Trials of the Worthy 3

Chapter 17

"Sa kadaghan sa adlaw, pagsugod ug trabaho sa isa."

After the hilarious incident in the morning, during the start of the run, they wanted to do revenge to the boy who have done it. But the warrior supervising them were giving stares of warning. It was more than enough for them not to head the revenge they were planning. Running half the day drained the soul out of them.

And this is true for the two who was also running the whole day yesterday. They are now feeling the soul sucked out of themselves!

"Trainees! Time's up for resting that lazy asses of yours! Get up!", it was another warrior, Kabuntagon. He is the vice captain of the second squad. He has the reputation of being strict and stick to the rule.

Isog was observing the other trainees like him. They were all kids in his age but he is far more alert about that girl than the rest of the boys. She is the fiercest in his mind. It is now stamped in him now.

The warrior speaking before them is giving them introduction about their training. In the village, every kid desire to grow up and become a warrior.

"You are all kids, immature and clumsy. You all haven't faced what is life outside the village. You must all know that this is the only space around where you are safe to walk, wander a little bit outside and you are no longer safe. You can lose your head, you hands, you feet to the predators and enemies. That is why, we, the warriors exist. We are tasked with clearing and protecting this spot of land. This is the place where you don't have the need to fight for freedom every day. But make no mistake, the fathers before you and the ancestors before them have already paid this piece of land you are standing now with their life and freedom, for the generations to come have a land to start fighting for freedom. You will be the next tasked to protect it. You will all swear to have your sweat, tears, blood and life shed to protect this land. You were living in innocent peace before because you haven't known how much was the price paid to keep this land ours. And now you do, the time has come for the rest of you to shoulder the price of keeping this land. The world beyond the border is wild and unforgiving, sharp fangs of wild animals and blood thirsty barbarians are waiting to devour you the moment you let your guard down. You all have not seen it yet, but before the time for you to see it, you must all prepare yourself."

Warriors have something in their eyes that when they aren't expressing with their mouths, the eyes was silently speaking in a stare. The young trainees all see is the fierce glaring of the veteran's eyes but when one grows older with experience, they will understand that in the eyes were hope for the next generation. They have seen how cruel the world is, they pity those who are going to continue the battle they are right in. It was a bloody age, and they have been through a lot of pain. They've lost a comrade, a friend, a mentor, a father. It was pain out there, but somebody have to become the wall to shoulder that pain.

In the eyes of the warrior, they have no choice but harden themselves and face the pain. Those who are behind their back are worth protecting for they too have been shielded by a brave warrior before .

"FREE!", the warrior standing before the bunch of trainees shouted at the top of his lungs. Kabuntagon was infecting the trainees the spirit of a warrior.

"TO WALK IN LAND AND SOAR IN THE SKY!", the trainees answered. They were not ready to say it. Some shouted in half-hearted voice, others was muted by hesitation. It wasn't clean and sharp, and there was no spirit in it unlike when the veteran warriors shout it.

"What are you? Bunch of pigs, cowards and weaklings?", Kabuntagon was acting angry on what he heard. It is expected for the first time but it doesn't mean it should be tolerated. No, it should be corrected, the best time to do the right thing is to give the correction the moment they have done the mistake.

What they are shouting right now is the motto of the warrior. 'Free to walk in land and soar in the sky'.

It was just a plain words for those who have not really understand what it mean. The meaning can plainly be understood even when you hear it for the first time, but when one have lived through hardships and sacrifice, a whole new meaning was added unto it.

Everybody have an interpretation to it but the thing is when one is able to really feel and formulate their own interpretation, the words have already rooted deep into their daily life.

Kabuntagon was looking right into the eyes of each trainee. It was understandable that they have hard time looking back at him. Only after a few seconds of continuous eye contact that they have the strength and confidence to do it.

"FREE! "

Kabuntagon initiated the chant.

"TO WALK IN LAND AND SOAR IN THE SKY! ", the trainees replied.

"FREE! "

"TO WALK IN LAND AND SOAR IN THE SKY!"

Now the trainees were catching the fire of the spirit. Their voices were chanting with intensity, every passing second have dig deeper and deeper into their buried spirit.

"FREE! TO WALK IN THE LAND AND SOAR IN THE SKY!".

A slow burn was heating up inside the trainees, a fervent passion slowly rising inside them. Their hands were clenched into fists, their jaws showing the strength of a weak trying to summon it all. They were all young and fire was shaping them.

Kabuntagon was looking into the eyes of each trainees before him. He can see the innocent passion in them, one that burns brightly rather easily but burns out faster too. They easily catch fire but also faster to extinguish.

But there was one that was different among them.

It wasn't burning as bright as the others but he can feel the intensity of it. It doesn't show easily like the other young trainees but it was far more intense. It was an eye of veteran, no, the eyes of those who have understand.

The eyes wasn't burning with visible light but it was heating up far more intense.

Kabuntagon has been looking into the eyes of different individuals since the time he can remember. He knows the eyes of a father, a mother, a lover. The eyes of those who are happy, grieving, those of who are hopeful and excited.

But this eye is a mismatch for his age, he is too young to possess such kind of eye. Eye is truly the window of one's soul. You can see what kind of person an individual is through their eyes.

The desire, the ambition, the struggles, and their future.

This one has a different soul. A spirit of something big was behind such eyes.

Isog was staring too at the warrior, he did not even think of blinking. He is feeling again what he felt when the Chief, his grandfather looked into his eyes. As if they can see deeper into him.

Isog was feeling the pressure just from eye contact. It must be the aura by those who have lived through deaths and suffering.

"FREE TO WALK IN LAND AND SOAR IN THE SKY!"

They were shouting as if they are exerting themselves over the land and giving declaration to the sky.

A spirit of a warrior was possessing them.