Dance between Mortals and Immortals

Chapter 5.4

*Swack*

"Again..."

*Swack*

"Again..."

*Swack*

"Again..."

"Not good enough! We cannot afford for you to be weak. Son! Keep on going!" the voice turned to two nearby guards. "Do not allow him to quit until he cannot lift his arms any longer."

"As you command Lord!" The two guards did a salute bowing their heads slightly as they did.

The smacking of the wooden practice katana began to echo in the distance as Crown Prince Ashikaga Ryoma walked away. The selection ceremony was only a couple days away and his son needed to be strong for the challenges ahead. He was confident his son would gain the favor of a powerful deity, but he couldn't afford to make any risks. The inner court was far more competitive than his son was used to thus far an unfortunate side effect of being so isolated from the world.

Ezio, his youngest son, was one of his more…talented children and though each of his children could be considered great talents he had a special place for his youngest…perhaps all parents have a special place for their youngest child.

…

Ezio watched his master perform several attacks in repetition. Master Sada was otherworldly in how quick his strikes were, perhaps even his father would be hard pressed to challenge him. Ezio watched starry eyed waiting for his master to finish his morning practice. The sun had yet to rise over the sky, but still was close enough that the darkened sky had given away to a cool morning light that Ezio particularly enjoyed looking at. It was this brief moment that he felt true tranquility.

"Ashikaga Ezio!"

Ezio's eyes snapped back to his master who was dripping with sweat despite the cool morning breeze. Sada Yoshida wasn't bulky or large just average build, but every inch of his body was as it was chiseled from granite he was at the pinnacle of physical conditioning. Sada Yoshida was a legendary figure and up until Master Cui Xinya was the youngest master ever in the history of the Phoenix academy… which Ezio assumed was the reason he disliked her so much.

"Take off your tunic and join me." He said waving Ezio over to him.

"Yes sir!" Ezio cried out as he swiftly stripped down.

They stood side by side Ezio mimicking his master's motions as they went through the motions over and over, letting the sun peak over the horizon and begin to beat on their back. They practiced in silence letting the morning calm give them peace of mind. Something about the repetition was relaxing despite all their muscles screaming out for them to stop.

After almost an hour Master Sada broke the silence. "Ezio physical conditioning are essential to giving you the best state of mind and body for the rest of the day. It will also aid in your cultivation. One whose body is at peak levels will be able to cultivate longer and more ki will flow through your body. Never forget no matter how sore you need to physically prepare yourself before you do anything." Sada said as he spun the sword in his hand hitting the katana against the practice board.

"Thank you for the wisdom master." Ezio nodded his father's philosophy and Master Sada's was quite similar.

They continued their training until the sun had reached a quarter up into the sky. Ezio had sweat dripping down his muscular back comparing his still growing body to Master Sada made him look scrawny which was hardly the case for a 14 year old Ezio was quite developed compared to the average man, but you simply could not compare a lifetime of combat and training to his few years on this world. Once they finished Master Sada grabbed two washcloths tossing one into his student's face.

"Second rule young Ezio. Always eat a good breakfast in the morning."

Ezio smiled as he followed his master into their main hall.

…

Rize slept in her new bedroom that was in one of the smaller buildings of her master's courtyard. It was the best sleep she had gotten in a long time her body was completely exhausted from all the built up stress over the last couple months when she wasn't sure if she would make it, but now that she had her own master Rize felt like she could rest a bit longer it was quite calming. The sun hadn't risen yet, but she was sure that sleeping a bit longer wouldn't harm. Closing her eyes again she gave a gentle sigh.

"Tell me..." a shadowy figure stood over her bed that Rize had not noticed. "Is my new disciple so lazy that she does not get up at an appropriate time? Or is it that she thinks that this is a vacation since she passed my test yesterday?" An almost sinister like voice came from it in fact it felt more sinister at the moment than her new deity.

Rize's eyes popped open as she stared up at the person before her. Before her was her master who wore something that was not typical for her. She wore a training uniform that clung tightly around her body giving her an even more womanly appeal than before, but in a completely different sense. Her hair was tied tightly into a bun with two jade pins keeping it in place.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Cui Xinya said in a terrifying voice that spoke from between her clenched teeth. Her eyes stared intensely at Rize causing a shudder to go down her spine.

Rize looked outside the sun and had yet to even rise above the distant horizon, seeing the sun had yet to even rise Rize looked at her master puzzled.

"Get. Up." Her master said, smiling her mouth twitching slightly, giving her a crazed appearance that layered upon all the other horrifying feelings she was already sending out from her body language.

Rize propped herself onto her elbows as she sat up to stretch.

"I SAID! GET UP!" suddenly her master grabbed her bed from under her and pulled it out sending Rize flying onto the floor. Rize looked up at her master who had a crazy look to her eye.

"Minako Rize you have exactly two minutes to get outside dressed ready to go training with your master this morning or you will be cleaning the entire courtyard yourself and I will make sure the head servant gives you hell!" She said loudly enough for the neighboring courtyards to hear.

Rize watched stunned as her master left. What just happened? Is my new Master insane?

"You got one minute and thirty seconds now MINAKO!" her master's voice sounded out from the main courtyard sending Rize's heart to her feet.

Rize rushed and threw on her academy tunic and tied her hair up in her red ribbon before running out into the courtyard. Her master was tapping her fingers impatiently on her forearm as she waited for her student to approach.

"You only had ten seconds left Minako. Let me be clear before we start our morning routine... you will be out here before the sun rise every day for training expect to be sweaty every morning. Every night you will wash yourself in the hot springs with me and we will cultivate while soaking in the waters for one hour. Do you understand?"

"Yes Miss Xinya!" Rize bowed swiftly.

"Good today we will be building your endurance and speed. We will be running for distance with intervals of sprints in between."

"How far will we be going Miss Xinya?"

Cui Xinya looked up at the sky as she thought. "I think fifteen miles will be good today."

It took several seconds for Rize to realize what number her master had said. When she realized she indeed said fifteen miles, Rize gave a stunned look to her master if she were serious.

"Stop staring at me Minako it is uncanny with those eyes... shall we be off?" She said in more of a statement than a question.

The next moment her master launched off running towards the courtyard exit going much faster than Rize figured their pace would be for this many miles. Quickly catching up she matched the pace of her master. As an outer disciple it was not uncommon to do rigorous physical training.

…

A pair of hooded robed figures that wore white masks with various patterns inscribed in red on them that had nothing, but eye holes looked as the two women ran out of their courtyard the wind blowing their robes as they watched from high in the sky. They looked down from the upper level of Xi'an which was built next to and up the side of a mountain that signified the beginning of the Sato mountain rage that ran along the entire Sato empire's eastern coastline. The mountains were rugged and full of jungle, their peaks looked like fingers jutting up and down sharply before rising out of the mist again.

"Is that the one?" One of the voices who spoke with a light feather like yet manly voice that was concealed by the mask he wore. "She doesn't seem like much."

"Oh yes she is the one." Said a feminine voice seductively, whose voice was also concealed by the same type of mask. 

"Oh she is so perfect I can't wait to get my hands on her it will be glorious." She purred as she looked at the pair running out into the maze like city streets of Xi'an.

"What is so special about her?" The man said intrigued his voice rumbled as if coming from deep in his chest. He looked down on the young girl running next to the academy master Cui Xinya skeptical of his partner's claims.

"Even I do not fully know her potential. That is what is so very scary and incredible." The woman turned away walking back into the mountain forests. Her figure was a small build with an average height for a woman, but next to the man she looked particularly small as he towered far over her, his shoulders width nearly half her body's height. In any place even people considered above average would look small compared to himself.

"Hmmph we will see." The man grunted turning and following her back into the mountain's forests.