The Peacekeepers

Part Two; Chapter Twenty-One

Master Ren

I dreamt of Alice and the Peacekeepers' compound last night. As a group of dark figures approached it from the distance the screams of children gradually became louder and the sky got darker and darker. The compound was engulfed in flames and as the sky got darker the flames grew higher and brighter. I saw Sheamas half alive, beaten to a pulp so bad I could barely recognize him. Gideon was slowly being bent in half. Bones cracked and flesh stretched and ruptured and his blood poured over the figure holding him and finally Alice... Alice was being held by her neck by another black figure smiling a bright white smile. She's gasping for air as the veins in her throat throb and her face gets redder and redder. Without a moments hesitation the figure snaps her little neck like a twig. Before I could scream myself awake an elbow being driven into my gut does the job for me.

I scream in pain and this old man grabs my ankles and throws me off the bed. My face slams into the hard tile floor. I can't do anything other than stand up and prepare myself for more pain. I have no clue what he plans on doing to me. But I'm willing to stay here and take it.

"I had told you to wake up three times boy!" He screamed in my face.

I had no idea how to reply so I figured it would be best to just keep my mouth shut. For a very old man he has an very loud voice. The scars on his face are complimented by his grey hair and his skinney muscle tone doesn't fit his actual strength. He has a fairly wrinkled face and dark eyes and the start of cataracts in the left one.

"Your training will begin momentarily. Go to the basketball court and stand in the middle of the half court line and do not move a single muscle."

I obeyed him as I weakly walked to the center of the worn, faded court. I wait for a few minutes and he casually walks out with a recurve bow and a quiver full of arrows. He turned toward me with a half cocked smile.

"How fast do you think you really are boy?" He smiles. Full of teeth with a pinch of insanity mixed in.

"He's not... Holy shit this man is a lunatic!" I thought. He's gonna kll me!

"My name is Ren, but you shall not call me that. You will respect me with the title of master. Is that understood?"

"Yes master." That sounds really strange the first few times saying it.

He knocks an arrow onto the bowstring, raises it directly at me and slowly pulls it back. I hear the squeaking and the tension of the bowstring. Thankfully the arrows are tip-less so they shouldn't kill me. Unless they go through my eye, then I'm a dead man.

"Dodge!" He shouts the second he releases his grip on the string. Before I can react the arrow flies through the air and bounces off my shoulder.

Now, there are no words, known or unknown, to the English language this kind of pain. The only two that come close are:

"Ow! Fuck!" I howled and grabbed my shoulder and doubled over in pain on the cold wood floor. I find myself breathing so hard and fast that I begin to feel dizzy. I hear him laughing his ass off.

"I told you to dodge it! Disobey me and the punishment is pain! See how this works boy? Try again!"

I'm doing this on an empty stomach. I'm not even close to as fast and focused as I usually am. I'm not able to think straight and it's nearly impossible to focus.

"Master!" I called to him pitifully. "Please let me eat something! I haven't ate in two days! I'm in no condition to-" I'm cut off by another arrow passing between my arms and slamming into my stomach. I grab it in agony and flip over facing the ground. I feel like I'm about to puke my guts out but all I get is a few dry heaves and a small amount of water. I can't breath and feel like I'm gonna pass out.