The Five [COMPLETED]

Part Eight

I stood in the Training Courtyard, my head held high. It had been six  years since that incident; six years since Matthew promised me that he would always be there for me, no matter what. Over the course of those two years, we had been sent on numerous missions. I sighed softly as I remembered the first mission we were ever sent on. We had to travel to a village far from the Jade Palace. It took a couple of weeks to get there, and when we did, we found out about a group of mafia that had been attacking the villagers and stealing their possessions. There was where I had my very first real fight. I had fought my comrades numerous times in the Courtyard, but it was nothing like fighting the mafia. They were larger and much stronger than we were, but it was our determination and courage that helped us to win against them. It was so hard! And I was so scared that I would be killed in battle. But we came out alright. When we returned to the Jade Palace, a feast had been held in our honour. The entire Valley celebrated our first victory for about a week. 

And as time went on, we had more victories. Claimed more fame. It wasn't long before people from other towns and even cities began to recognize who we were. Our names were whispered throughout the whole of China. Stories of our victories and legends of how we attained our strength and skill were passed from generation to generation. And Sifu could not be more proud of what we had acheived. 

He and I had come a long way since that last confrontation. He hadn't beaten us in a long time. As for my comrades and I . . . we're working on it. We're much closer than we ever used to be; unified from having to work together to formulate plans and fight enemies. The others have stopped trying to make me more social and have accepted my hardcore nature. I remembered overhearing their conversation in the kitchen when they thought I was asleep. "We can't change her," Matthew had said. "It's her own choice as to how she acts, so we're just gonna have to learn to live with it." Lowering his voice, he had added, "We know what she's going through anyway." At the time, I had been extremely homesick, wanting to meet who my real parents were and seeing if they loved me. I spent many nights venting my thoughts and emotions to my comrades in my dorm. They had listened respectfully and offered  brief, to-the-point comfort and reassurance to me. I refused to cry in front of them. There was only so much they needed to take. They didn't have to listen to my pathetic hiccups as tears streamed down my face once they had left. Actually, we had all been supportive of each other in this way, talking and listening. I suppose it made me feel more part of the comradeship; being able to take part in these emotional meetings in the one's dorm. After a while, I got over it. Or so they thought. A part of me still longed for the day that I could meet my parents, see what Australia looked like. According to Sifu, all five of us had managed to develop Australian accents. He didn't know how, apart from the fact that it could have been the English tutor's influence, since he was Australian and could have taught us how to pronounce words like an Australian would. 

When he spoke to us before training, Sifu would normally pace back and forth. But today, he stood still, watching us. "Students," he began formally. I watched him swallow nervously. "There are many things we have to do today, and I fear we will not get enough time to cover everything that we must do." He pressed his lips together, his eyes darting from one of us to the other. I exchanged a look with Mark, who was beside me. "What's his problem?" I muttered to him.

Mark shrugged. "He certainly seems a bit edgy," he replied. I turned my attention back to Sifu, seeing that he had regained his usual composed stance. "Today, you will be moving up another level of training." My eyes widened as he spoke and gestured towards the large doors behind him. "Today is the day you will begin training in the Training Hall."

"Finally!" I cried in excitement. I froze once I realised what I had just done. I just showed emotion. I am such an idiot! Warmth crept up my neck and onto my cheeks. My comrades were looking at me peculiarly. I cleared my throat and stepped back into place, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground.