The next morning, Vayu sat beside his father as he prepared his hunting gear. "Father" Vayu began asking carefully, "how do you all hunt? Do you go alone or in pairs, or everyone hunts together? And how deep do you go into the mountain? What if a beast shows up, something that you can't handle? Do you run or do u fight it".
His father chuckled, tying the rope around his waist. "So many questions at once, huh?" the he started answering Vayu's question one by one "We all hunt together, never leaving anyone behind. We don't go very deep into the mountain, as we circle around it instead. The weaker animals stay near the base, so we hunt there. Once the quota is full, we all return together, that's the rule we follow and if something comes, that we cannot handle we just run" his father said raising both hands near his shoulder.
Vayu was about to ask something stopped "go on say it" his father said.
"So… you never went inside the forest?"
"Inside the forest?" His father looked up, surprised for a moment, then laughed. "Why would we go there? We can't even cross the mountain's as it is very wide, and once I do wanted to go there but not anymore" he said
"why not" Vayu asked
"because we do meet some beast in the mountain and if they are that scary, I cant seem to imagine what that forest holds" his father replied.
Although Vayu's questions were answered but his mind wasn't at ease because when transferring the meat yesterday, he had seen the same deer he had seen in the forest. It even had the same markings on its hind leg. If they never went into the forest, then how they had the same deer?. He knew his father was lying, but he couldn't do anything else except letting it go, so he let it go for now, accepting his father's words. That morning, instead of heading towards the First Elder's office, Vayu turned toward the training center. The air was filled with the familiar sound of wooden weapons clashing and the faint scent of dust and sweat. His instructor, Kael stood near the rack of weapons, correcting a trainee's stance when he noticed Vayu walking in "Vayu" he called him with a smile on his face " What brings you here?"
"I wanted to learn the next techniques" Vayu replied.
Kael raised an eyebrow then nodded " I see, wait here" as no once except some instructors and village elders was allowed to go inside. Kael entered the library, the library itself was not very big if you round up the total number of books inside, it would be between 200-300. He walked toward the archive shelves and pulled out a box, inside it were 4 books. In this village, every combat technique was carefully written and preserved in a limited number of copies, usually four or five. It was a system born for both caution and necessity as too many copies are hard to track and keeping a single copy had a major disadvantage, if one was lost or damaged, the technique might vanish forever.
When Kael handed him the box, Vayu bowed slightly and after a short talk he started walking towards his home.
These are the four new techniques he can learn now.
6)Phantom Edge: it was a moment technique, to help you get into enemy's blind spot.
7)Iron Bloom: it was a technique used when you are unarmed, targeting enemy's vital points.
8)Lunar Fang: it was a stabbing techniques, just like when a predator bites its prey.
9)Void Rend: it uses enemy's momentum against himself, by disrupting their center or gravity and redirecting their energy.
When Vayu reached home, he didn't waste a single moment. After placing the wooden box carefully on his desk, he opened it and there were four books inside. His eyes glimmered with curiosity as he opened them one by one.
Phantom Edge.
The text described it as a movement technique, one that allowed the user to read their opponent's moment. Not by sight alone, but even by sensing their rhythm and breathing. It trained the body to move naturally into the opponent's blind spots.
Vayu smiled faintly. This could work against Manhul he thought. If he could predict his opponent's movement, even a giant like him can be catched off guard.
The next book was titled Iron Bloom.
Unlike the previous one, this technique focused on pure offense. It was built for unarmed combat, a series of strikes targeting the body's weak points, the nose, eardrums, throat, ribs, solar plexus. It taught precision and timing rather than brute strength. The name "Iron Bloom" symbolized the moment the body hardened like iron and then exploded with power, like a blooming flower of force.
He clenched his fists unconsciously as he read, feeling the pulse of energy in his knuckles. This can be very beneficial when his weapons were not with him.
The third was titled Lunar Fang.
It emphasized agility and timing, an offensive counter that relied on swift cuts during the narrow gap between an opponent's attack and retreat. The technique was inspired by the moon's gentle light, beautiful yet deadly. It demanded elegance and precision.
Finally, Vayu opened the last book — Void Rend.
It was the simplest, in words yet the hardest to comprehend. The book spoke about using an enemy's strength against them, using their own momentum to break their center of gravity and even redirecting an opponent's force to work against them. It wasn't just about countering it was about understanding motion itself, and to Vayu it was very hard to understand.
Vayu leaned back and exhaled, his mind spinning. Each of these techniques filled a different gap in his style. Phantom Edge could help him read the enemy while Iron Bloom would protect him when unarmed, Lunar Fang would sharpen his offense and Void Rend that could finally teach him how to handle people like Manhul, or perhaps… even something far greater. He put the books back inside the box neatly and looked toward the moon outside his window. Imaging himself and Manhul fighting and defeating him at last, a smile crept upon his face and his fist folded tightly.
"I'll master them all" he whispered.
Yesterday he told his situation to the First Elder, and she agreed without hesitation. From that day onward, Vayu stopped going to her office and focused entirely on his training. Every morning, he would head straight to the training room, immersing himself in the study of the new techniques, if he didn't understood something he would ask his father, his instructor or the first elder and to his surprise the first elder was very intelligent and she had answer for his every question. Days turned into weeks, and each technique that once felt foreign to him, slowly began to flow with precision. By the end of the month, he had finally started to understand the real meaning behind the techniques. Vayu stood in the training room breathing heavily sweat dripping from his chin. He had almost learned the first phase of every techniques but learning and using a technique were very different "but where can I use them?" he whispered to himself and Manhul's face popped up into his mind. Vayu quickly put on his tunic and hurried outside toward the First Elder's office. From there, he made his way into the backyard, looking for Manhul. To his surprise Manhul was there, eating as always. Watching Vayu enter the backyard Manhul waved, calling him over and invited him to join. Vayu refused at first, but when Manhul kept on insisting, he finally sat down beside him and took a bite. Vayu sat beside Manhul, quietly chewing and to his surprise the food was delicious, it was made out of a common root found inside the mountains and its taste was very plain but now, its earthy sweetness spread across his tongue, unlike anything he'd ever tasted before. Manhul, on the other hand, was completely immersed in his meal, humming happily as he ate, his puffed cheeks jiggling as he munched down his food. Crumbs of food scattered over his tunic, but he didn't seem to care. "Tasty, right?" he said between mouthfuls, grinning wide. After finishing his food Manhul leaned back, rubbing his belly. After a while, Manhul stretched and yawned "Now I'm full, its time for a nap". Before Vayu could say anything, he lay down right there under the shade of the tree, using his arm as a pillow and was asleep within seconds, and soon snores echoed softly in the backyard his behavior surprised Vayu a lot.
Vayu sighed, half amused and half annoyed. He had come here to fight, but somehow ended up sharing food with his opponent who seem to be the laziest man alive. He will come back tomorrow.
As Vayu walked back home, the sun had already begun to hide behind the mountains, casting long golden rays across the village paths. The air was cool, carrying the scent of damp soil. He kicked a pebble absentmindedly, his thoughts wandering.
Manhul was a strange fellow but still the first elder wouldn't have chosen him without reason, there is something he hadn't grasped about him yet, but he soon will. Determined he walked back towards his home.