A Wuxia Tale: Blade in Training

A Start

(WANG DAO)

"What is wrong with you, you are creeping everybody out." Captain Ching narrowed his eyes on me. I was cleaning my weapons and the other weapons in the Palace of the Crown Prince armory with other guards tasked to do the job when Captain Ching approached me.

"What is wrong with me?" I asked the good captain with pure innocence.

Captain Ching snorted. Even his second in command, Senior Tuan, snorted as well. I learned that Senior Hao is not a soldier at all but an administrative authority in the helper's bunk. They were all acting for my sake.

I think these people has too much time in their hands.

"Commander Hao," Captain Ching corrected me. "Don't call a commander of five hundred helpers a soldier. Commander Hao is more than a soldier, he is a leader."

"That is correct," Senior Tuan said with a smile. This one is like Rei, the aide of General Wang, too clean looking to be a soldier but too deadly to dismiss. Senior Tuan directly reports to Captain Ching and General Bam. Only to those two officials.

"Now," Captain Ching pointed at me. "The problem with you is you are acting strange. Ever since you got that punishment three days ago, you have been acting out of your normal ways. You don't complain about the taste of the food, you wash your own clothes, you talk to other guards here, helping around more and you are not brooding and moping on your own anymore. For fuck sake's boy, you are even smiling now. Stop that! Are you still Wang Dao?"

"Moping around won't help me in this base," I said. "And what is wrong with being more helpful and friendly?"

Captain Ching looked at Senior Tuan who gave me a look that says he finds me strange. "Can you believe this boy? Wow, tigers change their stripes now? I don't think so. What is wrong with you? You are making me worried..."

"Why?" I don't know what is making them worry about me.

Senior Tuan clucked his tongue, "Do you know how many soldiers came here moping at first and when they suddenly changed their attitude they started killing other soldiers? Don't scare us like this, Wang Dao. Everyone here know you are kind of deadly with swords..." Senior Tuan stopped talking when we noticed some of the guards cleaning weapons gave me cautious looks. "Hey! I am not saying he will kill us now..."

Guards moved to finish their duties, some even started leaving.

I sighed, "Thank you, for painting an image of me as a mass murderer. I am trying here. Doing my best. Why are you ruining it all for me?" I looked up at Captain Ching who smacked Senior Tuan's back.

Captain Ching crouched low to level with me. "What we are saying is don't overdo it, boy. Being nice? Don't do that. Help around. Wash your own clothes. Help in the kitchen. Sure...but don't start smiling, you will give us serious heart ailments. Change gradually, Dao. Huh?"

I stared at Captain Ching who smiled at me. "Yes, Sir." I reluctantly nodded with a bored look on my face.

"That's more like it," Captain Ching and Senior Tuan winked at each other and ruffled my hair. I pushed their hands away grumpily. I sheathed my sword and stood up with Captain Ching.

"We received our order for your final test tomorrow. How is your shoulder?" Senior Tuan asked while looking at my covered bandaged shoulder.