= Man's Pride =
Slumped in the mud, Orson looked up at the young master. Quieting sitting, he watched the young master, seeing his teeth clench, fist grasping at his sides, holding his stance firm. Wrinkling his face, abruptly staring, he couldn’t understand, why was this young master so strong. Orson had coppers to scrap for, a mission, a goal to achieve. What did young master need to work so hard to achieve? Sitting in the mud, grasping grass, his eyes arched into a competitive-fierce glare. This would only the beginning; he wouldn’t let this be end. Orson’s shoulders slouched, he wouldn’t admit defeat but he would admit young master was a formidable rival.
Sinking more into the mud, Orson started to compare himself more to the young master Orson was a commoner, a second son to a cook not even a warrior son, and a man, he knew no letters or numbers. He was only a year older so he had to make it count.
Young master, Linley Baruch, was the eldest son and heir to the Baruch clan, which ruled over the Wushan town. The Baruch clan was an extremely old clan, thousands of years old, making Linley a noble young master who read books and wrote his letters with elegance. Currently it had only three members remaining, but it was still a noble clan. There is clan leader, Hogg Baruch whose eldest son Linley was six while the younger son Wharton Baruch was just two years olds. Orson had heard, the mother when she gave birth to the young son, she died in the midst of childbirth. Even the grandfather had supposedly died long ago in some battle.
Orson’s felt no pity for the young master whom he counted as his rival.
Orson continued to watch until Linley’s legs muscles finally strained to their utmost limit; his legs trembled on the ground before his willpower couldn’t hold him. At last, Orson was on Linley’s level again, in the mud in the middle grassy field yet only the cloud seemed to give away the sun to him, casting Orson’s into his shadow.
“Linley, how do you feel” Smiling, Hillman walked towards him.
Dirtier than ever, Orson noticed Linley cracked a smile, revealing his small canines “I’m fine, Uncle Hillman.” Orson knew as caption of the Baruch clan’s guardsmen, Hillman had watched Linley grow up but he pressed his lip together as he saw how close they were.
“Well done. You acted like a man.” Orson openly watched, Hillman giving Linley words of praised while patting him on the head. The clouds darken above Orson, while the hair Linley’s head tousled with warm endearment, Orson recognized this boy may be enemy as while as a rival.
“Haha” Linley’s laugh knifed a deep hole on Orson heart. He couldn’t be satisfied with this failure either.
After sitting in the mud for a while, the exercises continued. Though, the teenagers’ training looked terrifying stricter, Orson knew that would change with the passage of time. As the days rolled by, He wouldn’t sit in the mud for longer than last time. One day, He would one day push others in the mud from the thrust of his sword.
The large group of children, including Orson group of six to eight year olds, were lying down with their heads and their feet each on top of a flat rock, relying solely on the strength in their waist to keep straight.
“The waist and the thighs form a triangular region.” Hillman gestured with his hands to show the area he was describing.
“This area is a person nucleus. Speed and power all come from this triangular nucleus, making this region extremely important.” Orson didn’t want disregard his Hillman’s words but he could barely filter in the content. Never liking to listen to complex speeches, Orson big brother spent many days on the same material. Believing, building one’s muscles was only way to build a man’s path to success. Orson firmly believed, the feeble nobles, not real men minded trained on other matters,
Orson believed he should just keep building only his muscle and pushing others down to make in the world. He strongly believed only young masters could afford to wasted time on unimportant matters.
“Tighten that up! Your waists need to be straight!” Hillman thundered at the tiny souls on the ground barely standing on the ground.
Showing his new rival his commoner’s sprit, Orson attempted to do as Hillman commanded, his back becoming flatter than the flat rock. He didn’t care about his pain in belly; it would only make him stronger.
“Thud!” The first child fell down.
Orson smiled a bit, Hadley had been the first one to fall once more. He wouldn’t be pickled plum of a man anymore.
Orson’s had been weak, even as a baby. He hadn’t been healthy enough to started training until a year after most kids had started. Given that he was a year behind, for him he it meant he had to work thrice as hard under the others kids contempt.
“Thud!” ”Thud!” As time went on, more and more children could no longer hold out.
Frank, David, Ash plopped on to the ground, Orson didn’t except anyone to last long than him this time. Unconsciously, his brows narrow, the abnormally, hard working young master didn’t seem even wasn’t even little unstable but Orson couldn’t help anymore as knees started to pull him closer to the ground.
Orson’s perception was becoming distorted, why wouldn’t young master fall down? Unlike, Orson he shouldn’t have anything to prove. Surely, the young master didn’t need to risk being sick or stressed. Maybe being stuck inside reading books makes you stupid, there’s no other explanation. Wasting time on books as dummed the young master. Only commoner’s like himself knew the truth, books are dangerous, Orson’s reinforced his beliefs,.
“Thud!” “Thud!” “Thud!” time the enemy of boys and men to be passed its judgment, on more and more children fell beside Orson. Orson body felt gained weigh instead of muscle as more time passed by.
Orson started to waiver, his ambition hurt by his lack of will.
‘It is okay, I worked plenty hard to today, there’s no need feel this pain. Even coming in second place, people will remember me. People will recall my strength, I not a weakling anymore. It’s only the first day; there is no need to be dum like young master.’
Reliving his clenched teeth, droping his eyes, mud coming near, his willpower was no more. As he sat, the mud eased away the pains. Eyes softening until he no longer eyed the young master as rival, he gave without reluctance the young master his pity along with his respect. His formal rival, the young master was stupid but he stood above the rest of them not as a noble but with his strength as a man, which was the reason for Orson’s respect.
More and more children fell yet young master’s spirit didn’t seem to sway. Fleeting, childish rivalry forgotten, Orson started root for the stupid young master, gotta hold for just a bit more. Believing the young master should hold out more than the rest.since he was stupider than the rest, working so hard only on Day One.
At this point, Orson started to miss many of Hillman’s words. Though, he still held him as god, he started to revaluate Linley to a different level then the rest of children. Standing above the others who sat in the mud, he was only boy yet he held the strength of a man. Unfortunately, like most nobles… well maybe even more than others, the young master became stupid. The books had made young master stupid and clearly foolish, young master shouldn’t work hard since he ate on gold plates and others wipe his butt. Orson brows creased, who knew what this young master would do? He might feed a wild magical beast or play games with a black panther.
‘Hmm… but wouldn’t he make a decent leader with his strength as long as I back him’ Orson concluded his vision with a final thought.
As long as I am second to this man, the town would be safe for his family, future dutiful wife, and his unborn son. Nodding his head to his thoughts, Orson became sure of the township of Wushan’s future. He would be the shadow of leader of Wushan which kept young master Linley’s stupidity in check.
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“Thud” young master, the last one of Orson’s group had finally lost his strength.
“That feels good!” Linley eyes hadn’t fallen, only his body.
Orson raised his head meet Linley’s eyes, with his own honey glazed eyes covered in shadows of his deeper ambitions for his future. Keeping this man safe, would ensure he wasn’t just a captain but kind man who controlled decisions of the town.
Grinnly at his thoughts, Orson had decided his life end.
“All of you must remember. Your body is like a vessel, like a wineglass. Battle Qi is like the wine! The amount of wine a vessel can hold is dependent on the size of the vessel. Same goes for the body; a person’s ability to practice battle Qi is based on the extent of his training. If his body is too weak, even if he gains access to powerful Battle QI manuals, his body won’t be able to hold much Battle Qi, and he still won’t become a powerful warrior.” Orson felt Hillman was continuing to drag on pointless materials. Being born week, Orson knew that everyday meant pushing his body harder to become stronger.
Already stronger than this morning, Orson found only value in hard sweat mixed with blood. He hated words especially those on paper which he couldn’t understand. He found using his muscles the only way he could make progress in life. He only admired those with strength.
“Today’s training ends now,” Hillman announcement made Orson’s happy. He was ready to let the current take away his failures.
“Uncle Hillman, tell us some stories!” Orson’s wind ended abruptly as the other children immediately began to call out. It was expected, every day, after dawn lessons, Hillman would tell them the stories of his army days, or some events which happened on the continent.
Thirsting for glory and adventures which he would be apart when he joined the battlefield, Orson’s became caught up in the other children pace. Eager to hear more tells of bravery, justice and man’s honor on the battlefield, the only speeches which keep Orson’s attention.
“Today, I will tell you about the legendary four supreme Warrior bloodlines which everyone in the continent knows about.” Orson’s hadn’t heard about these warriors before this moment. He didn’t like people who depended on bloodlines to live out their lives. How could a man be proud of his work if he hadn’t done the effort to achieve it himself?
Orson ears closed; there shouldn’t be much to valor from tales of men who leaned on blood. He wanted to hear more of men who fought for their strength. These men were true men. Looking at the clouds, Orson continued day dream of women until he was free to go play.
Walking to the river, Orson grinned, there was group ahead at the river. Orson eyes showed childish excitement, He saw some familiar faces, Hall, Klad, Frank, Jon, and young master. It been to long seen played games with friends. Usually, he helped out at home or was resting in bed. Today, he would use his new muscles to have fun.
“Orson, come over “young master motioned his hands in the air for Orson to hurry.
Orson adding more trots to his steps came closer, ready to play games to test his strength.
“What are we playing?” Orson asked in a friendly manner to his best friend.
“It’s the best, best, best game ever but I not sure you can handle it” Hadley smirked before Linley hit him in the back of the head.
“Are you sure, Hadley you should be saying that” without out attending to tease him, the young master calmly stated the facts.
Approaching the group, Orson didn’t understand why the young master would help someone other than themselves; it was man over man world.
“We’re testing our strength with these stones, the person who skips it the farthest is winner” ignoring Hadley feelings, frank answered.
Time passes by; the boys continued to skips stones until one of them noticed a shining stone in the water.
One of them asks “Is that magical beast’s core”.
Doubt and ambition shown in all the boys before responding together “it can’t be”
“But what if it” Jon innocently asks.
All of the children, they were aware of the value of the magical stones. Each magical stone had a different valued but one of them could be worth hundreds of coins. Hundreds Gold coins, could ensure their family wouldn’t starve for many years. Surprising, the first to suggest retrieving the stone was the young master.
“Let’s check the value of the stone”
After early training, everyone would have willing to followed a safe plan drevied from Linley but Orson had unexpectedly jumped in the river.
Plopping into the river, Orson thought it would be simple to retrieve the stone. Early, He had resigned himself in not besting everyone in training, so this was a way for Orson to regain his manly honor. Retrieving the stone, he would get some achievement for today. He had no doubts in his ability to swim.
Moving his legs back in forward, Orson reached stone in the deep waters of the river. Grasping the stone in hand, Orson started to head back. Only several feet away from his friends, the current changed. At accelerating speeds, the rushing waters started to push Orson down the river. Orson could only bop up for air as went farther and deeper down the river. Kicking hard, Orson felt his body had become cotton and fragile once more. No, It was weaker than ever, he didn’t have enough strength, Orson knew he was going to die.
Without losing any seconds, Linley called for Orson’s rescue. Racing to ahead of current, He brought the guys together to form a man like rope to reach Orson. Forming the end rung, Linley reached his hand to drowning Orson.
Red eyes and teary, Orson grabbed Linley’s hand before going deeper and farther away. Safely arriving on solid ground, his body shook from the shock. Rubbing his arms for warmth, He recalled his weak muscles which weren’t anything to mighty river whom almost taken him below. He hadn’t thought he would survive.
After all, why would anyone risk their lives for him, he is not child of a wealthy merchant, or a noblemen son. His parents had another son who already stronger than his fragile born self. He is nobody, he has no worth or value. He man whose story wouldn’t be told. Orson could only stare at dripping people and wide eyed at the people.
“That was a close call.” Linley calmly stated, shaking his arms to rid himself of the water
“Good thing there was enough of us” jolly stated Hall.
“Darn, good old TEAM work is the man’s pride.” Jon imitated Hillman’s voice
“Ha, Ha”, escaping death, Orson laughed . He wouldn't be fighting his battles alone, he would do like he always done and work on a man's pride.
Clothes soaked in dirty water, sitting yet again in the mud, Orson finally could look up at the sun.
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