Meeting Master Leao

Master Leao is always at the martial arts hall. That is his office and he rarely leaves there, except at nights.

Most times, when you enter the martial arts hall, you either meet Master Leao punching thin air while doing back flips and sending kicks mid-air or sitting with his legs crossed inside and his hands stretched out making a V shape.

That's Master Leao in summary. Train, train, and train. He would spar with everyone in class standing on one spot and anyone who manages to make him move a leg would be given something.

We would put our all into the spar with him, and fight like our lives depend on it. For sure, we know Master Leao was a man of his word and his gift would not be little either so we fight for the reward.

Only one student has managed to make Master Leao move his legs. Notwithstanding that it was through sly means. That student was me.

I had offered to spar with the master that day. I was bent on making him move a leg and a good idea popped up in my head.

'As long as his leg moves, it is enough, right?' I thought.

The fight started and everyone waited for me to run at Master Leao as every other student does but there was something else that I was observing. After about 10 seconds, I walked slowly toward Master Leao and sent a punch when I was an arm's length away.

That was not my plan. I waited for him to block my punch and then send a punch with his other hand. He did as I had expected and returned the punch. Then I struck.

He thought I would retrieve my hand when he blocked the punch but I didn't. When he sent his punch, simultaneously, I tickled his ribcage.

His punch was delivered and I took it head-on. My tickle was also delivered, he took them head-on too and he was sitting on the floor, laughing like crazy.

When I entered the hall, I met Master Leao sitting in a meditating position. I stood in the middle of the hall not far away from him. I was waiting for him to finish whatever thing that he was doing.

"I know you are here. Come and sit" Master Leao said more in a whisper.

I went and sat on the vacant side of the mattress. He stopped his meditation and faced me.

"Can you tell me everything that happened during your fight" he requested?

I explained the things that happened during the fight to him including the white circle. I didn't leave a thing out.

"What was the energy that grew inside of me? I asked.

"You are different," he said.

He stood up and went to a room on the other end of the hall. A room that has always been locked for as long as I've known the martial arts hall. I've never seen it open.

I once thought it was a toilet because of the kind of odor that comes out of it. When Master Leao opened the room, it was a room full of weapons. A lot of them, stacked upon each other.

I stood up and went closer. The odor that always comes out of the room was a result of the rusted weapons. There are wooden weapons as well as real weapons.

"Before they started using those guns and other weapons, these are the weapons they use to fight. We taught students how to use these weapons in martial arts but it has now stopped since the school now considers it useless."

He picked a wooden sword and threw it at me and he also picked another. He closed the door and faced me.

"When we fight, try to activate that energy again. Don't worry, if it grows beyond what you can control, I can always take it out," he said.

I was confused as to why he wanted us to fight all of a sudden. Not like I could beat him or provide competition for him. I held the sword tightly in my hands and took a fighting stance.

I closed my eyes and tried to activate the energy. I tried several times but I could not see the white circle. I opened my eyes and explained to Master Leao. He said we should spar a little maybe it would activate. We did and nothing happened.

"Have you ever been trained to use a sword?" he asked.

"Yes, but just a little." Geo had taught me how to use some weapons then including swords.

"You might not be able to regain your energy now, perhaps, because you have not regained all your energy. I want to know how the energy itself works so we will do more on it later," he said.

He took the sword from me and returned it and his own back to the storage room. He went back to the mattress and sat down. I followed since he hasn't asked me to leave.

Master Leao's expression changed when we sat down. His face was gloomy and it looks like he has a lot on his mind.

"Is everything okay sir?" I asked. He looks at me for some time before replying.

"I know you care about those around you and I know you will do anything to protect them. That's why I want to tell you this.

I am not supposed to disclose this as a teacher in school. I got the information by chance too. They don't know that I do. Some people in this school are working with the Outsiders, the people invading Silverland.

They want to attack Silverland from inside and they'll start with the school since it supplies talented fighters to the military. I don't know about it in detail but I'll give you as much information that would help you.

You'll be going on an excursion or expedition soon. It is during this excursion that they intend to carry out their plan. I don't know about it in detail as I have said, but they intend to kill you all.

I know you have not regained your energy but while you are trying to regain it, get the students that you know you can trust and bring them to me. At most 5-7 students. The excursion is a few weeks away and you need to get as strong as you can.

I'll train you to use weapons and I will figure out how your energy works before you return. Make sure you bring the students to me before the end of this week," he said.

It was so much to take in as I left the hall. The school that we thought was safe has been invaded too. I still have a score to settle with those that killed my Dad, people are quite good at getting on nerves. I ran across the school to my dorm.