Chapter Two : The Beginning of the Journey
Ten years later, in the garden surrounding the Ramha family's home, the young Adari, the third son of the family, was training seriously. His features had matured slightly over time, but his red eyes and shiny black hair remained the defining marks of his appearance. His skin, pale with a hint of yellow, bore the marks of many hours of training.
He was practicing strikes on a wooden board surrounded by light straw, as though these training moments were all he had now. He paused his strikes for a moment, standing still and looking down, then spoke in a low voice, filled with determination:
"Alright, who am I ? I'm Adari, the third son of the Ramha family. Today is the special day ! » He said this with a bright smile, recalling the struggles he faced convincing his family to let him join the martial arts school.
"Why ? » he added excitedly. « Finally, I convinced my family to let me join the martial arts school in our district ! » He chuckled slightly as he remembered the discussions he had with his parents.
As he reflected on the past, he continued in a more serious tone : « At first, my father wanted me to help him with the store, just like my brother. But everything changed that day… three years ago. I was helping my father at the store, where we sell warrior supplies like swords and shields. One day, a grim-faced man entered the store and threatened my father, saying he would kill my older brother if he didn't give him all his money. Even though my father was a warrior, he was only a beginner, so he couldn't defend himself. And I… I was hiding, crying..."
He paused his speech, his mind drifting back to that pivotal moment : « I ran for help, but people ignored me. But two figures, wearing black robes, were walking down the street. At first, I thought they would ignore me too, but instead, they asked me what the problem was. When I explained, one of them picked me up, and suddenly, I found myself in front of our store. I then heard a scream and felt someone patting me on the back, saying, 'Everything is alright.'"
Adari snapped back to reality, smiling with excitement. « Since that incident, I've been fascinated by those two. It only took one gesture from them to pull me out of my crisis. From that day, I decided I would become stronger to protect my family."
Now, Adari was preparing to go to the martial arts school, where they were selecting new students, and he had to prove his abilities in the entrance exam.
Meanwhile, his mother looked at him with a mixture of concern in her eyes, handing him a small bag of food. « Take this with you, and eat it when you get to the school. Don't forget to eat, and I wish you the best of luck, my dear."
Adari smiled and said, »Thanks, Mom. I'll be fine. Dad said the trip will take no more than three hours by cart, so don't worry. Also, I'm going to pass the exam and become strong to protect both of you."
His mother looked at him with complicated feelings in her eyes. Though she didn't want him to join the martial arts school, she understood that he was determined to follow his dream. He had been insisting on this for the past three years, dedicating his entire day to training, even without stopping to drink. Perhaps, deep down, she wished he would fail the entrance exam and return to live with them.
She sighed and said, « Alright, go now, meet your father, and get ready to leave."
Adari replied, « Alright, Mom."
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