Tested (The Life of Uktesh Book 1) Read Free

area.  It was an open clearing in the trees that was nearly a perfect circle, where day or night it seemed to have a light of its own. He’d come to this place most of his life to practice, to imagine fighting off hordes of enemies, and to daydream about the day he would finally put his sword on the masters’ table.
    This was also the place where Uktesh practiced his archery, he had long since learned to hide his bow in the hidden roots of one of the trees that created the circle. It was completely dry and even in the rain it never got worse than moist.  Uktesh walked into the circle, removed his shirt, grabbed the sword hilt, set his feet, and in one fluid motion flicked it out of its sheath so that it was pointed at his imaginary enemy. He was proud that it only wavered slightly.  Then slowly he moved through the forms. He stayed in balanced form for a while as he knew that it was the most used form. 
    He thought back on what his instructors had told him, Uktesh of the three forms balanced is the most widely used, and most often used even by those who can use the higher forms.  This is the best form for the four most important elements in sword fighting: block, parry, evade, and strike.  You’ll notice that three of the four are all about protecting yourself.  That’s because we care, much more about you living than killing, that’s why everyone, male or female, is required to learn. 
    You’ve already started to master imperfect form, and have begun to dabble in perfect form.  You should’ve noticed by now that the imperfect form has several flaws. That is because it is for attack only.  Only from imperfect can you move up to attack or defend in the perfect form. In the perfect form you only have one move attack or defend before you must go back to balanced form, or else you’ll hurt yourself.  Perfect form puts so much strain on the body, as does imperfect form, that most people only attack once in imperfect, and then only once in perfect before moving back to balanced. 
    I have heard of masters who can stay in imperfect form, for great periods of time, but no one has ever tried that in perfect form.  I have heard of one man who was able to block and attack in perfect, but then he dislocated both of his arms and was killed before he could retreat and be fixed.  Those who have mastered the perfect form claim that they can feel a fourth form, or not even form, but strike.  A god like strike that is impossible to block.   Uktesh thought about that as he moved from balanced, into imperfect form, he smoothly flowed from one to the other, and then tried a perfect form slice, cut, or block. 
    Each time he could tell that he was close to the correct form of perfect, but slightly off, and after each try he reverted back to balanced so that he would not hurt himself.  He moved faster and faster through the forms, back and forth across the clearing. In his mind he fought and defeated countless enemies, he saved the princess and killed a whole group of Voukidists and their undead minions. 
    In his mind his sword split the Voukidist leaders’ skull in imperfect, he spun through the air, and kicked the body in perfect form, and sent it flying off the tower rooftop.  He panted hard, as he tried to catch his breath, and he realized that the last perfect form kick had been just that!   I did it!  I performed a perfect move without any wobble, without being out of form, and it just flowed from me.  If I can do that tomorrow, I might have a chance through surprise.  
    He put his foot on the grass and felt the muscles of his leg contract, and tighten into a cramp.  He was quick, but ginger as he stretched out his calf and foot until the tightness went away.  He was sorely tempted to see if he could do it again, cramped or not, but instead he remembered the test tomorrow.  He had started to move through the cool down exercises, when he noticed a man with a hard face and dangerous eyes at the