The great Hunt

We sat upstairs facing each other while drinking tea in silence. I guess enjoying tea in silence was never master's thing as he soon broke the silence.

"So what brings you here kid, I know you aren't here just to talk rubbish with this old man."

"You can't say that, what if I'm here only to talk with master, I might have missed you, you know?" I answered with a cheeky smile while sipping on tea.

"Silly brat, you still think you can lie to this bag of bones? Should I beat some truth into you?"

"I'm joking master, I'm joking, jeez you might get some sense of humor you know, you won't find a wife with that grumpy look of yours."

"What does my face have to do with anything, it's what's inside that matters the most, men are supposed to be heroic and full of valor, not some wimpy pretty boy whose face can rival his other half but with a bird brain…"

"You are right but that doesn't mean you need to work on further damaging that face of yours, you've done quite a fine work on it so far…"

"Oi kid you calling this old man ugly?"

"Seems like your hearing is bad with your old age master, I said you've done quite a fine work on it…"

"Silly kid, when will you use that sharp tongue of yours for something good instead of bootlicking this old man and tricking people."

"I'm not tricking anyone master, I'm just so likeable that people believe me everything, I don't even have to trick them."

"Wipe those snots kiddo, you are still acting childishly I see…"

"Hey master, how about you teach me the great hunt? It's the only thing you haven't taught me so far…"

"Before you always lacked a beast spirit inside you, I don't know what you've been up to recently but you have changed somewhat kiddo, ever since you stepped inside this dojo every time you smiled that cheeky smile of yours I can feel like a wolf is staring at me."

"Oh that, I'm playing a wonderful game now master, you should try it, it's a real heaven for martial fanatics like you, there are many mythical monsters there with whom you can battle with, it's a good place for growing skills."

"A game huh, well I might check it out if it's good as you say, but if you trick me kiddo I'll wring your arms like wet cloth."

"Such vivid descriptions master, I'm looking forward to it, I hope I won't disappoint you."

"Well now you do have basic requirements for learning the great hunt, but I won't teach you now, you can come at weekend I'll prepare everything by then."

"Oh master is such a good person; he is willing to teach his only disciple everything he knows."

"Oi quit with the bootlicking this old man isn't interested in it, tell me are those wild friends of your also playing the game?"

"Oh my friends? Of course they are, well not all of them but soon enough everyone will join, I told you it's a good place, it's like all the myths combining with reality, wouldn't it be exciting fighting all kinds of monsters old man?"

"You seem rather interested in convincing this old man, what's in it for you?"

"Why do you say that, it looks like I'm a bad person who won't do anything for others unless there's something in it for me?"

"Well isn't that the truth? Quit acting like you are something you clearly aren't, that head of yours is full of all kinds of crap but it suits you, it's what makes you who you are."

"Oh is it snowing outside, my master just said something good about me, it must be something wrong."

"Oi kiddo drop the acting or I'll wring your head and make an owl out of you."

"Tsk, such a ruthless master, never caring for his only disciple, well anyway master, I'm on my way then, I'll try and visit you soon but we will see each other on weekend for sure."

I stood up after saying my goodbye and I can still hear my master murmur to himself "This smelly kid, if I didn't withhold teaching him the great hunt he would've never visited this bag of bones." I chuckle at that sentence. Smelly old man, I would've visited you even if the sky was falling, can't leave you alone before I find you a woman to take care of that grumpy face of yours.

As I walked back home I started thinking about the first time I visited this place, I was trying to find some place to train myself, never for a second I thought about finding myself a master to teach me about combat, I was thinking it was enough if I just practice the way Gabriel told me to practice, but going around I noticed that every dojo required paying a high monthly fee, which of course I couldn't afford, only this dojo was for free but there were rumors about old man beating people up whenever they show up.

I ignored those rumors and came to check it out considering it's not far from home and it's supposedly free, as you can probably guess I was beaten black and blue first time I ever came here, I went complaining to guys about it and they of course laugher their asses of looking at my condition, but they told me something that interested me and I started to change my mind. "Why don't you just learn from him then kick his ass with his own teachings?" That's what Marko told me to do and I did think at that time it was a great idea. I must admit that I was being afraid I would turn into some kind of a masochist with the amount of beating I received there but in time I started knowing more and more about the old man and soon enough I started learning almost everything there is about combat. Gabriel did teach me some techniques and stuff like that, but it was mostly my master who taught me about combat.