Chapter 37 - Way of the Warrior

Soon they finished their morning training.

"Ok everyone break!"

Nessa ordered everyone and they all sat down on the benches provided for them at the side of the room. They sipped on water and waited for their heartbeats to slow down.

The morning training was an eye opener for them. They thought they were pretty good and had a high level of fitness compared to other kids their age, but the drill Nessa made them go through had almost drained them of their stamina. Muscles they didn't even know they had were aching.

Nessa looked at their tired faces with a smile and was gratified. They had performed better than she had imagined on their first day of training. She wouldn't push them too much today, instead she thought that she should let them know what they are training for.

"Tired?"

Maei and her wing looked at each other and decided to tell the truth. "Yes sir!"

"Thats ok. Its your first day after all. You did much better than I imagined. We won't be doing too much today. After you leave here you will all go and have a nice soak in water for a while and then meet me here after lunch. Now Disperse!"

"Yes Sir!"

Maei and her wing were truly exhausted but after hearing Nessa that they did good they were happy and all went to have a soak with a radiant smile on their faces.

They had the medicinal soak prescribed with lunch and reported to the training room once again feeling refreshed.

Nessa was already waiting for them.

"We won't be doing any more training today. Sit down."

Maei and her wing all sat down on the benches curious as to why they were called if there was no more training today.

"Can anyone tell me what being a warrior means?"

"Being strong to win against others?" Roi answered about what it means to him.

"Being strong enough to protect yourself?" Lili thought that's what a warrior is.

"To be able to protect the people they love and care about?" Maei answered as that was what she thought.

Nessa smiled. "You are all right but today I will tell you the way of the warrior. You all know that the first head rised up against the previous Kingdom because of the non-stop fights between all the races and the death of his loved ones. What you don't know is that there is another reason. He was tired of being a pawn of these rulers who only wanted to fill their own coffers but cared nothing for the people in the Kingdom.

"All wars are started by angry old men, but they are fought by young warriors who die for reasons that are beyond them. In the end, the same old men sit around tables and the war ends. Nothing is achieved. Nothing is gained. New faces move into old homes, and the sons of the dead, build families ready to feed new battleground graveyards. The first head understood there will be wars but wars should end in peace not in more senseless wars. That is when he rebelled against the old Kingdom.

"He created a new Empire for his people. He wanted them to know there is a difference between being a warrior and a killer. Nobody is born a warrior YOU choose to become one. You choose when you refuse to stay seated, when you refuse to back down, when you stand up to evil and suffering. YOU choose to be a warrior. You choose to live by choice not by chance, to be motivated and not manipulated, to be useful and not used, to make changes and not excuses, to excel but not compete senselessly, to listen to your inner voice rather than the random opinion of others. To take actions and do things that normal people can't and protect them.

"The warrior stands, ready to defend, ready to fight for those he protects. He is a warrior of virtue, a knight of conscience. When a warrior fights not for themselves, but for their team, when their most passionately sought goal is neither glory nor their own life's preservation, but to spend their substance for them, their people, not to abandon them, not to prove unworthy of them, then their heart truly has achieved contempt for death, and with that they transcends themselves and their actions touch the sublime. That is a true warrior."

There was silence when Nessa finished.

Maei had never thought of being such a warrior. For her it was enough as long as she could protect her family but Nessa's speech opened a whole new world for her.

'Yes why couldn't they do both? Why couldn't they protect themselves, their families and still be a warrior. A warrior is all those things and more.'

She looked at her wing mates and saw they were all deep in thought. They were all pondering the true meaning of warrior. Today they knew what they were truly training for.

She decided that she wanted to be a true warrior. Never would anyone make her do something she doesn't want to do. Never would anyone hurt her family or wing mates in her presence. Never would she let others opinions shake her beliefs. Never....Never.....

As she made her choice and choose her life path and, the mini her inside her dantian started to glow. Then there was a surge of power inside her and she quickly sat down in lotus position to absorb it.

She wasn't the only one. Roi and others also gained a huge enlightenment from Nessa's speech and all sat down to meditate.

Nessa looked at the kids who were all meditating and was astonished. How is it possible that they all gained insight from her speech at the same time? Her only goal this time was to let them know the way of the warrior, she didn't expect such a surprise.

She had to let the Battle School Master know and more importantly let someone guard the training room so that they are not disturbed from their meditation....