That evening, after every recruit was well beyond tired, Wu Jin announced they were finally ready to start the spars.
"I know you're exhausted. If you think the monsters will stop when you are tired, you're mistaken. If you think you're enemies give a damn about your physical state, you're wrong. We are about to find out who's hungry. You and you." Wu Jin pointed at two recruits. "Up... Now."
The two boys stood and made their way to the center of the circle that had been formed.
"Names." Wu Jin ordered.
"Ilho, sir."
"Woo, sir"
The boys bowed. Wu Jin raised his hand. "Begin."
The first spar didnt last long. Woo did his best to connect attacks on Ilho, he was too small, too fast. Blue watched in awe. "That boy is trash? He's better than some of those golden spoon recruits at the tryouts."
Ilho finally finished toying with Woo, feinted left. Moved right, swept the boy's legs and put his fist to the boy's face. Woo threw both hands up. "You win."
Wu Jin threw Ilho his extra bag of rations for the day. He didn't acknowledge the fight, or give any praise.
The next hour went on as much of the same. Recruits were called, they fought, they received rations or they didn’t.
"Blue!" Wu Jin called.
That got Ilho's attention. All day Wu Jin said 'you' and never called recruits by their name, until Blue.
"You're the odd man out." Wu Jin gestured. "So I have someone for you to spar with."
A man in Silent Edge's uniform walked over. "He's third rate, like you. Do your best." Wu Jin dangled a bag of rations to tease him.
Blue stepped up and bowed. The other man bowed, and immediately dashed at Blue. No ceremony. No waiting on Wu Jin's signal.
He swung, Blue ducked, as he did he was met with a knee headed right to his head. His arms raised just in time to stop it. Blue pushed down then drove forward. Arms wrapped around the man. As Blue drove him forward the man twisted and threw Blue. He slid and stopped on knee. He ran at the man, feinted left. Trying to copy Ilho’s movements. As he did, a fist met his jaw and sent him crashing to the ground.
"Enough." Wu Jin yelled.
"You are all dismissed, use your time wisely." Wu Jin and the trainers walked off without a word. The recruits all followed suit.
Blue sat in the empty courtyard as the sun dipped. "I can't use his footwork, the qi, I'm back to where I was as a child." Blue's fist hit the ground.
As Blue looked up, a bag of rations hit him in the face.
"You know, they say imitation is a form of flattery. Though, I wouldn't call what you did imitation." Ilho sat next to Blue, who already had a riceball in his mouth.
"DwEeN TeEtch mWe." Blue said.
Ilho leaned his head sideways and looked at Blue.
He swallowed. "Then teach me, damn it." Blue locked eyes with Ilho.
Ilho leaned back and grabbed a stick, slammed it against the ground and stood. "Stand. Now. Wall runs."
Blue stood and bowed toward lho. They both laughed.
"You really don't know much do you? Yet Wu Jin calls you by name, why?"
They both sat down. "I'm not sure either." He looked at Ilho. "You seem to know alot. Are you some disgraced heir?" Blue asked.
"Ha, I'm just a guy who survived and was found by Wu Cheng, and given a chance." Ilho smiled.
"Now, let's work on that footwork, because that spar was embarassing." Ilho stood once more.
The two spent the next few hours sparring and training, until the moon was high in the sky.
The next month passed in much of the same way. Physical training, breathing technique, the rod, and ending in spars for extra rations. When night came and everyone else went into their rooms, Ilho and Blue trained.
One night as the two boys trained, they noticed someone watching. Ilho picked up a rock and hurled it.
"Oww, damn it man, that really hurt!" The boy said as he approached Ilho and Blue.
"Snoop much?" Blue asked.
"Not really, couldn't sleep. Kept dreaming about that damned rod." The boy sat down across from them. "I'm Jinhu. Do Jinhu."
Blue and Ilho looked at each other and laughed. "We know, you're the overgrown child who's manhandled everyone so far." Blue said.
Jinhu pointed to himself "Me?"
"And, you're a little slow too, obviously." Ilho giggled.
"What are you two doing out here, anyway." Jinhu looked confused.
"Training forms, Twilight Flow. We only have a month left." Ilho said.
"True, and I don’t know about you, but I don't want to suffer the rod for another two months."
"Thats a good call. Mind if I join?" Jinhu asked.
Ilho stood. "If you can keep up."
Blue grabbed the big stick the boys had hidden, their own version of... the rod.
CRACK.
"Wall runs. Now. Touch the top. Or starve." Blue barked.
Jinhu stood up immediately and ran toward the wall.
"Yeah, he's definitely a little lacking in the brains department." The two boys fell out laughing as Jinhu continued to do wall runs.
On the roof of the barracks, Wu Jin sat and watched the three boys. Mu Jang and Sa Gwan sat next to him. "They remind me of us..." Mu Jang exclaimed. "...That is if Sa Gwan would open his damn mouth every once in awhile."
Sa Gwan shrugged his shoulders.
"What do you think?" Wu Jin looked between the two.
Sa Gwan pointed at Ilho and nodded his head.
Mu Jang laughed. "The dumb one would work perfectly."
"And the rest?" Wu Jins demeanor changed.
"I fear most of this batch of recruits won't cut it. Those three, may have the future of Silent Edge on their shoulders and they don't even know it yet."
Sa Gwan smiled. "Those three are birds of a feather." He looked at Mu Jang. "Not too unlike us at all.
"Well, by Buddha he speaks." Mu Jang leaned back.
"The tournament is only a few months away. If they master Twilight Flow. Can you have them ready?" Wu Jin asked.
Both men nodded.
"Good, because I'm tired of being the Alliance’s dogs."
The three of them sat in silence the rest of the night and watched the boys. They watched them train, laugh, knowing full well the weight of what was to come.