Chapter Two- The beginning of the Midnight Vigilante

In a couple of weeks an old man from the Orient appeared at the doorstep into wee hours in the morning. He was wearing a blue kimono with black pants, his long white hair was in a bun, and his white beard hung on his chin. The old man stood with a strong poise and he had a medium built body structure. One of the servants opened the door and let him in.
Cassim was up to meet with him. " I'm glad that you agreed to take up on my offer. Mr.Yamymogo. I heard that you're the best."
" You said that you'd make worth my while." Cassim gave the pouch full of gold coins to Mr. Yamymogo. The old man examined the pieces, " The money has no mark."
" But it's real gold. I guarantee you that." replied Cassim
The old man chewed the coin, " Yep, it's the real deal. Where's my student?"
Cassim smiled deviously, " A sleep."
Cassim led Mr. Yamymogo to his son's quarters. Aladdin was fast asleep and dreaming away about his Jasmine. The old man from the Orient pulled a symbol from his bag and clanged it loudly. Aladdin sprung up from his slumber wide eyed, and alert, " AHHHH! What? Huh? It's early!"
" Son this is your trainer. Mr. Yamymogo." said Cassim
Lexie woke up wondering what's the noise is all about.
Aladdin pulled the covers over him to go back to sleep, " What's the difference? I've fought before."
" Yeah, you had help with you. You're a one man show." said Lexie
Everyone looked at Lexie questionably, " I know. I see things in the psyche remember." Suddenly she closed her robe. " Sir! Do you mind? I can read minds too."
Aladdin got dressed by the uniform was given by his sensei. He met Mr. Yamymogo for his first day of training.
The old man stood across from him in a battling stance and he motioned for Aladdin to come at him. " Show me what you got."
" Uh, I don't know. I might hurt you and-"
In an instant his sensei came charging at him. He swung at Aladdin with each arm. Aladdin ducked and dodged each punch fired. He had to do something to push back his sensei. Aladdin retaliated. He made a wrong move and the atmosphere was swirling in colors of blue, yellow, brown, and green. He found himself face down on the floor. Iago was watching from the window and was laughing hysterically. Mr. Yamymogo stood over him. " Never under estimate old age for weakness. You'll be surprised how wise we are." He helped him up. " You're too open. Your enemy might find a possible spot to take you out. Watch their body position and predict possible moves they will throw at you. Here follow me. Block every time I come at you." Mr. Yamymogo threw punches at him and Aladdin followed by blocking it." Switch positions." His moves sped up faster and faster. Aladdin's eyes got wider and was afraid that he going to get hit. Suddenly a punch went across his face. His head jerk to the side and holding his face in pain. " Again. You're too open." Iago laughed again. Mr. Yamymogo threw at rock at Iago and knocked him off his perch. He smiled and laughed husky, " I killed two birds with one stone."

Every morning Aladdin would get up and do exercises with Mr. Yamymogo. It was a form of a martial art mixed in with Yoga. This helped Aladdin to improve his agility, fighting skills and learning how to focus. His sensei taught him lessons in the elements of martial art.

Endurance: A note was left on Aladdin's bedside. It was instructions to meet Mr. Yamymogo. It was about an hour on horseback. When he had arrived, Aladdin found an old temple on top of a hill. There was a bunch of steps leading up to it. His sensei was already up top.
" Come on up! By the way can you carry these pails of water up for me?'' Aladdin noticed there were two pails of water on the bottom of the stairs that was connected on a pole. He looked at the objects and looked at the stairs. He groaned at the challenge. Aladdin picked up the two pails and carried upon his shoulders. It was like lifting dumbbells. " I'm going to time you. Your father says you're fast. I just want to see if he's bluffing." yelled Mr. Yamymogo from up above. Aladdin quickly climbed up the stairs within tenth step. He slipped and fell spilling the water all over the place. Mr. Yamymogo watched as Aladdin came tumbling down. " Ugh! That looks painful."

Balance: They were back at the compound in the garden. Mr. Yamymogo had Aladdin balanced small cups of green tea on his shoulders and head. The old man walked to the gazebo and sat down. " Serve me my tea without spilling a drop."
" Sensei. What's this exercise for?" Aladdin asked.
" Because! You're clumsy like a chicken! You need to be light on your feet and be graceful."
" It kind of burns."
" Good! You should learn to take pain without showing that you're hurt. Hurry! I need to take my medicine."
A large boom shook the compound. It scared the living daylights out Aladdin. He lost his balance the teacups got disarranged. Aladdin tried to gain control of them. The teacups spilled all over him and on the floor. Running around the garden, fanning his uniform and holding the pain within. His sensei laughed, " You funny! You make me laughed! Your face! It's a classic." Suddenly a change of face and mood, " Make me more tea! and do it again."

Aladdin gathered the cups and went inside to brew another. He stopped by Cassim's workshop. " Dad? Are you okay?" The room was filled with smoke. Cassim was coughing. Sudden an arrow fired at Aladdin and he moved to the side. " Wow. This stuff is neat." He picked up a small baton and pushed a button. It extended to a beu. " What happened?"
Cassim picked up small round objects about the size of marbles. " One accidentally exploded. How's the training?"
" Intense. But if this is what it takes for me to get back home and to Jasmine. I'll go through anything."
" One of my men told me about him. We've gave Mr. Yamymogo a second chance in life."
" Why?" asked Aladdin.
" His closest student and him fought in a war back in the Orient. His student was sent on a mission and he never came back."
" Why is he so close to him?"
" Because Aladdin. It's his son. When his son passed on. He was left with nothing. Your sensei says that you remind him of his son: clumsy, full of confidence, strong, fast runner and smart. So please respect him and cut him some slack."
" Yes dad." answered Aladdin as he left the room and continued with his training.

Mind over matter: Aladdin was doing his morning exercise with his sensei. They were moving in the same way in a peaceful manner. Being in tuned with the environment and the tranquility. Focusing the strength on each arm.
Mr. Yamymogo let out a loud yell, " HIIIIYAAA!" He was throwing out martial arts moves. Aladdin fought back and blocked. " Aladdin! Don't be too open! Don't let your opponent find a spot to hit you." Aladdin threw a high kick and hit his sensei. " Ow! My nose! You broke old man's nose." Mr. Yamymogo held his nose.
" Sensei! Are you okay?" asked Aladdin as he offered his hand. Mr. Yamymogo took his hand and flipped Aladdin. He was on the floor. Again
His sensei hovered over him. " Don't be such a nice guy anymore." He smiled as he picked a solid wooden board. " Here. Hold this." Aladdin held the wooden board and his sensei broke it with his bare hands. Mr. Yamymogo held another wooden board. " I believe your ready. Break this."
Aladdin examined the board, " There's a trick to this right? Like a weak middle or a hole somewhere?"
" No trick! Just break it!"
Aladdin threw a punch and hit it hard. He didn't break it through and his hand was throbbing.
" Do it again until the wooden board breaks. It's mind over matter. Don't lose concentration. Own the board! Think the board as paper."
Later in the afternoon, Aladdin came into the kitchen asking for ice from one of the servants.
( Yeah, ice from the mountains that are delivered in the cold night so it won't melt in the day. Delivered in horse drawn carts. Distributed in iceboxes to keep meat cold and lasts for days.) Lexie came in for a snack and saw his bruised hands. " They look swollen."
" I broke one today. After fifty tries on each hand." said Aladdin. The servant brought ice from the icebox. He placed his hands on them. Aladdin sighed in relief.

Knowing your surroundings: Mr. Yamymogo had tall logs set up about a foot apart. They were seven lined up across. " You must go across them without losing your balance and knowing when to dodge when your enemy comes at you. Cassim, Lexie, and me will throw pebbles at you. Here." The sensei offers Aladdin his beu. " Protect yourself with this. Remember. Don't fall." Aladdin remembers about his lesson about balance and gracefulness. He went across. Cassim and Lexie were throwing rocks. Iago decided to join in by yelling at Aladdin in which direction to swing. " Swing left! Swing right! Swing ahead of you!" Aladdin focus and diminished all distractions.
He flipped across and doing tricks with his beu. Aladdin was doing good. A little too good.
By the way of Aladdin's actions. Mr. Yamymogo thinks that he is showing off. He grabbed a bucket of water and threw it at him. Aladdin stood on the log soaking wet.
" You're fighting as a warrior not a clown in a circus. Be humble in what you do."
As weeks went on Mr. Yamymogo taught Aladdin the use of weapons. Whip, sword, beu, and archery for aiming. Soon enough, an obstacle course was set for Aladdin to go through. It had a combination of agility, endurance, speed, balance, knowing your surrounding, and gracefulness. " Ready, set, and go!" cried Mr. Yamymogo. Quickly like the wind. Aladdin dodged jumped, fought, ducked, and finished with time to spare. His sensei looked at him with impressiveness and approval. He joked, " Show Off!" He knuckled sandwich Aladdin's head. Aladdin play fought with him. His sensei laughed as he blocked his students playful punches. " You think you think you can master my art huh? " Mr. Yamymogo spoke in his thick accent.
" I learned from the best." Aladdin smirked.
" Here, I have something for your journey for redemption." Mr. Yamymogo gave Aladdin a tiny statue of a tiger. Aladdin smiled because it looked like Rajah. " A cat that hides, stalks his victims and attacks with a powerful blow. When you're out there. You're a phantom tiger that prowls in the night. Leaving fear into your victims eyes. Knowing that they will never do injustice again. Then you'll leave without a trace that can't be seen. You are ready. My friend."