Chapter 7

Harry made his way over to his bed; he laid and took a slow steady breath, still cradling his sore ribs that until a few minutes ago had been broken until Master Kei had healed them. He laid there staring at the ceiling remembering today's lesson, it had been particularly brutal, as were several of them had become now.

Master kei had taken him deep into the woods and made him climb a very tall tree. He looked down as Master Kei watching him climb the towering tree. Once on a high branch Harry stopped and turned to see master kei sitting there waiting for him.

"Good my son," Master Kei Said, "Now I need you to focus, focus on the air around you, focus on mastering it, making it fill you. Feel it around you, in you, feel it fill you up and let it allow you to rise." and as he said these words Master Kei began to rise levitating slightly of the branch.

Harry tried, and tried, but he just couldn't seem to do this much too much to his disappointment.

"Do not worry, some times all one needs is a push to get started," and with that Master kei pushed Harry off the branch. He feel, fast, without hope of stopping himself. He saw as the ground approach quickly and with a heavy slam he hit the ground, hard, breaking two ribs.

"Not to worry my son," spoke Master Kei suddenly standing over him, waving his hand over Harry's clutched side, healing his internal injuries, "It's not an easy skill to learn quickly. So please again" said Master Kei, raising his arm to indicate the tree.

"Yes Master," answered Harry.

He climbed the tree again, and again once high enough Master Kei pushed him, and once again he fell. Again and again he climbed and fell. Harry lost count of how many times around 74. For 14 hours they tried and tried but the result was they same.

Finally Master kei suggested, "My son to master ones Chi one needs to focus, try this, focus one thing and nothing else, let it fill you, see that image and nothing else.

"Yes master" Harry said as he began to climb once again. Once on top he began to focus, on one thing, a thought, an image, the outline of a face, a face he knew very well. He closed his eyes and pictured the face in his mind and felt himself being pushed once again, he focused with all his power on the face, bracing himself for the impact he knew was coming. But it didn't. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself hovering just slightly off the ground. He could feel himself suspended there, he could feel the air in him and it was a wonderful experience, here he was levitating, with a broom he was flying.

"Excellent my son," Master kei said as he approached," Now concentrate and rise up and feel yourself free to move" he said shooting straight up.

Harry concentrated and began to feel himself rise, slowly at first and then faster, and faster, trying to catch his master still just visible. Once above the canopy of the trees the began to flow this way and that/ It was the most exhilarating experience of Harry's life, save one.

They fly for a while before Master Kei motioned for them to return to the ground. Harry obeyed and felt himself beginning to descend. He stopped just above the forest floor and lightly touched down allowing himself to be grounded once more.

"very good my son, very few manage this feet after so few attempts your making progress quickly, now lets go back you need some tea and rest," said Master Kei kindly.

"Yes Master, thank you", answered Harry as they began to walk back.

Once he felt a little better Harry rose and went to his desk and begin writing today's lesson in his journal. It had amazed Harry, how many things he had learned in his 5 years here at the temple. The most ancient secrets of Chi magic, he never thought these things were possible.

After he finished the day's entry he began thumbing through his rather thick journal, remembering other lessons. He stopped and read some.

Year 3, day 213

Today master Kei told me his stock of tea was nearly depleted and he needed more. I asked if he couldn't just summon more by magic, he answered "Of course I can my son, but what would you learn from that." So he took my are and we apprated to the base of a massive mountain. I'd never seen anything so big before, in was beautiful and terrible at the same time.

"Now my son to you see that small crevice," he asked me while point up. I looked and faintly, thousands of feet I saw the small ledge of which he spoke.

"Yes Master,' I answered.

"Well that is your goal for today, climb and retrieve the tea plants that grow there, and do not use magic unless you fall, and I'd advise you did not, even with magic its still perilous," he told me.

"Yes master" I answered learning not to question Master Keis methods.

I began to climb, it was cold. Very cold and my hands found it hard to hold to a certain spot for more than a moment, this helped quicken my pace. After a few hours I saw I'd made great progress, I was already halfway there, thou I was tried. I didn't stop; I was determined to retrieve those plants. I rose now not being able to see the earth below me, so I turned my eyes to the sky and placed my hands in hold after hold, using my legs to great effect while I climbed.

Once I nearly feel and it was terrifying, but exhilarating at the same time, I felt alive up here, like I could do anything. It was amazing. After several hours I finally made it to the last stretch and pushed hard with all my remaining energy and at last rolled myself onto the waiting cliff. I stood up panting and looked in the crevice and found my quarry. Small plants the strangest shade of green I'd ever seem, the seemed to emit a deep glow. They had tiny red spots strewn on them.

I picked all that grew there and looked over the side of the mountain. And with a heavy breath began to make my way back down. It took a surprisingly short time considering. OOnce I was back on the ground I found Master Kei sitting on the ground meditating. He continued for a few more minutes and then finally spoke.

"Well done my son, today you have learned that when focused on a goal even when danger is abound you have the keys to achieve them" he said.

"Yes Master, thank you," I said handing him the satchel with the plants inside.

"Good my son," he said taking the satchel, "now let's go brew some tea"

We both smiled and apperated back to the temple.

Harry smiled at the memory and turned to another page.

Year 4 day 177

Today Master Kei woke me early, saying we were visiting some friends of his.

"Yes Master," I said rising to dress and join him in the main hall.

Once there we walked to the apperation point and vanish. When we arrived at our destination I found we were at the entrance to another temple, it wasn't like our temple, it was defiantly a muggle temple, but there was still certain majesty about it. It was very large with intricate statues littered all along the entrance. After climbing a very tall set of stairs we reached the top and made our way into the center of a large courtyard.

"Stay here my son" Master Kei ordered.

"Yes Master," I answered. I watched as he made his way to another man I hadn't noticed before. They bowed to each other and after a brief conversation Master kei pointed to me and the old man nodded.

Master Kei returned and said "Now my son no matter what happens you are not to use magic is that understood"

"Yes Master" I asked a bit nervous.

Master Kei walked away and I stood there in the middle of the courtyard for a while, wondering what was about to happen. Then I heard it, the unmistakable sound of footsteps, many footsteps running fast. I heard them approach and I stood there waiting for what I knew now would come. They began to flood out of every door surrounding the courtyard, Hundreds of Monks, all dressed in red vests and leg wraps. All carrying a weapon of some sort.

I recognized them, these were Shaolin monks, I've seen them in the books master keis had me study. They were all bald with a fierce look in their eyes, the fire of combat alive in their souls.

They circled me and prepared themselves in various fighting stances. Then it began, in a blazing fury of fists legs, blades and staffs. They swarmed me and I brace myself, even though Master had instructed me not to use magic I knew I could use my height senses to move quickly and stealthily through the onslaught. I concentrated hard and time slowed, I saw them coming as if in slow motion and I moved quick to avoid their blows, delivering punches and kicks of my own. I decimated 15 on the right flank before turning to the left, using speed to avoid the blows of several blades and boss.

I used all my skill after being honed by Master Keys tutelage, and I decimated my enemies one by one, As many fell many more came and I moved hard against the coming tide, throughing myself dead center to meet the threat. I fought off the main group in the middle leaving them unconscious but otherwise unhurt on the floor. After a fierce struggle I found that only a few remained, all hesitant to continue. But with a spirit of bravery embedded after years of training they attacked. The first swung his blade to reach my neck; I ducked avoiding the blade and landed a furious kick right to his center. The second came from my side trying to skerr me with a long bladed staff. I spun caught the staff in the middle delivered a striking kick to his temple. The rest followed suit attacking and being repelled by my lighting evasion and counter attacks.

Soon they were all defeated leaving me standing alone in the center of several crumpled bodies. I was breathing hard my fists and legs ready to find a new target.

'Very good my son", said master Kei, suddenly behind me. "You have done well, very good use of restraint using only the force necessary to incapacitate but not to seriously harm. I am very proud of you"

"Thank You Master," I panted in response.

Year 3, day 209

I awoke early this morning and decided to read some in the library, it was a truly a remarkable room that would put Hogwart's library to shame. I know Hermione would think of it as heaven, I really wish I could show her.

I was walking slowly up the hall when I heard something, soft quiet chanting. I don't know why but it mesmerized me, enticing me to follow. I turned a corner gong past room after room letting the sound guide me.

At last I found its source. At the very end of the hall stood two large ornate doors made of what looked to be oak. I approached and quietly I found myself in a massive shrine, with columns everywhere much like the main temple. I noticed on each wall were also Murals, like the ones in the halls outside, each was picture of a different person seeming to battle different foes. The first was of a tall man with long black hair wheilding a massive club, delivering a death blow to a b large horned creature.

The next of was a beautiful woman with long flowing silver hair, wearing a long white dress, she was spinning, apparently summoning the power of the wind to repeal a huge army dressed in red. Stopping them dead in their tracks, terror flooding their eyes as they tried with all their strength to fight against the wind.

I made me way further in were Master kei was knelling in the center at the base of the stares in deep mediation. I slowly approached when I saw the last mural. It was of a large man when muscles that ripped through the sleeves of his gi. It was different from the others though, his face looked as if it had been burned off, I couldn't make it out, all I could see was the top of his forehead, which held a massive red scar.

"Welcome my son" Master Kei said catching me off guard, "I see you have finally found your way to the heart of the temple, it is here where masters have come from the beginning to find peace and guidance.

Yes Master, why haven't you showed me this place before" I asked.

"Because some things need to be discovered by oneself' He answered.

"Master who are these people in these pictures" I asked.

"These are Former Sage Masters my son, performing the sacred duties of which they are charged, protecting the world from evil, and maintaining the balance.

I looked again at the picture with the missing face, "what about that one Master," I asked pointing at it.

A frown etched itself across his face and I saw a look of pain in his eyes. "He was one who fell. He was a very powerful Sage Master, to powerful and that was his undoing. He started well the best there ever was, he was a force of great good in this world. But with each new victory, each new discovery he began to crave more. More power, he became obsessed with its accumulation. It consumed him, his dark lust. Ultimately it force us, the remaining Sage Masters to cast him out of the order, but it wasn't enough. He a massed himself an army of followers, promising hollowly to let them share in his power, and they marched on this very temple. His greed made him desire something that lay inside and he would not rest until he had it. The battle was fierce, my fellow Sages and I against him and his followers We carried the day, but ever just so. Many of my brothers and sisters died that day. In the end it came down to me and him and I used all my power to stop him. I did in the end and I broke his Buki which sent him in retreat. He fled and was never heard from again." Master Kei finishing his tale. I wasn't in tears but I could tell this matter caused him great pain.

"What was he after Master," I asked tenitivly.

"Open your mind and you will find the answer my son", he said. I thought for a moment and then it came to me.

"The katana hikari" I answered.

He nodded. "Yes my son that is the Buki he craves most of all, he feels it will finally give power that would be uncontestable. He can't take it by force thou as I'm sure you are aware. Without being chosen by a Buki, then to gain its power one must win it. If it is won in battle than the victor can claim it for his own, and if he would have won, and sacked this temple he would have had it. After that though I took measures to ensure he could never enter here again, so even if he did win as long as the blade stays within these walls he can never take it.'

"Is he still alive then Master," I asked.

"For that I cannot say, but it would be foolish to assume otherwise, now let's go my son, we must begin this day's lesson," he said escorting me out of the room

Harry took another deep breath as he closed his journal. He thought of what his master had said about the katana hikari being safe as long as it rests here, this troubled him. If the blade did choose him then he would have to take it. Master Kei had explained it quite clearly that once Buki chooses you must accept, it's a sacred bond that can not be broken. He also knew that if it did choose him he would have to leave the temple to perform his duties. This thought made nervous, not scared just uneasy. He went back to bed and lied down once again and slowly drifted off into a deep and much needed sleep.