I am currently heading to the backgarden, moving as quickly as I can walk.
The house is much bigger from the inside than out, I was told it was thanks to a talisman spell.
"Mr.Leon, we are coming to watch you". Orgis's son shouts, behind him is his sister.
They both give cheeky laughs, but further behind them I look to see their mother.
Both her hands are on her hips, she looks at them with a strictness even I tense at.
"Oris and Marie. You still need to do your studies!" She shouts at them, she points to a room further down the hall.
Their faces drop, knowing they are in trouble. both of them run to her and drop to their knee and begin begging.
"Mummy, please." Marie pleads with her mum.
Oris stands up then hides behind his sister.
"Leon you can go ahead". She waves me off with the back of her hand, I nod and head to the garden.
Behind me I hear both of them squeal.
"Mum, let go of my ear". Marie says with a crying voice.
"Same for me!" Oris copies.
As I grow further the squeals quiet down.
I enter the back garden and see Orgis meditating.
He opens his eyes and faces me.
I give a light bow and apologise for making him wait.
"I am sorry for making you wait sir".
He waves my bow off.
"No need for apologies, I heard those two bickering, so no need to worry. Just follow me, it's mostly my fault for spoiling them."
He gives a small laugh at the end.
He walks into the direction of the left gazebo, the gazebo is plain brown with plants decorated around it.
Statues of wolf like monsters sat upon the railings.
As we entered the gazebo it expanded into different sections, we entered within a small practice arena.
He grabs a bag and pulls some bandages out.
"Do you know how to wrap these?". He says looking at me,
He places the bag on his shoulders.
"Yes I do, I have had some chances to learn while I practiced medicine."
I tell him truthfully.
"That makes things a lot easier nice!" He throws me a roll of bandages.
"Wrap up!" He says before heading to the open area of the arena.
I follow as i am told.
Having not done it in a good while, it took me a few moments.
Once I am done I face Orgis.
"Alright, I'm going to see your punching posture".
He moves his hands and fingers shaping them into runic symbols, on the final symbol a brown mist shoots up from the ground and becomes a pillar of earth.
My eyes widen in shock, even being informed before hand about mystic powers wasn't enough to hide the shock.
My brain once again releases a calming stimulus.
Orgis looks to my hands.
"You did a good job!, alright so you are going to punch this with all your might!, it'll hurt but please do it".
He compliments me and tells me the obvious.
"To be honest I have never punched, ever in my life. I've never had the chance too."
I look to him with a flat face, saying there's no need for a test. I have never punched so I don't know how too.
Orgis leans on the rock pillar, and looks at me with a grin,
"Haha, boy. I need to see how you punch, I never said how many times you have."
"That is true". I don't try to argue against him.
"Alright punch it".
He moves out to the side while gesturing me to walk forward and punch the rock pillar.
I walk up, I bring up both my fists infront of my chin, I pivot my feet to better my posture and swing.
My fist hits the pillar, I did a hook punch. My fist now aches and blood leaks into the bandages, but when I looked to the damage, I saw a small indent. Something I definitely wouldn't have been able to have done on earth.
I look to Orgis who is thinking, he is deeply analyzing my punch.
"A good punch, better posture than I thought. I can definitely tell you have never thrown a punch, wonder how that's possible..".
He compliments me on my punch. But also believes full fact that I've never thrown one.
Realizing the actual stupidness now, who in a era of medieval hadn't thrown a punch?, I shake my head in cringe hoping he just skips over the subject.
"I'll just assume you lived peacefully." He shrugs clearly not caring too much.
"Well no matter now, you are now here, in a dangerous world. You will need to learn how to fight and I'll help you."
Assuring me of his stance towards me I smile, glad that he isn't pressuring me into sharing information, definitely personal information.
'I know this is a cultivation world, but it seems pretty controlled.. so what does he mean by dangerous,
since I can probably get a proper job somewhere once I am more adept.'
I continplate on Orgis's words.
'He's an inhabitant so I should value his words.' Shaking my questioning against him I choose to believe.
He shifts his hands forming runic symbols the pillar forms into a wind gust blasting my blonde hair in a frenzy, while Orgis's slightly moves.
"Okay, to fight there's something essential that you must have. That thing is stamina, this can ensure your own survival in many situations."
He faces me after the gust moves away.
"I have prepared you a proper Taoist robe, one built for running." He happily guides me to a changing room then mentions how he has bought me a new robe.
"Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to look after it!" I tell him my thank yous, his smile widens. He pats my back once again.
"No need to, I have chosen to take you in, so is it not my obligation to also buyyou clothes."
He states with proper intention, showing his sencerity and pride.
"Thank..." I try to say once more, but he just shoves me into the room.
"Just get changed already, I really don't need your thanks".
Orgis sighs, I don't catch the words he says only hearing the sigh before the slamming door.
The room was evidently big, I ignore this and get dressed.
I am now dressed in a plain brown robe that feels flexible to move in, it has no special symbols or sigils on it, but the quality of the fabric is clearly high.
I walk with better form towards the arena.
"Looks good!" Orgis states with a thumbs up, on his far left I see what I know are weights, but with stones attached to them.
I point toward them;
"Am I going to be lifting weights?"
He looks at me and shakes his head.
"Nope, you'll do some running, come on let's go". We leave the house and go to a close hillside within the savanna.
I touch the dry ground, it feels rocky.
'I should probably begin jogging about, my body does feel a little tight'.
I begin readying myself for a long run by pacing up and down.
I start to get a better feel of my body.
I look ahead on the trail Orgis has set me, I see a line of white flags, clearly meant to show me they way.
I do my last stretch.
Orgis who had remained quite this whole time begins to speak.
"We will start right now, I'll meet you ahead". He says playfully, he begins his run. He was quick enough to the point it felt like a car going by.
"Wow.." I state my surprise and astonishment with a plain wow.
I too begin my run, albet a lot slower.
Huff* Huff*
I pass the first marker which Orgis set, it measures 160 meters away from the start point.
I continue ahead, feeling only slightly out of breath.
I reach the next marker which is the same distance a way, my stride has slightly slowed. Up ahead I see Orgis with a massive smile.
He shouts to me.
"Your doing much better than I thought, come keep going!"
He waves his hand to tell me to follow him.
He then begins his run once more.
'Fast!' I think as I continue my run, he truly is running like a galloping horse. What I see before me is super human prowess.
'He is scarier than those wolves..'. I reflect on being chased by the wolves, realising how slow they actually were.
I continue my running to the next marker while sweat begins to form, also starting to become exhausted. I continue on, knowing I still have more drive within me.
'I hope one day I'll be like Orgis'.
I jog on, taking in the scenery I had entirely ignored while I was hungry and dehydrated. The savanna is vast and empty, only a few plants could be seen.
The trees were more plentiful but none blanketed me from the blazing heat.
I reach the next marker, now my legs are beginning to fail me.
'I wish I could rest'.
Knowing I need to reach Orgis who is far ahead of me I do not allow my legs to stop.
-Orgis-
"He's doing well." Malle says while clinging to Orgis.
Orgis smiles in agreement, while chewing on a sweet.
"Yep, I can tell just from gazing at him, his talent is extraordinary. He will definitely become a somebody." Orgis says with confidence and belief.
His eyes remain fixed onto Leon, even with the difference in latitude.
"Seems to me once he's trained, the only thing he'll lack is experience, I might bring him over to the squad."
Orgis tells his wife, she peaks her head up in interest.
"Hmm, isn't that something you'd have to talk to the commander about?, he is talented. But he could always be a spy.."
She replies but before she could finish Orgis cuts her off.
"He is no spy, do not worry. First off, the commander will have no issue bringing. Plus stop tryna annoy me".
After he says this he pulls her in and tightly hugs her.
"You know why I want to be commander, I am still upset that I was placed to be a vice." He huffs a sigh.
"Yeah, yeah." She sarcastically groans while she pushes a way from him, he pulls her in for a kiss.
Her eyes blow up in shock.
"Hey, not here!" She yells after slapping his muscular chest.
"Okay, okay." He puts his hands up in defeat.
He then returns to his usual state.
"Alright then, have you brought the ingredients?"
He says while seeing Leon's peering figure in the distance.
"Mhm, here look". The ring on her index finger glows, three strings of blue qi spring out of it and the form of a mushroom, pear and a 200 year old ginseng are shown.
"Very good!, thank you. We will be needing them later on".
He thanks her, which causes her to smile, seeing her smile he too couldn't help but smile.
"My baby, your so pretty!" He states while picking her up and squeezing her.
She doesn't resist.
-Leon-
I am reaching my next checkpoint, I feel as if I am dying.
'I could wholeheartedly just faint right now'. My eyes shake in delirium, each stride I make I feel the shaking in my legs and the feeling of lost balance.
But I continue.
'This is the longest..longest I've ever ran'. My thoughts begin to strain.
Every time I force a breath, it feels as if it's escaping. While I taste the metallic of my blood.
By how far I've ran I've probably travelled more than 12 miles.
'How many more…'. Defeat slowly creeps into my mind, the wanting to stop becoming evermore dominant.
The feeling of fainting grows.
'I can push past this'. I think to myself, my will fights the exhaustion. My stride slower than i first started begins to revert to that of an average mans pace,
'I clearly have a enchanted body, come on'. I continue to tell myself, when I began this run, my speed was equivalent to that of a flying hawk.
As I slowly thought, I feel a loss of oxygen and instantly faint right before reaching the next marker unable to hold on.
"He fainted. I'll get him, he did better than I thought". Orgises body glows blue while shifting his feet in oval motions,
He activates his footwalk, and instantly appears before Leon.
"You did well". He says while placing him upon his shoulder, a look of genuine pride and respect lingered on his face.
Leon was fast asleep.