10
"Master Long, are you sure you want to do this?" Wufei questioned uncertainly. He stood, prepared for battle, one arm thrust forward and the other pulled back, the index and middle fingers propped up on both.
Master Long nodded. "Of course, Wufei. You need all the practice you can get!" Long mirrored Wufei's stance.
"As you wish, Master Long," the younger sighed, re-readying himself.
Another man counted and dropped his hand at the same time Meiran swung the mallet and hit the gong.
For several minutes, the two men were locked in battle, each sharp move that Wufei made leaving a thin trail of fire in the air that dissipated quickly afterwards.
Wufei's blow at Long's head was blocked. The elder smirked, hand beside his head holding back his opponent.
The smouldering-eyed young man let his hands drop with a sigh of defeat.
That was when all came to the realization that their makeshift arena took residence in the kitchen at the rear of the take-out restaurant. The feelings and visions of valour disappeared at the moment that Wufei's hand brushed a stray cloth on the counter. The cloth immediately burst into flames.
One of the other young cooks, who stood beside the one who'd initiated the fight, dashed off to fetch a fire extinguisher.
"I was afraid of that," Wufei muttered in disappointment with himself. Meiran smiled warmly and leaned on him, patting his arm in support.
Long stepped up across from him. "Foolishness, Wufei," he said. "Throughout all your future training, always remember this: every great discovery or accomplishment begins with a mistake."
"I know, Master Long," Wufei continued to sigh. He seated himself, brushing Meiran away. "It's just that," he lamented, "I seem to have been making a great deal of mistakes lately."
Master Long chuckled quietly. "Don't worry yourself so!" he told his grandson-in-law-to-be. "Your gift is beyond the rest of your family's ability. A lack of control when using it in battle should be none of your concern for now. Worry about controlling that temper of yours! Meditate on it." Long gave his words with a wide grin up at his apprentice, crinkling his face even more.
Wufei stood solemnly and bowed. "Yes, Master Long."
TBC