The Writers Voice
The World's
Favourite Literary Website
Souls Warrior
by
Michael Faircloth
Chapter 1
Bane’s Beginning
John Bane, having just arrived home after spending two weeks in Spain, was
checking his email when he open a letter from his master, and long time friend,
Tom Walk. Walk was an eighty-three year old martial arts teacher from Korea,
that had been training Bane since he was four. The email told Bane that it was
his time to take over the battle of the souls. Bane thought that Master Walk
might have been spending too much time at his favorite pub, Soul Finders. He
would stop in the next morning and see his old friend.
“This is the worst storm that I’ve seen in a long time”, thought Bane. “I must
see Master Walk and I can’t let a storm stand in my way.” Bane was not sure why,
but something about Master Walks message keep bugging him. His balanced life was
starting to become a little unstable. “Maybe Master Walk was getting sick or
perhaps his mind was starting to go.” As Bane left his apartment and neared his
blue Dodge Ram truck, a crack of lighting shot from the sky and hit an
electrical pole, blasting the base of the pole causing it to tumble onto Bane’s
beautiful truck, crushing in the drivers side of the cab. Bane had to move as
quickly as possible to avoid the falling power lines. It was not until he was
clear of the fallen power lines that he saw the damage to his truck. “That
sucks,” he thought to himself. ”The insurance will take care of it, besides I
was ready for something new. I want a new Dodge Ram with four-wheel drive. I
want a black one this time, with the sports package, like one of my students
has.”
Still worrying about Master Walk’s message, Bane called the police to take care
of the mess and help to have his truck towed to the nearest shop, and then he
called for a cab. After waiting in Deputy Hunter’s car for a few minutes, a cab
from the Dark Side Cab Co. pulled up. “Thanks Hunter, see you tonight at class”,
said Bane. Deputy Hunter has trained with Bane for four years and is considered
one of his most skilled students. Deputy Hunter told Bane that he would be there
but he might be a little late, then Bane was in the cab an on his way to the
pub.
Bane was silent during his cab ride, still thinking about his new truck he was
going to have to get. The storm started to let up as the cab pulled up to the
pub. “We’re here,” shouted the driver. “That’ll be fifteen dollars and fifty
cents and I don’t have any change” Bane handed over a twenty to the cab driver
and sent him on his way. Bane walked up the steps to the pub only to find the
doors locked. He decided to try the side entrance that he and Master Walk often
left by. He reached for the knob and just as he grabbed it, the door flew open
and a very short older and not very good smelling lady rush past him and down
the alley screaming “you haven’t won, I’ll be back, I swear it, I’ll be back,
you’ll see.”
“I hope that wasn’t Master Walk’s new girlfriend. If it was then maybe his mind
is starting to go, and his eyes too.” Bane thought to himself as he entered
thorough the door. “Master Walk, Master Walk, are you in here? Where are you my
old friend and what’s going on with that odd lady that just flew out of here?”
yelled Bane. A familiar voice came from a table in the back of the pub. It was
Bane’s teacher and long time friend Master Walk.
“Why is my old friend sitting alone in a pub in the middle of the day and
there’s not even anyone around to serve him? Surely you have better things to do
than sit a dark corner alone and who was that crazy woman that almost ran me
over?” asked Bane. Master Walk answered, “Bane, the son I almost had, get us a
couple of long necks from the bar and come have a seat. We have much to speak
about today and I promise you that after we’re done, your life will never be the
same.”
Bane grabbed two beers, headed over to Master Walk’s table, than sat down. It
has been almost six months since he had last seen his old friend. He stared at
him wondering why he seemed so much older than before. It was as if he had aged
twenty years in the past six months. In addition, that woman’s words were
stilling ringing in his ears; “you haven’t won”. Could there be something going
on here and why did his friend tell him that his life would never be the same.
He was beginning to think that maybe today would have been a good day to stay in
bed. He felt what was left of his balanced life slip out the door. Bane decided
to get things moving, “Well, my friend, let’s change my life.”
Master Walk began the words that would reshape Bane’s life in a way that he
could have never imagined. “I’m going to tell you a story about a group of
fighters, which exist on this planet, who are beyond the ways of mere humans. I
have shared almost every aspect of my life with you in the short twenty-three
years that you have been in training under me. It is now time that you complete
your training and I pass on to you the responsibility of ‘The Souls Warriors’.
This flesh body that contains me is almost used up and will soon stop working.
Thirteen years, from the day that this body dies, I will be able to resume my
duties. “
“The day you hear that I have died, I will leave this body and enter the body of
a newly born child. I do not know where or with whom I will be joined. On my
thirteenth birthday, I will regain my awareness of who I am and will begin the
training necessary to get my new body ready for battle. I know you must think
that I am crazy, but hear every word that I tell you, for after tonight you will
not see me until my new body is ready. The ’me’ that is here with you has
existed for over nine thousand years. When I am fortunate enough to have trained
a student such has you, I will pass on my commitment to the Souls Warriors and
help to keep the balance on this planet. I picked you about two hundred years
ago. I was a warrior in your bloodline back before there were cars or
televisions. My name was Susan Garner and I married a man by the name of William
Bane. He was a man of great Strength and very wise. Susan’s body was the best
fighting machine that I ever had. I produce one son from which you eventually
descend. With each new body, I would seek out your family, hoping to find a
child to train for duty. They say that timing is every thing and your birth was
at a good time, and I was still young enough to train a new warrior. I got
permission to stop battling for enough years to train you. You have skills that
few people can even imaging. The things that I taught you and made you vow to
never use or teach, will now come in to play in your life. “
“I’m glad to see that you taking this well my friend.” Bane, wondering if his
friend has gone off the deep end, began talking “Just how many beers have you
had tonight? I admit that I have never seen any of our advance training used or
even mentioned, but I just figured that all students keep it secret with their
master. I’m suppose to believe that you walk from one body to another and that
you fight demons in some supernatural army. I’m related to you, but from two
hundred years ago. I love you like a father and without your influence and
training; I probably would be working at a factory making Pepsi or something.
This is heavy stuff.”
“It is time to begin,” said Master Walk before Bane could say another word
Master Walk had vanished. “Hey my friend, where are you. If you come back I’ll
buy you another beer,” shouted Bane. In an instance Master Walk was floating
upside down, above the center of the table drinking a beer and not spilling a
drop. “Your secret strengths will begin to awaken. The Souls General will endow
you with the abilities to bypass distance, and even time in some cases. The
physical laws of this world will not apply to you.”
Bane, still trying to wake up from this ever increasingly crazy dream, just sat
there and stared at his friend, who was still floating upside down over the
table. Bane asked, “If you have these powers why must you die?” Master Walk
laughingly responded, “You will know soon enough, my friend. Remember that
feeling you got when you first rode your bike with no help. You tasted balanced
for the first time and it had a very satisfying taste. What you are about to
receive is going to feel like flying the Space Shuttle to the planet Saturn, in
comparison. The best way I can describe it is that your body is a vessel for
your soul. Your soul does not need your body to exist but it does need a body to
interact in this world. Your powers will free your body from this world’s
physical laws but the life cycle of a body can never be changed. When the body
is used up, you will replace it with another. You will have all your answers
soon enough. You are soon to be the newest member of the Souls Warriors; be
honored.”
Bane, still trying to digest everything, asked, “How often are new warriors
added.” Master Walk replied, “As needed “. “Warriors do grow tired of battling,
I may move on in a few thousand years, myself. Do not think that you are
immortal, because your body will die just like anyone else’s. You will get hurt;
you will feel everything you feel now. You must remember that you are battling
in this world and you are using your body to do this. You will have many
horrible deaths, but upon your new body’s awakening, you will continue your
battle. “
“Does this mean that I don’t need life insurance anymore?” asked Bane. Master
Walk, with a big smile on his face, reappeared back in his chair. “I know the
blood that is in your veins. A new warrior must have a perfect body and mind,
which is why when we awake in a superior body; we begin the family line to
produce a new warrior. You will not mate with anyone, without permission, for
the purpose of producing children; only for pleasure. You are only flesh and
bones anyway. Your first body is the toughest. You will awake in many weak
bodies, but you will overcome and continue the battle.”
“You will find that you already know many warriors and they will make themselves
known to you when you are in need of this knowledge. Do not ever, from this day
forward, let your guard down. You will be able to move from place to place in an
instance, but a knife in the back, or a bite from a Black Mamba {a really bad
snake} or falling asleep drunk on a rail road track, while a train is coming
down the tracks, will kill you, and it hurts, and you will remember the pain. I
have died many deaths and will die many more before I’m done,” warned Master
Walk.
“I am now going back to my home land in Korea where this body’s relatives can
bury it. I will not see you before thirteen years. When a body approaches you
and ask if you got a good body this time, you will know it is your old friend. I
look forward to our reunion. Your first meeting with the Souls General will be
soon.” With those last words, his friend was gone.
Bane sipped on his beer as he sat in the empty pub. “That’s about the craziest
thing I’ve ever seen. Is this real or what? I don’t think that I can sit here a
wait for time to go backwards, so I must take a few steps and start moving
forward.” With those words, Bane arose to his feet and headed for the door. He
stepped out expecting to see the same bad weather that greeted him upon his
arrival. The air was warm, the wind was gone and there were no clouds to be
seen. It was like hell when he arrived, and now it is like heaven as he leaves.
It so nice outside now, Bane decides to walk back to his school to get ready for
tonight’s classes. He also needed the fresh air to clear his head and ponder his
future, or futures, if his friend’s words were true. As he starts his walk, back
to his lost reality, one of the wise sayings that Master Walk often used, popped
into his mind. “It is a long walk home and will take many steps, one in front of
the other. Always head forward, in the right direction, and your walk will take
you there. If, upon your arrival home, things are not the way they should be,
then it is time begin a new walk. ” For some reason, Bane felt that he was about
to understand what those words really mean. Strangely, he had no fear of what
was to be, but was looking forward to what the future would bring him. “One foot
in front of the other and off to my new home!” He shouted and started running
home. Walking just seemed too slow, now.
Critique this work
Click on the book to leave a comment about this work
