Chapter Seven

Mrs Micheal smiled and another tears strode down her chin dropping on Ken's trouser again " Sorry love, I was out to look for something now I'm back and will not leave you again,okay" She assured her son.

"Please mum don't leave again without me"

Mrs Michael smile grew broader as tears kept pouring down her chin.

"I love you my son" she said caressing Ken's chin.

Ken woke from his dream. It felt so real that he touched his trouser and noticed where the tears dropped in his dream was wet.

"Mom are you really dead?" He asked almost sobbing

"I didn't want to believe it but now it seems like it's the reality"

"Mom, I miss you and I don't know if I can do this without you" he began to sob.

"I never knew I'll be apart from you so soon" he said bringing out the handkerchief his mum made for him and squeezed it in his palm as he sobbed.

~~~

"Hey you! Wake up!" Same voice and words are heard in all three ward.

"Stand up! It's time"

"Time for what?" Ken asked the division guy

"Shut up! and do as you are asked to" he ordered

He untied them and led them out of the ward then they went to their separate guide for the training.

Ken and his instructor walked to a desert. His event was different from the previous one because it involved a mystical energy that is strong and powerful. Ken was asked to watch his guide closely so he can understand and learn his practices. The man knelt on the ground placing his hands on the ground with his palms pressing the soil as he closed his eyes.

After some moment, there was a strange wind almost causing an earthquake as it got stronger and wilder, it stopped as the man detached his palms from the soil and opened his eyes looking at the young lad. Ken was wondering how he could perform such powerful thing, he wasn't sure he could do it.

"Try it yourself young lad, don't just stand there looking at me" the man encouraged Ken

Ken stayed in the same position as the man, placing his palms on the soil with his eyes closed. He stayed in that position for a while but nothing happened instead he felt fire inside him that almost choked him to death, he started coughing out blood and after a long while of nothing happening was asked to stop. The man looked at him and shook his head in pity.

"So are you telling me that you are empty?" He asked

"Just hope you have the strength for martial art or else you will die soon" he warned Ken.

"Mr. Please what's the problem why I'm I not able to do what you did" Ken asked in curiosity.

"Because you have no spiritual energy" he told Ken. "Let's go young lad" he said.

"No!" Ken screamed "I don't want to die so you have to teach me" he cried.

"Young lad you have no energy for learning, if you persist you might injure yourself and will probably die sooner"

Ken and his instructor left the desert while he cried on their way.

~~~

Uther had a sword fight with a well trained boy about his age. He did not win neither did he loose he stood at the same chance with his opponent because he was taught the basics of fighting by his father even though he played with it. As he fought, each session of training he had with his father flashed back in his memory as he could hear him speak.

His father often told him that the world is about killing or be killed. This,he had in his mind through out the fighting session. The fight was over and the boy was going back but he looked at him as if they have met before and to Uther, the boy looked familiar. He tried figuring out where he met the boy until he saw the black mark on the boys head beside his ear.

He recognized the mark and remembered the boy playing with him in a sawmill before his head was slashed by a saw. The boy also recognized Uther as his friend back in their neighbourhood. They separated when Uther and his family relocated and have not heard or seen each other until that day. Despite, recognizing Uther the boy still maintained his indifferent attitude and left. Uther and his instructor also left for the division as he was wondering how his old friend ended up in the division.

~~~

"I heard you are a good fighter even at this tender age" the man said.

"Let's see what you've got" looking at Marshall with a mysterious smile. A guy dressed in black pants and singlet walked out with his chest heavy in muscles. Fear gripped Marshall, he was no match for the guy and he was much younger than the latter but what could he do, he had no choice but to fight. His instructor just sat down looking at him laughing.

"Move closer to the thin line" he ordered Marshall.

The fight began neither sword nor knives were used only hands. The guy beat Marshall to pulp. Marshall wasn't familiar with boxing, his father promised to teach him but never did until he died, he only knew how to fight with sword. Beside, the young man's strength was no match for his. Marshall weak and wounded still managed to walk to the division while his instructor mocked him.

~~~

Uther and Ken arrived division and are locked and tied in their seperate ward. Moments had passed and Marshall did not return, they became worried, several thoughts running through their mind. They were scared he died at the training or killed as there has been several threats relating to that. They were cut off their thoughts hearing the opening sound of Marshall's ward gate, they looked in curiousity hoping it was Marshall.