《Star Warrior》 Prologue Brackburg Village, South of Pristine ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where did the ice cream go?¡± the little kid asked with a question mark to his innocent, still effeminate face. As he turned around to see what ended his good dream prematurely, his smile disappeared akin to the speed of sound. There, the notorious Instructor Clave stood, those familiar, bulging arms that were as thick as iron-tree trunks once again about to unleash their fury upon the back of his head. He suppressed the reflex to scream. Today!¡± roared Instructor Clave. Instructor Clave lifted one of his eyebrows. ¡°Was that a¡­ complaint? ¡°Hehe, of course not, Sir Clave!¡± Philip coughed out in the most humble voice he could, afraid to be beaten again for being disrespectful. He glanced at the abandoned mine to his left, where the biggest stone no one wanted to carry was left behind. He forced a smile on his lips. "I merely wanted to thank sir for giving me the best opportunity. Thank you, Sir Clave, for this opportunity, I, Philip, owe you one. Hehe, ¡°I¡¯ll go get that boulder now!¡± Instructor Clave watched the little kid run over to the abandoned mine, trying to load the stone which was double his own weight onto his back. He sighed. Philip had the most potential of this batch of students. If not for his lack of motivation, laziness, perhaps he could become stronger than even those a few years older than him. What a shame, for such potential to be wasted, thought Instructor Clave, while ordering for the Weightlifting phase to being. ¡°Ah shit, I really screwed up. Big time.¡± Philip regretted having been lost in thought as the weightlifting phase began. He would normally pick up a medium sized rock, about his own size, and that would be it. Sure, it would be tough to complete the whole ten minutes of standing still with the rock on his back, but it was doable without too much effort. This time, however, he was the last one to choose a rock, resulting in him having to pick the biggest, heaviest rock that no one was able to carry. The little boy was seven years old this year. Although he was very strong, he wasn¡¯t very big. His muscles were all finely developed compared to his peers and boasted of quality rather than volume. His golden hair was special around the village, a gift from his mother who was a foreigner. On top of his golden hair, there wasn¡¯t much different from the other village kids; brown, innocent eyes, sun-tanned skin and a set of dazzling, white teeth. Well, maybe his facial features were a bit more delicate than others in the village, but that was about it¨C he was just a normal kid besides that. ¡°Five minutes left!¡± Instructor Clave announced after a while. Sweat poured down from all of the students. The most obvious of them all was Philip, whose shirt and pants were drenched. Just after the five-minute mark, he couldn¡¯t handle it any longer. He threw away the stone and collapsed on the ground with heavy breathing, gasping for air. The sky was blue, he noticed, and the clouds were like mirages, fleeting across the sky like waves in the ocean. How beautiful. Minutes passed like this until he heard Instructor Clave''s voice. ¡°Philip.¡± Instructor Clave said angrily. There was a long silence before Instructor Clave spoke again. ¡°Philip, don¡¯t come here anymore. You¡¯re expelled.¡± The little kid sat up in an instant. He looked at Instructor Clave with constricted eyes and then back at the others who were finished with their training and had formed a ring around him and the instructor. ¡°What do you mean, expelled?¡± Philip asked while staring blankly. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you. Just as I said, you aren¡¯t allowed to come here anymore,¡± Instructor Clave sighed and thrust his hand over to Philip¡¯s throat, grabbing the pendant signifying a student of the village¡¯s basic training centre that hung there and ripped it off. ¡°We have no need for people who don¡¯t give their all. You don''t your best, and we don''t need you. Do you understand?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Philip didn¡¯t know how to respond. He glanced at the other kids. They looked at him with faces that told him they agreed with the instructor. Not a single one of them said anything to defend him, not even those whom he regarded as friends, those whom he would stick up for himself. ¡°But I¨C¡± he stammered. ¡°My word is final. Now go away. Fine if you don''t want to practice yourself, but don''t ruin others'' practice. That''s disrespectful. ¡± Instructor Clave said firmly. Hopefully, this would allow Philip to understand his faults and even overcome them if he so wishes. ¡°If your mother demands an explanation, tell her to come see me.¡± Philip kept looking at others blankly. After a couple of seconds, rage began to churn from within him. He couldn''t help but lash out as he ran away. ¡°Fine! Screw all of you. I don¡¯t need your training, old man!¡± He was very upset that he had been expelled from Instructor Clave¡¯s training. Right now, he hated that old geezer the most in the entire world. Like what was his problem, doing this to Philip when he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong; just because he couldn¡¯t carry that super large rock! Others always failed with that rock, yet he was the only one to get expelled because of it! How incredibly unfair! ¡°Mother, I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Hey, honey, how was training?¡± The question that flowed into Philip¡¯s ears while removing his sandals made his mood even worse. How his mother, Sarah, would react once he told her was something he didn¡¯t want to even think about. Nevertheless, he knew that she would find out either way, so it was no use to try and hide it. ¡°I was expelled.¡± ¡°Why? What happened?¡± she asked, untied the apron and put it to rest on the table. Philip explained to his mother what happened during training. His mother¡¯s expression gradually changed during the conversation. ¡°You know, your father would be very unhappy with you now if he was here.¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡± Philip asked, flustered. ¡°It¡¯s not as if others can lift that stone.¡± ¡°But you are notlikeothers!¡± she replied. ¡°You are the only son of the village¡¯s blacksmith! And you¡¯re my son too. You can do much more than you think, you just need to try more!¡± ¡°He isn''t the blacksmith anymore! He isdead!¡± Philip shouted. First Instructor Clave and now his mother. ¡°And I try the best I can! Why do you care about what I do all the time? Everyone cares about what I do and It¡¯s getting really annoying! Argh, why can¡¯t you just all leave me alone for once!¡± He turned around and ran out from the house. Theytook her!¡± Chapter 01 ¡°Uncle Barney! What do you mean they took her?¡± Philip frowned and got up from the stone on which he sat to receive the incoming Barney. Barney Button, as his name was, was a kind man who lived next door to Philip and his mother, often regarded as timid and afraid of danger. Nonetheless, he was very respected in the village both as a farmer and as a friend. He always held his promises and raised his two daughters the best he could even if his wife had died shortly after their birth. In one sense, he was similar to Philip''s mother whose husband had died, raising his children alone just like Sarah. ¡°I¨C¡± stuttered Barney. ¡°Hey, what do you mean they took her! Answer me, Uncle Barney! What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°Some men came to the village... a-and they began to cause a ruckus. Old Joey and his wife Aunt Clara tried to approach, telling them to calm down¡­ but they were killed! The men killed Old Joey and Aunt Clara! They saw your mother told her that if she didn¡¯t come with them¡­ they would slaughter the whole village!¡± Barney explained, his whole body shaking. ¡°We tried everything we could, even Sir Clave was fatally wounded¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Philip! They took your mother and I couldn¡¯t do a thing¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Philip felt his head going blank. He shot away from under the peach tree and sprinted as fast as he could toward the village, leaving Barney there alone. ¡°Wait!¡± shouted Barney as he got himself under control. But it was already too late. The little boy was long gone. Once Philip got to the village, he understood how bad the situation was. Old Joey, a white-haired old man who usually never harmed a fly, lay unmoving on the ground. And Aunt Clara lay just beside him, likewise unmoving. Under both of their bodies, blood had congealed and formed a puddle. ¡°Philip!¡± ¡°Sir Clave!¡± Philip found Instructor Clave lying on the ground, his head in the lap of Miss Brant, a large flesh wound evident on his torso. His face was pale and those blue eyes had clearly dimmed from their usual lustre. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s my mother? Did something happen to her?!¡± ¡°She¡­¡± Instructor Clave choked, spewing up a mouthful of blood. Miss Brant wiped the man¡¯s lips with a handkerchief, removing the blood that came out. She quickly said. ¡°Don¡¯t talk, Sir Clave! Your injuries are too heavy!¡± ¡°No, I must!¡± Instructor Clave said firmly and tried to get up from the ground. ¡°Then let me help you.¡± the woman said, understanding how firm the middle-aged man was in his decision. She supported him so that he could get up off the ground and limp toward Philip. ¡°Sir Clave! Please tell me what happened!¡± Philip shouted and then looked around to see if he could find any traces of his mother. He was getting really worried now as Old Joey and Aunt Clara were killed and Sir Clave had been wounded to such a degree he could barely stand up. Most villagers tended to the wounded but had looked up when they heard his voice. Their eyes were moist and they looked at him with pity. Philip glanced at the wounded. The majority only had small flesh wounds and were being taken care of with bandages, so except for Instructor Clave, no one else needed any serious treatment.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. The houses close to the centre of the village were badly damaged. Two or three had caught fire and the flames were being extinguished by those who didn¡¯t tend to the wounded. ¡°They were star practitioners!¡± Instructor Clave said feebly, in a lot of pain. Perhaps he had been severely wounded internally, and those wounds weren?t easily recuperated from. ¡°We couldn¡¯t do anything to stop them from destroying everything. And then they saw your mother, wanting her to come with them. At first, she refused to go and even threatened to take her own life. However, they told her they would slaughter everyone in the village if she didn¡¯t come along, and only then did she surrender.¡± ¡°Where did they go!¡± Philip asked. ¡°I need to save her!¡± ¡°No!.¡± The village chief said from afar as he heard what Philip said. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous! Not even Sir Clave could hold a candle against them, much less you!¡± ¡°But she¡¯s my mother!¡± the little boy insisted. ¡°She¡¯s the only one I have!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kid.¡± the elderly man sighed and put his hands on Philip''s shoulders. ¡°We can¡¯t do anything to save her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Philip screamed and got away from the village chief. ¡°You¡¯re just a bunch of cowards! I¡¯ll go save her myself!¡± The village chief and the other villagers didn¡¯t get angry because of what the little boy said. They were just sad, saddened by the course of events and the tragic fate of the son and mother duo who now had been torn apart. Philip ran toward the entrance of the village but was quickly detained by the male villagers. He shouted madly. ¡°Let me go! I need to save mother!¡± The village elder walked over to Philip and sat down in front of him, cross-legged, his cane on the ground beside him. The old man¡¯s face was filled with wrinkles, and scars from his youth that had yet to fade. As he looked at the boy who had just lost his mother, his old heart bleed.¡°I¡¯m sorry, kid, this old man couldn¡¯t do anything. No one of us could. Old Joey, Aunt Clara, my two dearest friends, died just like that. And your mother, taken away¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Tears began to fall from the old man¡¯s cheek. ¡°I had one job. To protect the village. And I failed.¡± ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Philip whispered, his heart in misery, his anger slowly turning into sorrow. ¡°Please forgive this old thing.¡± The village elder said while crying, his head hitting the ground. ¡°Chief¡­¡± the male villagers exclaimed one after one as they saw their chief hit his head into the ground so blood started to flow. The sound of his head pounding the ground made their hearts tremble from pain. They could not even comprehend how the chief must be feeling now. It¡¯s not your fault, I¡­¡± Philip said quietly. Tears also started to emerge from his blue eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± The chief struggled to get up from the ground with his aged body. As the villagers saw him get up, they also noticed the patch of blood on his trousers. All this time, in order for others to be treated first, he had walked around with such an injury. ¡°Kid, I will not lie to you,¡± he said. ¡°You will most likely not see your mother again.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± the little boy closed his eyes as he heard the village chief. He cried hard now, wept like never before. The last thing he had done to her was to fight, to ask her not to bother with what he does and did anymore. All emotions flowed out like magma erupting from a volcano. ¡°Chief, what are you saying!?¡± one of the male villagers shouted. It was the village¡¯s academic tutor, Daniel, who reacted. ¡°He¡¯s clearly not in th¨C¡± The village chief put up his hand to signal for him to be quiet. He turned to Philip again. ¡°However, there is a small chance.¡± Philip gradually stopped crying. He stared at the village chief intensely and used his hands to remove the tears. ¡°Please tell me, ¡° he said. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°If you can gain recognition from the stars, becoming a warrior who draws strength from the eternal watchers above,¡± the elderly man said in a creaky voice. ¡°then II will allow you to leave the village and search for your mother. Star practitioners aren¡¯t common, so if you succeed in becoming one, you should be able to find some clues as you travel around the world. What do you say?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Philip said, determination becoming apparent in his eyes. ¡°I will do it! If I can gain recognition, I can find my mother... of courseI will do it! Of course!¡± ¡°Then, are you willing to train harder than anyone hasever trained before?¡± Instructor Clave added from his seated position. ¡°Are you willing to forgo youth and focus all of your being toward this goal? Without hesitation, Philip answered. ¡°I will do anything it takes to save her. So yes.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Instructor Clave nodded. ¡°Then what you shall do is to train more than you¡¯ve ever thought was possible. Your day will start with training and end with training. Now I ask you one more time. Will you do all that it takes for a mere slim chance of gaining recognition, even though you never in your whole life succeed? ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Philip declared. Chapter 02 Brackburg Village, South of Pristine The damage caused by the rampaging star warriors was gradually recovered with the help of all the villagers working together. Three new houses were built and a funeral was held for the two people who died, Old Joey and Aunt Clara. Their respective grandchildren were there, holding a speech before the village chief let the most knowledgeable person in the village, Tutor Daniel, say a few words as help for the two departing souls on their travel to the next life after death. Philip was taken in by Barney and his daughters who were a few years older than him and very enthusiastic to have a little brother to tease and pamper. Three days after he had moved into their house, leaving his old home vacant¨C three days after the terrible incident which would forever be remembered as a day of sorrow in the heart of all the villagers¨C Instructor Clave once knocked on the door to Philips new home, telling him that the training will start the next day, and that he should be prepared for not being able to move afterward each day. The fourth day after the incident, Philip woke up from the sound of chattering birds outside his window. The sunlight shone through the window and caressed his face. He heard a knock on the door. ¡°Breakfast is ready,¡± said Barney from behind the door, a bit hesitantly. ¡°Come as you like.¡± Philip showed a slight smile, still tainted by sorrow. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± Barney¡¯s and his daughters¡¯ house wasn¡¯t that much different from his. Other than having another entrance which faced a field where vegetables and different type of grains grew, it was quite the same, though for a bit livelier. The table in the living room was lined with three bowls of white rice. It was a tradition in the village to eat white rice seven days straight every morning as atribute to death, both to ward off death from further taking life, but also to honour those who had passed on. ¡°As expected, you came down before them, ¡± said Barney with a laugh from the kitchen as Philip descended the creaky stairs. The man didn¡¯t seem to be a day over thirty in Philip¡¯s eyes, dressed in plain clothes, wearing an amiable expression. ¡°What do you mean, Uncle Barney?¡± returned Philip. "Well, my two daughters don¡¯t have a reputation of being quick during mornings. So I guessed you would be faster. Hehe, you know how girls are in this age, puberty and all. I¡¯d be damned if they got up before the sun even one time before they turn adults!¡± said Barney, flinging what he was making in the frying pan up in the air and letting it rotate once before catching it perfectly with the same pan. He then put down the frying pan over the fire, in the metal frame, and grabbed a bucket of water, putting out the fire. ¡°Would you mind go wake them up?¡± Barney asked ¡°I¡¯ve got to put these pancakes on plates and then go check the fields. I estimate it¡¯s farming day any day now¡± ¡°Sure, Uncle barney.¡± said Philip and slid away up the stairs. As Philip moved in, the two sisters had been forced to adapt from two rooms to one, and, knowing his circumstances, they didn¡¯t complain. ¡°Elder Sisters, ¡± called the little boy once outside the two sisters¡¯ room, lightly knocking on the door. ¡°Barney wants me to relay that breakfast is ready.¡± Barney¡¯s daughters were older than him by five years, twin sisters of twelve winters, and had forced him to call them Elder sisters instead of Laura and Mary. They said it was only proper for a little boy like him to refer to them as elder sisters and, at the same time, for them to call him for little brother. There was no answer. He tried again, this time a bit louder. ¡°Elder sisters, breakfast is ready!¡± Once again, only silence responded to Philip¡¯s voice. He sighed, took a deep breath and opened the door, entering the room by stepping over the door end. His two elder sisters were both sleeping in their beds. Although they were twins, they were quite different. Laura was more aggressive and impatient while Mary was more calm and cautious. Laura lay in her bed, the pillow between her long legs, her long, brown hair spread across the white sheet like autumn leaves. Mary, on the other hand, slept peacefully on her back with the blanket covering her body. Also, her hair was not as messy. Philip hesitated for a moment before raising his voice. ¡°Elder Sisters?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Mary woke up first, spotted Philip and, with a smile, said. ¡°Ah, little brother, good morning. Laura woke thereafter. She slowly opened her eyes, and without noticing philip, she pressed her legs harder against the pillow and turned over to the other side, revealing her butt and panties. ¡°Elder Sister Laura? Are you also awake?¡± ¡°Uhhh,¡± Laura groaned, or moaned¨Cit was hard to tell the difference¨C and stretched her legs and arms all over the bed, flipping over again, to the side facing philip. Her gaze immediately landed on Philip who stood there with his big, innocent blue eyes, staring at her. She blinked, clearly not completely able to comprehend what was happening. ¡°Elder sister Laura, are you alright?¡± The twelve-year-old girl blinked again. She looked down at her legs, her face turning pink. Taking a deep breath, she tried to contain her embarrassment by telling herself that Philip was only a little kid and that this didn¡¯t count as another man you without clothes on. She removed the pillow from her legs and hid under the blanket. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go down, Little brother,¡± she said, her voice muffled from being under the blanket. ¡°We¡¯ll come in a moment, we just need to get some clothes on. ¡°Uh, okay,¡± Philip thought she acted a bit strange for hiding under the blanket. Only kids did that. But then again, he just rolled his shoulders and headed down to the breakfast table. The sisters came down ten minutes later, fully dressed and all. Why it took so long for them to take their clothes on was a mystery to the little boy, but his thoughts were quickly cast aside once he started devouring the food in rapid speed¨C the white rice, and then the pancake. ¡°You must eat a lot today, little brother,¡± Mary said to Philip, elegantly eating the white rice with her spoon. ¡°The more you eat, the more energy you have for training! Come here, I¡¯ll give you my pancake. Oh, sister, you really need your whole pancake? It¡¯s a big day for little brother.¡± ¡°Humpf!¡± Laura turned her head the opposite direction, ignoring her sister. ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t need more,¡± said Philip, ¡°Your pancake is more than enough, thanks.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s no biggie. Just want my little brother to do his best today!¡± After eating, Philip went down to the training field. The training for the other village kids wouldn¡¯t start until noon, and so the whole field was empty. He saw Instructor Clave and walked over. ¡°Good morning, Sir Clave¡± ¡°Indeed, a good morning it is!¡± Instructor Clave said amiably with a smile, furrowing his beard. ¡°Clear weather, no signs of rain, no clouds to block the sun. A good day for some sweat to be running!" ¡°So, have you truly made up your mind?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Training, of course,¡± said Instructor Clave. ¡°It¡¯s is no joke, you know. The training I¡¯ll have you do won¡¯t allow your breakfast to stay very long, let alone allow you to stand properly after. I might even have to carry you home myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jest around with me, Sir Clave,¡± returned the little boy quickly. ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Instructor Clave laughed. ¡°So what do you say, shall we start?¡± Philip nodded. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s start with the basics. Do you know what a star warrior is?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Of course you don¡¯t. I¡¯ve explained it countless of times yet I guess it just went right through you every single one of those times, ¡± said Instructor Clave, feeling this would be a headache. ¡°Listen carefully. A star warrior is a title for everyone who receives the recognition of the stars. It is said that every star warrior is guided by one star each. In ancient texts, these stars have been called companions, brother¡¯s in arms, and even guardians.¡± ¡°So a star can speak?¡± asked Philip. ¡°That¡¯s beyond my comprehension,¡± said Instructor Clave. ¡°I heard it from Tutor Daniel once, when he was drunk and spilt out his musings like candy. I gotta say, though, that man¡¯s a mystery. He knows a lot more than everyone thinks. Anyway, back to the subject.¡± He cleared his throat. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard from the village chief, there are two paths to becoming recognised by a star. One, to be born with it innately, and two, to make one of them recognise you by your own strength. And clearly, the first option isn¡¯t possible for you." ¡°How do I do make them recognise me?¡± ¡°Well, first answer this,¡± said Instructor Clave, ¡°why do you think people call them, the eternal watchers? ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. Maybe since they are in the sky and look down at us from above?¡± ¡°Great line of thought,¡± Instructor Clave chuckled, ¡°but there¡¯s a bit more to it than that.¡± ¡°The stars are what you can call our parents,¡± he said. ¡°Since mankind¡¯s birth, we¡¯ve always been guided by them. Just like they illuminate the darkest night, they also illuminate out hearts¨C telling us what¡¯s right and wrong, helping when we need help. The ancients thought otherwise but were blinded by their arrogance. As they began to fight with themselves, it turned out that the stars condemned them for their actions, and restrained their powers.¡± ¡°So, If you want to gain recognition,¡± instructor Clave said finally. ¡°You must train your body so that it can contain the power of the stars, and then meditate, connect with the starry sea above, hope for a star to recognise your potential and worth.¡± ¡°I understand...¡± said Philip. ¡°...I think.¡± ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s not a problem.¡± Instructor Clave told Philip. ¡°The first part is easy to understand, so let¡¯s leave the difficult to understand part to later when you are older. I mean, even the stupidest person in the world can do weight training, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.¡± "No, I don''t think so either." Instructor Clave laughed. "Good. Shall we get started then?" Chapter 03 ¡°Is this the best you can do?¡± Instructor Clave said and showed a devilish smile. ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be able to save your mother after all. Ahh, how disappointing, I got all worked up for nothing.¡± Philip gritted his teeth and picked up the rock again. ¡°Again.¡± ¡°Another failure?¡± the middle-aged man taunted the little boy. ¡°Fine, fine, ten minutes. Once you make it past ten minutes, we¡¯ll go to the next stage. If you can, that is. But considering your progress these past days, I¡¯d say it''s close to impossible. And that¡¯s me being nice.¡± Ignoring instructor Clave¡¯s taunting, the little boy once again entered the horse riding stance, a stance where one¡¯s legs are firmly planted in the ground, one¡¯s back is straight, and one¡¯s torso pokes outward. It enhances overall endurance, balance and leg strength. A large boulder, the exact same boulder that had Philip expelled before, was placed on top of Philip''s back. His arms were held out and allowed him to keep his balance. If he were to move even slightly, he would drop the boulder. ¡°Seven minutes.¡± stated instructor Clave. ¡°Better than before. But not enough. Again.¡± The training continued for the whole day with an exception of a ten minutes break each hour. It was so physically taxing for the little boy so that his vision blackened a few times. Once noon, the other kids came. They threw him a glance, but after hearing the story, they paid him no need anymore. He trained by himself, all alone, in the corner, no one to talk to¨C though that didn¡¯t matter to him. He had a goal, a goal he would sacrifice his youth for, so it was not very annoying for him to have no one except his instructor to talk to. Maybe it was even better that they didn¡¯t speak to him. He could then full heartedly focus on training. ¡°Thank you for today, Sir Clave,¡± said Philip. ¡°I promise I will succeed tomorrow.¡± ¡°The path of a warrior is a long one. A mile is walked by taking one step at the time. Set up a goal each day. A realistic one. ¡° said Instructor Clave. ¡°Also, empty promises means nothing. You¡¯d do best to remember that in the future!¡± Instructor Clave was right when he said Philip wouldn¡¯t be able to stand on his own legs. The middle-aged man had to literally carry the little boy all the way home. As Philip lay down in his bed after coming home and eaten dinner, it didn¡¯t take long for him to doze off¨C or to be more exact, it happened instantly, like an explosion¨C Bam! Asleep! The fifth day was the same as the fourth. Philip didn¡¯t break through the seven minute¡¯s threshold but still improved his time by a couple of seconds. He had felt several malicious gazes during the training and understood it must be the other kids. ¡°It¡¯s the sixth day tomorrow. The third day of my training.¡± Philip said to himself while lying in bed. Thrusting a fist up in the air, tightening it, he swore an oath. ¡°Since Sir Clave told me to set up a goal, I will¨C I, Philip, shall do my best to improve my time every day, and it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s one or five seconds or even ten seconds, as long as I see an improvement I will never see the training as useless!¡± Several days passed by in a flash, and the little boy had already been training for thirteen days, the thirteenth day being the day he finally broke through to the eight-minute threshold. ¡°Eight minutes and three seconds.¡± said instructor Clave. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°And yet,¡± said Philip, ¡°it¡¯s not enough by far.¡± ¡°I certainly can¡¯t refute that, get past ten minutes and you¡¯ll have something to boast about.¡± Instructor Clave said and looked up to the sky, revealing a self-pitied smile. ¡°And this is merely the beginning. You''ll need a lot more before they¡¯ll recognise you, I for one know that.¡± "I¡¯m ready to do anything it takes, Sir Clave,¡± said the little boy. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I know, kid. But sometimes,¡± said Instructor Clave ¡°things aren''t as easy as we make them out to be. Either you have something or you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Now be on your way. As annoying as I find carrying you home every day, you should be able to manage yourself for tonight. ¡°Yes, Sir Clave. Goodnight.¡± The evening was very breezy, and slightly cold, to say the least. Pulling together his training garment was the only thing the little boy could to do as he walked home. Summer was slowly changing over to autumn, and trees had begun to transform into paintings of orange gold. As he walked in the darkness towards the house, he began hearing footsteps from around him. This was because of the crunching leaves, breaking apart as the soles of shoes pressed down on the hard soil. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± shouted Philip. ¡°Reveal yourself.¡± ¡°Sure thing,¡± said a voice. The little boy felt something hard hit the back of his head. He fell down to the ground, his vision becoming blurry. He could feel fists rain over him, punching the air out of his lungs. It should hurt but it didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t feel a thing, yet heard bones break ¨C probably because of the hit to the back of his head. A faint metallic taste grew stronger in his mouth as the punches became even harder. He coughed, spat out a load of blood, his still mind spinning. ¡°That¡¯s enough, guys,¡± said same voice. ¡°He should''ve learned his lesson by now. Let¡¯s go.¡± The footsteps disappeared just as fast as they appeared, signalling their retreat with quick crunches. Philip groaned and rolled onto his back. There was a splitting pain in his chest and his left arm. Feeling wobbly, the little boy took a last look into the night sky, then fell unconscious. "Sir Clave, he finally woke up." a woman''s voice said. "Hey, Philip, how do you feel? Philip woke up in a bed, the first thing he heard was a voice and then rapid footsteps. Miss Brent, who had chosen to volunteer at the hospital and tend tothe wounded, sat on a chair not too far away. Everyone knew how she had a thing for Instructor Clave, and since he was here the first two days after the incident, she very much stayed by his side the whole time, much to Instructor Clave''s dismay as his wish was to just get it over with and go home. "Kid!" said Instructor clave when entered the room and saw the little boy. "Sir Clave," Philip replied feebly. He was still feeling quite wobbly. "Who did this to you?" asked the middle-aged man, anger filling his eyes. "I- I can''t remember, it''s..." Philip trailed off. "... it''s all foggy in my mind, sir Clave." "Try more," said Instructor Clave. "We need to find who did this. Maybe it''ll happen to someone else." The little boy tried as hard as he could to remember. He contemplated in silence while lying in the bed. Suddenly, a wrinkle appeared on his forehead. "Did you remember anything?" Philip wrinkled his forehead even more. "I remember footsteps. Many of them," said the little boy slowly. "I could hear them from all direction, snapping leaves on the ground. Oh and I heard breaths¨C huffing and puffing. Or I didn''t, I''m not sure. It''s all foggy and hard to see. "Don''t give it any thought, let Uncle Clave fix this for you," said Instructor Clave and ruffled Philip''s hair. "Get better quickly so we can get back to training. You have yet to last ten minutes. "Yes, Sir Clave. I will heal as fast as I can." instructor Clave laughed. "Don''t rush. Now as you can''t do anything physical for a couple of weeks, why not get a bit familiar with meditation? "Meditation?" "There are two steps to becoming a star warrior without an innate connection, " explained Instructor Clave. "As I told you before, the first one is to reforge the boy, making it able to bear the powers of a star. The second one, as I also told you, is to meditate, merge oneself with the starry sky above, become unfettered from all thoughts." "Get into a cross-legged position like this," he showed. "Put your dominant hand on your lap and then your other hand on top of it. Breathe only through your nose, deep and calmly. The first step is to get rid of your thoughts." "How do I not think?" asked the little boy, perplexed. "That''s for yourself to figure out. " said instructor Clave. "anyway, it''s soon noon, I need to go." He leftthrough the door along with Miss Brent who followed him on his heels. Chapter 04 ¡°Let¡¯s see, after sitting cross-legged, I should...¡± muttered Philip. ¡° ...put my dominant hand in my lap and my left hand... wait, should the dominant hand be under my belly or a bit away from it?¡± The little boy sat on his bed at home, for the first time trying to meditate. He was very eager to get into action, almost jumping like a spring if not for having been told to take it easy. After all, sitting still for as long as he did, anyone would feel impatient. And, coincidently, one of the things Philip truly excelled in is impatience. ¡°Haste makes waste.¡± He remembered his mother¡¯s words and calmed down. ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s well. I hope she¡¯s not hurt¡­¡± ¡°But no matter what, she wouldn¡¯t want me to sit here and worry. She¡¯d want me to live my life and fulfil my own happiness. Good thing my happiness is her well-being!¡± Feeling inclined to start the meditation, Philip decided to place his dominant hand on his lap, and not below his tummy. He put his left hand above his right. His left arm was broken and so he moved it very carefully. Miss Brent had wrapped his arm with a white bandage, very tightly to his annoyance. The bandage limited his movements but made it possible for him to move it more easily, which was a blessing in itself. He closed his eyes and mouth, breathing only through his nose. ¡°How do I not think... is that even possible? As he sat in silence, the little boy drifted into deep thinking. He thought about his mother, he thought about Barney, and his two elder sisters, he thought about Instructor Clave. After a while, he suddenly remembered that he wasn''t supposed to think. "Aaaa, dammit! This is soo hard!" Philip flung his eyes open and rolled around in the bed to satisfy his irritation. He had unknowingly begun thinking about various things and didn''t discover it until it was too late. "Ok! One more time!" said Philip and tried again. It was better this time. But he noticed that trying not to think just made him think even more. However, if he didn''t try to think, how would he make himself not think? Standing in front of a dilemma he was unable to solve, the little boy decided to go ask his two sisters. Maybe they had a solution. "So what you''re saying is that you shouldn''t think, but at the same time that you will think unless you think about trying not to think? And if you think about trying not to think, you are thinking, which you shouldn''t." Mary said with a smile. "Mmm," admitted Philip. Two two sisters looked at each other and broke out in laughter. "Little brother, you really are something else, aren''t you!" said Laura, "It''s the first time I''ve heard someone have this kind of problem! I''m so going to tell this in school! I''ll bet it will give everyone a big laugh!" "Don''t be mean to our little brother, sister," Mary shot a glance at Laura. "come up with a way to help him instead." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Why?" returned Laura. "It''s obvious isn''t it¨C the answer? Little brother, you¡¯ll allow me to tell this for my friends at school if I give you the answer, right? Philip didn''t think long before shining up in a smile. "Sure!" "Then listen carefully now because I''ll only say this once," said Laura. "The answer is.." "... to not try anything at all!" "What do you mean not try anything at all? I don''t want to offend you elder sister Laura but that sounds like a big lie when it comes out of your mouth," said the boy in return. "You little rascal! You really think that elder sister would lie straight up in your face?! Look, I''ll swear on everything that is divine, " she said and puffed out her chest. "that I didn''t lie, or I shall be struck by lighting a thousand times in a row!" "That''s you being unfair, elder sister!" Philip said and began to pout. "Now I don¡¯t dare to test if you are right or wrong because you might be hit by lightning!" Laura looked at Philip with large eyes. A smile grew wider and wider across her face. She had been a bit hesitant to her father taking in the boy at first, but now she discovered herself to really have begun liking this seven-year-old boy who seemed as earnest and hardworking as no one before! And he was quite cute too, she had to admit. ¡°And since when were you allowed to worry about your older sister?¡± said Laura and used her thumb to load up her index finger and lightly hit Philip¡¯s forehead. ¡°Just trust me, okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± said Philip. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my room and try again then. Thanks!¡± As the little boy left the two sisters'' room, Mary turned to Laura. "Hey, sis, how did you know that not thinking was the correct answer?" Laura laughed cutely and stuck out her tongue. "I didn''t, but that little kid always thinks too much. So I thought making him think less might do the trick." ¡°Shouldn¡¯t suppress my thoughts then. And according to Elder sister Mary,¡± said Philip. ¡°my meditation will work as long as I don''t try anything at all ¨C I wonder how they know this. They wouldn¡¯t know how to meditate themselves, would they?" He took a large, deep breath. He was ready. "Focus," said the boy, "is the key." Once again diving into a state where he sat still and allowed everything to wander freely, the little boy had unknowingly entered meditation. It was a peaceful state of mind. As one meditated, one wouldn''t be fettered by what happened around oneself, and time, well, time was something one often forgot while meditating, often to a degree where thirty minutes would feel like ten, and in extreme cases when a day could feel like an hour. As he sat in meditation, everything around him was quiet. It was as if his mind was an undisturbed lake''s surface ¨C like a mirror, displaying how calm he was. After quite an amount of time, a ripple appeared on the surface of the lake, causing yet more ripples to spread out from the first one, covering the entire surface of the water. "That¨C how long was that?" Philip was roused awake from the meditative state of mind. "And I was wrong earlier ¨C about the key," said the little boy, "It''s all about awareness. If I want to reach perfect meditation, I need to go through various stages of awareness and ultimately become one with a state where I have no awareness at all!" "But this state of mind¨C can it really attract a star''s attention? If I don''t have any awareness, how can I sense what''s going on around me¨C how can I sense the stars above? Philip sat in deep thought for a while. He looked out the window, noticing how Night had approached and daylight was lone gone. For how long had he been meditating? "There''s only one way to try if it works or not," said the boy. "I need to go out and test it!" Chapter 05 The night was entrancing. There was not a cloud in sight, and so the bright stars were fully displayed for Philip, their lustre shadowed in a beautiful blue and white. It was a first for him to be so totally dumbfounded as he was today. People had told him, the sky at night is the most beautiful painting in the world, and the little boy had at that time scoffed in laughter. But now, as this sight was placed in front of him, he admitted how wrong he had been and what he had missed out on. The emotions the starry sky awoke in him, indescribable. Even he, a mere kid, was reminded of nature''s innocent beauty and overwhelming visage. "I feel that," thought Philip. "that something has changed in me. I feel... free." The little boy smiled sweetly and found a good spot at the training field just outside the village. No one would disturb him here, if they even were awake, that is ¨C which was something he very much doubted. "This state of mind might be the best one for meditation. I should take good use of it or I''ll probably regret it later." He crossed his legs and positioned himself. The air was cool to the touch, and the breezes were slow, sweeping past him like fleeting clouds. Clad in a t-shirt during almost autumn was not often the best idea. But as strange as it was, the temperature did not affect him at all. A strange phenomenon, perhaps foreboding if one were to dwell deeper, but as of now, nothing like that went through the little boy''s mind. He looked up at the starry sky, then corrected the position of his head, and straightened his back, lay his hands in his lap, before falling into deep meditation. The silent lake with the undisturbed surface appeared once again in his mind. After a while, a drop of luminous water fell from above, hitting the surface with a soft ripple, yet unrippled itself and disappeared before spreading any further ripples. His gaze followed the trajectory of the fallen water drop. The starry sky over him was just like the starry sky he saw previously today, just as beautiful, just as blue and white. A deep-blue light blinked in the corner of the sky, pulsating with an even tempo. Philip was drawn to it. The blinking was calling for him. He knew it and couldn''t resist. His inner eye left the shore of the lake, surging upward, toward the starry sky and the blinking blue that called for him to come. The blinking blue became bigger. From the size of a grain to the size of a fist to the size of a mountain. Ocean blue enveloped him. He felt at bliss, totally at bliss. It was at this time, as everything about him was at its purest, that a voice; a soothing one, like the cord of a violin, like the most gentle flute''s tune, like the voice of his mother, spoke. "Are you alright, little friend?" said the voice. "I feel, familiar with you. Have you been here before¨C no, you haven''t... but then why else can I sense in you, divinity? You pique me! Such weak flame and yet, strong will. Tell me, what is the purpose of your coming, the arrival of a divinity''s descent¨C why, little friend, are you here?" "I-I don''t know, I¨C" said Philip, unable to understand what was happening. "I shall ask again. Why have you entered the sea of stars?" "I seek for a way to save my mother who was abducted," he said. "Are you a star? "I am," said the voice. "Then can you help me?" "That depends," the star said. "are you the one I have waited for?" The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. "I don''t know," said Philip. "what will you do if I am?" "Give you power." "Then I am." "I see." said the star. "See what?" "through you, Philip. Nothing is hidden from us, not even the thoughts and secrets of a divinity''s descent." said the star. "and can see only good in you. A seldom seen sight. I now understand why I have yet to bond, the one I waited for never came ¨C until today. " "What do you mean?" asked Philip. "You will understand when the time is ripe, little friend." said the star. "Now I must kindly ask you to leave, for else you will not be able to get back in one piece.¡± ¡°I shall await your return.¡± was the last Philip heard before he was ejected from meditation, blood spurting from his mouth. His face was pale and his mind very, very heavy as he sat in the quiet training field where only his ragged breath was heard. ¡°Was that really¡­¡± began Philip. ¡°...a star?¡± ¡°Shit, I need to get back to bed. It¡¯s already past midnight.¡± The day after his encounter with the mysterious star in his meditation, Philip was very tired, so much that he was unable to do anything productive for the whole day. Barney was quite concerned, and so were the twins, but he just told them that he had gotten a fever and that was that, they didn¡¯t probe further¨C maybe they thought he had girl problems, who know. Three weeks passed until Philip felt good again. Good was, however, an overstatement¨C his condition was still not perfectly fine. He had mild headaches now and then, a significant increase in numbers since before, and also suffered from slight memory loss. But with drawbacks comes benefits. That night when he was attacked by several people ¨C when he hadn¡¯t remembered anything except the footsteps ¨C was starting to come back. And of what came back, he could see Jonathan¡¯s face, one of the older guys in the training group, standing beside the others in the dark night, muttering the orders of when to attack and when to withdraw. "Good morning, Sir Clave," "Morning, kid. It''sbeen a long time since we last met," said Instructor Clave. "How are you feeling?" "I''m very well thank you!" said Philip. "My rib is almost healed, said Miss brent, and my arm is on its way. How about you, Sir Clave?" "Let''s just say I''ve been better," sighed Instructor Clave. "By the way, I thought I should tell you that we have yet to find any clues to who attacked you that night. No one in the village saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. It''s quite upsetting." "I know one of the people who did it," said Philip, a bit out of the blue. "Yeah, and I also kn¨C you do!?" "Yes, but I would like tho deal with it myself," said Philip. "If you deal with it, Sir Clave, it will probably happen again, and I don''t want that. My mother always told me men should sort out their own problems, and so it''s only proper for me to take care of it myself." Instructor Clave pulled his beard and looked at Philip with a thoughtful gaze. "He''s growing up faster than I expected," thought the middle-aged man. "It might not be impossible for him to become a star warrior, he has all necessary qualities." "Fine," said Instructor Clave. "I will allow you to sort out your own mess. But if you are wounded to such a sorry state again, you must promise me that you will tell me everything you know about the incidents. Do we have a deal?" "Yes, Sir Clave!" said Philip and smiled. "I''ll go home now. Oh, one last thing. As I was meditating a few days ago, my head got all heavy and I felt feeble even the day after¨C might you know why?" "It seems you overworked your mind," answered Instructor Clave. "so your problem should be aninsufficient mental strength." "How do I improve that?" "Meditation," explained the middle-aged man. "Push yourself to the limit without overworking yourself, and you will find within days to have your mental strength improved. Be careful not to overstep the boundary, though. There''s a fine line between pushing the boundaries and trespassing them." "Thank you, Sir Clave. See you later!" Chapter 06 During the weeks that were left before Philipcould begin his training again were spent in a very orderly fashion. He got up every morning and ate breakfast with Barney and the twins. Then he helped Barney harvest the grains they planted in spring ¨C as it was farming day, which, for the record, wasn''t one but rather a couple of days since they had to pick everything by hand which took a long time. As a result, the little boy became closer with Barney and discovered the man to not be as timid as people made him out to be. He had a few courageous traits hidden beneath his kind and gentle exterior, as well as a few dangerous ideas about farming, how one could increase the efficiency of harvesting and ploughing. One of Barney''s ideas was to use a creature called ''ox'' and tie a sickle or customised, large blade to its back. And as it walked forward, it would automatically harvest all the protrudinggrain without much effort from their side. It was almost winter when Philip''s body was completely healed. He came down to the training field and swung his arm a few times. It was still rusty from being out of work for a few weeks, but other than that, he felt very good. In fact, the little boy, though he hadn''t been training for a while, actually felt stronger than before¨C which was quite strange. "Good morning, Sir Clave," said Philip. "I''m all better now, said miss brent." "Great, then we can finally get started again," said Instructor Clave with a smile. "How do you feel? Do you want to have some lighter training today and start the normal routine tomorrow, or do you want to directly begin with pushing past the ten minutes boundary?" "I actually want to start directly," said Philip. "if that''s okay with you." "Sure, just don''t push yourself toohard," said Instructor Clave. "Remember what I said to you a few weeks ago. There''s a fine line between pushing moderately and trespassing." "I understand, Sir Clave," said Philip. "I will not go beyond where my abilities stretch." "Great, let''s get started then. You know what to do." Philip went over to the mine and picked up the boulder. It was very heavy, but the little boy thought it was easier to carry it now than it was before. This feeling probably had something to do with how he, before doing anything, felt as if he had become stronger. "Begin," Instructor Clave commanded, his arms folded as he watched the little boy whose height wasn''t even half of Instructor Clave''s own, carry a boulder that was double the boy''s weight. As he watched thoroughly, he thought himself to witness a more fluid form when Philip loaded the boulder onto his back. Was it Instructor Clave''s eye playing a prank on him, or did the little boy load it onto his back with more ease than a few weeks ago? "N-nine minutes!" said InstructorClave and could barely believe it. "Dang, kid, you broke through while doing nothing. Are you a genius, or am I dreaming?" Philip laughed from happiness. "I too felt something was different from before. As if my body have become stronger during the past weeks. Can it be an effect of meditation?"A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "I don''t think so," said instructor Clave. He furrowed his brows. "it would be possible for star warriors to improve their body condition slightly from meditation, have I heard, but for people without a star connection, that''s unheard of ¨C at least in the village." "You said it''s possible for star warriors?" asked Philip. "Yes, why do you ask?" "Well, you see, three weeks ago..." began Philip, explaining what happened that night. "That," said Instructor Clave after hearing the story, his face stricken with shock. "I''ve never heard of anything like it! But it must mean something. Maybe this star who you met wants to recognise you, but since your mental and physical power was insufficient, it had to wait. I''m not too sure, but if I''m right, then you will surely become a star warrior one day! That I can guarantee! "Really?" asked Philip, his eyes almost glowing. "But how do you know I''m not a star warrior now?" "The recognition of a star brings a beam of light from the starry sky down to the recognised person, allowing for him or her to bathe in the pure essence of one''s connected star and reforge one''s mortal body to a body fitting for a star warrior. Did something like that happen to you?" "No, then I''m not a star warrior yet. Because no light came down." "Exactly," said Instructor Clave. "On the other hand, what you need now is time. Only time. Meditate as often as you can and train as hard as you can, and I can promise you that it won''t be long until you are a star warrior!" "And when you are a star warrior, you not only can leave the village in search for your mother, but you can also travel to the capital of Pristine and register yourself as a star warrior. If you donate even a sliver of the monthly stipend you will receive, you can drastically improve the state of our village and maybe allow for our children to go to a real school in Sun City. Currently, we don''t have the funds, which is why we are forced to rely on Tutor Daniel, but when we do, we will send over some of the younger children to live on the school grounds, letting them learn everything from martial arts to the arts of the pen." "Martial arts? What''s that?" "You don''t know?" returned instructor Clave. "No, I''ve never heard of it." said Philip. "I see, well, if you want to become a star warrior, it''s a must," said Instructor Clave. "Martial arts is the foundation of fighting. It uses stances and combinations of punches and kicks to employ the most of one''s strength, speed and agility. You''re only seven now, but in about a year and a half, when you''re nine and will start school in the village, you will be taught the village''s legacy martial art, also known as the Dancing Bear." Philip nodded. He truly couldn''t wait until he was nine years old. The rest of the day progressed as those days prior to his injuries did. After five days, the little boy finally broke through ten minutes boundary. After that, they began a new training regime which consisted of different body exercises. Other than to train, Philip also spent his time meditating, especially during the breaks every hour. The instructor would arouse him from the state of no awareness and they would resume the practice. And just like that, a year and a half went by in the blink of an eye. After the hot summer in the south of Pristine, everyone was eagerly expecting autumn where the temperature would drop below twenty degrees, making everything a bit more tolerable. And when it came, even Philip was excited ¨C mostly because he would finally be able to enrol in the village''s school. He was also finally a true member of his new family. Barney regarded him as his son and the twins regarded him as their little brother. He also began to regard them as hisfamily. Although the memories of his mother and dead father had dimmed, the notion of rescuing his mother was still there, and wouldn''t disappear until he had done so. And he also wondered, how his biological father had been like. He wondered if Barney and his father would have been friends if his father had been alive, and if not, he would have wished for them to be. And then it came, just like that, at long last. The second day of autumn. The day Philip would start going to school. Chapter 07 School was from eight to eleven in the morning, from whereafter the village kids would have four hours of break (lunch included) before continuing from three to seven in the afternoon, though a break it should not really to be called, as the time was spent in the training field with Instructor Clave; doing different types of exercises and learning the matters of Star warriors. Philip had been a part of this during his younger years, mainly because his old father, who now was long dead, had left it for his mother to make his son train from anearly age. So in all earnestly, what was taught in the first and second year of school, should all be the young boy''s knowledge. Yet, as indolent and unambitious he had been before his mother was abducted, Philip had missed out on almost everything, making him stand at equal to the others village kids in his age, who had now also started going to school, in terms of knowledge. "Goodmorning, children," said the female teacher, wearing a thin, white dress, standing on the podium in classroom 3 with a ruler in her hand. "I will be your teacher for the next three years in math and language. You may call me Miss Perry and nothing else. Any questions?" Miss Perry looked like she was thirty years old, her black her tied up in a ponytail as her eyebrows arched, inspecting the children with her calculating gaze. Philip sat in the back, next to a brown haired girl with braids. This brown haired girl introduced herself before the start of the class, much like how Miss Perry did now. If the young boy remembered correctly, her name was Jen¨C but he had never been very good with names, so it was not an understatement to say he might not learn all the names in his class even after three years. "Thanks for today!" said Miss Perry. "You all should head home and eat lunch before instructor Clave''s physical training at noon. Let''s keep the good work tomorrow!" As Philip was walking home from the school building in the centre of the village, the brown haired girl caught up to him, greeting him with a smile. "Hey, you''re that boy who always trains, aren''t you?" said Jen. "You never gave me your name earlier." "Philip," said the boy. "is my name." "I heard mymother say you that train more than anyone else in the village, that''s quite impressive," said Jen "I''ve always admired strong men. Mother told me to never marry a weak man because they can''t protect you. "Oh, okay," said Philip, not very sure how to answer. "We sit next to each other in class so we should become friends," said Jen and stretched forward her hand. "Philip took it. "Sure," he said, "Let''s become friends!" "Great!" said Jen and showed him a big smile, "I need to go home now but we should to the training field together. Let''s meet up here in fifty minutes, okay?" Before Philip could answer, Jen continued. "Don''t forget, bye!" She ran away, her braids swinging back and forth as she disappearedbehind a house, probably running home to eat. Philip stood there, left on the paved road curving itself through the village, quite dumbfounded, to say the least.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. After eating, he went back to the place where he was going to wait for Jen. When she came, they walked to training together, and he got to know her; she really talked a lot, and quick too. her full name was Jen Alden, just as his was Philip Rodent, passed down to him from his deceased father. There was not much training today. The first hour was spent on Instructor Clave explaining the details of the course. While the first years, as they were called, were listening to Instructor Clave, the second and third years were training themselves. Philip could feel that someone was looking at him. The gaze belonged to Jonathan and some other second and third years. Why they did what they did that night was unknown to the young boy, but he swore in his heart when he got to know who it was that he would pay back them tenfold. But first, he needed strength, and that could only be gained by time. After the so-called break, it was time for Martial arts. This class was also held ay the training field. "Hello, as you''ve probably heard, the hours of your afternoon school will be spent on martial arts," said an older man, preferably in his sixties. "I''m your Martial Instructor, George Jabtir. I hope we can have fun together and learn a lot." "The main goal of this course is to teach all of you proper means to defend yourself and those around you," continued George. "This world is vast and dangerous, and while most of you won''t leave the village, some of you will. Not to mention the dangers that exist in the Feloran Mountains just behind us." He pointed at the mountain chain just west outside of the village. Philip saw mist circle around the white peaks that wouldn''t even melt during summers. "This mountain is the mountain were we villagers have to scrape for metals and herbs," said George, "Every month, our Village Chief travels to the Sun City and trades these metals and herbs, which allow us to receive products we can''t make ourselves." "And I can tell you, " he said. "that up there, without martial arts, you won''t survive for long. Even with martial arts, it''s very tough, and so we villagers rarely go up there unless circumstances forceus to." "Anyway, let''s not delay, I shall now demonstrate fro you the dancing bear." George removed his shirt, revealing bulging muscles that were similar to a bear''s. "The Dancing bear relies on power, precision, and to strike first." said George, taking a wide stance that wasn''t so much different from the horse stance. His hands were stretched out like a hawk''s wings."The first move is called ''Bear''s Chop''. Look carefully." George struck down with his palm from the side, turning it to the side and making it look like a blade as it descended. "This move''s target is the throat," he said. "We don''t have to funds to purchase the right equipment for all of the villagers who travel up to the mountain, but ancient tradition says that this technique can only be fully complete with a specifically created hand guardsince only then will the striking power be like a sword." "Then," said a male student. "Why don''t we just use a sword?" "Swords are expensive, young man, " answered George. "and we actually do, but that''s only for seasoned warrior. Listen, before you can use your body, how can you use a sword? First, you must master your own body, because only then can you move other things as if it are your limbs!" "Moving on! The second moveis called..." George showed a total of thirty-six moves in succession. Twelve of the movements were defence oriented and the rest were moves meant to cause harm to the opponent. Philip found them quite intriguing, especially when George showed an example of a combination. Bear Chop followed Bear''s palm twister and Bear''s Punch. The Bear Chop targeted the throat while the Bear Palm punch targeted the lungs. And finishing off was the Bear''s palm that aimed either at the heart, able to cause, with sufficient power, hearts to stop. The prerequisite for the combo was, however, that one had the advantage in the battle or one was the first to strike, or else one wouldn''t find the time instigate Bear''s Chop, a which left one pretty wide open.