Chapter 52: Sadist.
Even if one ignored the verbal abuse, the physical training was way too exaggerated. The reasoning of making real men out of the youths sounded inspiring, but the training of such intensity could only harm a regular person. Lee was positive his colleagues weren't superhumans and couldn't hold the physical stress in the long run, but he was.
He didn't know though whether he was loosing any lifeforce with the blue spark regenerating him overnight, but he didn't like the idea. Normally he would assist by meditating, but the current training regime and his living arrangements didn't allow it. Obviously he could simply leave, but he kind of liked the challenging environment.
As it turned out, Prides actually hired Lee and the rest of the boys to become horse tamers, trainers and jockeys. At first Lee thought he preferred guys of a small stature because of his own built or some kind of a fetish. But the real reason was surprising – Prides loved horses.
He loved them more than his own life, more than anything. And a single thought of a heavy person burdening the majestic animals made him angry and annoyed.
Of course, he couldn't do anything about the nobles or soldiers riding horses or making them pull carriages, but he could choose his own subordinates. He taught techniques that allowed to tame the horses without hurting them and ride them the way they felt the least discomfort.
And the horses loved him back. Prides was something akin to a horse-whisperer. It looked like he felt what the animals felt, what they wanted and it seemed they understood him when he spoke to them. And while he cursed his subordinates across their sixth generations, he whispered lovingly to the horses with a gentle smile on his face.
After observing the man for a few days, Lee was amazed by his ability. Prides simply hated anything that harmed his beloved animals or caused them discomfort. As the result – Lee couldn't get angry at him and even began to admire the man, and Prides's dualistic personality became amusing in his eyes.
But the problem with the physical over-exhaustion remained. Lee tried different ways to fix it, but only after he trained for over ten days, he found a partial solution. He couldn't meditate while running or exercising, but in the evening he passed out after barely making to his bed.
On the other hand, he had the opportunity and time to concentrate on the blue mist in his abdomen while sitting in the saddle, and letting the horse do most of the job. It wasn't easy and as effective as the regular meditation, but Lee felt energized every time he tried it despite all the swaying and jumping up and down, no matter how short the sessions were.