“Very good. Find strength from within and feed off the person next to you,” Jade had said, trying to give all of them confidence. Three minutes remained in the exercise and every part of Paul’s body had surged with pain.
Finally, it was over and he was able to get off the stump and walk around. With every step, the built up pain had gradually subsided. His eyes watered and his arms had felt like they could drop off at any second.
“Paul!” yelled Max. The memory shattered, returning Paul to the training session at hand.
“Since Paul looks like he is day dreaming, go get the doctor,” Jade growled.
Max shot Paul a dirty look and then they both took off running outside to a big log in the field. Using all their might, they attempted to lift the log above their heads, one of them at either end.
“Don’t let that log touch your head,” warned Uncle Jade with a hint of anger in his voice.
“Get it up,” Paul whispered.
Max’s arms began to tremble; every moment that passed was agony.
“Lock out your arms,” hinted Uncle Jade.
Half an hour passed in this manner and the log went up and down and all around the field. It was hard and draining, a true test of the students’ abilities. Max had forgiven Paul instantly, realising that the problem was within his uncle: He wasn’t quite in the best of moods.
“Go get washed up,” said Uncle Jade, finally finishing his session. There was no protest from either of the boys and Uncle Jade vanished out of sight.
“What a drag,” said Max, stepping into the hot pools for the second time that day.
“I apologise for today,” frowned Paul.
“What were you day dreaming about, anyway? It had better be good,” smiled Max.
“It was the stump challenge with the five rookies.”
“Good pick,” laughed Max, soaking up the heat. He was glad today’s session was over, leaving him with plenty of spare time.
Max exited the pool, dried off and made his way to the kitchen for brunch. Toast with melted cheese was the best Uncle Jade could cook up for them.
Max ate alone, replenishing his water levels, which was critical for his hydration. Training had taken a toll on him, he reflected, as he sat there pondering what to do with the rest of the day.
Sleeping wasn’t an option, so he tossed a coin: going for a walk or finding Paul? The coin flip came up heads: a walk it was, then.
The dojo gates were soon far behind him. He felt as if he needed to drift off and enjoy some time alone. He walked around the block, but this brought him back to the dojo too soon, so he took off along a path that led him far away from his home.
He walked the streets alone, drifting around looking for a pleasant place to just sit and enjoy the passing time. It was by chance that he stumbled upon a park in the middle of the city. He sat on the grass and rested against a tree trunk, breathing in the air and letting the sun warm his skin. Closing his eyes, he took in the sounds of his environment.
Max opened his eyes and watched the kids playing in the playground. Turning towards the walkway, he saw a woman jogging, listening to music on headphones and running alongside her Labrador.
For long moments he sat there, contemplating the purpose of his life. Was he supposed to travel the world and uncover the secrets that it possessed, or was he to take the dojo over with Paul and help people understand their way of life?
His reverie was broken by a sudden scream: “Help! Leave me alone!”
Max put his hands on the ground and launched himself upright. He took a step to the left, leaning his head around the tree to see a boy on the ground with four other boys surrounding him.
Max could do one of two things: he could walk away, leaving the poor boy helpless on the ground, or he could stand up to the four boys and hope that they would leave. No thinking required.
He came out from behind the tree and made his way to the group.
The boys stopped tormenting the kid and turned their attention towards Max.
“Four guys beating up a little kid,” said Max. “You think that’s fair?” His voice was confident, but his body felt tired. There was no way he had a chance against this many opponents.
“None of your business, tough guy,” said one of the boys, who had been kicking the kid’s legs.
Max replied in a voice that was eerily calm. “It becomes my business when a little kid is on the ground getting beaten up.”
He studied the boys. The leader had a medium build and arms twice the size of Max’s. He wore a white t-shirt with a skull on the front, and jeans that sagged on his hips. The other two had similar builds, but wore basketball jerseys and looked like his flunkies. The last guy he recognised very quickly. He was the short bully he had met at the school.
“I have a score to settle with you,” said John kicking the boy on the ground in the ribs. The boy let out a scream of pain and clutched himself.
Max couldn’t stand it any more. He went nose-to-nose with John and said, “If you touch him again I will kill you.”
The bullies burst out laughing. One of them grabbed a stone and threw it at the kid’s head. Max saw red. He flicked his leg behind the leader and pushed him to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground, Max turned to the guy who threw the stone. With no hesitation, he punched him in the face. Even though Max was fast, he couldn’t prevent a punch that came from the side. It pushed him back but he didn’t falter. He didn’t feel any pain as adrenaline pumped through his blood.
Now, the leader was back on his feet. He grabbed Max, putting him in a neck hold. Max struggled, but he was unable to break free of the boy’s grip. Powerless, he felt ashamed that he had overlooked the leader.
“Who wants him?” said the leader, sneering over Max’s shoulder at his friends.
“It would be my pleasure,” said John.
He wasted no time and punched Max in the guts, making him grind his teeth. John looked into Max’s eyes before saying, “This will be over before you know it.” He took a step back, releasing a roundhouse kick. Max felt a sunburst of pain before he blacked out, falling unconscious to the ground.
Chapter 4
The Revealing
It seemed to Max as though hours had passed. He was somewhere in pitch darkness and was unaware of his own body and sensations. Max was in a dream where he was weightless, hovering in the air like a feather. He felt no pain or sadness, only happiness; he was in his own world, where pain was not known. Faintly, he heard voices ring like a bell inside his head. Louder and louder they grew, as if someone were turning a volume dial.
Max awoke to find the boy he had tried to protect kneeling behind him, attempting to shake him awake. He could see the scared face brighten as he woke. It was like a light had returned to the boy, knowing Max was safe and not dead.
“Are you hurt?” Max asked, worried about the boy.
“Only a few bumps and bruises,” he replied.
“How long was I out?” Max began stiffly to get to his feet. He shuffled a few paces sideways on shaky legs before regaining his stability and standing tall to surveying his surroundings.
“Not long.”
Perplexed, Max looked around, trying to figure out how come he was still alive.
“What happened here? How is it that we’re both not in hospital?”
The boy took a while to answer as he looked up into the dark night. He could tell that the boy was frightened and only wanted to go home, to be tucked into his safe bed.
“The police came and chased them away. I hid behind the bushes over there,” replied the boy, now beginning to shake. Max couldn’t tell if he was cold or scared. He didn’t want to wait any longer, knowing his uncle would kill him if he was late.
“Where do you live?” asked Max, calmly and warmly. The boy said nothing, just pointed in the direction of a long row of houses. “How about I walk you home then?” he said, trying to act like an older brother. “You know kids should not be left alone?” he questioned, looking
down at the boy.
“I know,” the young boy smiled.
“Next time make sure you are with someone, okay? The city is a dangerous place.”
The kid led the way, with Max close by his side. They soon came to his house and, without hesitation, the boy climbed the stone steps.
“There you are! I was worried sick!” said the babysitter, making her way down the stairs.
“Found him in the park,” yelled Max.
Without waiting for her reply, he hurried back to the dojo.
He went to see his uncle and explained what had happened. He had a nasty graze on his knee and his face was bruised, his head pounding from the heavy blow he had received. His uncle was annoyed but not angry; he simply told Max to get an ice pack, relax and not to hold a grudge, because he knew Max was better than that. He was right, of course, and Max understood where Paul got all his wisdom.
Max took Jade’s advice and sat on the couch with an ice pack held to his face. He disliked being in situations where he was made to look a fool. His uncle had told him not to hold a grudge but he couldn’t help it; every fibre in his body told him to hunt John down.
The next couple of days passed very quickly; sleeping in his time off, trying to heal the bruises from the fight. It was Thursday morning and Max went through his usual routine, getting up, eating breakfast, bathing and getting ready for home school. Home school passed just as quickly as the days had and it was now time for the boys to leave the books and hit the training grounds. Both boys bowed at the door and walked inside the dojo room. There, Uncle stood before a rack of heavy swords, each with a strong, sharp blade. The day was muggy and very hot and Uncle Jade was sweating before training had even begun. The floorboards felt warm under their feet.
The wooden swords had been cast away and the boys were excited that they would now be training with the new metal swords. Uncle Jade could see the excitement in their eyes; it was as if Christmas had arrived.
The swords were big for a reason; they were designed with extra weight attached for training purposes. This allowed the user to get stronger than they would from using a regular sword. Uncle Jade’s plan was to train them with such intensity that when they transitioned to lighter swords, they would be much quicker.
The training with the wooden swords had seemed interminable, but their growth was impressive.
It was time to begin. He wasted no time in handing Max and Paul two similar swords. Both buckled under their weight, gripping the handles with all their strength. Max couldn’t believe that such weight could be contained within a sword. He grabbed the handle with both hands but still struggled to balance it.
“This exercise will connect you to the sword,” said Uncle Jade. Both boys couldn’t help but smile, waiting for further instructions.
“I want you to feel the pain, and to keep feeling it until the time when you pick up the sword and can use it without it slowing you down,” said Jade. He was now holding a sword of his own and swinging it around like it was made out of wood.
Max was deeply impressed by Jade’s strength; if he tried those manoeuvres, his sword would swiftly bring him down to the floor.
“Now, what I want you to do is to swing the sword; it doesn’t have to be fast or strong, just as much as you can handle.”
“Yes, Sir,” replied both boys. Paul swung first, just keeping it under control - not swinging too hard but neither too softly - and he succeeded in the first attempt. It was now Max’s turn. His arms began to tremble and his feet were sore from carrying all the weight, but watching Paul had boosted his confidence. If his cousin could do it, so could he.
He took the first swing, losing control as the sword dug itself into a wooden manikin, which was designed for their close-combat exercises.
“Careful,” muttered Uncle Jade.
Max readjusted his swing, this time keeping control as he repeated the process.
“Let’s move on to the next exercise, shall we?” said Uncle Jade, pleased with the boys’ efforts. “The next exercise will be sword push-ups. With the sword on your back you will do as many repetitions as you can.”
Thoughts rushed through Max’s head; doubt, strength and time - all the essentials that made up the exercise. The sword weighed a ton; he had problems holding it, let alone doing push-ups with it.
They both got down on their stomachs and Uncle Jade placed a sword on each of their backs. It felt to Max as though his back were going to cave in. His abdominals began to sing, over-use settling in as he tried to withstand the pain, listening to his uncle’s words.
“Okay, as many press ups as you can, in your own time. Go!” he yelled as the boys followed his commands.
Max completed twenty before his body gave out on him and he fell to the ground, with Paul completing thirty before he also crashed onto his face.
They were allowed a two-minute water break so that they could regain their breath and strength. Three sets later and Paul could hardly lift his arms. Maximum repetitions left them hugging the ground.
The last exercise of the day was sparring against one another with the huge swords. By now, however, Max’s body was straining to even pick up the water bottle, let alone the sword.
The last thing he wanted to do, though, was to show any kind of weakness to his uncle. With all the will he could summon, he picked up the sword for the last time and faced Paul.
Paul dealt with the same problem Max did, but he nevertheless showed no sign of slowing down, which made this fight an even match.
With Uncle Jade looking over them both, they began fiercely hitting one another. Even though they were swinging slowly and weakly, a blow from the sword could still break a bone if it made contact. They went back and forth, swinging and blocking each another, until they satisfied Uncle Jade.
“That is enough for one day. Go clean up ready for lunch,” said Jade, grabbing the two swords from the boys. With the mighty weight of the swords gone, the relief was enormous.
The word ‘lunch’ meant only two things to them: eating followed by sleeping.
“Can’t wait,” said Max with more than a tinge of hunger.
Paul and Max made their way to the kitchen while Jade put the swords away. Rice and beef was reheated from last night’s dinner. This was one of Max’s favourite foods so he didn’t mind in the slightest eating the leftovers.
“Once you’re done eating, Max, I would like a word with you,” said Uncle Jade, watching his nephew eye down his food as if he was going to eat the whole thing in one mouthful.
“Understood,” said Max. He mixed his rice and beef together before scarfing it down, wondering what it was Uncle had to say.
For some reason, this was a special lunch. The whole family was at the table, talking and sharing stories. Uncle Jade did not have to shoot away for another class, giving him plenty of time to enjoy the family’s company. Max envied Paul because he had a father, but deep down he knew that Jade was more of a father to him than was his biological one.
When they had finished lunch, Max made his way to Uncle Jade’s office, located in the second dojo. He had only been allowed in there once before, when he had to scrub the entire floor section for getting in trouble. He had learned his lesson that day and never had to scrub it again.
Uncle Jade sat in his chair, indicating for Max to also sit. Max silently did as he was asked.
“Do you know why I called you in here?” asked Uncle Jade as he sat in his arm-chair looking directly into Max’s eyes. Max felt slightly nervous but couldn’t think why.
“No, Uncle,” he replied.
“As you are aware, you are one tier behind Paul on your blue belt. I would like to give you the opportunity to earn that stripe and get yourself up to the same level as him.”
The air in the room felt heavy all of a sudden. Max knew that Paul had undertaken a big mission in order to earn his last stripe, and Max felt the pressure of falling into his shadow if he failed.
“What do I have to do?”
&n
bsp; “Miss Boston has a medical supply shop on the edge of town. Someone is stealing supplies from her business. Here is a list of what has gone missing over the last week.”
Max took the list and scanned the contents. Wintergreen, yarrow, chamomile, Golden Rod and Lady’s Mantle. He recognised some of the names thanks to the summer break, when he had helped Miss Boston. She had taught Max and Paul about medical treatments when Uncle Jade had to be out of town on business trips. Paul had enjoyed the lessons more than Max did, learning how to crush the right herbs to calm a headache.
“All these herbs could be used for a number of reasons - fever, cuts, and headaches,” said Max with a serious face.
“Your mission is to camp outside the store and gather information on the culprit.”
Uncle Jade now looked from Max to the window. He stood and approached the window, leaning on the ledge. “Miss Boston has been a friend of the family’s for a very long time. I want this issue resolved.”
Silence fell upon the room. Max didn’t know what to say.
“What about Paul?”
Uncle Jade looked surprised.
“You have often asked for an opportunity to prove yourself. If you don’t think you can handle this, I will have to pass it to Paul,” replied Uncle Jade, still with the surprised expression on his face.
He was right. Max had always wanted an opportunity to prove himself. The day Paul had returned from his mission, envy had crept into the cracks in Max’s personality.
Max straightened in his chair. “I can handle this,” he replied with authority. He was overwhelmed with joy at the thought of his first lone mission.
“Good. You have the day to prepare. You leave at nightfall.”
“Yes, Sir.” Max bowed to his uncle.
Max left, his walk quickening to a jog as he exited his uncle’s room. Jade would provide him with the equipment he required, so all he needed to do was prepare mentally.
Maximus Thatcher Page 4