Champion Standing

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Princess Ayana decreed the Hemiolia to Liao for his journey because of its speed and open area for calisthenics. Additionally, this craft had a minimal crew – a competent crew. Liao could travel completely unhindered.

Liao was a Warrior. There was nothing more he could do to prepare physically for this tournament. He was at the peak of his abilities. Still, two things were necessary for Liao during the transit to Hainan Island.

Meditation and calisthenics were paramount, and there was ample time for each. Ayana was correct. Should Liao win at Hainan Island, it would not be his physical prowess that carried the day, but rather his mental and spiritual preparedness.

Calisthenics were usually practiced with a partner, but he often stepped through the ritual martial arts movements alone. They began with a deep breathing exercise.

Illumination in the Hemiolia’s main cabin dropped as he extinguished several candles. Liao stepped into the changing alcove and slipped into his exercise ghi. Stepping back into the main cabin, he slowly began the breathing exercises designed to cleanse him of all outside distractions.

The deep breathing exercise lasted two hours, gradually increasing in intensity as he prepared for the exercise section of his meditation.

Next, he began a series of slow, deliberate movements that appeared almost dancelike. Slowly, deliberately Liao moved through the levels of his warm-up, each new series of movements gaining both speed and intensity.

His concentration fully focused, even with the sound of the craft crashing through waves in an almost desperate, frantic tempo, Liao was now at peak performance. Reacting to the motion with such precision, his arms, legs, hands and feet were an impossible blur. Despite the incredible amount of energy expended, both physical and mental, Liao’s breathing barely increased beyond the norm for him; neither had he begun to perspire.

Liao broke from his routine only long enough to add his Dao to the finely choreographed exercise. Once again, his movements were a blur, impossible to follow.

Beginning to scale back the intensity of his exercise, he increased his focus on restoring his metabolism to a more relaxed state. When the exercise ended, four hours had passed, although it seemed as if he had begun only moments before.

Liao stepped through a portal and began to dress not in his Kushite uniform, but rather the ceremonial warrior garments of the Rong Clan. For the warrior, this process was no less an important part of preparation for the tournament than was the regimen of cleansing exercises he had just completed.

Each article of clothing had its own special meaning to the warrior; each article had a unique purpose for the days to come.

Spiked warrior’s boots with their distinctive upturned tips suggested firmly rooted power — a foundation of security drawing strength even from the soil itself. They spoke of the Han’s ancient history when his people tamed their savage dynasty.

The belt wrapped around his waist, even more than supporting his trousers, provided a wealth of hiding places – locations to which any number of weapons, both defensive and offensive could be attached, although for the true warrior, only offensive weaponry was hidden there. This is where the warrior would attach his throwing blades and the holster for his assassin’s dagger.

The vest he wore was unique to the clan he represented, and was adorned with intricate embroidery, usually by the Senior Mistress of the clan, and was worn as a symbol of honor.

The greatcoat worn by the warrior was made of a material resistant to puncture, although what the original material was is unknown. It is likely that it was a treated animal skin of some kind. It specified his place in society. His rank within the Han Dynasty was proudly emblazoned for the entire world to see.

The sleeves, also made of animal pelts, afforded similar protection. The animal’s pelts were those of an aggressive, predatory beast, and were believed to give the warrior’s arms added strength, drawing from the spirit of the pelt’s original owner, who traditionally, the warrior himself had hunted and killed.

The warrior’s gloves were fingerless — covered with spikes designed to protect the warrior’s palm, fist, and the back of his hands without interfering with the mobility needed in the warrior’s fingers. These too were fashioned from the skin of an animal the warrior had hunted and killed. As with the rest of the garments, the warrior believed he drew strength from the spirit of the animal whose skin he now wore.

Finally, the finishing touch, the warrior’s sash bore the detailed insignia of the Warrior’s clan great or small. While the insignia and markings bore great importance within the Empire, from a more personal point of pride were the sash and its adornment. It proclaimed to all who beheld it who and what he was to his clan.

Each article of clothing was carefully adorned. It was with especially great pride that Liao at last attached to his sash the insignia denoting his position of First of the Rong Clan.

The final detail left for Liao’s readiness was the preparation of his Dao. A Warrior’s Dao was handmade and perfectly balanced for the individual warrior. While in some cases, the Dao may be handed down from father to son, generally a warrior crafted his own weapon.

Liao began his final preparation by first meticulously re-wrapping the handgrips to his weapon, careful that each handhold was tight, and that the weapon itself maintained the balance most perfectly suited for him.

Liao occupied his travel time carefully honing the razor-sharp edges of his weapon to an even more perfect, deadly blade.

As he placed the sharpening stone back in its pouch, and replaced the shroud that protected his Dao, a runner announced the Hemiolia’s arrival. As a matter of course, a caller announced the arrival of Liao, of the Rong Clan, to Hainan Island. Then they began the slow process of docking for the most important non-warring competition in all the Han Dynasty.

Liao, remembering the departing words of Princess Ayana, smiled inwardly. He was ready.

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HAINAN ISLAND FEATURED a robust road system, as did most of the Han Dynasty. It had survived disasters both from nature and conquest.

Littering the seas around Hainan Island were a variety of assorted flotsam, a small ring consisting primarily of the remains of two ancient Han wars.

Many atolls and subsurface caves were unknown to the Han People. It was in a hidden cavern only accessible by the smallest of watercraft that the Mang sisters and the Romans were to meet.

Hidden just below the sea’s surface were a series of large caverns. While a direct beaching was impossible, teams of conspirators from two world empires were able to successfully transport themselves to the largest of these hidden caverns.

And so, the meeting began. Neither side trusting the other but bound together with a sense of mutual need. The conspirators, well aware of the time limitations imposed on them, set their plan into motion.

On the one side were the Mang sisters: Ling, the elder sister; Mei, the younger sister.

During the next few hours, the remaining members of the traitorous Mang Clan, and a brilliant, but delusional Roman operative laid out a plan to destroy all that had gone before them at a Dao tournament at a place called Hainan Island.

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LIAO’S WATERCRAFT LANDED in a virtual flotilla of boats large and small, so great was the appeal of the Hainan Island Dao Tournament. There was nothing that could have prepared him for the vision that unfolded. He had never seen so many ships in one place at one time. Nor had he ever been in the presence of such regalia. It was not well known outside of the Empire that Hans could throw such festivities, and the Dao Tournament aside, this was a huge celebration!

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IT WAS AGAINST THESE warriors and their great ships that Liao must prevail. Advised of the tournament pairings for the first round, he began his quest for the title Champion Standing against the defending champion and odds-on favorite to win this year’s event, an open supporter of the Mang Clan.

His name was Cheng, such was his fame throughout the Han Dynasty. There were great songs sung of his feats; epic poems told around raised goblets of Baijiu heralded his victories; young warriors who wanted to emulate this grand master of destruction. Cheng was a hero in the empire and a terror to his enemies.

He entered the tournament village brandishing the colors of two Clans – his own great clan and the forbidden Mang Clan. So great was his standing that even Chancellor Gengshi, who had both restored the honor of the Rong Clan and stripped the Mang Clan of their honor and holdings, would stand mute before the great champion who presented himself that day. There are those who would even say that Gengshi himself trembled at the thought of having to face the blade of Cheng.

The Procession of Warriors came and went. The Baijiu flowed late into the evening. First light’s bell announced the beginning of the Dao Tournament and the first round of battles. The featured test of the first round of combatants paired Cheng against Liao; the people’s champion versus the outcast.

Of such things are legends made, poems written, and songs sung.

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