Chapter 3 Book Nerd
A week after the incident with dad coming back home injured. Dad woke me and Whisper up at dawn to come to the backyard.
"I hate mornings." I say with bags under my eyes and barely holding myself upright.
"That's your own fault staying up all night reading. Soon there aren't going to be any books left to read in the study." Whisper said to me sounding well rested.
"Well I'm sorry that I have a hobby that's not just being annoying to everyone." I say to her with my tongue sticking out at her.
She sticks hers out at me then turns away.
"Alright you two that's enough. Starting today you will both wake up at this time everyday for training. Anyone that doesn't get here on time will have a punishment to be revealed later." Paul said.
"Oh, he's serious." Whisper says. I nod my head to agree.
Paul, seeing that we are paying full attention continues. "Starting from today till next month I want you to think about what weapons you want to use in the future. I only know how to use the sword and spears, but if you choose any other weapon me and your mom will find someone to teach you."
'A weapon that I want to use? That's tough to think about as I haven't used many weapons in my past life. But right out the bat I know a bow will do me some good with how good my eyes are.'
"But today you will be doing exercises to prepare your bodies to learn whatever weapon you choose." Paul then started to show us some stretches for flexibility so that our muscles and joints are not destroyed by doing the exercises.
'These stretches remind me of tai chi with the way they are meant to increase your flexibility while also being hard enough to make you build muscle and work up a sweat.'
After only one set I was sweating way more than if I did a 40 minute intense workout.
"Omg, why was that so hard?" I ask between breaths.
"Maybe if you didn't read books all day and came down to the town to play, it would not be that bad." Whisper says tired but better off than me.
"Huh, what did you say? I can still kick your but in any game we play." I say to her face.
"Oh try me." Whisper says annoyed that I said something back to her.
"Ok you two need to learn to get along." Paul said. "Now let's continue with the workout."
2 hours later both me and Whisper were laid out on the ground sweating profusely and breathing hard.
"Good job today, both of you." Paul congratulated us and then left for work.
"Is this going to be our life everyday from now on?" I ask Whisper.
"Yup." she replied matter of factly. "Plus I heard some of the grown ups in town talk about how a war might break out soon between our kingdom and the Mell Empire. I think this is something we need."
'I swear sometimes she seems so much older than she is.' "Yea, I guess you're right. Let's go back into the house and get cleaned up, you can go first." I say as I get up.
"Thanks, little brother." she says as she gets up. As she makes her way to the house she smells her armpit and makes a "ew" face.
I sit up and lean on my hands. As I ponder what weapon I should use. "If I'm going to be using a weapon, one that uses my naturally good eyesight would be key. So maybe a gun? Naw a bow works better as I've never even heard of guns being in this world. I mean I could try to make guns in this world that's actually…..so….dumb. Yea a bow would do."
I get up and start walking to the house. "Hmm, but what if someone gets in close range of me? Yea a bow would not work that close. So maybe I learn the sword as well to supplement the bow. Or maybe a spear….. naw i don't fuck with that. I don't play with long rods."
As I was entertaining myself, someone was walking up to the house. I looked and realized it was someone I knew.
"Aye yo Dale, what you doing here?" I said to the brown hair, brown eyes and slim boy.
The boy turned his head with a look of surprise on his face. "Tone? What are you doing out and about and not reading a book?"
'What the fuck, do people really think I'm some book nerd?'
I ran up to him and gave him a good old sidekick making him fall on his bottom. "What the hell man?" he said as he got up holding his but.
"Don't what the hell me, man. Why do you always bring up books when you talk to me?" I asked him.
"Because that's all you do. Whenever we ask you to come play with us, 'No', that's it just 'No'." He said looking annoyed. "Anyway, where's Whisper? I don't see her. I came to ask her to play."
'Poor Dale, he likes my sister but she doesn't pay him any mind.' Dale is the son of the town blacksmith so they aren't financially struggling.
"She is getting cleaned up. As you can see, by looking at me or smelling me, we were working out with our dad and he put us through IT." I smell myself and boy do I smell bad.
"Come on in and say hi to my mom before she finds out you didn't and you know how she gets." After I said that you can see him get goosebumps just from the thought. We walked into the house and mom was making breakfast. "Good morning mother!" I quickly say. " Mom, look who's here." I point to Dale.
Jade turns and sees Dale. "Oh my Dale, how are you? Come sit down and eat."
"I'm doing good, ma'am." Dale says as he takes a seat.
I walked up to the counter and tried to take a pick of meat. When mom saw, she slapped my hand. "Go get cleaned up." Jade said but I had a feeling that if I didn't do what she said I would not live to see the next day.
I took a few steps back and ran for my life up stairs. As I was running upstairs I got hit in the back of my head and trembled back down the stairs.