Onju Martial Academy 2

Left with no option, he turned back to carry out the task. He tried lifting one of the bamboo sticks, but it was as if he had just lifted a rock. Beads of sweat formed on his face as he dropped the bamboo stick hurriedly. He almost fell down due to exhaustion.

It was almost thirty minutes, he watched how others were carrying the bamboo with their patner. They would carry the edges, one person on each side, and that makes things easy.

Unlike him without no one to do that with. Amidst that, an idea came to his mind. How about rolling the bamboo sticks on the floor to their destination? That seems good! He thought.

Without wasting time further, he stood up and began rolling the bamboo sticks on the floor as one would roll a mat.

It wasn't easy, but it seemed better than just sitting down and not doing anything. Gently and slowly, he was able to roll a bamboo stick to its destination.

-

It was the hour of the horse already [11am-1pm]. Roshan was able to roll fifty-eight bamboo sticks. Meanwhile, some had already completed their tasks, while others were close to finishing.

He was already panting heavily, so he decided to get some rest. He had barely leaned against the wall when drops of rain began falling. The cloud became dark and it unleashed a heavy rain fall on them.

By then, others were done so they returned back to the base to avoid the rain. Roshan wanted to go back to the base too, but he wasn't done with his. Others could only return because they were done with theirs, but not him.

He rose up and went back to rolling the bamboo sticks inside the rain. The heavy rain drenched him and it was harder for him to roll the bamboo sticks because of the rain.

But he didn't give up, he kept on rolling it. He rolled them faster with all his might because he knew he was getting short of time.

Just then, a young man of his age approached him. He took one Roshan's bamboo and began to roll it to its destination.

"You, who are you? What are you doing?" Roshan asked him with confusion.

"I am here to help. Let's do this quickly." The man replied curtly and continued to roll Roshan's bamboo stick to their destination.

With the man's help, Roshan was able to move over eighty bamboo sticks to their destination. Unfortunately, time was up already and Roshan had not moved all of his bamboo sticks.

The coach, had already come out to inspect their work. The rain had stopped already, the coach approached their works with hefty men trailing behind him.

They were four pairs there except Roshan who had no pair. The coach complimented the work of the first two pairs, however when he got to the third pair work, one of the bamboo had split into two.

"Where are the pairs that moved these bamboo?" The coach queried with fury. They came forward and one of them is the girl that had asked question earlier.

"You! I had known you will be a bad egg. I only told you to move the bamboo to the other side. Did I tell you to split them?"

"I.. I am sorry master. It was a mistake." The young girl and her patner pleaded but the man wasn't in for it.

"Both you and your pair. Go and face the sun for the next two hours!" The man said heartlesssly and walked away.

Fear consumed Roshan, if one could be punished for splitting the bamboo when carrying it, what will happen to him that couldn't move all before the time? Since the man hadn't reached his side, he quickly went back to his bamboo and started moving them to avoid being punished.

"You!!!" A voice roared from Roshan's back.

"What do you think you are doing?" Roshan trembled. He turned around and met master Lucas deadly gaze on him.

"I am sorry, master."

"Shut it! You still think you are the crown prince? This is Onju Martial Academy. We don't tolerate brats like you!"

"For this, you shall be severely punished!"

"Pu…punished? What is my offence? You didn't even give me a patner.."

"Shut up! You this lowly idiot. I will teach you a lesson. Guards!!! Hold him!" Master Lucas ordered fiercely and two hefty men went ahead to hold Roshan down..

"Let's see what he even did. You!!! You didn't even finish the task that was given to you. What insolent? I will take this as defying me."

"And not only you will be punished. You too." He pointed to the other boy that came to help him earlier. How dare you move someone else bamboo without seeking for permission?"

"Uhhhm. Tie them to a tree of shame and give them ten lashes each!"

"What? Master, what are you doing?" Roshan countered. "He was just helping me!"

"Make his twenty lashes!" Master Lucas retorted and pointed to Roshan.

"Twenty…. Ok then, add his to mine. Please." Roshan pleaded.

"Don't worry, it is my punishment, I will gladly take it." The man replied.

"Whatever! We are Onju martial academy and we follow our own rules!" Master Lucas yelled and walked away with a faint smile on his face.

The guards dragged Roshan and the other man to a tree of shame and tied them down. Roshan's blood boiled, why is the master so cruel? Now wonder he was warned not to go there.

Thud*

A loud sound resonated from Roshan's back, he was being hit with a wooden cane. If felt like hell, pain filled every part of his body.

It was the first time being beaten. Subconsciously, tear rolled down his face. Amidst that, another hit landed on his back and it continued. The pain was too much for him, he bit his lower lips to suppress the pain.

A thud sound came from his side too, it was the man that helped him earlier that was being beaten.

"Should… I just..die?" He muttered to himself as hot tears continued to roll down his face.