The Hierophant and the Fool toured the grounds of the Castle-Of-Many-Uses. They came through an archway in the city wall and found a tall field of sunflowers. A loud and violent cacophony of cracks was coming from within the flower field.
Among the sunflowers, the Fool saw five naked men hitting each other with long wood staves. The Fool stopped and took a step back, thinking that there was a war going on. Then he noticed that the men were laughing and shouting at each other in fun.
They are only playing war games, the Hierophant said. They practice this every day.
It’s not just important to hone their skills, but to also know what each other’s weaknesses are. This makes it easier to help each other in combat.
There is a passion in competition, the Hierophant continued. It teaches us to fight for what we believe in. To have something to be passionate about.
It is hard to walk in the world without something to fight for, the Hierophant continued. Seeds and flower petals exploded where the men swung their staves at each other. Once in a while one of the naked men would yelp in pain as staff found flesh. The wounded man would grimace for a minute or two and then jump back into the fray.
They fight in the sunflower field, the Hierophant went on, to remember that the world isn’t a dark violent place, but a place where beauty and violence can mingle. It is also to remember to bring brevity to such a vicious practice.
And even with all this preparation, the Hierophant said, it still won’t help with the unpredictability of real warfare. You can’t practice against the unknown, but you can have the ability to change with the untold.
Swinging through the fear, the Hierophant added, is what will get you through the darkness. The only way to know when to swing is to practice.
They walked back towards the city and the citadel. The naked men continued their war games. The sound of the sticks hitting each other and the laughter echoed off the walls.