noticed that all Miyamoto's Deshi had left their Chimaeras with their waistcoats before sitting on their knees facing Miyamoto. Chadwick quickly took his Spectrum waistcoat off, detached Stella from his wrist, and set her in a large pocket in his waistcoat. Stella didn't like the idea of sitting in a pocket for an entire lesson, but she did as she was told and stayed put.

He went to the back and joined the group on his knees. That's when he spotted Gregory Dods. The wanker was in his Elemental Sparring lesson too. The realisation left him feeling utterly gutted. Chadwick couldn't help but let out a sigh that turned into a groan of disgust. Hopefully he could keep his distance and avoid any run-ins with him.

His godfather came down to his knees in front of the group, facing the wall. He bowed, and so did everyone else, then his godfather faced the group. Chadwick spotted a shrine built into the wall, to which they had all bowed.

'Onegaishimasu,' Miyamoto said, bowing to his Deshi so that his forehead touched the floor. Chadwick's Intuition Amulet translated the Japanese phrase as I pray, but Chadwick knew it meant much more than that.

'Onegaishimasu,' all his Deshi repeated as they bowed. Chadwick mimicked them, but he sat up too quickly. Everyone stayed in their bowed position for much longer than he expected. He hesitated, unsure if he should bow again or not.

'Stand up please,' Miyamoto Sensei said in Japanese, and finally everyone put their heads up and then got to their feet. 'Together let's row to the Heavens with our boat made from Ame no Torifune.' His godfather's words were translated as the Bird Rock Tree of the Heavens.

Chadwick looked around, raising one eyebrow. The Deshi joined their master in a rowing motion with their hands, saying 'Hey, ha,' with each movement back and forth. It was like they were literally rowing an invisible boat. Chadwick put his left foot forward and joined them, feeling rather silly. Eventually they switched to their right foot forward and continued their pretend rowing, while around the room, other sparring groups were practising warrior poses or going through more elaborate warm-up sequences. Chadwick couldn't help but feel like he was wasting time here, pretending to row a boat.

The Deshi joined their master in a new motion. They stood still, clasping their hands together at their sacral chakra. 'Activate your Spiritual Essence,' Miyamoto Sensei said in Japanese, and everyone stood quietly. Some Deshi began moving their arms in a wide circular motion, but most of them stood still. Chadwick activated his Kundalini, getting excited to start.

Miyamoto Sensei began swaying from side to side, making big circles with his joined hands. The Deshi joined in, limbering up, it looked like. Chadwick easily mimicked them as they drew larger and larger circles around their bodies with their hands, until they were bending over all the way to the floor and stretching their hands out as far they could reach in every direction, drawing circles around their whole bodies.

Chadwick started to feel a subtle wave of Energy flowing around everyone in the group. He made sure to keep his Kundalini activated, and then he felt that power inside himself, too. He was literally using his Spiritual Essence to draw Circles around his body with his hands. Intrigued, Chadwick started to draw a Protection Circle in the air around his body, and then he silently chanted the Code Word. He immediately felt the effects. His Kundalini would protect him from an attack now. Though he had no idea how effective the shield would be, without some sort of Component to strengthen it.

They stretched their backs with some forward and backward backbends, hands stretched up above their heads. This move helped Chadwick activate more of his Chakras, starting with his Sacral Chakra and working all the way up to his Throat Chakra.

They continued their warm-up with a series of stretches. Chadwick realised with embarrassment that he was probably not quite flexible enough in his legs for the type of martial art he would be doing. He couldn't help but give up as Miyamoto sat down on the floor and stretched his legs to the left and right in perfect splits, and most of his Deshi did the same; they were all flexible enough. Chadwick shook his head. He needed to go to the khazi anyway, so he silently excused himself from the group.