Not Flexible Enough

After doing his skill analysis on Silas, Lumian silently sat in the foyer without calling, Eru forward.

Puzzled, Eru stepped forward himself and whispered, "emm what about me?"

Lumian raised his eyes browed and peered at him. "you....I've already analysed your performance. You don't need to do anything more." He whispered with a bored look.

Eru stepped back with a pout. "now what do we do master," he whispered.

"Hang on tight," Lumian whispered with a mysterious grin on his face.

"Huh? What," Eru was puzzled as to what his master was implying. Most of the time, his uncle talked in riddles that were hard to understand. He sighed and glanced at the other as if they understood. They were also equally confused.

Biting the bullet, he stepped forward again. "Master, what do you mean by it,"

"Literally, you guys have to hang on to that," he pointed to a slim branch of the world tree. It was low hanging and worn out, as if it was used as a pull-up bar.

"All three of you are talented, that's for sure, but…..none of you guys are flexible. So hang on to that branch until I say so,"

All three nodded and walked up the branch. It was high as deric's head, so he easily hanged on to it. Next, silas too hung on it like a little monkey. It was still tall for Eru, so he jumped and jumped until his hands could reach the branch.

"what are you doing," Lumian whispered in a wooden voice.

All three of them peered at him with a confused look. "Hanging on," they whispered.

Lumian stepped forward and dragged them down each by their legs. "this is not the hanging on I was talking about. You have to use your legs as well,"

Knowing that his students did not understand his instruction, he himself demonstrated it. "First step," He jumped onto the branch and twisted so that his legs were looped on it. He then hung upside down with his hands hanging around. "Second step," he wrapped his hands around so that his head popped out in between his folded legs. "This is how you hang on,"

Eru watched this with his mouth agape. 'isn't this similar to the practice method of shaolin monks?' In his past life he had seen a documentary of how shaolin monks train, and this was one of their morning dexterity training.

All of them hesitantly watched, but none stepped forward.

Sighing, Deric stepped up and hung wrapped himself on the branch. His face was contorted and in pain, but still he held on tightly.

Watching this, Eru and silas stepped forward as well.

Silas was easily able to bend himself like that because he was used to hanging upside down on the training course.

But Eru, on the other hand, found it really hard to get into the position. He was able to hang upside down, but winding his hands around the branch was another issue. He could barely move back or the front.

"Eru, you look like washed laundry hanging there. You have to wrap your hands around," Lumian said after a while.

Eru nodded. He tried, he really did, but he was not able to bring his body to be that flexible. Sighing, he hung there gazing at his uncle with a pitiful look.

Lumian sighed and helped him down. "You two continue. You come here," he summoned Eru forward and told him to stand with his legs wide open. "Now I want you to do a split."

"what! But master I can't,"

"Then you just have to learn to," Lumian whispered and sat down next to him. He helped him spread his legs. But they won't budge beyond a level. Unfortunately, he failed to make splits as well.

"No wonder, you skipped training so much that your muscles have tightened up. Do your warm up exercise throughout the day," Lumian said and walked back to the foyer.

Eru watched him sit there with tears in his heart. 'My usual training was much easier compared to this, ah. I really shouldn't have skipped it,' he internally cried, but still, he did the entire warm-up exercises.

Soon, both Deric and Silas were told to come down from the branch, but Eru was still training. A tantalising scent of roasted meat wafted through the air as Lumian brought in lunch for the two. They ate their lunch while he watched them with envy.

"Master, what about me," Eru whispered expectedly.

"Until you finish your training, no food," Lumian whispered and sued the two into the house.

Eru stood, mouth agape, watching them leave him all alone. "Uncle, you are supposed to help me train my magic, not in weapons. Please spare this torture," he cried.