Another Tale From Another World

It wasn't supposed to be this easy.

A year ago, they were just kids. Without purpose. Without hope. Looking for answers to questions that plagued their minds. Looking to belong to something bigger than themselves. Five kids who I've helped mold into the best chance this lost land has to offer.

For one year, I've trained them to become warriors. I've taught them how to fight without fighting, but I also didn't want them to get their rears handed over to them either. The big one's like my son. He came to me because I knew his father. I fought and trained alongside him in a previous life. I won't bore you with the details now, that's for another time. He is the most balanced of the quintet, shows precision with weapons and bare hands. The blonde is quick, even-tempered. She's a little headstrung, but lately, she holds herself back. She's not afraid, but nowadays, she knows there's consequences for her actions. Shame she's just learning that now.

Of course, I think she's too emotionally involved with that damnable troublemaker. Unkempt, vulgar, and arrogant. But I'd be damned if he wasn't the best student I've ever trained. He has this strange power about him that strikes me as a curiosity and an anomaly. I'm glad he's on our side, and I hope he stays that way. The twins are another story.

One, they're not really twins, not in the traditional sense. The girl was born a year later than the boy, who's about the same age as the blonde and the troublemaker. They have the talent, they have the ability to be taught, but they're distracted by something. They've been orphaned for years and being nomads across this land of ours. When they came to me, they've showed that they belonged here. But I can tell that they're scared of something, even when they show precision in their swordfights.

Tonight, they worked around their differences and infiltrated one of the hideouts of the Gunjin Shi, the group responsible for much of the destruction of our land. The people are afraid to confront them. My students are not. They made their first nighttime attack tonight. 250 armored warriors armed with swords, bos, chains . . . if it wasn't nailed down, they used it as a weapon. This would be seen by others as a suicide mission and I'd probably be assailed by child services. But I had confidence in my students. I knew they could handle those soldiers.

I never expected them to take out an entire army of armed warriors without harm to themselves. It wasn't supposed to be that easy. Perhaps they are ready.

To be continued in 2010.