I could see his kick coming very clearly and once it got close enough I swerved right and simultaneously blocked the next kick.
"Is that all you got old man?” I taunted him. He followed with a hard right hook which grazed my cheek and followed it up with a wicked left punch which whisked across my hair as I ducked. His miss gave me a blessed opening to launch my own attack but it was as if he knew it was coming from a the way he blocked it effortlessly. I did not stop there but followed with a quick right and it caught him smack dab in the face right above his nose. Quickly, I grabbed hold of him and tried to hit him with my knee but he twisted out of my grasp in the nick of time.
I rammed my elbow into his skull throwing him into utter confusion as he stumbled back barely on his feet. A round kick to his temple and right into the ground he went but he wasn’t one to fall so easily. He took to his feet wiping the blood off his temple from the cut I just made with my kick. I smirked at him but quickly wiped it off my face when i saw the death glare he sent my way. To keep it short the next minutes of training were brutal and filled with the sounds of my agony.
“I yield!” I coughed out with great difficulty seeing that my lungs felt like they were filled with sand. I groaned and moaned from the pain that was coursing through my utterly spent body.
“Get up kiddo! You still have some moxie left in you!” He had the shame to say. I barely stopped my self from cursing at him.
“Stop, please. My whole body hurts so much. Can’t you just for once go easy on me?”
“Not this again! I told there is no easy way out of this, now get up and get healed.”
I stumbled to my feet and dragged myself towards the house. One month had already gone by and my training was as brutal as ever but one thing was for certain, I had learnt a lot despite getting my ass handed to me over and over again. Melissa was a healer too. I am still surprised as the first day I found out and to be honest she is amazing at it, like she has magical hands. I walked into the castle and called for her.
She came running at the sound of my voice but stopped short when she saw my bruised self.
"Again? Why am I even surprised? What did you do to piss him off this time?” She said as she led me towards one of the sofas in the parlor.
“Well I roughed him up a little as always,” I replied giving her a cocky smile.
"When do you ever learn Ladin?" she replied smiling.
“At least I tried didn’t I?” Our conversations were always so full of life unlike my master’s which were full of pain, insults and some words he called ‘encouraging’. Yeah they were but the ironical thing is that he says them when he is about to give me some very nasty beating and in the end they don’t turn to be so ‘encouraging’ rather the words he uses to easen my pain. I reclined on the sofa as she went to get my cure, I never knew what it was all I could make up was that it was some greenish liquid. Whenever I asked her answer was, “A mixture of Olad tree sap, Sed and little amount of hot water.” Still I had no clue what she was talking about.
“You need to be more careful Ladee." she said kneeling besides me.
“Yeah right! And I don’t feel the name you know that right?”
“The name will stick, now quiet and let me heal you for who knows how many times now.” And gently she started rubbing the liquid onto my bruises or at least the ones that were visible.
This went on for quite a while but finally she was done and all I needed was rest.
“Hey drink this up! It will help with any internal injury,” she said giving me a stern look.
“Not this again! It tastes so awful,” I whined but she wasn’t having any of it. I had no other choice but to consume it and damn this thing was so awful! What followed was me having to get some rest which meant napping and allow the ‘drug’ to take some effect. I crept towards my room and fell upon the bed with so much relief. A month! Even I couldn’t believe how I was able to last this long enduring the vigorous training of Benid but in my heart I thought I had an idea, revenge. It sure is a strong emotion to harbor insides one heart, the thirst for it made me stronger. A promise I made, a promise I needed to keep no matter the cost, no matter the pain, no matter the bloodshed, that is how strong it was.
Another month went by followed by another and I was know training with various weapons which included swords, knives, daggers, bow and arrows and even poles, I had to fight with anything close to me as Benid always claims. Both Melissa and benid had grown closer to me and sometimes it just felt I had found myself a new family. I felt happy in a long while. Now here I am standing in the training ground with my master’s bleeding face glaring at me.
"What is wrong old man? Cat got your tongue?” I teased heightening his anger.
“Still cocky I see despite the beating you are receiving,” was his reply.
Just as he was about to swing his fist we were startled by melissa shout.
“They are back Benid!” I was still trying to understand what exactly she was saying but Benid had already grabbed his sword, a couple of daggers and turned to me,
“Stay here and keep both yourselves safe!” He said in a hurry.
“What! Wait. Where are you going? Let me come too!” I said wondering what exactly was going on. The old man did not spare me a glance before adding that it was an order and leaving me standing there dumbfounded.
This was not the first time nor the second, it has been happening quite frequently over the past month and each time I offer to help to fight whoever he is fighting, he shuts me down and barks orders at me. I had no option but to comply, that is what my training required of me but my mind spoke a different tune. He gave me a look and ran into the forest like a crazed maniac. I was left there with dozens of questions as always, what was he fighting against? How come Melissa always seems to know when what they speak of as dwellers attacks comes close to the compound? Why doesn’t Benid allow me to fight besides him despite the fact that I am close to completing my training? Whenever I inquired about it I got no answers from both of them and I was growing tired of it, the secrecy, the lies. Soon I had to get my answers even if it meant going into that forest myself. I went past Melissa and she noticed my underlying irritation.
“I am sorry Ladee but it is for your own good, you are not ready yet,” I heard her say. I was now feeling absolutely pissed.
“Ready for what? Huh! Both of you keep saying that but you never give me answers. My parents hid things from me and that is what got them killed. Now the same thing is happening all over again. You are like my parents damnit!”
“I understand your frustration Ladee but I promise that we won’t leave you, he will be back,” she said but somehow she realized that was not helping my mood at all because she pulled me closer and suddenly hugged me, “we will always be here for you okay, no matter what we are not leaving your side. You are like a son to me and him that is why we are doing this, it is all for your own safety till you become completely ready. I am sorry for making you feel so helpless Ladee, you know I do not intend it right?”
Melissa always knew what to say to ease me but not this time, I had grown tired of feeling helpless, “Sorry doesn’t fix it Melissa, the damage has been done,” I whispered freeing myself from her hug and walked to the castle without looking back. I headed straight for my room and started drowning in my own disappointment. An hour, then another passed and he had not yet come back. The sun had already set and darkness had swallowed the vicinity. Something was very wrong, i could tell. Call it instinct or whatever. All i knew was i was tired of waiting.
“I am going after him!” As i ran into the hallway my sword in hand. Melissa was standing by the door and my sudden announcement must have shocked her
“What! No you are not!” she ordered.
“Yes I am! He has been gone for three hours and im sure something is wrong." I said putting strength behind my words so she could understand my desperation but then i realised she was purposely avoiding eye contact. For a second a wondered but then i got it, “you know what is wrong don’t you? What happened to him Melissa?” I asked fear replacing my worry but she just kept quiet and then I saw tears in her eyes.
I couldn’t wait any longer, all her expression meant one thing, he was in deep trouble. I ran outside but she followed close behind.
“Ladin don’t go please, I beg of you don’t!” but I was having none of it. I grabbed a bow and plenty of arrows from the stable.
“Where is he Melissa!?” I barked.
“I don’t know okay. Please don’t go Ladin, don’t go in there,” she said tears cascading down her face. I now stood at the barrier.
"Try and stop me,” I turned to the barrier, “HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS!”
“Ladin I beg of you, don’t!” were the last words I heard as I ran blindly into the forest............