Post by Sex machine on Jun 17, 2006 9:01:45 GMT -5
Zhou marched quickly towards the barracks,having heard the men being the butt of many a joke Zhou had taken it as a insult to himself and decided to begin a training programe.The day was still young and the warm sun's heat was forced away by the chilling wind,dressed in his battle armor,with red cloak flapping about his body like devilish wings,Zhou didn't care.As he reached the barracks he opened the door slowly in short jerking moments ensuring silence.
"GET UP.........NOW!"
The sleeping bodies of the men dragged themselves awake.It was pitiful,the men collapsed from beds fell over trying to get dressed.It would have been funny had it not been so pathetic,many minutes later the men lined up.Under the cold,piercing stare of Zhou they winced and shifted uncomfortably on their feet.
"Now,I've heard that you are some of the worst men in this entire blessed kingdom.I aim to do something about that,now I want the archers to assemble outside the city,NOW."
And so it begun.
DAY 1
Quickly the hustle and bustle set over as the bowmen seized equipment and staggered out into the morning light,as they burst into the brightness of the morning the cowered from the weak light.
As the left the city and arrived at the striking green of the fields outside the city they found a quickly built archery range.Zhou leaned casually against a target,whith any luck they might actually hit it,but Zhou doubted it.Still looking weary,wiping sleep from their eyes the archers lined up,most looking afrais of the very weapons they were to be training with.
"Right,let's se what you've got fire away."
Slowly and unsurely the men prepared to fire,Zhou predicting the hectic,unaccurate fire moved far from the hundreds of targets.Finally the arrows began to fly each of them soared through the air in every direction,rarely hitting a target some barely made it 20 feet others soared so high into the air the birds were forced to take a detour.Zhou almost cried,today would be long.
"Right cease fire."
Looking at the targets he counted the strikes using his fingers,7.
Finding one of the worse archers he began a demonstration,straightening the man's pose he forced his arms straight.Made him hold the bow correctly,taught him to use the aim correctly and feel the right amount of power.Feeling the man should be able to hit the target Zhou stepped back and ordered the man to shoot,a number of encouragements came and the bowman seemed to gain confidence pulling back the strig the group collectivly drew in a breath.Then with a shrill whistle it was released,every eye darted to the target but no arrow had struck.The archers began looking for where he had hit.A high pitched sound came from the centre of the bowmen's ranks.
"Ow."
Turning to the sound a youngish archers stared at his leg following his gaze Zhou looked at the arrow protruding from his knee.How?Zhou thought,how can anyone be such a bad archer?
Sending the wounded man to a nearby healer,Zhou turned on the man who had hit him.
"What's you name?"
"Er......Xu Chao..."
"Well Xu Chao,I want you to run around the city walls five times."
Xu nodded and began jogging off as he headed away,Zhou picked up a bow,strung the arrow and released,the projectille swerved through the air and descended into the thigh of Chao.The remainder of the men began laughing at the hopping man's vanishing form.
"Right I assume you saw me teach Xu how to fire?Then try yourself."
The archers turned back to their own targets and the releases sounded for many more hourse,whenever a man had a paticularly bad shot he would be sent to do the same punishment as Xu Chao.Xu himself had become on of the better archers and had a near perfect hit rate.As Zhou walked the line of archers he rained praise down on them.Occasionly changing the excercise soemtimes moving the targets so the men knew how to judge distance.
As the sun descended in the distance Zhou ended the training,calling on the archers he spoke.
"Well congratulations,you've done me proud and yourselves proud.When yu get to the barracks send the swordsmen out here.Dissmissed"
The exhausted but now proficient archers marched off to their well earned beds.
DAY 2
As the sun fought the moon from the sky,Zhou began preparing to teach the swordsmen the fine points of martial combat.With Sun Feng his second-in-command,he awaited the arrival of the swordsmen.
As they arrived they lined up around Sun and Zhou.He nodded to them.
"Now from what I've heard you lot can't fight for sh*t.I'm gonna teach you.Now learn."
Producing a wooden sword and shield Zhou nodded at Feng who was equipped in a simillar way.The two circled one another eyes watching for any movement.
"The key is not to stare in the opponent's eyes for too long but looking at his whole body,means you can see any movement."
As if on cue Feng stabbed forwards his feet quickly manuevering through the air,with blade seeking the heart of Zhou.With a burst of motion Zhou skidded to the right slamming his sword against Feng's knocking it aside.Then following up with a strike using his shield as a weapon hitting into Sun's shoulder.Feng staggered back almost falling over.
"The key to a good offense is a good defence.To win a fight you must seek to not defeat your foe but not lose to him."
This seemed to puzzle the menbut Zhou ignored it and focused on the fight.Sun then began running at Zhou,crouching slightly he awaited his foe moments before the two collided Zhou rolled to the side and brought his blade across in a slash aiming for the small of Sun's back.The two then resumed the circling.The voices of those in the crowd increased the tension filled the air.Coming forwards Zhou began slashing violently at Sun,with a skillful parry Feng knocked Zhou's defence open and smashed his blade into Zhou's chest doubling over Yu sucked deeply filling his empty lungs with air.Then the two began the briliant dance every attack was dodged and every counter blocked.Finally it ended the onlookers stared for a victor and found Zhou with a wooden blade across his throat and his own blade pointed directly at Feng's neck.Suddenly the swordsmen broke into applause and the standoff ended laughing Sun stalked off to the side.
"Right pair up and have a go yourself."
Groups formed up and began dueling,although it had none of the tempo of the Feng-Yu fight Zhou was happy he truly saw potential with the men.As Zhou marched along looking over the men he offered advice.
"Use your shield more."
"Now just twist your wrist a bit more."
"Make sure you watch your defence........ah too late."
Sun Feng offered simillar advice tp the men but normally a bit more violent.
"That's it kick 'im inna head."
"Call that a kick?Do it again,'cept this time inna knackers an' harder."
"Oh come on do you think Lu Bu cried when he broke his arm?"
Zhou took great pleasure in seeing the men who had once been scared of getting a paper cut fighting with such skill.The sun again fell to the horizon and again Zhou called a end to the training.Asking the swordsmen to send the skirmishers he prepared for the final day of training.
DAY 3
As the new day dawned Zhou was again waiting for the men to arrive.As they approached he noticed the wide smiles,the results of the rumors of the training.
"As skirmishers you should be able to move quickly over any terrain and be very fit I'm gonna make sure you are."
Zhou indicated to the foot weights,grudgingly the men put them on with a call Zhou began running.With the cold wind it felt quite pleasent but as the day wore on and the sun rose the men began weakening.Many collapsed and were carried by colleauges,many would have put a end to it but Zhou new the importance of such teamwork and made no comment.
As the run ended they arrived at a small clearing in a nearby forest only to find a huge assualt course,monkey bars,huge walls to be climbed ropes to swing on.Zhou watched with a small amount of pleasure the shocked faces on the men.
Beginng the assualt course Zhou headed off signalling for the men to follow.In a acrobatic jump Zhou sprung onto the monkey bars his hands gripping the cold metal,as he moved along he could feel his arms pain,his grip weaken and he prayed as soon as it was over.Still with the aching in his arms he set out about climbing the first wall,for such a strong individual it was no challenge,but in reality it was only a starter to the huge main coursers.Even Zhou struggled and he could feel his body crying out to rest but he blocked it out,Zhou knew he had to continue.
Finally he reached the end and collapsed vomit spewing from his mouth.Looking up Zhou looked at the weary men each of them dragging dead limbs over obstacles and on a regular basis falling to the floor.As the last man finished Zhou ordered the men back to the city.
Finally Zhou had finished forging the weaklings of the city garrison into a brilliant warrior elite.He felt like he had made himself stronger too and was thankful when he fell into his bed.
[task complete]
"GET UP.........NOW!"
The sleeping bodies of the men dragged themselves awake.It was pitiful,the men collapsed from beds fell over trying to get dressed.It would have been funny had it not been so pathetic,many minutes later the men lined up.Under the cold,piercing stare of Zhou they winced and shifted uncomfortably on their feet.
"Now,I've heard that you are some of the worst men in this entire blessed kingdom.I aim to do something about that,now I want the archers to assemble outside the city,NOW."
And so it begun.
DAY 1
Quickly the hustle and bustle set over as the bowmen seized equipment and staggered out into the morning light,as they burst into the brightness of the morning the cowered from the weak light.
As the left the city and arrived at the striking green of the fields outside the city they found a quickly built archery range.Zhou leaned casually against a target,whith any luck they might actually hit it,but Zhou doubted it.Still looking weary,wiping sleep from their eyes the archers lined up,most looking afrais of the very weapons they were to be training with.
"Right,let's se what you've got fire away."
Slowly and unsurely the men prepared to fire,Zhou predicting the hectic,unaccurate fire moved far from the hundreds of targets.Finally the arrows began to fly each of them soared through the air in every direction,rarely hitting a target some barely made it 20 feet others soared so high into the air the birds were forced to take a detour.Zhou almost cried,today would be long.
"Right cease fire."
Looking at the targets he counted the strikes using his fingers,7.
Finding one of the worse archers he began a demonstration,straightening the man's pose he forced his arms straight.Made him hold the bow correctly,taught him to use the aim correctly and feel the right amount of power.Feeling the man should be able to hit the target Zhou stepped back and ordered the man to shoot,a number of encouragements came and the bowman seemed to gain confidence pulling back the strig the group collectivly drew in a breath.Then with a shrill whistle it was released,every eye darted to the target but no arrow had struck.The archers began looking for where he had hit.A high pitched sound came from the centre of the bowmen's ranks.
"Ow."
Turning to the sound a youngish archers stared at his leg following his gaze Zhou looked at the arrow protruding from his knee.How?Zhou thought,how can anyone be such a bad archer?
Sending the wounded man to a nearby healer,Zhou turned on the man who had hit him.
"What's you name?"
"Er......Xu Chao..."
"Well Xu Chao,I want you to run around the city walls five times."
Xu nodded and began jogging off as he headed away,Zhou picked up a bow,strung the arrow and released,the projectille swerved through the air and descended into the thigh of Chao.The remainder of the men began laughing at the hopping man's vanishing form.
"Right I assume you saw me teach Xu how to fire?Then try yourself."
The archers turned back to their own targets and the releases sounded for many more hourse,whenever a man had a paticularly bad shot he would be sent to do the same punishment as Xu Chao.Xu himself had become on of the better archers and had a near perfect hit rate.As Zhou walked the line of archers he rained praise down on them.Occasionly changing the excercise soemtimes moving the targets so the men knew how to judge distance.
As the sun descended in the distance Zhou ended the training,calling on the archers he spoke.
"Well congratulations,you've done me proud and yourselves proud.When yu get to the barracks send the swordsmen out here.Dissmissed"
The exhausted but now proficient archers marched off to their well earned beds.
DAY 2
As the sun fought the moon from the sky,Zhou began preparing to teach the swordsmen the fine points of martial combat.With Sun Feng his second-in-command,he awaited the arrival of the swordsmen.
As they arrived they lined up around Sun and Zhou.He nodded to them.
"Now from what I've heard you lot can't fight for sh*t.I'm gonna teach you.Now learn."
Producing a wooden sword and shield Zhou nodded at Feng who was equipped in a simillar way.The two circled one another eyes watching for any movement.
"The key is not to stare in the opponent's eyes for too long but looking at his whole body,means you can see any movement."
As if on cue Feng stabbed forwards his feet quickly manuevering through the air,with blade seeking the heart of Zhou.With a burst of motion Zhou skidded to the right slamming his sword against Feng's knocking it aside.Then following up with a strike using his shield as a weapon hitting into Sun's shoulder.Feng staggered back almost falling over.
"The key to a good offense is a good defence.To win a fight you must seek to not defeat your foe but not lose to him."
This seemed to puzzle the menbut Zhou ignored it and focused on the fight.Sun then began running at Zhou,crouching slightly he awaited his foe moments before the two collided Zhou rolled to the side and brought his blade across in a slash aiming for the small of Sun's back.The two then resumed the circling.The voices of those in the crowd increased the tension filled the air.Coming forwards Zhou began slashing violently at Sun,with a skillful parry Feng knocked Zhou's defence open and smashed his blade into Zhou's chest doubling over Yu sucked deeply filling his empty lungs with air.Then the two began the briliant dance every attack was dodged and every counter blocked.Finally it ended the onlookers stared for a victor and found Zhou with a wooden blade across his throat and his own blade pointed directly at Feng's neck.Suddenly the swordsmen broke into applause and the standoff ended laughing Sun stalked off to the side.
"Right pair up and have a go yourself."
Groups formed up and began dueling,although it had none of the tempo of the Feng-Yu fight Zhou was happy he truly saw potential with the men.As Zhou marched along looking over the men he offered advice.
"Use your shield more."
"Now just twist your wrist a bit more."
"Make sure you watch your defence........ah too late."
Sun Feng offered simillar advice tp the men but normally a bit more violent.
"That's it kick 'im inna head."
"Call that a kick?Do it again,'cept this time inna knackers an' harder."
"Oh come on do you think Lu Bu cried when he broke his arm?"
Zhou took great pleasure in seeing the men who had once been scared of getting a paper cut fighting with such skill.The sun again fell to the horizon and again Zhou called a end to the training.Asking the swordsmen to send the skirmishers he prepared for the final day of training.
DAY 3
As the new day dawned Zhou was again waiting for the men to arrive.As they approached he noticed the wide smiles,the results of the rumors of the training.
"As skirmishers you should be able to move quickly over any terrain and be very fit I'm gonna make sure you are."
Zhou indicated to the foot weights,grudgingly the men put them on with a call Zhou began running.With the cold wind it felt quite pleasent but as the day wore on and the sun rose the men began weakening.Many collapsed and were carried by colleauges,many would have put a end to it but Zhou new the importance of such teamwork and made no comment.
As the run ended they arrived at a small clearing in a nearby forest only to find a huge assualt course,monkey bars,huge walls to be climbed ropes to swing on.Zhou watched with a small amount of pleasure the shocked faces on the men.
Beginng the assualt course Zhou headed off signalling for the men to follow.In a acrobatic jump Zhou sprung onto the monkey bars his hands gripping the cold metal,as he moved along he could feel his arms pain,his grip weaken and he prayed as soon as it was over.Still with the aching in his arms he set out about climbing the first wall,for such a strong individual it was no challenge,but in reality it was only a starter to the huge main coursers.Even Zhou struggled and he could feel his body crying out to rest but he blocked it out,Zhou knew he had to continue.
Finally he reached the end and collapsed vomit spewing from his mouth.Looking up Zhou looked at the weary men each of them dragging dead limbs over obstacles and on a regular basis falling to the floor.As the last man finished Zhou ordered the men back to the city.
Finally Zhou had finished forging the weaklings of the city garrison into a brilliant warrior elite.He felt like he had made himself stronger too and was thankful when he fell into his bed.
[task complete]
