AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Better.” Li’l Shang nodded. “Much better. We’ve worked on your jumps and your R.O.A.R. moves, but you still aren’t bringing the two together.”
“But I almost beat you!”
“I was just going easy on you. This is going to take a lot more practice on your part. Keep trying to improve your jumps and don’t let the sword be a detriment
to your movement. You’re still too afraid that you are going to poke yourself with that thing. Use the sword as if it were part of your body. Quit holding it at arm’s length. Flex your sword arm when you hit the wall and when you land. And don’t separate your jumps from your attacks. Some of the best fighters will strike with their blade midway through a jump, or just as they hit the ground they’ll roll into a lunge instead of planting their feet.”
Jay tried a few of these moves. R.O.A.R. was definitely a hybrid sport, and it took fencing to a whole new level, but he felt like he knew the basics now. Unfortunately he was still back where he’d started: he needed practice.
“You think I’ll make the team?” asked Jay. He knew he was acting a little optimistic, but he’d come a long way in a short time. How much longer would it take to master R.O.A.R.?
“Sure, if you work hard enough,” said Li’l Shang. “My sister’s pretty good at this stuff too. You should practice with her sometime. She just left for Northern Wei, to help with an issue there, but when she gets back you should ask her.”
“Lonnie?” said Jay. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering who your mom is. She’s on the team?”
But Li’l Shang didn’t have time to answer. The gym doors banged open, and Carlos, Evie, and Mal entered, calling Jay’s name and looking distressed.
“What’s up?” Jay asked, putting down his sword. “You guys look like someone just told you we had to go to back to the Isle of the Lost.”
“We might have to,” said Mal.
Jay raised an eyebrow and wondered what was wrong now.
Now that she had a pirate ship and a pirate crew, Uma was in the market for a new pirate hat. Her old one had gotten way too ratty, and there was a hole on the brim that she’d covered up with duct tape. She needed something that told the world she was large and in charge. She puttered about the bazaar shops down by the central market around the Bargain Castle, looking at fedoras and trilbies, boaters and turbans. She’d brought Gil with her, who was trying on a succession of ridiculous headgear.
“What do you think of this?” asked Gil, donning a black silk top hat. “Or this?” he said, as he switched it for a feathered creation.
She ignored him, and continued to root through the racks. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest idea to let Gil on their crew. He seemed to be about three screws short of a lightbulb, honestly. But then again, he seemed very enthusiastic about doing her bidding, which was never a bad thing.
“Uma! This one, right?” he asked, strutting up in a white ten-gallon cowboy hat.
“No,” she said flatly, trying on a hat of her own and considering her reflection in the shop’s mirror.
“How about this one?” he said, putting on a pointy velvet hat.
“No,” she said again, picking through a deep selection of tricorn pirate hats that would suit any aspiring buccaneer. She tried on a couple, but nothing was quite right.
“I think I’ll go with this one,” said Gil, placing a brown leather hat on his head. “Looks good?”
“Not bad,” she had to admit.
“I’ll take this bunch,” he told the sales clerk, motioning to a big pile by the counter of all the hats he’d tried on. “They’re on sale. You find anything?”
She shook her head. “I’ll meet you on the ship,” she said.
“Yup, see you there.”
Discouraged, Uma left the shop, annoyed that Gil had been able to find something while she was empty-handed.
“What’s wrong, dearie, give us a smile,” barked a goon by the wharf.
“What about I give you a smile,” said Uma, removing her cutlass and placing it just under his chin. He yelped in fear and she kicked him away, growling to herself.
Just as she turned the corner, she spotted the hat she’d been looking for. Crushed brown leather with a metal-studded brim and decorated with seashells. Sassy and stylish. It would look mighty fine with her cutlass and sword. “Yo-ho-ho!” she called. The lass wearing the hat turned.
“What do you want for that hat?” asked Uma.
“This one?” the girl squeaked, pointing to the hat on her head.
