School was from eight to eleven in the morning, from whereafter the village kids would have four hours of break (lunch included) before continuing from three to seven in the afternoon, though a break it should not really to be called, as the time was spent in the training field with Instructor Clave; doing different types of exercises and learning the matters of Star warriors. Philip had been a part of this during his younger years, mainly because his old father, who now was long dead, had left it for his mother to make his son train from an early age. So in all earnestly, what was taught in the first and second year of school, should all be the young boy's knowledge. Yet, as indolent and unambitious he had been before his mother was abducted, Philip had missed out on almost everything, making him stand at equal to the others village kids in his age, who had now also started going to school, in terms of knowledge.

"Goodmorning, children," said the female teacher, wearing a thin, white dress, standing on the podium in classroom 3 with a ruler in her hand. "I will be your teacher for the next three years in math and language. You may call me Miss Perry and nothing else. Any questions?"

Miss Perry looked like she was thirty years old, her black her tied up in a ponytail as her eyebrows arched, inspecting the children with her calculating gaze. Philip sat in the back, next to a brown haired girl with braids. This brown haired girl introduced herself before the start of the class, much like how Miss Perry did now. If the young boy remembered correctly, her name was Jen– but he had never been very good with names, so it was not an understatement to say he might not learn all the names in his class even after three years.

"Thanks for today!" said Miss Perry. "You all should head home and eat lunch before instructor Clave's physical training at noon. Let's keep the good work tomorrow!"

As Philip was walking home from the school building in the centre of the village, the brown haired girl caught up to him, greeting him with a smile.

"Hey, you're that boy who always trains, aren't you?" said Jen. "You never gave me your name earlier."

"Philip," said the boy. "is my name."

"I heard my mother say you that train more than anyone else in the village, that's quite impressive," said Jen "I've always admired strong men. Mother told me to never marry a weak man because they can't protect you.

"Oh, okay," said Philip, not very sure how to answer.

"We sit next to each other in class so we should become friends," said Jen and stretched forward her hand.

"Philip took it. "Sure," he said, "Let's become friends!"

"Great!" said Jen and showed him a big smile, "I need to go home now but we should to the training field together. Let's meet up here in fifty minutes, okay?"

Before Philip could answer, Jen continued. "Don't forget, bye!"

She ran away, her braids swinging back and forth as she disappeared behind a house, probably running home to eat. Philip stood there, left on the paved road curving itself through the village, quite dumbfounded, to say the least.

After eating, he went back to the place where he was going to wait for Jen. When she came, they walked to training together, and he got to know her; she really talked a lot, and quick too. her full name was Jen Alden, just as his was Philip Rodent, passed down to him from his deceased father.

There was not much training today. The first hour was spent on Instructor Clave explaining the details of the course. While the first years, as they were called, were listening to Instructor Clave, the second and third years were training themselves. Philip could feel that someone was looking at him. The gaze belonged to Jonathan and some other second and third years. Why they did what they did that night was unknown to the young boy, but he swore in his heart when he got to know who it was that he would pay back them tenfold. But first, he needed strength, and that could only be gained by time.

After the so-called break, it was time for Martial arts. This class was also held ay the training field.

"Hello, as you've probably heard, the hours of your afternoon school will be spent on martial arts," said an older man, preferably in his sixties. "I'm your Martial Instructor, George Jabtir. I hope we can have fun together and learn a lot."

"The main goal of this course is to teach all of you proper means to defend yourself and those around you," continued George. "This world is vast and dangerous, and while most of you won't leave the village, some of you will. Not to mention the dangers that exist in the Feloran Mountains just behind us."

He pointed at the mountain chain just west outside of the village. Philip saw mist circle around the white peaks that wouldn't even melt during summers.

"This mountain is the mountain were we villagers have to scrape for metals and herbs," said George, "Every month, our Village Chief travels to the Sun City and trades these metals and herbs, which allow us to receive products we can't make ourselves."

"And I can tell you, " he said. "that up there, without martial arts, you won't survive for long. Even with martial arts, it's very tough, and so we villagers rarely go up there unless circumstances force us to."

"Anyway, let's not delay, I shall now demonstrate fro you the dancing bear."

George removed his shirt, revealing bulging muscles that were similar to a bear's.

"The Dancing bear relies on power, precision, and to strike first." said George, taking a wide stance that wasn't so much different from the horse stance. His hands were stretched out like a hawk's wings."The first move is called 'Bear's Chop'. Look carefully."

George struck down with his palm from the side, turning it to the side and making it look like a blade as it descended. "This move's target is the throat," he said. "We don't have to funds to purchase the right equipment for all of the villagers who travel up to the mountain, but ancient tradition says that this technique can only be fully complete with a specifically created hand guard since only then will the striking power be like a sword."

"Then," said a male student. "Why don't we just use a sword?"

"Swords are expensive, young man, " answered George. "and we actually do, but that's only for seasoned warrior. Listen, before you can use your body, how can you use a sword? First, you must master your own body, because only then can you move other things as if it are your limbs!"

"Moving on! The second move is called..."

George showed a total of thirty-six moves in succession. Twelve of the movements were defence oriented and the rest were moves meant to cause harm to the opponent. Philip found them quite intriguing, especially when George showed an example of a combination. Bear Chop followed Bear's palm twister and Bear's Punch. The Bear Chop targeted the throat while the Bear Palm punch targeted the lungs. And finishing off was the Bear's palm that aimed either at the heart, able to cause, with sufficient power, hearts to stop. The prerequisite for the combo was, however, that one had the advantage in the battle or one was the first to strike, or else one wouldn't find the time instigate Bear's Chop, a which left one pretty wide open.