Sign of the Zodiac: Aries
[Sign 1: Aries] The Beginning of Suffering

Anaru must choose two options: survive or surrender. Generally Anaru was not the type of person who could endure doing unreasonable orders from others. Moreover, what he was doing was completely useless. Instead of learning martial techniques, Anaru was only doing trivial, futile and excruciating things.

Moreover, the person who continued to torment him was a woman whose height was a little shorter than Anaru's body. Though Anaru is short for the size of youth his age. Not to mention that the woman was also smaller than the real Anaru also could not be called unbiased.

But Anaru was not willing to give up. He had to survive even though his entire body was like being pierced by thousands of needles. He will still survive all the cruel acts committed by Airyung.

Ever since Anaru's request to become a fighter, Airyung has been serious about training him. Even sometimes Anaru suspected that Airyung actually intended revenge on him and tried to make the young man surrender.

After their talk yesterday, Airyung finally agreed to postpone their trip and do intense training for one week before the uluwero recruitment event in the village.

Anaru promised that if he succeeded in becoming a uluwero, he would talk to Princess Aroha about the Ehawee tribe's prophecy. That way Airyung can freely find the chosen one to all corners of the village.

Although it seems unsure of the promise uttered Anaru – even though it is actually more inconclusive Anaru can be accepted into uluwero – but Airyung has no other choice. The two chose to settle in a dead forest about four days away on foot to the village of Kitai.

Called a dead forest because in that place overgrown with a lot of dry trees without leaves that are blackish brown. There is only one or two trees that still have leaves, although most have dried up. There were no signs of life in the dead forest other than a few insects that could survive in the dry.

That place ‘hells torture’ for Anaru. Airyung did not seem to be wasting any time to start doing intensive training for Anaru. He told Anaru to train under the blazing sun with bare chest.

From time to time Airyung simply told Anaru to run around while Airyung rode behind him. The young man ran from one tree to another.

“It really doesn't make sense! I want to fight, not escape!” exclaims Anaru while continuing to run. His breathing was dashed from exhaustion.

“Sometimes you need to escape when meeting an opponent who is too strong,” Airyung replied lightly.

“Not going,” says Anaru panting. He stopped his run and fell on the hot ground. Even the sunburned dry land no longer felt the heat on his body. His back seemed to be numb from the scorching sun.

“Who told you to be lazy?” Airyung tells Tsagan to walk around the young man.

“Actually what's the point of this exercise? All day I just ran to and fro..” complained Anaru was upset.

“Do not spoiled. Speed is the main one for horsemen,” Airyung replied curiously.

“You think I'm a horse!” sergeant Anaru emotion.

“That's the problem. Since you don't have a horse you should be able to run as fast as a horse,” Airyung said almost without thinking.

“Do not mess around..”

“Already. Just do my orders. This exercise can also increase your stamina. It's only the first day but you've whined like a shepherd. Ah sorry, you are indeed a shepherd,” teased Airyung while chuckling.

Anaru stood up from anger. He prepared to chase Airyung but the girl had already let her horse out to run away from Anaru.

“If you are so angry try to catch me with your own hands!” shouted Airyung while continuing to ride away from Anaru.

Anaru kept swearing all night. Although he was physically and mentally really tired, but it seemed that his mouth could continue to talk. Perhaps it was the only way to express his explosive anger and emotions.

There was no other body part other than his mouth that he could still move. His entire joints ached and his back blistered. He could only sleep on his stomach with Airyung sitting beside him while applying a healing potion from his tribe.

Airyung who initially seemed satisfied to be able to work on Anaru is now no longer happy. Instead, he felt annoyed because the young man became so noisy by throwing insensitive jokes. The girl took a deep breath every few minutes and resisted her urge to stop applying the healing potion.

“This drink first. You must be thirsty to keep talking for hours,” said Airyung who patiently poured the dew distilled water he collected every morning.

“He wheekadang! Kotu wkara kotu ewa?! Tia maku tock![1]” furious Anaru brushed off the bamboo drinking container that Airyung proffered. The water in the container was spilled over dry soil which quickly absorbed it to the point of noxiousness.

Airyung breathed impatiently. He took back his bamboo container with a trembling hand holding back the anger.

“You know how hard it is for me to collect dew every morning. You don't have to act so dramatic, do you? You want us to die of thirst?” airyung said he tried to speak well with his mouth barely clenched.

“Pale! Pirou tagata koruu uloh mat![2]”

“Terden! Just keep talking as you please! I don't care!” exclaim Airyung threw the scruffy remains of the healing potion onto Anaru's back in full force. Anaru groaned in pain. He then got up from his position and sat facing Airyung who had walked to the other side of the campfire.

“Sick tofu!” an angry Anaru protest.

Just shut up and pretend not to listen.

“You think it makes sense to make me run all day?! Just running! You promised to teach me to fight not to escape!” exclaim Anaru who has boarded apitam.

“I did teach you to fight. The basics of fighting are agility. By running faster you've trained your agility. Running is also good for stamina. I only have seven days to train you. This is the best way I teach you in a narrow time,” Airyung replied reasoned.

“But I didn't learn any moves at all. Slash, hit or other more useful techniques!”

“You can attack with your own instincts later. For now the most important thing is agility. If you are agile enough, you can avoid or attack the weak uluwero-uluwero,” Airyung continues to insist.

“Uluwero is not weak! You're the one who's too strong! Basic inhuman!” serapah anaru back stoning.

Airyung was lazy to argue. He just wants to find the person in the prophecy immediately. But now his steps just had to be burdened by the annoying young man who was insistent without being able to measure his own abilities. Because tired of hearing the ravings of Anaru, Airyung finally chose to go to bed first that night. Another day passed without producing anything

...***...

[1] Wheekadang! Kotu wkara kotu ewa?! Tia maku tok inu! : You damn it! Who do you think you are? I don't need your water!

[2] Pale! Pirou tagata koruu uloh mat!: Fool! A rotten man like you deserves to die!