Sun shined, and there were no clouds in the sky. The day was starting great. Damian came out of Alrick's house with a stone face.
He grew up a little. Now he already looked to be 14-15 years old. He became even taller, having already outgrown Astrid and Wilfred in height. Although they were far from being the tallest people on the planet, these two were not short.
At that moment, he was heading to Vivien's house. Although it was quite a long time before dinner today, he generally helped her with cooking.
Going to the dining room, Damian passed the central square, on which a statue stood, which looked more like a totem in the boy's eyes. It was built in honor of Afagnir, the same local deity.
On significant dates, everyone gathered here and prayed that the holiday would go well and the future would have fewer troubles.
For the young boy, of course, over the years, this totem has become commonplace and a common element of decor, so he did not even pay attention to it while walking.
Entering Vivien's house, he quickly passed the dining room and went into her room, which was also the kitchen at the same time. Vivienne was already there.
-Oh, hi! You're on time. I just started cooking!
Hello, Auntie Vivien! What are we cooking today?
-Alrick brought the cervo-wolf yesterday, so we have a feast today!
"So that's where he went yesterday." Damian thought. Cervo-wolf - the name of the same wolf with deer horns, which the boy and Alrick ate on his first day in this body.
- Great, cervo-wolves are my favorite!
-Hehe, I know, that's why Alrick always brings them!
This was undoubtedly something shocking for the young man.
-Do you think he does this because of me?
-Of course! Previously, he brought anything you could imagine! Deers, wild boars, and many others! But as soon as you appeared, we ate almost nothing except these cervo-wolves!
Damian used to think that it was just that there were almost no other animals in the nearby area, and because of that, they constantly ate this strange wolf subspecies, but it turns out that this was Alrick's way to express his care for him.
This is a little thing, but because of this little thing, the boy felt somehow warm in his soul. He felt a sense of care, a nice feeling, really nice.
***
After helping Vivien, Damien came to the nearby training grounds, which were essentially just a large flat glade. Gerard was waiting for him.
This tall muscular man was quite strange, he acted as a local butcher who helped dismember animals brought by Alrick, and sometimes he went with Alrick on hunts to help him. He is quite aloof, not as aloof as Alrick, but still. Over the years, Damian found a way to communicate with him.
Around a year ago, Gerard started to exercise together with Damian. Well, more likely helping the boy exercise and develop his body, the butcher knew a little too much about training, the human body, and how to turn it into a body of steel.
And so, yesterday, Gerard told the boy to be at the training ground before lunch for a "special" training.
What kind of special training will it be, Damian will discover shortly.
***
-Hello, Damian.
A loud masculine voice spread across the glade. Gerard was standing right in the middle with two staff in his hands.
-Hi Uncle Gerard! So, what is this mysterious special training? Something even harder than usual?
Over time, Damian learned that although Gerard didn't seem like a fan of humor, he was pretty comfortable when other people were not so serious with him.
-….
Gerard looked at Damian with a strange emotion in his eyes, there seemed to be some strange mix he wasn't able to decipher yet.
-Have you ever thought why were you training so intensely over the last year?
That was certainly an unexpected question, not to mention that it came from Gerard.
-Um… To get stronger?
The muscular man didn't answer immediately but looked directly into his eyes.
Suddenly, the world seemed narrower. As if space twisted and contorted around Gerard, everything around him became irrelevant. The forest, the glade, the village behind. Nothing is important now, Gerard was…..
A danger, a pure menace.
He hasn't moved a single muscle, he hasn't uttered a single word. He just looked into the eyes, but it was enough, Damian was petrified.
-Strength….. Is not measured in how far you can run. It is not measured in how much weight you can carry in your arms, not in how much you have trained.
Damian just stood there, eyes wide open, his whole being concentrated on Gerard's voice
-What use of your strength if a single dull sword can make your life end? What use of your strength if everything you cherish crumbles when you look away?
These questions…. Seemed a lot more profound to Damian than they should have been.
-Strength, Damian, is measured in how much you can affect the world around you. If you are able to stop an army, you are powerful. If your words are enough to decide someone's fate, you are powerful. If no one can make you succumb, you are powerful.
The young boy soaked up the words like a sponge, it felt like they drilled through his consciousness right into his very soul
-I.... I think I un-understand, Uncle Gerard….
Words seemed to be stuck inside Damian's throat and that's everything he could spew out.
-Good.
Suddenly, the pressure evaporated, and Gerard averted his murderous gaze from the boy.
-So now, Damian, we will transform your raw power into strength. I will teach you how to fight. I will teach you how to become a warrior.
The young man was still somewhat shocked due to this "training", but deep inside... he felt a response. A little fire was burning inside him, wishing, hoping to transform into a raging flame.
-Okay…
Gerard nodded solemnly and tossed the second staff in his hands to Damian, which he clumsily caught.
-Do you think wild beasts possess the strength we talked about?
The cogs in the young man's brain finally started to spin, restored from the shock.
-I…. don't think so
-Why?
Damian thought for a while.
- They are not as smart as humans, so I think even the most powerful beast could be outsmarted.
Gerard shook his head and replied.
-Beasts always act on their impulses. Fear, pain, and hunger are what drives them, they always flinch from pain, they always become aggressive when in need of food, and they always run when they are afraid. Beasts are slaves to their emotions, and therefore, they are predictable.
The muscular man talked a lot today, Damian quickly noted that combat is an important theme for him.
-The difference between a beast and a warrior is control, if you use your impulses, you are a warrior, if impulses use you, you are a beast.
He took a little pause to let the words sink in.
-Your first task is to subdue and control the most primal of impulses, pain.
Damian felt a little chill.
-I will strike you, you won't be able to block the first strike, but the second, third, and fourth will be within your capabilities. Your goal is to deflect three strikes after the first one. We will start over if you fail to deflect.
-But Uncl...
Suddenly, Gerard swung his staff.
Sharp sounds echoed around the training grounds. The body was hit.
Damian felt pain, a lot of pain, a lot of excruciating pain, a lot of very excruciating pain.
It disturbed his thoughts, it disturbed his body, it disturbed him.
After the first strike came the second.
Pain. More pain.
The world flooded in pain.
Gerard targeted Damian's elbow with his staff, it felt so bad that Damian's brain just stopped working for a second, and therefore he missed the second strike, aimed directly at his shoulder.
-Again.
It required every ounce of Damian's will to just stand up and continue.
Now, the strike came directly to the knee
Even more pain.
The second strike was aimed at the left caviar.
So much more pain.
Damian felt it, how everything he could touch, how everything he could see was burned to ash right before his eyes.
Only intense pain remained.
The spots on the body that were targeted were like little black holes, consuming every sense, every feeling around them.
But, this feeling was not entirely new for Damian, he remembered now.
He already felt such pain, such weakness.
It was a long time ago, a very long time ago.
But he still remembered.
Such helplessness, such inability.
A red, distorted face of his father surfaced in his mind.
"Tsk…"
And then, suddenly…..
Pain transformed into rage.
Why does the world have to make him suffer? Why him? Why not the others? Is he cursed? Is it a trial?
Maybe, if he just destroyed everything in front of him, the pain would stop?
Maybe.
He stood on his legs, and the next strike came almost immediately.
His abdomen received the blow now.
Pain, again.
But now, it was like a trigger for him.
His body immediately moved, he swung his staff with every bit of force he could muster inside his body. Every muscle tensed and contorted, every nerve received an inadequate amount of electricity. His very being was used in this strike.
THUMP
Gerard easily blocked the strike, his face as impassive as ever.
But Damian didn't stop.
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
Every strike easily blocked
It only made the boy angrier.
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
THUMP
He was out of breath, he couldn't muster any force now, but in just a second he certainly would...
Gerard easily knocked the little boy off his feet and hit right at the solar plexus with one swift move.
-GHAH...
The air left his lungs, and Damian frantically gasped for air.
-Thhhhhh
After a few seconds, the boy stabilized his breath and stared blankly at the sky.
It was...…. surprisingly peaceful.
Clouds were lofty and soft as usual, the sun shined undisturbed.
it seems that his little outburst didn't affect the beautiful sky.
Damian saw Gerard standing above him, looking at his ragged body with his usual aloof face.
-What differs a warrior from a beast?
The muscular man said with an even tone as if nothing happened just now.
-If you use your impulses, you are a warrior…..
Damian was enchanted by the beautiful sky above him.
-But if impulses use you, you are a beast….
Gerard nodded.
-Good.
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