Next Thread 23: The Art of Zen

[Teuthida]

^ My thoughts exactly. That's enough to make someone go all Peter Pan and stop aging.

[BreakABone]

Hey, it was just bad timing.

So I had some time and motivation, and finished off this chapter.

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6
“Hate is such a strong word,” Zen had not noticed master behind him.

He bowed, “Master, I did not mean to disturb you…”

Yodam cut him off before he could finish, “You nor any of my students have ever disturbed me. As I’ve said since day one, this is all of your homes if you need it to be.” Zen wore a weak grin on his face. “Though I am curious, I have not seen you here in a long time, what brings you here tonight with such passion?”

“I had him… I would have finally… but he is always one step ahead… one…” Zen refused to relive the events of the day in his head.

Yodam could sense that this story was troubling, but he was more frightened to learn that after all his years of training that Zen still had vengeance on his mind. “Zen I realize what this man means to you… I realize what he did to your family, but at some point you must make peace with it to live a normal life…”

The words “normal life” lit a fire in Zen’s eyes that Yodam hadn’t seen before. It sent shivers down his back. “A normal life… a normal life you say…. I lost my dad on my 10th birthday, all because he wanted to get birthday pie… why couldn’t he just have the cake… then a few years later… my mom is taken away from me… on the eve of my birthday… and I have to find out on her death that she was cheating on my father! What part of this would make anyone a normal person… how do you expect me to live a normal life!”

After Zen’s rant, Yodam just stood in silence not because he had nothing to say, but he wanted to give his pupil time to digest what he just said. After the fire dimmed in Zen’s eyes, Yodam offered to make some tea so they could talk in a more reasonable manner.

“Thank you master… I’m sorry for that outburst… its just being so close… so close!”

Yodam lowered his head and began to speak in a soft tone, “Listen, I can not begin to understand what you have gone through or what you are going through, but I can tell you that it is eating at your soul, and if you pursue it more you will finally cross over to a place where I can not rescue you from.”

Zen let the words sink in before he formulated his response, but when he went to open his mouth, Yodam raised his finger to his lips and motioned for him to hush.

Speaking at a level that was barely above a whisper, Yodam relayed a message, “I sense a presence in this room… one I have never felt before. It is full of dark and evil energy, and…”

Before Yodam’s words were finished, the roof of the building sparked with the dance of a wild fire.

Zen grabbed his master, “Are there anymore students in here?”

“No, no one else is here tonight except for our strange visitor, but he is not responsible for this.”

Yodam’s words baffled Zen of course he was responsible for this, his master discovers his whereabouts and then the roof was on fire, it was no mere coincidence.

Zen burst through the front door with his master in tow, “Now to get as far…”

“I really wish you could leave, but I think we are going to need your help.”

Zen turned to find two mysterious figures behind him. “Who are you?”

“We’ll have team for introductions later; right now our concern is that.” One of the figures pointed to a man who’s skin appeared to be set on permanent fire.
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Let''s see how long it takes for the next part to start.