"And do you still feel responsible for your family's death?" Foswell asked a clean-shaven Peter as they were standing on a balcony overlooking the mountain range.
"My anger outweighs my guilt." Peter responded flatly.
Putting his arm on his shoulder, Foswell said "Come," and he directed him back into the monastery and into the training room. Once inside, Peter saw that there were ninjas testing their speed, agility, and fighting skills in various ways all over the room.
As Foswell walked in front of him, he turned to face him and said "You have learned to bury your guilt with anger; I will teach you to confront it, and to face the truth. You know how to fight six men; we can teach you how to engage six-hundred. You know how to disappear; we can teach you to become truly invisible."
"Invisible?" Peter asked.
Foswell then said something in another language, and suddenly two ninjas dropped from the shadowy ceiling. He then walked towards one of the beams in the room and said "The ninja understands that invisibility is a matter of patience and agility."
Peter then noticed that there was another ninja clinging onto the beam, seemingly invisible like Foswell had said. Foswell then pulled at the ninja's arm to reveal a brown-leather hand-strap with four metal spikes protruding from the palm area, which Peter assumed is what he used to cling to the wooden beam.
"Here, try this." Foswell said, throwing him both of the ninja's climbing-gloves and giving him a pair of boots of the same properties. "This will help you to sneak into the shadows without touching the ground."
After putting them on, Peter turned to face the wooden climbing wall and ran towards it. Jumping forward, he made sure to jam his gloves and boots into the wall, and the spikes pierced into it.
"Well done," Foswell said. "Now, you must make sure to navigate quickly in order to achieve the proper striking position. Timing is everything."
"Okay," Peter exhaled, and started to climb upward on the wall. It was relatively simple, and soon he was clinging onto the ceiling.
"You know what? I think I've got the hang of this." Peter exclaimed.
"Really, you say?" Foswell asked with a hint of sarcasm. "I wouldn't be too sure of that."
"What are you-" Peter began to ask, but he narrowly avoided being pierced with an arrow that came flying out of nowhere.
"What the hell was that for?" Peter yelled.
"Overconfidence won't get you anywhere, and you need to learn to mind your surroundings." Foswell advised. "Speaking of which, have you noticed that your grip is starting to falter?"
Peter looked at his gloves and boots and saw that the spikes were coming loose from the ceiling.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Peter cursed, but the spikes had come loose and he fell onto the floor.
Foswell grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, and he said "It's a start, but we still have much work to do. Let's continue."
The ninja on the left swung his pole at Peter, which hit the left side of his stomach. The one on the right swung his pole, but Peter easily deflected it with his right fist. The left swung again at his left leg, but Peter moved it over to the closest platform. This motion nearly caused him to lose his balance, but he regained it by placing his right foot on another platform as well. Peter then blocked the left's next attack towards hit shoulder, but the right took advantage of this and wacked him right in the nose. While Peter was distracted by the pain, the left hit him in the shin and he lost his balance, making his feet slip from the platforms. He barely saved himself from falling to the ground by quickly placing his hands in front of him and gripping onto the nearest platforms, and he looked up to see Foswell watching him from the balcony.
"You must learn focus, or your enemies will overwhelm you in combat. You must also learn how to ignore pain in order to maintain this focus." Foswell said. "Alright, that's enough for today."
Sighing in relief, Peter pulled himself up over the railing of the balcony and grabbed his shirt that was hung over it. While he was putting it back on, he saw a man trapped inside a bamboo cage being lifted upward through the temple, calling out in some foreign language.
"Who is he?" Peter asked.
"He was a farmer," Foswell began. "Then he tried to take his neighbor's land and became a murderer. Now he is a prisoner."
"What'll happen to him?" Peter asked again.
"Justice." Foswell said flatly. "Crime can not be tolerated. Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding."
"Ah, good morning Mr. Parker." Foswell greeted Peter as he walked into the training room. "Today, I'd like to show you something."
He led him into a backroom filled with barrels of some type of powder, two tables, and a station for crafting the powder. Foswell picked up a barrel, placed it on one of the tables, opened it, and scooped out a small handful of black powder from it.
"Ninjitsu employs explosive powders as weapons for distractions." Foswell explained. He then threw a pinch of the powder onto the ground near Peter's feet, causing him to flinch slightly when it lit up. He then held out his hand, indicating that he should take some, which he did.
"Theatricality and deception are powerful agents. You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent." Foswell said.
Peter threw the powder at the ground and watched as it ignited and left a sulfurous smoke. "Cool."
Peter swung on the ropes around the room, trying his hardest to dodge the arrows that were flying past his head.
"Keep your concentration clear and your senses open." Foswell advised. "Your mind has to see around you even when you can only see in one direction."
"I'm trying." Peter grunted while he was swinging.
"Don't try, do." Foswell advised as Peter narrowly avoided having an arrow lodged in his kneecap.
Peter and Foswell were standing on a frozen lake about a mile or so from the temple. They were carrying swords, and they were both wearing specialized gauntlets that had three spurs facing outward. Peter swung his sword around a little, just to get a feel for it, as they were circling around on the ice preparing for combat.
Peter struck first by swinging his sword downward, and Foswell blocked his attack. He tried an attack from the rear, but Peter quickly turned around and blocked that attack next.
Peter resumed to going on the offensive and tried a few attacks from the side, but all those were blocked as well. After trying another frontal assault, he was pushed back until there was a decent amount of distance between the two opponents.
Suddenly, a cracking noise echoed throughout the mountains, and Peter looked down to see that the ice beneath them had cracked slightly. Foswell took advantage of this opportunity and lightly wacked Peter's sword into the air. As Foswell struck again, Peter blocked his next attack, but fell backwards onto the ice.
"Always mind your surroundings." Foswell said.
Peter got back up quickly and struck upward, but Foswell dodged the attack and struck his sword towards the ground. Peter then swung at his head, and he ducked low before counterattacking to the side. After another successful block, Peter attempted another head-swing, but he missed again, and Foswell walked away with his back turned to him.
"Your family's death was not your fault." he said.
Peter lunged his sword forward while his back was turned, but Foswell reacted quickly and blocked it easily. He then tried to move the sword behind him, but Foswell blocked the sword using his gauntlet. and then swung with his sword again. This, in turn, forced Peter's sword to be caught in between Foswell's sword and gauntlet, and it wouldn't budge. Foswell then stepped forward, causing the blade to become further trapped than it was.
"It was your father's." he said.
Peter suddenly filled with rage, and his grip on his sword faltered slighty. Regardless, Foswell used this distraction of rage and flung Peter's sword away from him, leaving him without a weapon. In retaliation, Peter started swinging his gauntlets at him, but it proved to no avail as he continuously blocked each advance. He managed to get his sword caught in his left gauntlet, and Peter tried another head-swipe. Foswell ducked, then he kicked Peter in the stomach and pushed him onto the ice. Peter quickly got back up and began to advance towards Foswell, but he successfully flipped him back onto the ice while holding his wrist tightly.
"Anger does not change the fact that your father failed to act. Nor your uncle." Foswell said.
"The man had a gun!" Peter argued.
"Would that stop you?" Foswell asked before letting go of his wrist, allowing him to return to the fight.
"I've had training." Peter said.
"Training?" Foswell questioned, before advancing and knocking Peter back onto the ice. "Your training is nothing! The will is everything!"
Peter got up yet again, and this time his eyes were fixed on his sword which was behind Foswell.
"The will to act." Foswell said.
Peter charged at him and Foswell swung his sword, but he ducked and rolled underneath, and picked up his sword while sliding on the ice. Foswell prepared to deliver his next attack, but he was bested by Peter as he blocked his assault and kicked him in the legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall.
Quickly getting up, Peter pointed his sword at Foswell's head and said "Yield."
"You haven't beaten me," Foswell said. "You've sacrificed sure-footing for a killing-stroke."
Foswell then swung his sword at the ice beneath Peter's feet, and the ice gave way as Peter fell into the cold water.
Foswell continued to put twigs onto the fire to make sure the flames didn't snuff out, then he looked at Peter to see him trying to keep warm.
"Rub your chest; your arms will take care of themselves." he said, and Peter presumed to do just that.
"Your stronger than your father." Foswell mentioned.
"You didn't know my father, or my uncle." Peter defended.
"But I know the rage that drives you, that impossible anger strangling the grief, until the memory of your loved one is just... poison in your veins. And one day, you catch yourself wishing the person you loved had never existed, so you'd be spared your pain." Foswell said.
Peter looked at him, with sorrow in his eyes, trying to understand what he was trying to say.
"I wasn't always here in the mountains, you know. Once I had a wife. My great love. She was... taken from me. Like you, I was forced to learn that there are those without decency, who must be fought without hesitation, without pity. Your anger gives you great power, but if you let it, it will destroy you, as it almost did me." He said, his voice shaking slightly.
"What stopped it?" Peter asked.
"Vengeance." Foswell responded.
"That's no help to me." Peter pointed out.
"Why, Peter?" Foswell asked. "Why could you not avenge your family?"