The Warrior Prince

This story is of a boy coming of age and yet he must traverse through many trials to gain his rightful place in his family history. Along the way he must make decisions that will affect him on his journey.
As he starts these "trials", he is being watched to see if he is the rightful heir by a mysterious person. When he begins these tests, a new person enters the picture, an old hermit rumored to be the lost king.


The Warrior Prince

In a country where a boy can dream of a lifetime of things, one boy's dreams become a reality. John has always found himself dreaming and imagining different places and things that he would like to see or do one day.
That day is upon John sooner than he thinks. John was always one for seeking adventure and pushing himself to the limit. All through school, he excelled at everything he did. He was on honor roll, captain of his school’s karate team and helped around his community. At one such tournament, John team was winning, when he noticed an old man watching him. He did not think much of it because a lot of people watched him. He noticed every time he got into the ring the man would write something down then watch him again.
One day as John is sitting at school, he hears the faint sound of cars pass by on the near highway as he is about to get out of school. John's parents, Louise and Allen, were just like any other parent, except the traveled around the world on business trips to expand their company’s global reach. They begin to tell John of his birthplace and why he has been taken martial arts since he was young. John is a natural when it comes to martial arts. His skill is shown in many of his tournaments and trophy's he has won.

As his mother began to tell him, “One day, 18 years ago, we were just beginning our company and our trip took us to Nepal. You were born
in an enclosed city near the Himalayan mountains. Your father and I were on vacation and our last stop was in India. We were approached by a monk and what look liked a royal man. They told us," Take him with you to America and raise him as if he was your own.” As I was about to ask why, the monk told me, "In the eighteenth year of this child’s life, he will know of his true purpose in life." He then handed me a scroll and told me not to open it and give it to you when you were eighteen.
As Louise handed him the scroll, she told John, "This is the scroll he gave me and your life may not be the same after you read it." As John began to read it, his face began to widen with surprise as well as wonder. As John finished reading the scroll, he asked his parent,” When would I have to leave for this country?" His dad looked at him and said," That is up to you, John. We will
be behind you on whatever you do." John sat there for awhile and finally said," I always felt there was another place I should be, and maybe this is it. When I graduate next week, I will see what options are open to me." The next two weeks were filled with chaos because of the last two exams he had. John was an honor roll student and valedictorian for his class. He still had his English and History exam to take. It was a five day before graduation and he passed his exams with ease. As he was at home, he got a phone call from someone and he let the answering machine pick it up. The message said,” History will repeat itself if the fate of a country is not decided soon.”
When his parents came home he told them about the call. That night there was a knock at the door and when they opened it, there was a scroll on the steps. John opened the scroll and it read this.
"Young master, you must come immediately.
The time of your presence is needed now
more than ever. Our country is in turmoil and
You are the key to our freedom. You must come
and help us achieve what we have been waiting
for and reading about in our country's secret
Scrolls. I hope you do what is right in your heart.
Sacred Order of Monks
John looked at his parent's and said to them," Book me a flight for India the night of graduation and come with me to see what is going on." The night of graduation, John was filled with excitement not cause of his accomplishment's in school, but what laid ahead in India. It was about 11 pm when John finally was on a plane to India. It was a 25 hr flight from Florida to India, but he finally got there.
First Trial:
When they arrived, a monk was waiting for them. Just as he was about to approach them, they were attacked by a guy in a cloak. John, without hesitation, stopped the attacker in mid-step with a spinning heel-kick to the head. His attacker stood up and was about to grab John but he grab the attacker's arm and flipped him on his back and punched him in the face and knocked him out. The monk came up to John and said," We have been expecting you sir." His parent's looked in amazement at what there son did and gladly went with the monk.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to John, he was being observed and the person who saw what John did was very impressed at what he saw. This kid took out one of his best guy's with ease. He had to find out more about this kid. As the monk led John and his family to a vehicle for him to ride to the monastery, the monk was telling John about recent attack's on the village he was born in. The monk told him," These attack's lately have put a strain on our summer preparation for the celebration at the season’s end. John asked," What is that for?" The monk said," The celebration is for the return of our prince". John asked, “Who is the prince?" The monk looked at John and said," You, sir." They finally reached the van that was waiting for them. As they were traveling, his dad asked the monk," Why did he have to wait until his 18th birthday to come here?" The monk replied," The reason for that is because there are eighteen trials he must face to prove that he is the one in we read and have foreseen in our scrolls." John said, “So I have to take a few test's right!"
The monk exclaimed," These are not like test's you have taken before, these trial's or test's you call them, will test you mentally, physically and will take every ounce of inner-strength you have to pass every one. John looked at
his parent's and said," Well I guess all the training will be put to the test now." The monk said” you have passed the first trial by defeating the attacker at the airport; soon your trials will be harder.”
Second Trial:
John had to make his way through a maze. As John made his way through, a monk came at him with a staff, John grabbed it and as the monk came at him again, he flipped him onto his back. He dropped the staff and moved on. His next attacker came at him with punches and kicks. John blocked all of them and hit his attacker with a heel kick in the chest and he hit the ground hard, but knocked out.
Meanwhile as John is going through the maze, he is being observed by monks and they go back and report to his parents and the head monk on his progress. The monk is a little surprised, as his parents are, at how well he is doing. His parents ask the monk about the third trial. The head monk said, "he will begin that trial tomorrow morning." They asked where they were walking to and he told them to the end of the maze to wait for John. Just as they arrived to the exit of the maze, John came out with a little sweat on his head, but with no heavy breathing. John looked at the head monk and said, “I take it those were your best monks!" The head monk told John," They were a few of them, the best ones are for your last two trials." John asked," What is next for me?"
The monk told him," You will rest and replenish the energy you used today.
Let me show you to your quarters." As John and his parents ate the meal they were provided, they talked about the events over the last two days. As the sun rose up the next morning, John was outside in his workout pants, meditating, and reflecting his energy to his new day and challenge that lay ahead.
Third Trial:
As he was about to head back to the temple he noticed a movement in the bushes near where he was. He slowly moved toward the bushes and the movement in the brush stopped and as soon as John was close it attacked him. The attacker was about John's size but a little bigger. John quickly brought the conflict to an end when he hit the attacker in the chest and knocked him out.
He noticed a medallion that fell out of the attacker's shirt and he picked it up and saw a strange but familiar sight it was a sword with a dragon on it. The sword he saw on the medallion was the same as his sword he had back home. He took the attacker back to the temple and asked the monk's who he might be. The head monk replied," He is from a group of people who do not wish to see you come to be the prince of a kingdom once in the past.” John said," What do we do about him then?” The guy came to and looked around curiously.
The monks talked and said," He will be your next challenge"?
Fourth Trial:
The attacker had no choice in the matter and assumed a fighting position, John did the same. As they both looked at each other, the attacker jumped in the air with a kick towards John's head. John stood there for a second and dodged his leg and hit him behind his head and he landed face first in the ground. The attacker got up and brushed off and replied, “Impressive". He then did a jump-spinning heel kick aimed at John's head and John blocked it with his forearm and jumped up and did a spinning back kick to his chest and made him fly back into the pillar he was near. He got up and he was holding his side as if he had a broken rib. The attacker pulled a knife out and ran towards John. As he ran, John side-stepped and jumped up and kicked him in the neck and made him flip over and he laid there motionless on the ground.
John stood there for a second and went over to feel his neck and he felt a break in his neck and told the monk, “His neck is broke!" As two monks picked him up, they put him in a sanctuary to be buried the next day. As John was walking along with the monks, he asked,” When is my next test?” The monk said,
“When the sun set's in two day’s, you will have your next challenge!” During the next two days, John tried to prepare the best way he could.
Meditation, kata, and acupuncture to relieve stress.
Fifth Trial:
As the sunset on the second day, John was led to a pit that was 3 ft. deep and 20 ft. wide. Once he was in the pit, he was blind-folded. Just as he was done being blind-folded, he heard a faint sound behind him as well as in front of him. Two men were attached to what was a bungee-cord like rope and were jumping out of the way of John's attacks. As each man was swinging from opposite sides of the pit, they were hitting John and then moving away. John jumped up in the air and met both men in the air with a split kick to their chests knocking both men to the ground. As the two men got up, they ran at John and he swept one off of his feet and kicked the other one in the head, knocking him backwards. He then got up and kicked at John and he reacted by kicking him in the chest, knocking him into a pillar. The last man, he waited until he was within a certain distance and punched him in the chest and made him fly back a few feet into the pit wall, to which he got up and attacked again. John is listening at his every movement and plans his next attack carefully. As this is going on, the monks comment to his parents that his speed and reflex is unlike any they have seen. His parent's watch in disbelief, but amazement at what they saw. Finally John punches the guy in the face and he is knocked out.
John is asked to remove his blind-fold and he himself was in disbelief and
was in amazed at what he had just done. As John gets out of the pit, he see's two monks go towards the sanctuary where they had put the attacker from
this mornings challenge. Just has they come across the open area where that morning's conflict happen, the two monks that headed to the sanctuary, ran out of a little entrance. The head monk stopped them in mid-stride and asked what was wrong. They talked in a small group before the head monk came back to John and his parent's. As he took a small, but calm breath he said," The attacker is gone from the Sanctuary!" With this unfortunate news, John began to wonder why now had his attacker's body disappear. When John spoke up and asked, "How?" the monk replied, "He was dead when we brought him in there, but yet he escaped death's grasp as the other have."

As they continued to walk, another monk came up to them and told them
of some startling news, "There are footprints near the entrance, close to the bushes where a small path is leading to the valley!" The head monk looked at him and yet he looked as though he had seen a ghost. John asked the monk, "What is it?" The Monk replied, "It seems that an old adversary has come from the past to diminish our people once again.” John said,” Lets go down the path and try to find them!” The monk said to John,” We must not give the enemy an opportunity to see you before you are ready.” Just as John was about to say something, a slight breeze came through the courtyard where they were standing. The monk looked at John and said,” The winds of time are changing and you John are changing with them.” As the group walked back towards the monastery, Allen asked the head monk, who now let them call him Xian, “What will happen with John if he passes all of the trials.”
As Xian was walking, he said,” It is still too early to tell, but if he chooses his destiny like father time has chose him, he will become the ruler we have foreseen. And you and Louise will be right along there with him every step of the way.” John asked Xian, “When is my next trial?” Xian replied “In one day’s time, you will have a trial in which your body will endure pain physically and spiritually. You will have to find the strength to pull through and become stronger to move ahead to the next stage.” As they entered the monastery, people were preparing a feast in John’s honor. Food of all colors and flavors filled the air with an aroma that could be smelled all around. John’s parents glistened at the sight of normal food, instead of three bowls of rice and one meat a day.
As the preparations were being made, a shadowy figure was being ever so observant from a distant. This mysterious figure was the same at the airport who observed John and was now watching again. By nightfall, the village was celebrating with a feast of laughter and enjoyment. The village natives displayed for the honored guests, their remarkable martial arts feats of flips and jumps. The demonstrations became even more fun when John was asked to join in. John was hesitant at first, but jumped right in. The flips, jumps and somersaults were like second nature to John. He was doing all kinds of turns and flips and with gracious ease. As the night went on Xian and another monk slipped off and discussed what to do about the disappearing person. Xian suggested putting together a search party and go after them. So by dawn the next morning, four monks took off down the path in search of the illusive figure.
When John awoke to start his morning workout, he found Xian meditating near a small pond in a garden. Xian turned around but no one was there. He was slightly startled to find John well balanced on a stone in the middle of the pond, sitting crossed-legged. As John and Xian conversed and prepared for his next trial, Allen and Louise roamed the beautiful lush garden that encompassed the monastery. They marveled at the different colors and scents the flowers gave off. As with anything, Louise was fascinated at the artwork that adorned the halls of the temple and exterior walls. Allen was taking everything in and more and began to wonder if they did the right thing by letting John come here. Louise stopped and notices the concern on his face. She comforted him by saying, “We knew this day would come, we loved him as if he was our own. This is what he was meant to do, not be stuck in a smog infested, crime consumed city, he will be fine.” Allen’s worries were put at ease for now, but he knew they would come again.
By mid-day, John and several monks were having a strenuous workout. John was in the middle of a circle ring and there were five monks surrounding him. Each monk had a different method of attack. As Xian and John’s parents were watching this, Xian was remarking on how well balanced John attacks were and that he did not over exert himself to much in any one direction.
One monk had a staff, two were unarmed, and the other two had wooden swords. As the monk with the staff advanced, so did the two with the swords. John quickly unarmed the monk with staff and blocked the two with the swords as they came into an X strike across the staff. The two unarmed monks began to furiously, but smoothly attack John.
As John blocked one attack, another would follow with precise movement. Then John detected a pattern, he blocked a swordsmen and an unarmed monk would attack. So he went to attack a swordsman and quickly changed his attack and disposed of the unarmed monk by sweeping him off feet and knocking him across the head. The two monks that were unarmed came at him and John jumped over them and knocked both of them on their back as he jumped. The two monks with the swords attacked and switched from defensive to offensive just as quickly as they could. John carefully blocked one move after another saw an opening in the defense.
He quickly thrust his staff between the sword and the monk’s chest and popped it out of his hands. Before he could regain control, John jabbed him in the chest and he flew backwards. Now it was one on one, just the way John liked it. John put the staff down and motioned for the monk to do the same. As he did the monk jumped at John with blind fury. John blocked and countered his every attack and soon was on the offensive. Blocks, punches, kicks, and flips were an arsenal that was on display here. Every move much fluid, precisely measured to strike at the right moment. Soon John began to weary, or let on like he was. It was a ploy he used countless times in his tournament matches. As the monk came in for an attack, John jumped up and caught the monk across the face with a fury of kicks and finally kicked the monk backwards to the ground.
Xian was impressed and said to John,” The tiger is ever so furious, always looking to strike at anything, but the dragon carefully plans his attack and strikes when the time is right. The tiger/dragon fighting method is a well diverse and effective way to fight, if you can control your emotions.” Xian said to John,” go and rest; tomorrow you start your next trial.” As John was walking, he was thinking to himself,” How could I be a prince?” He wondered whatever happened to his real parents. He had so many questions to ask Xian and the rest of the monks, but would ask later after he finished his trials. Xian joined them for dinner that evening and told them of the next days events. Xian spoke and said,” John will have to go into a cave in which he has to find the way out and only he knows the way.”
Sixth Trial:
As daybreak came, John was up and Xian and his parents were idly talking when Xian said it was time. They walked down to a cave opening and Xian pointed to it and said,” Think before you react, concentrate, and do not exert energy you may need.” As John entered the cave, his parents asked Xian if they were going too observed like they have before. Xian replied,” not this time, John must find it in himself to advance on is own.” As John pressed on down the cave, he heard faint sounds of water and saw spots of sunlight shine through the cave dome.
John came up to a small crevice and crossed it to come upon a section in the cave that had two tunnels. He had to decide what cave to turn down. He trusted his instincts before and he went down the cave to the right. As he proceeded down the cave, a mist began to engulf it and his sight was dimming. John went forward, but cautiously feeling the cave wall for support. As he came upon an opening in the cave, the mist began to thicken and John slumped to the ground. As his sight was dimming, he saw a figure approaching him. The figure stood just out of the shadows, but John saw the same medallion he found on the guy at the sanctuary and wondered what the connection could be. The figure said to him,” I know who you are”. As the figure walked away, John’s vision faded and he blacked out.