The Peacekeepers

Part Two; Chapter Twenty-Three

Amazing strength

Training resumed the next morning. I wear these weights everywhere. When I eat, when I sleep, when I train as according to Ren's instructions. I barely notice that they're on anymore. I'm able to block or dodge every arrow he shoots at me even with these weights on. I've never felt this fast in my entire life! It's incredible, I can feel it building up inside of me. It's almost terrifying. I'm at the point where I'm legitimately afraid of my own strength.

Within another month I was able to run a mile in four and a half minutes flat, when he fires an arrow at me I'm able to dodge it or block it with ease and the occassional one that does hit me the pain is minimal. Practically nonexsistant.

Ren didn't do much other than this. He increased my cardio and my reflexes to damn near superhuman levels. But one day he would teach me a technique to surpass any I had learned in all my years of fighting and training. He took me out to the forest near the building and we approached a small maple tree. It was about as thick as I was and fairly tall.

"What are we doing here master?" I asked.

"Just observe." He replies.

He takes his elaborate martial arts stance. He started breathing deeply. Inhaling through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. He was tensing up every muscle in his body. I watched his muscles bulge and sweat poar out of his body and his face turned a bright red.

He shouted as loud as he could and drove his fist into the tree. The leaves shook along with the trunk. He was breathing heavily. Like he had just ran a marathon.

"Go around and look at the back of the tree." He panted.

As I walked around I began to see less of his arm. When I got to the other side of the tree I saw that his entire arm was through the tree!

I was simply dumbfounded! Amazed at the unrealistic strength this old man possessed! It was inhuman!

"How in the Hell did you do that? That was amazing!" I exclaimed.

He pulled his arm out of the tree. As he pulled it out the slinters in his arms just slid right off.

"If you focus and learn to control every muscle in your body with perfect precision, like I can, You can do everything better. You can tense up certain muscles in your body and make them hard as a rock. Or you can loosen them and move with more speed than you ever thought you could. But it takes a massive strain on your heart. Overdo it and it will kill you."

"Master! Please teach me that! If I can do that for even a second I could beat Crimson with no problem!"

He smiled and chuckled a little and then, as if right on cue, grips his chest in pain and drops to his knees panting and sweating. I run over to help him get up.

"This is why I cannot fight Crimson and his men nor can I assist you in your fight no matter how bad I want to. My heart is simply too weak and it would give out. But you're young, strong and getting stronger by the day. You're the only one who can beat that abomination." I helped him up to his feet.

"I'll teach you Drake but you must promise me to never use it unless you're left with no other choice. It is a last resort, nothing more. Am I understood Drake?"

I nod my head and tell him that I understand perfectly. I walked with him into the basketball court. We got in the middle and he sat down cross legged and told me to sit down in front of him.

"Close your eyes Drake. Just relax and allow me to trust you with this knowledge I will gift you with."

I obeyed and began breathing slowly and steadily. I felt the palm of his hand press against my forehead softly. His breathing was in sync with mine.

"May your hands be steady. May your feet be swift. Should the worst come to pass, may you be granted forgiveness."
I opened my eyes back up. "What was that?" I asked.

"That was a fighter's blessing. I say it before every fight. If I must fight, I pray. Simple as that. It clears my mind and allows me to focus on the task at hand. I just wanted to teach it to you. Now close your eyes and relax."

I closed my eyes and relaxed. We meditated for... I don't know how long. Hours maybe? He taught me his skills, taught me how to focus on my surroundings. He gave me a sense of awareness beyond anything I'd ever had before. From the basketball court I could literally smell a deer in the woods, I could hear the slightest rush of air pass me. All this just from meditation? It's unbelievable. I don't know how this is all possible but I have a sense of clarity like never before.

It's been nearly a year already. I pray I'll be ready and that The Peacekeeper's training is as successful as mine has been...