Punky Fu

They had planned for this escape for some time. Starken had gained access to the training grounds by volunteering as a trainer for the soldiers. Lathica had primed the battlements for their departure. The time was upon them. Loading up their weapons, they escaped silently into the night. Guqin music accompanied them on their journey.

Guiding the wagon, Starken took them to a secret, hidden entrance in rear. They grabbed their equipment, unlocked the portal and entered. The Training Grounds were new and pristine, a shrine dedicated the the deadliest of art forms. Lathica turned around and ‘round, marveling at the facilities. It was cool in the cave-like room. The lights were plenty, but minimal.

Starken suggested that they begin their training with an age old body movement routine. While Starken had practiced the movements repeatedly over his lifetime, some of them were brand new to Lathica. She stood before the padded mat like a novice swimmer on a high dive. Her body was telling her not to jump… but her mind - and Starken - were telling her to do just the opposite. Her heart raced in her chest and blood flushed her face. It was time.

She jumped.

She executed a nearly perfect dive and tuck. The landing was a bit awkward, but considering it was her first, her starting point was remarkable. A rush of adrenalin flooded her system and she rolled to her feet. “The ground is your friend,” reminded Starken. She just might believe him, but it would take some time.

Over and over again, Starken showed her the ways of the ancients - the two of their bodies moving in tribute to the ancestral warriors of before. Every day objects and body parts became weapons. Weapons became extensions of body parts. They flowed from one training style to the next, seamlessly.

Lathica marveled at her body’s performance. She was doing things she had never imagined possible. Even though they were pushing their endurance beyond anything prior, she felt strong, invulnerable. The seed of indomitable will had already been planted, and now with each physical challenge mastered, they watered and feed that seed. Out of breath and sweaty, she pushed herself again and again. The old becoming new, the familiar becoming unfamiliar.

And when the pain of being a seed became too much, she burst forth and bloomed into martial artistry.

The biggest obstacle any warrior will ever have to overcome is herself. It’s not learning the motions, but the BELIEF that they can effectively become part of one’s self to burst forth when the time is right. The experienced fighter knows that confidence is only gained through effort; that is, you do first, and then you gain in confidence as a result. (To wait for confidence to arrive before you actually try something, is to spend eternity in “almost there.”)

So you do what you think is not possible for you, and then you do some more. And you do this again and again until you master your greatest asset: yourself. That is, you become your own art.

And that, more than any physical obstacle is what the Training is about. Tonight, Lathica joined the training tradition of “The Fist of the Land.” Tonight, the victory came from within.

They finished their training for the time being. Exploring the grounds further, they found a place to spend some time meditatively cooling down, and traded massages on trembling muscles. They knew at that moment that this refuge would become their sanctuary.

Exiting the Grounds, they made sure to put everything back in its place, leaving no sign of their time there. The mounted up the wagons and headed for home, stopping only long enough to quench the raging hunger they had earned in their stomachs. The food had never tasted better.

Of course, this was part of the training: when you live your life on the edge, when each moment is crucial, you are more alive than you will ever be otherwise.

Back at home - though the night told them it was time for sleep, Lathica and Starken had one last priority. In the chill of their bedroom, they joined their bodies together for another intimacy: the celebration of their union.

Finally, lighting a fire in the sleeping chamber …