Amir sat in the boat, water dripping from his hair, still breathing heavy. His chest rose and fell, and his arms ached. Nikoloas watched the waves, as it calms.
"Swimming against the wind," he said, "isn't about fighting. It's more like dancing. You move with the sea, not against it."
Amir looked at him, confused.
Nikoloas pointed at the waves. "Look at the way they rise and fall. That's the sea's rhythm. If you fight it, you lose energy. But if you learn to move with it… it carries you."
"Like dancing with it?" Amir asked.
Nikoloas smiled. "Exactly. Let your chest rise with the wave. Keep your legs kicking steady, deep below the water. If you respect the sea, It will help you. It will build your strength, endurance and toughen your mind, make you harder to break, not just surviving easily. Its about becoming a warrior."
Without saying a word, Amir stood and jumped back into the sea.
He floated first, letting the water lift him. Then he began to move. His chest rose and fell with each wave. He kicked lightly, steadily. He wasn't fighting anymore. He was flowing with the rhythm.
He swam toward the shore, this time with more control. The wind blew, but he kept his balance. He didn't rush. He moved like the sea wanted him there. And within minutes, his feet touched the sand.
He stood up, turned, and saw Nikoloas raising a hand in the air from the boat. Amir smiled.
Back at the house, Nikoloas cooked something simple over the fire. Bread, boiled eggs, and smoked fish. They ate without talking much. The sea always made people quiet afterward.
Once they were done, Nikoloas handed Amir an axe.
"Now we work," he said. "lets build your arms."
They walked into the nearby woods. Nikoloas showed him how to hold the axe. "Hands apart. Let the top hand slide when you swing. Use your whole body, not just your arms."
Amir copied him, awkward at first. But after a few tries, he got the better.
They chopped down two big trees. Then Nikoloas taught him how to trim the branches, then cut the trunks into logs. It took hours. Sweat covered Amir's body. His shirt stuck to his skin. His hands started to ache.
As the sun began to set, his arms were sore and tired. But he didn't complain.
Nikoloas sat on one of the logs and handed Amir a bottle of water.
"Not bad," he said. "You did well."
Amir sat down, breathing hard. He looked at the sea in the distance and smiled.
"I like this," he said. "Learning and training."
Nikoloas nodded. "Good. Because we're just getting started."
Amir didn't care how tired he was. He felt strength that wasn't just physical, but came from his heart.
After they finished cutting the logs, Nikoloas looked at Amir. "You've learned the dance of the sea," he said. "Now it's time to build your strength."
He pointed to the hill behind his house. It was steep and long.
"Take two of those logs," Nikoloas said, "carry them up the hill and come back down. Do it ten times."
Amir, picked up two thick logs and placed them on his shoulders. At first, it seemed easy. He took long steps, pushing forward with all he had. But halfway up the hill, the weight started to sink into his shoulders. His legs grew tired and his arms felt weak.
He made it to the top once, came back down, and started again. By the third round, sweat dripped from his face like rain. His chest rose and fell fast. His arms began to shake.
On the fifth trip up, Amir suddenly dropped the logs from his shoulder. They hit the ground with a heavy sound. He bent over, hands on his knees, struggling to breathe.
Nikoloas walked over calmly. "That's enough for today," he said. "Your body has limits. Listen to it."
Amir, still breathing hard. His muscles hurt, but he didn't feel defeated. He felt proud. This was the pain that built warriors.
Nikoloas gave him water and sat beside him. "Each day, we go further. That's how warriors are made."