Page 40

Chief Styles Sawyer

Zorion

“I know you have many questions, Zorion, but allow my masters to speak, please?” Lion asked before he tilted his head toward a man with white hair braided down his back and shaved on the sides. His hands were meticulously crossed, the backs littered with deep scars.

Master Shen Wei’s voice was low but firm. “You will be separated and trained independently. Your cherished love is strong, but your animals are natural enemies in the wild. When it comes to fighting styles, they are yin and yang. Just as Lion’s tiger complements Omega’s snake.”

“Jo explained that Lion and Omega have animal fighting styles.” Zorion frowned. “Which means…what exactly?”

“Animal styles were developed in the late eighteenth century by the Shaolin masters,” Master Rho, who seemed the eldest of them all, added in a shaky voice, his hands gnarled as if he’d had his fair share of battles as well. “The tiger, snake, panther, crane, scorpion, toad, and the centipede, in that order. And then there is the black tiger style, that only one man has ever possessed.”

“Alpha,” Jo whispered. “He is the Black Tiger. He is the beginning.”

“It’s ordered that you train with Lion, Valor.” Grandmaster Rho stood and began to circle the table as he spoke. “His tiger style mimics the greatest felines. The style is direct, relentless, and fearless. It is built on strong stances, powerful attacks, and the ability to break through defenses. You will learn to unleash a barrage of devastating blows that’ll never give your enemy a chance to recover.”

“So I will be with Omega,” Zorion concluded.

Valor didn’t know how he felt about that, but he would have to put his trust in these masters. There were no other options.

“Yes,” Master Rho said. “I am his master. I trained Omega in his style because of his tendency to evade and shift conflict.”

Omega smirked.

“Eriktor is cunning.” Master Rho gave a low chuckle as if the lessons he and Omega shared had been entertaining. “So it suits him. There is no raptor style, Zorion, but your fight can best take on the characteristics of the snake style.”

“It’s precise and controlled, fluid. The snake does not fight with brute strength but with intelligence, patience, and lethal accuracy. Its strikes are swift and unpredictable. It coils, evades, and then hits vulnerable points—the eyes, throat, organs, and places where the enemy cannot withstand an attack. You, Zorion, with the spirit of the hawk, will learn the art of patience and the wisdom of waiting.”

Elder Xian added, “The hawk watches from above, and a snake waits from below. You will learn when to strike and when to retreat. When to coil and when to soar.”

Lion nodded. “Together, you will be a balance. One fights with the might of an apex predator, the other with the cunning of nature’s most deceptive counter.”

Omega slid his hand into Lion’s open palm.

“Understand this, your greatest strength will not be your individual mastery of your animals, but the way they fight together.”

Valor didn’t hesitate. “Then we begin,” he said simply

A flash of approval crossed Lion’s face as he raised his wine glass. “Tonight, you are guests at my table. Tomorrow, disciples training by the code of Aga Kahn.”

They toasted.

“To discipline and honor,” Lion intoned.

“To discipline and honor.”