"No! You have to cut it faster Riki!" Rikimaru looked up from his wood splitting to see Trealin carefully inspecting the cut. "You can't just expect your aim will be true." With a resigned sigh Rikimaru picked up another log and set it on the cutting stand. He sized it up for a minute before slicing it clean in too. Trealin frowned. Riki put another log on the stand. Before he could bring down his sword the log was split in front of him. "When I say faster I mean faster! Not all things will let you strike first." Trealin scolded, resheathing his katana, Zenith. Riki placed another log on the stand and quickly swung his large blade in an overhead stroke. It cut both the log and the stand in half, clean down the middle. With a laugh he kicked away the stand and brought out another one. It was the third one he'd broken that day. Before he could get another piece of wood he felt his teachers hand on his shoulder. "Enough of a warm-up. Time for some real action."

A short while later they were both standing in the open field surrounding the town. The sky twinkled with stars that had already appeared on the violet shade of sunset. A breeze picked up, carrying in the calls of the shadow dogs. The powerful creatures had been known to kill the unprepared at night. Unfortunately for them the Samurai and his apprentice were both very prepared. "Master, what's purpose of this. I know you taught me never to kill unless neccesary." Rikimaru asked, pulling his Gi tighter around his body. Trealin slid his sword out of it's sheath and tested it's edge, "The dogs have been coming around here recently. Surely you noticed that the crickets haven't chirped the past few nights." Dogs around the town wouldn't be safe. Rikimaru had his reason to fight. Any child or elder caught by those dogs wouldn't be shown mercy. If they were lucky they would be killed quickly. The baying of the dogs came closer as Riki unsheathed his sword. The clear ring it made caught in the ears of the dogs. They came on like the wind.

The first dog fell to trealin's sword. The thing had been pierced in the heart. A far more merciful death than the dogs would visit upon them. Another dog leaped toward Riki but fell unconscious when the young fighter delivered a mighty punch to it's maw. Three more of the monsters came in to surround the two or them as several others closed in the empty spaces. Riki could hear his rune's pulsating voice. With a resigned sigh he gave in to it's promises of protection.

The dog on the ground regained consciousness just in time to see three of it's comrades sliced open with one powerful swing of Riki's sword. They fell, quite dead, and were replaced by the remaining five members of the pack. Looking to the side he saw the other man standing calmly, watching the fight. The dog lunged for him only to snap at air. A second later the sword severed his neck.

The five dogs spread out around the single powerful fighter and slowly closed into a deadly ring. They came on quickly and fell as he performed a windmill cut. The fight was ended. The sun had set. "A good day today, Riki. Come back tommorrow for another." Trealin called over his shoulder, heading for home. Riki whispered sorrowfully after, "tommorrow..." before going to work. A couple hours later he had finished digging the dogs grave before he walked quietly home.