Limits

Chapter 24

"I will explain to you your training and the skills you are about to learn". He then asked a question "You've learned how to throw small weapons right?" to which I answer "Yes, you already know that". He smiled and asked "Do you know how this skill is called? I'm not talking about throwing weapons, any idiot can do that. You figured out how to do something else. Do you know what it is?"

I thought for a while and said "No, I don't know what you mean. I just learned how to throw the wooden daggers as fast and as accurately as I could" He smiled again and said "I'm asking about the way you handled your weapons". I thought some more and idea popped into my mind "Is it that I tried to hide them in my sleeves?"

To which he replied "Yes, that is what you were trying to do. Retrieve the wooden dagger from your sleeve and throw it at the same time. There is a certain name for such skills". I then asked "What is it then?" he replied while grinning "Hidden weapons". I was a bit stunned 'Didn't he refer to that last time? I though it's not really a skill but a convenience, the skill would be to throw these weapons'. I asked him "Hidden weapons? But how is that a skill, to me it was only the convenience of keeping my weapons hidden. If I wasn't restrained, I wouldn't do so."

To which Nick answered "That is correct. Hidden weapons have a history. This art was developed because of the same situation you are in. Moreover it was also developed by slave. Do you know who that slave was?" I was baffled. 'This skill was developed by a slave, just like me?' I said "No, I have no clue" to which he smiled and answered "It was very long time age. The person who developed this skill was Emperor Endros. Yes the one that founded this empire".

I was shocked. 'He was a slave? And he founded an empire? HOW?!' I screamed in my mind. Nick could see shock on my face and said "You don't know many things boy. Endros was not what history books and tales describe him as, no. He was evil, even more than I was in my prime time".

I had no words to say after hearing that. Then I thought about it and asked "What if you are lying? One person against all history books. Why should I believe you?" To which Nick snorted and said "I never said you should believe me. I only told you where the skill originates. If you don't want to believe, that it's your choice". I thought to myself 'I don't know, he doesn't seem to be lying and besides what purpose would that have?'

Nick then continued "He developed it and taught couple of disciples his art but he never perfected it, no. His disciples never perfected it either. It was much, much later that people manage to perfect this art to a seamless performance". So I asked curiously "Have you practiced it to the perfection?" to which he answered "No. I wasn't able to. I was not talented enough to do so. As I said, only much later people managed to perfect this art but that didn't mean there were loads of them. There were less of them throughout the history than the fingers on your hands ".
I said "It doesn't seem too hard though. I can hide my weapon in a sleeve and retrieve it anytime I want. I can also hide it anytime I want". To which he smiled and asked "You say those petty tricks of yours are the art of hidden weapons?" then he started laughing, hysterically! I decided I will just wait it out.

When he stopped laughing he said "No boy, Hidden Weapons Art is something else" and a five knives appeared out of nowhere on the wall in front of me. I didn't see any movement he made. I only saw the knives when they were already stuck into the wall. There was no sound either. I was so shocked my mouth was agape. Nick smiled and said "This is how the art looks like. There are variations to the hidden weapons art but of course you can't see this simple throw yet".

He continued "I will teach you the proper art of hidden weapons but that is not the only thing you will learn". I asked "What other skill will you teach me?" to which he replied "Art of medicine" to which I was baffled and asked "Art of medicine? You mean healing illnesses and taking care of broken bones? I already have some knowledge in that". When I said this, his face went grim and he responded "Hmph! Treat illness? Fix broken bones? You think this is the art I would spend most of my life practicing? TO FIX BONES!?" He got quite worked up about it, as if I touched him where it hurt.

He continued "Boy, you are clever but also dumb as hell. I can't blame you though, You grew up in some kind of barren village with no knowledge of wonders out there" I was confused 'Wasn't this just some kind of treatment based art or something? Why spend most of his life on it?' I asked "Then what is this art of medicine?" He answered with question "Did you know that you can heal people with poison?" To which I answered "No, poison is bad for humans. That is why we avoid it" to which he snorted and said "Wrong! You can treat a lot of illnesses and diseases with poison. Besides poison, there is application of the art as well. I know the human anatomy inside out. I can aim at any spot on human body and I know what effects this will have on the target. I can also heal myself in need. Broken arms? I can connect severed arms if I wanted to!"

I was amazed but confused as well. I asked "If you are so powerful and so almighty, why are you in this village working as a doctor for some half assed village chief?". I saw his mood change. He said "I could kill him but I can't and he knows that". I asked him "Why?" to which he replayed "It's because my master's last wish was to protect him and aid him"

I thought 'Ok so his master said to protect and aid him, fine. Then why does he want me to kill him? And destroy this village?' I asked him "Right, so why did you want me to destroy this village then?" to which he said "I told you I don't have much life left to live. I have about one year left. In this one year I will impart all my knowledge to you. Then you can do whatever you like. I told you I will not impose any conditions on you and I shall keep that promise. Just promise me you will learn my skills and use them in the future". I said "I would use them because they seem useful whenever you asked me or not". He smiled and said nothing.

I asked "But why did you want this village destroyed?" to which he said "Do you think I wanted to stay here? All because of that old fool, my master. I resent that last wish but he knew I would do it" I asked in confusion "Then why don't you leave? your master must be dead anyway. It was his last wish" to which he said "Yes he is dead but even evil has order. There is order to everything. There is master, then his disciple, then disciple's disciples and so on. No person can go against that order.

I was confused again and asked "Why?" to which he said rather mysterious sentence "Gods that descend shall be mortals. Those who inherit shall follow. Those who live shall die and those who thrive shall pass" I was completely stupid at this point and asked "What does it mean?" but Nick just stared at the ceiling not answering my question.

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