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Sana’a had a thought. ‘May I see, perhaps even touch one of them, please?’
Kaniz nodded. ‘I’ll show you mine.’
From the krest of her mohawk, she withdrew a long, transparent feather.
She tossed it into the air, where it surged with lustrous energy.
Before their eyes, it transformed into a sword of shining brilliance with a crystalline structure.
Sana’a’s eyes fell onto a diamond-like core running through the blade’s centre, and the exquisite calligraphy was etched on it. ‘What’s that?’ she asked, pointing.
‘The k’ago,’ Kaniz replied, twisting and turning the glowing weapon in her hands. It’s a signature inscription mark that includes my name, the k?thi I belong to, and the wars I have fought in. It also contains a íkan spell cast imbued with the knowledge of the ages and a protection íkantation.’
‘Impressive,’ Sana’a admitted.
‘It is not enough to cherish the beauty of a koya,’ Kaniz countered. ‘Tis a blade with which one entrusts one’s life. It is drawn to the battlefield, where I must wield it with the intent to kill if necessary. If I fall, so too does my koya. It lives or dies with me. For the real might of it is found in the essence of my íkan and how I manipulate it.’
It struck Sana’a just how much the koya’s features were similar to those of the SHärd blades. Except for the vapour synth abilities, the same idea of kätu, íkantation, and even an inscription remained true.
‘Talk to me about the power you refer to,’ she requested.
Kaniz smiled. ‘Fokkin’ íkan. It’s complex, temperamental, yet so personal.’
‘Give me the scaled-down version,’ Sana’a murmured.
‘It is a semi-sentient element, and we of Katáne believe we have at least three different threads running through us. They replace the concept of good or evil in other cultures. Kemí, meaning ‘breath’, is the vital force that keeps Katánians alive and resides in the heart and lungs. It also refers to the intimate essence shared between lovers that joins them for eternity. Kσχ?ς íkan is our spirit in flight that is fed by the wind and gives us and our koya strength in battle. Kíza is the shadow of our soul that follows us, waiting for our return to Keleda, the spirit world in the sky when we die. It’s said the master witchers and the Kíríga, the Sab?r King and wearer of the hawkstone, can call down on more powerful forms of íkan, but that’s all rumours and whispers. For the hawkstone is lost, and the arokí are just wishful warlocks drunk on power.’
‘Ah,’ Sana’a murmured, perceiving otherwise but keeping silent.
Kaniz led Sana’a to the storage shelf.
The shikari placed the shotel to its mount on the wall and turned to her companion. ‘What’s next?’
The older woman smiled. ‘Eat and sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll face one of our in-training masters so I can assess you.’
Sana’a hesitated. ‘How soon can I get into the arena to prove my mettle?’
Kaniz raised her brow. ‘Like a real bout?’
‘Naam, when do I get rostered in?’
Kaniz gave a slight laugh. ‘Slow your roll, Shotelai. We don’t advise soaring before you can walk. There are rules we follow, starting with an assessment. The way we battle with koya is very different to most. So we also insist on xkénos learning our ways first. That way, you don’t embarrass yourself, just like Kiho mentioned, before the kä’avi, the spectators and the hordes who flock in from far away for these matches.’
Kaniz misread Sana’a’s impatience for unease because she laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll start you off with a small match—just enough to test your skills and tag what you’re capable of. Only then will I make my evaluation.’
Sana’a sighed, giving in to the traditions and rules far beyond her control.
Without another protest, she followed Kaniz out of the room.
They headed towards the mess hall, where the kavaliers were already ploughing through heaped plates of food.
Even when seated with her food, Sana’a’s eyes wandered.
She picked at her plate and focused on how fast she could work through the arena’s circuit.
After a while, she gave up speculating.
She’d know what she was up against when she faced her first training match the following day.
