Flashback Perseverance

[Duce Hazimari]

Riverfall, 4 spring 400 AV "Again!"His father ordered making him go through the sequence of manuvers that he was just taught. The sun was setting in the horizon leaving an peaceful glow for the young Akalak that was training before the day had begun. "Again!" the order was called out as he restarted the sequence.Running toward the closest tree he punched it with his fist imagining that there was an actual opponet. Two!" his father called out and on command, Duce spun around and hit the trunk of the tree with his elbow causing him to wince in pain."Don't fight the pain. Let it in absorb it and let it flow in and out of your body. Three!". He tried to forget about the pain but could not do it. His elbow hurt and he felt the shock run up his arm and hit his shoulder making him stop the attack completley. Come on son! you almost had it why must you wince and wine like a baby? Duce looked at the ground with his head down. All of the other Akalak children trained with dummies or sparred with their fathers but no he had to punch trees. Sometimes he quesioned if his father could even fight let alone hold the title as a master warrior. Get up lets try this again! his father barked at him. That was the last straw. All of the anger had risen up out of him and made him lash out at his dad. He missed of course which had made him more angry. "You talk of fighting and all of these techniques and tell stories of your battles as a child. But can you yourself even land a hit onto an opponet? His father stood there with his face still in a scolding expression. He stared at Duce with a blank stare in his eyes as if there were no emotion as if he was else where. The two stood there neither moving staring at each other. It had come so fast that Duce didn't see it let alone have time to react to it. All he knew was that his jaw hurt and he was getting up off the ground. His father stood there in the same place in the same stance with the same look on his face. " How dare you disrespect me?" His father said now having a smirk on his face. " I teach you these things..In this manner so that you would know...would have something that no other have if not more. You don't need to know how to throw a punch or swing a weapon any one could do that. What you need is technique, composure, dexterity, and how to take a hard hit let alone know how and where to place one. His father stepped back from the tree that he was practicing on. Duce watched his father as demonstrated the move that he had failed to complete. Moving with speed that Duce had never witnessed until then, his father leaped forward and hit the tree with a jab that made the tree rattle its leaves. Spinning around in one move the adult Akalak connected his elbow with the trunk of the tree causing leaves to twirl from the branches. "And now to finish your opponet if neccesary. With his back turned to the tree, he pulled out his own Lakan and slid it into the tree with supurb speed, power and percision, and deep enough for the sap to bleed out onto the weapon. "Now when you are able to do that. Then you may challenge my authority...But unil then get back to your training. Duce stood strait up again working out his arm and exercising his elbow. The training for the day had ended hours ago but the words of his father had been echoing in his head, and his display had been playing over and over in his mind. "How did he do that? Duce asked himself over and over again after a failed attepmt to master the attack. Again and again over and over he rammed his elbow into the same tree as his father but alas did no gain any progress. " How does a man that old..That skinny..That lazy contain all of that power and speed inside of him?. He played his father's attack in his head once again. He sat and pondered it in his mind under the light of the moon. He even went as far as claiming it to be a trick or illusion."When you are able to do that...Then you may challenge my authority.. The words repeated in his head again. He was enraged now. Why could he not do it? What made him so weak that he could not strike something so simple as a tree. Before he had done things worse than this, pushing rocks, carring things heavier than he was. At one point his training consisted of pulling his father around town like a horse. Don't fight the pain absorb it. Let it travel in and out of you." he heard his father repeat in his head. He didn't understand he let the pain in. Each time he did the attack he didn't feel any pain until it settled in. Standing up he targeted the tree again. Exhaling he ran toward the tree as he saw his father. Closing his eyes he leaped foward and started with the jab. There was no pain. Spining around, he slammed his elbow into the tree trunk and as usual the pain started to make its way through his arm. "Let it flow in and out." he repeated the words of his father once again. He let out another breath and mimiced his father as if he had a Lakan and slammed his fist onto the bottom of the trunk. He was surprise at the fact that the pain had receeded, but he had to beat his father. Taking one step foward with his back still to the tree, he sent his foot backwards and connected it to the upper trunk with all the force he could manage out of his tired body. "So you finally decide to call it quits?" his father asked as he entered their home. "And I'm guessing by your gasping you ran home as to complete all of our training sessions? " Duce was hot, tired, hungry, and hurting. Walking up to his father he took out a small piece of tree bark out of his pocket and placed it in his fathers hand. "Tommorrow at sunrise we train again." Duce said making his way pass his father and into his room to gain as muh needed rest before the sun began to make its way back above the horizon.