That's how the training(torture) began!
At first, it only included regular exercises. I got used to it quickly. It seemed this fragile body could also be of some use.
I was pretty happy. It wasn't the worst I thought it to be. Iyan went slow on me. He made us different dishes every day. And he also took us to places as he promised (though it was after I reached my target every day). And of course, he dealt with our P.E. class efficiently.
In a blink, several days passed. My term exam started on short notice. Even with the help of Iyan and Jebat, I went through a lot of struggles to cover all the topics. A hell of two weeks passed by.
And then the real deal began.
"Zamn you, Iyan....!!" I cursed as I panted heavily.
"Don't rest, Dean... we are far from done..." Jebat called. He had already run far ahead of me.
Helpless, I followed him.
"This is inhumane... huff... Why must we run five kilometers a day..?
Even three kilometers... was excessive for me. Can't... he see how skinny... I am...?
Why does he want me dead so much....?" I cried.
My whimpers made Jebat turn, "Don't forget what he promised... huff... Didn't you ask him... to take you to the sea?"
I pouted, "Guess, I did... still, It's too much..."
We ran as we were asked to. And it didn't stop with only running.
"You two, follow me," we couldn't even catch our breath when Iyan called over.
We followed him without any questions. It never helped to fuss over this. He would make us exercise either way.
Iyan drew an array, the same one he drew the last time. So, I knew where we were going. Or I thought so.
Unlike the last time, the array didn't form any shape rather the surrounding changed at the earliest time possible.
I looked around. It was a huge ground, like a football court. The interesting part was that there were hills surrounding it. It was as if the mountains were formed to surround this place, more like a boundary wall.
A salty breeze assaulted my nose, letting me know there was an ocean nearby. White clouds were floating in the sky, covering the sun once and revealing it in another second.
"Don't worry, it's a safe place," Iyan said with a grin.
I felt irked looking at him.
"For what you brought us here?" I asked.
But Iyan didn't answer, he turned to Jebat and said in a commanding tone, "You are going to instruct him from now on. You understand what I mean, right?"
Jebat nodded and bowed like anyone would if they were given a designation.
"What?... But..." I was baffled.
"I must go now, Dean babu," Iyan said in a teasing tone as he proceed to leave. "See you in two hours."
And it didn't take a minute for him to scribble something in the air and leave.
Not knowing what to do I turned to Jebat, expecting him to explain.
"Hello, Master Dean!!! I will be your martial arts instructor from now on. I will also teach you some basic knowledge about sorcery." Jebat greeted me as if we just met.
I, "Hey, don't turn into another person this instant."
Jebat, "Sorry, if this is confusing. But we need to address each other formally for these two hours."
I, "But..."
Jebat, "I will explain later. Now, why don't we start with Judo?" He stepped forward.
'Judo!!! The one with a lot of throwing...'
"Thud"
Before I could understand I found myself lying on the ground.
"Uugghhh... hurts...
So much.... my ribs... broken..." I rolled around the ground. It was hard to breathe.
"It's okay. Now, get up." Jebat said, his eyes letting off a cold glow.
A chilling wind blew and his silver hair disheveled, making him look ruthless.
"Scary," I stood up. "Give me a warning before you throw, okay?"
"Bam"
Not even a minute passed since I stood up, I was thrown again.
"Ack..."
The pain went straight to my throat, blocking all other noises.
"If you are gonna be like this, you're gonna break all your limbs." I heard him say.
I spat out of anger, "You're the one breaking them."
Jebat came forward, "Look, if you wanna learn something, you need to focus.
In the case of Judo, falling properly is most important. You need to use your hands and back to stop getting injured. Flip your hand like this, slap as hard as you can.
Lift your shoulder and legs and try to bounce back as much as you can. Any major injury could be avoided this way. And once you adept this it will be automatic."
He circled me as he talked, not bothering to give me a hand.
I got up by myself, focusing on his words.
"Another thing, read my moves. Try to copy them. I will throw you slowly so you can get it."
He stepped towards me. "You need to grab your opponents to resist or attack. The best way to grab is by collar and arm or by the waist. Now relax and loosen your body if you don't wanna get hurt."
He grabbed my collar and placed one leg between my legs, "Focus"
"Thud"
Another throw.
"Ahh... Are you taking any revenge?" I screamed in pain.
Jebat, "What revenge would I take?"
I, "Then stop breaking me..."
Jebat, "I am teaching you."
I rolled around on the ground.
"This isn't helping, Jebat. You gotta teach me to step by step." I screamed.
"That's because you are not focusing." Jebat shook his head in disapproval. "Don't think about anything else. Concentrate."
He helped me up this time. However, I was thrown yet again.
"Ow... ow..."
I continued screaming and yelling and Jebat continued throwing me over and over again. After fifteen more throws, Jebat stopped.
"Good. At least you learned to land on your hand.
Now then try to lift your legs when you fall and rest them as softly as you can."
With a soft voice, he instructed.
"Let's go for a few rounds till you learn all this."
He prepared for another throw.
"Thwack"
Something hit Jebats head.
"Aw," he stumbled. Someone threw a pebble. Baffled, both of us looked around.
Nothing was there. Even the air seemed still.
Scared, I proceed to grab Jebats hand. At that moment, a voice rang out of nowhere.
"If you go like this, you will end up killing young master."
A wild wind blew all of a sudden. The eeriness of that female voice gave both of us chills. Yet there was no one in the sight...
A white, one-storied house stood among the wood, surrounded by ashen darkness. The humid air and growing weeds made the house look more haunted. A large pine tree covered in moss stood by the entrance.
Surprisingly, the house was well-kept. Not even a speck of dirt could be found anywhere. A huge hall room with a corridor in the south stood behind the front door. A red carpet covered both the ballroom and corridor as if to welcome anyone entering the house.
The interior was exquisite as well. Among all these, what remained was silence.
"Thwack"
"Thud"
"Creese"
All kinds of sounds were coming from the kitchen. The kitchen was somewhat ancient. All sorts of tools hung on the wall. Some huge woks were arranged in a corner. A huge stove emitting red flames, and on top of it was a huge wok of boiling water. Besides the stove, in front of a copper board, stood a figure.
His eyes were red, emitting the same flame as the stove. He held an axe in his hand, copping down the bones ruthlessly.
"Thwack"
Another chop scattered the head. Blood and grey fluid scattered everywhere. The man then collected the pieces and threw them into the boiling water. The eyes on the sockets which were still intact burst with a 'pop' coloring the whole water red.
"There goes the scientist."
The man wiped off the blood from his face. After throwing all the other pieces into the boiling water, he thoroughly cleaned everything. Then he proceeded to the washroom.
A tall man stood in front of the mirror. A cute face stared at the man, looking quite innocent. The face smirked.
"Not a bad face."
He fished out a handkerchief from his pockets. All of a sudden, his face changed. His eyes became dark.
Two featherless wings appeared from his scapula followed by another pair of small feathered wings. The feather didn't cover the structure.
He looked at the mirror again and smiled bitterly.
"Even so why?"