Read Online Book I of III: The Swords of the Sultan by J. Eric Booker - Free Book Online Page B

knotted rope
and listening to her instructor screaming reprimands, insults and
curses. Upon drawing closer, he observed that tears had been
steadily pouring down from her eyes!
    In between one of her drill instructor’s
yells, Baltor asked, “Sir—do you mind if I jump in and use this
obstacle course?”
    Jeramone glanced over and muttered, “I don’t
care. Say, why don’t you do just that and show this freaking
weakling how it’s done?”
    Baltor leapt onto the rope, and only about
fifty seconds later, he had already climbed his way to the top and
back down. Without looking back, he booked for the next obstacle,
while overhearing her instructor yell, “You see? It is possible!
Now you do it just like that! Get the hell up there!”
    Long after the rest of the students had
departed, Baltor continued his hardcore training.
    When literal exhaustion was just about to
take the boy over, he decided to call it a night, and so he headed
for the bunkhouse. Upon entering, he observed that Vakshia and all
the other students were zonked out. After eating dinner, he went to
bed himself.
    The following morning, Humonus woke his
student just like the day before—without yelling. While the boy ate
a quick breakfast, he observed and noted that he was the only
student in the bunkhouse this morning and figured that everyone
must already be training.
    As the two silently made their way to the
training area, the student wondered if he had now acquired his
teacher’s respect.
    Upon reaching the weapons rack, Humonus
began, “Today, we shall review yesterday’s lessons and see how far,
or how little, you’ve progressed. Assume the stance.”
    The boy instantly did.
    The drill instructor, however, noticed some
imperfections, for he kicked his student’s rear foot lightly until
it was right and then he stated, “I said ninety degrees. Now roll
forward.”
    Baltor leapt forward, extended his hands,
tucked his body in, did the roll, and was back up on his feet.
    Humonus yelled, “I said, ninety degrees!”
    The boy looked down at his feet, and as he
saw that they weren’t so, he shifted his feet until it was.
    “Roll left,” the drill instructor next
ordered without emotion. Baltor made his roll, but his feet must
not have been right—Humonus ran up and screamed at the top of his
lungs, “Ninety degrees! How many times must I tell you this?”
    “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m really sore,” the
student explained in truth. “My body’s not working like it
should.”
    The drill instructor balefully shook his
head, sucked in a deep breath, and then relaxed.
    “Fine then,” he ordered, “sit down on the
ground.”
    The boy sat.
    “Extend your legs straight out, stretch your
arms out, and without bending your knees, reach for your toes with
your hands,” the drill instructor ordered.
    Baltor found that his flexibility wasn’t that
good, and that he couldn’t reach his toes without bending his
knees.
    Humonus sighed in frustration, before he
replied, “Well, then. I see we’ve found another weak
spot—flexibility. From now on, we will begin to work on that area
through stretching exercises before you begin your morning training
sessions with me. For now, follow me.”
    “Yes, sir,” Baltor said as he painfully stood
up, and followed.
    The drill instructor led the way as they
entered one of the unlit tunnels on the right side of the cavern.
Not only was this twisty tunnel one that the student had never
entered before, eleven more dark and unique tunnels did they pass,
along with six deadly pitfalls. The longest tunnel was maybe a
half-mile, while the shortest was forty feet. In the tenth tunnel,
they both had to crawl on their bellies to squeeze through.
    Finally, after what seemed an eternity to
Baltor, sunlight streamed down from what appeared to be a sewage
grill in the middle of this particular tunnel. There was a
twenty-foot ladder leaning against the wall, right under the grill
itself.
    The drill instructor climbed up