“By the gods....” Brother Lan spoke so softly, almost no one could hear him.

“This is what you will learn here. The gifts of the gods are meant to save your life, not take it.” He gestured. “Follow me. The fuel for the skills I learn do not require my life force. It just requires a large amount of food.” He walked quickly to the spit and smiled.

“Brother Yun, I knew you would be hungry after demonstrating the Art of the Ogre. Here is a plate of meat. I will start a large pot of rice, if you think the students will learn today.” He smiled.

“They will not learn today. I will teach, but not the skills just yet. However, there are twelve bellies to fill. Please make a pot of rice and set a table to the side. I will most likely have to eat more then once.” He looked to his side as the students came forward. He ripped into one of the steaks, but Lan noticed that he did not swallow. It disappeared as soon as it touched his tongue. He then turned to his fellow disciples.

“Bow to Master Yun! Now!” They were surprised, but obeyed quickly. Yun smiled, but a modest smile.

“I can only master skills, but lack sufficient training with weapons. Master Lan, I will rely on you to help organize the students. I need them split into their weapon types. If the weapon that is chosen only has one member, match them up to the one most compatible to their style. After I’ve consumed enough, we’ll start the morning class.” Then he looked at the others. “Also, do not execute skill you have until I tell you. I don’t want you putting extra strain on your spirit.” Lan looked at him with a tilt to his head.

“Spirit, Master?”

“I will explain this all later. After food!”

 

 

Shun nodded his head imperceptibly, and watched as his son laid out the truth for them. He also watched their faces as he asked them a question. Lan’s face paled even worse then before.

“Master Yun, you mean that the gods might be angry with us?” He shook his head.

“I do not believe so. If a human can learn skills in the dojo, but all we’ve learned is usually on the battlefield, then perhaps it’s not that they are angry with us. Humans have been given a gift in which we can learn a skill to save our lives when necessary. Because it most often learned on the battlefield, and not in a dojo.  No one has the time to contemplate how to acquire the skill using the proper fuel as compensation.” His students thought carefully, and Lan closed his eyes to pray and meditate. Yun did not interrupt them. After nearly an hour of silence, Lan opened his eyes.

“I believe it is as you say, Master. They may be disappointed that we use our lives to fuel their gifts, but the gift saved our lives. They should not be angry.” Yun smiled.

“Correct, Brother Lan. Since you already have a skill, I will teach you today on how to form your skill to use it properly. However, before we begin, do any of your families have inherited skills? One only common to your family?” A disciple raised his hand.

“Master, my father’s skill is a wall scaler.” Yun frowned slightly.

“I’m not sure I understand. Explain what happens.”

“During a siege of a city, or a town, often the attackers will use equipment to help them scale the walls. A ladder, or a tower. Sometimes, the general will send in a small group to scale the wall and open the gate. My father was desperate to take out some archers who were targeting his men. He hooked his hands like a claw, and dug his fingers right into the stone. He’s able to scale a wall that way.” Yun thought for a moment.

“Alright, I see. There is a common thread. With Brother Lan’s skill, the reason his blade cuts steel in not because he sharpens the edge of his sword until it can cut steel. The sword is no sharper after the skill is executed, correct, Brother Lan?” He nodded.

“True. I’ve tested the blade after its been used, and it was the same as before.”

“That is because of this one detail. Its not the sword that cuts the steel, and it is not your muscles that move your body.” Everyone leaned forward. “Your spirit does.”

 

 

Lan chewed onto a slice of meat and relished every bite. His eyes looked excited, while his face looked a little more lean then before. Yun smiled.

“Tonight, you should eat as much as you can, in order to replenish your energy. Tomorrow, I’ll work with the rest of you to develop your own unique skills.” The only archer raised her hand. Normally, the disciples were almost strictly males in the outlying temples, while female disciples were more common near the major cities. The reason for this was simple. Parents did not trust younger men near their unmarried daughters, and neither did the temples.

“Even for me? An archer doesn’t need to move quickly to fire the arrow.” Yun smiled.

“Are you sure?” He smiled when he remembered some of the games he used to play, and the ones that were popular back on Earth. Archers had a variety of powers that were beyond what should be possible. “Have you considered any kind of skill that may help you on the battlefield?” She frowned, and looked around. Lan looked at Yun, then looked at the archer.

“Do not look at your fellow disciples! They do not require your answer. Our Master does.” Then Lan looked at her directly. “Did you not believe the Elder when he said that those who bring shame upon the temple shall be punished? Answer properly.” She lowered her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Master. Archers are used to being ignored for their strategy.” Yun frowned slightly.

“Why? Do not the arrows of the archers keep the infantry at bay? Can not the arrows of a skilled archer take a fully armoured cavalry soldier from his horse, or even take down his horse? What is there to be ashamed of?” Her cheeks coloured a bit, while Lan smiled.

“Sister, answer the Master properly. He gives respect to your chosen weapon, so shouldn’t you show proper respect back?” She nodded, and lifted her head. Her eyes were a little more bright this time.

“I have always wondered if there was a skill where the arrow could puncture heavy armour without worrying about the weak points. One where the arrow didn’t stop in the first enemy, but continued on to the next two or three.” Yun nodded.

“It is a good question. But...” She lowered her eyes quickly in shame. She thought he would berate her for her idea, but was instead shocked. “Why not think about using speed as well? A well armoured soldier might breach your lines. If you can not dodge backwards fast enough before you are able to engage your skill, you would still be dead.” He stroked his chin a bit. “Yeah, that’s a good skill. It will be two combined. A quick dash of twenty feet, and an arrow that can penetrate armour. Good. Good!” He looked excited. “What is your name?”

“I am called Jie. The temple elders often say that my name was chosen by the gods as I dislike dirt, and body odors.” Yun laughed, which made her smile a bit. Lan was almost shocked. Jie was also known as one of the ice princesses of the temple. She never smiled, nor accepted any compliments from the other disciples.

“Lan, let’s set it up. Disciples, remember, these are the gifts of the gods. They are many, and will save your life in a life or death situation. I need four volunteers who are proficient with the sword. I will use the bow. Jie, you will observe, and see what is possible.”

 

 

“Master, four disciples have volunteered. I have armed them with practice swords, just in case the skill does not form on your first try.” Yun grunted, but then nodded.

“A wise choice. I would have risked it, but that would be foolish for a demonstration.” He turned with the bow in his hand. “Your....task...” He was about to say job, but that was a term from Earth. It would not be familiar in this world, or time. “Your task is to surround me, and prevent me from damaging that stone over there with the arrow.” They bowed towards him, and readied their swords. Lan looked closely at Jie.

“Sister, watch carefully. This is a gift from the gods for you. For an archer. See each part as you will be responsible to learn it.” She nodded at Lan’s words.

“Yes, Brother Lan.” She moved carefully to the side, to observe all of Yun’s movements.

It happened so fast, she was barely able to comprehend what she saw. The disciples moved in quickly, in an attempt to block his arrow. He dashed to one side, right out of the midst of the attackers, pushed the bow forward, and concentrated for less then a second. As soon as he released his hold on the bowstring, the arrow flew at a speed no one could see.

“How....” She asked quietly. No one could see the arrow, but they could all see the stone shatter when the arrow blew through it.

 

 

“There is something that I have observed while teaching you, Lan, and Jie.” Their faces lost the smile that had been etched there for a few hours.

“What, Master Yun?”

“Something that no one has considered before due to the compensation of a skill. There is a limit that each person can learn.” Lan frowned slightly.

“Why is that? Now that food is the fuel, why is there a limitation?” Yun sat down heavily.  He was tired, and concerned.  This was a detail he had not considered.

“Your spirit is a small orb of energy within your body. When I saw you learn the first part of the skill, it flashed and grew a bit dimmer. When you learned the second part, it flashed as well, and grew even more dim. Should you learn too much, the toll on your spirit will be too great.” Lan sat down and thought for several minutes.

“You can see our spirit energy within our bodies.” It was a statement, but Yun confirmed it.

“Only when your skill is in use, or one is being learned. There are three spirit colours within each person.” Lan looked up at in him in surprise.

“Three?”

“White, the source of skills. Crimson but not red, the source of your vitality. Yellow, and I do not know what this one is. That is your spirit colours.” He looked at Jie. “Yours is white, crimson, and green.” Lan tilted his head slightly, then smiled.

“I think I understand, Master Yun. Could not the last colour be of our elemental affinity? My skill is defensive, and should represent earth. Jie’s can be air, or nature. That is what our temple believes.” Jie smiled.

“Nature, or air, would be accurate. I dislike dirt, and nature can purify pollution, as well as keep our land clean.” Yun thought for several minutes, and finally nodded.

“I understand. So, from now on, we’ll examine the skills, find out what element one has an affinity with, and then teach according this elemental necessity. One can not go against the gifts of the gods, and that includes your affinity.” He sighed. “But that means there is still a limitation of the spirit. Any additional skills that you learn will put too much of a load on your spirit, which could jeopardize your life. Do not take that chance, Brother Lan.” Lan got down on his hands and knees and kowtowed repeatedly.

“Thank you, Master!” Before he realized it, all the students, including Jie, got down on their hands and knees and bowed repeatedly.

Now that Yun had learned of this limitation, naturally he also wondered if there was a way to bypass it, or increase the amount of his spirit so that he wouldn’t tax his vitality to a dangerous limit. As he thought, his mind went blank.

“Master, what’s wrong?” Yun’s face showed some shock.

“The limit for everyone is two or three. I know seven.”  Yun did not realize that his ability to learn skills, and all he could see with his senses, would appear god-like in their eyes.

To Lan, however, Yun gave off a small hint of an aura that could only be felt deep within the temple.