Another Day, Another Luck?

Another day, another beginning, and they are glad that nothing bad happened last night. The sun now rises up the sky and the men are now awake, but the horrors in that past night are still fresh and clear.

Zeb, waked up feeling well rested, he still remembers the first few parts of his dream, recalling his dream makes him laugh inside.

"How naughty am I?" he says to himself and chuckled lightly.

The men started their day by cleaning and bathing themselves up in the nearby lake. The men are quickly taking a bath so that they can start their training early, including Zeb.

After all of them take a bath and are now dressed up. They headed back to the camp, so they can eat and start their training.

After all of the men finished eating and are ready to start their training, they then wait for the Captain's order.

"Attention rookie's! Today we'll be training on how to use short sword; Why!? because short sword is handy when you face a close quarter combat, and it is also very easy to learn, since short sword os also a one-handed weapon same as dagger, with only some slight changes to it's mechanics, but I'm confident that you will learn it very easily." said the Captain, trying to encourage and cheer up the rookie's.

"My trained men will be the one that will be training you today and also tomorrow, so don't get surprised. Understand!?" said the Captain to the rookie's.

"Yes Captain!" the rookie's replied.

"Good, Now, you may start the training." said the Captain while gesturing his trained men to start the training.

# # # # # # # ~

"Zeb!, come over here ya' boy." said the Captain, while looking at Zeb.

"Aye! Captain." Zeb said.

He then immediately rushed towards the Captain.

"As I said, I will be the one training you starting today, because you agreed to my offer last night." said the Captain.

"Aye! Captain." Zeb replied, feeling excited that the Captain will train him personally, then a smile appeared on his face, can't hide his excited expression.

"Now grab that wooden short sword and that sack containing with food and water then follow me, we will be training outside the camp, separate to other's where there are no distractions." the Captain said then turns his back to Zeb, the Captain then started walking outside the camp.

"Yes Captain." Zeb said.

He then quickly rushed to get a short sword and then ran after the Captain. He then quickly followed and tailed the Captain behind.

"Boi' how lucky am I!? Captain training me personally!? This is good shit!" Zeb says to his mind with a grin on his face while following the Captain.

They then stopped not very far with only a hundred meters or so away from the camp, the Captain then faced Zeb.

"This might be a good place to start our training." he said to Zeb.

"Aye Captain, but why far away?" Zeb replied.

"Aye, I don't want my men and also the rookie's seeing me training you cuz they might get jealous, you know?" said the Captain.

Zeb just nods at the Captain.

"Now, before we start, I want you to try and hit me with that sword." said the Captain.

"Captain?" Zeb said, confused by what the Captain just said.

"Aye, I'd like to test your skills first before the training, so I can compare your progress after we finished." said the Captain, looking at Zeb.

"Uhmm... so I will just try and hit you?" Zeb replied.

"Yes, if you really can hit me." the Captain said with a grin on his face.

Zeb then nods at the Captain, and without a word he then quickly brandishes his sword with incredible speed, almost hitting the Captain.

The Captain with his fast reaction and agility quickly parried Zeb's sword away before it can hit him. The Captain is surprised with the surprise attack, because he didn't know that Zeb will do such sneaky attack on him, the Captain is amused by this action and laughs at his mind. Zeb then quickly charge another attack, but the Captain just quickly blocked it and then retaliate hitting Zeb, the sword did not cut Zeb since it's a wooden sword.

Zeb attack's the Captain with incredible speed, showing considerable skill, but the Captain just easily dodge and block them.

Zeb tried very hard to hit the Captain but to no avail.

The fight last about ten minutes, before Zeb surrendered in exhaustion and no matter how much he tried, he still can't hit the Captain, but there are numerous times where he almost hit the Captain.

Zeb is panting very hard, exhausted by the fight.

"Surrendered already?" the Captain said, with heavy breathing, also exhausted.

"I tried really hard, but still, I can't hit you, Captain." Zeb said between his heavy breathing.

"You're too much for me, I can't defeat you!" Zeb said, still panting very hard.

"Aye! but you have numerous times where you almost hit me, and I am also expecting you to sway your sword aimlessly, but surprisingly you don't, I am impressed." said the Captain laughably.

"Also that surprise attack you did at the start of the fight, I'm also very impressed by that, because I didn't know you will do such a sneaky attack." taking a deep breath before continuing.

"For a man without a training on using short sword; You exhausted me very hard, considering that I am one of the best in Black's organization, also I only hit you five times and I am very... very impressed by that." said the Captain with amusement in his face.

"Overall, I am impressed by your skills, you almost bested me and that's without training, now I am very excited to train you." said the Captain.

"Aye! Thank you Captain" Zeb said, still panting heavily.

"Let's take a break first, our training hasn't been started yet but we are already exhausted. Hahahaha..." said the Captain laughably.

The two of them take a break and fill their stomachs with food and water they bring.

After a few minutes of break they then started their training.

"Aye! We'll now start our training, I will teach you the basics first just to serve as a foundation, so I can easily teach you some advance moves later on." said the Captain.

Zeb then nods at the Captain and grabs his wooden sword and their training started.

After training for hours, the sun is now high up in the sky. It is now noon, they then walk back to the camp so they can eat and rest before continuing their training.

But before that, the Captain first test Zeb if he really did improve after the training. As expected by the Captain, he did really improve very quickly, Zeb hit him a few times, compared it to the earlier duel.

They then eat along with the rest of the men that is also exhausted by their training, they then take a small rest before continuing.

# # # # # # # ~

At noon, the sun just barely pass, it is now '1 pm' in the afternoon. The men are now back in their short sword training.

Zeb follows the Captain back to where they train earlier this morning, but now instead of short sword, they will now train with bow.

"Aye, you progressed very fast in your trainings, now I'm a bit suspicious, do you have some kind of power?" said the Captain, joking around with him.

Zeb is shocked when he hear those words, his face almost become pale.

"Uhmm... Captain!?" Zeb said, frightened.

"Ahahaha, I'm just joking around son." the Captain replied laughably to him, and burst out into laughter.

Zeb then also nervously laughs with the Captain.

"That's a good one, Captain." Zeb said, trying to hide his almost frightened feeling.

"Aye, let's stop laughing now, because we still have to train." said the Captain; And the laughter finally subsided.

"Now for this afternoon, we'll be training the bow; Now I know that you already know how to use a bow and also very accurate at shooting it." said the Captain.

"Because I've seen you, that night when we were attacked by ogres, I've seen you shooting their eyes very accurate, not an arrow wasted." said the Captain.

"Aye, bow is my very best when it comes to weapon, Captain." Zeb replied with a smile on his face.

"Aye my boy, so I will not be training you on how to use a bow, instead I'll teach you some tricks." said the Captain.

"Uhmm... tricks?..." Zeb said, confused by what the Captain meant.

"Aye, as an assassin, you also need some tricks in your disposal, that's what makes assassins one of the top when it comes to combat, well at least in stealth and agility." said the Captain.

"What kind of tricks Captain?" Zeb said.

"Aye, tricks like this." said the Captain.

The Captain then quickly pulls three arrows in his quiver and then shooting the tree almost 10 meters away accurately and with rapid succession in short intervals, one arrow per second.

"WOAH!!! HOW'D YOU DO THAT!?" Zeb said cheerfully and amused, still can't believe what just the Captain showed to him.

"Teach me how do it Captain, because that's really sick!" Zeb said, still in cheerful voice.

"Aye, Hahahahaha... Of course boy, I will teach you how to do it." the Captain replied.

They then started their training.

At first, Zeb didn't know how to do it and there are numerous times where the arrows almost hit him and the Captain, but Zeb tried really hard.

"If Captain can do it, I can do it." Zeb says in his mind, to encourage himself.

As expected, after only a few hours. Zeb now mastered on how to rapidly fire an arrow, including how to fire an arrow three at a time accurately hitting three targets. The Captain is very happy, that his student learned it very quickly.

"I know there is something in him." says the Captain in his mind, amused by him.

The sun is still far away on setting down before darkness plunges the sky.

"Aye boy, I already teach you all, we'll continue our training when we reach the Headquarter, because we don't have the right equipments to continue." said the Captain.

"Thank you Captain." Zeb said.

"Aye! boy, you deserved some rest." said the Captain.

"If you may, Captain, I will train some more, before the sun sets down." Zeb said, hoping that he will train alone.

The Captain nods.

"Okay then, but I will not accompany you, I will go back to the camp because I am really tired, just make sure you return back into the camp before it's dark." said the Captain.

"Yes Captain." Zeb replied.

The Captain then turns his back to him and started walking back to the camp, leaving Zeb alone.

Zeb's intention was not really to train, but only to meet Ren again.

After he can't see the Captain anymore, he then run's a few meters away, just to make sure he is really far away, so that nobody can stalk.

"Ren!... where are you!?... can I talk and see you for a moment!?..." he shouted at the air.

Not long after, Zeb heard her voice, once again in his back.

"What is it, Dragon?" Ren said seductively into his ears, then quickly jumps back away from him and then she chuckled.

He smiled when he finally heard her voice again, Zeb then quickly turns around, once again seeing her perfect body and face.

He chuckles. "Dragon!?... is that what your calling me now?... Mmm?... Princess!?" Zeb said, teasing her.

They both laugh for a moment.

"So why do you want to see me?" Ren said while patting her eyelashes while crossing her arms.

"Well, since yesterday, I am very eager to meet you again." Zeb said.

"Ohh!?!?... Well... here I am... ehehehe..." Ren replied with shyly and her cheeks blushed.

"...but... something tells me that... you didn't just call me, just to see me... is it? Dragon!?" Ren winks her eyes suggestively.

"Hehehe... Aye!... hehe... It seems that you are true... because I... I... I..." Zeb stammers.

"I!?... I what!?" Ren said, cutting Zeb off.

"Uhmm... I... I have something to tell you." Zeb said nervously.

"Ohh... what is that then? Dragon." Ren replied raising her brows in curiosity.

"Well... I just wanted to tell you that..." Zeb taking a deep breath before he continue.

"I... I... I Love You..." Zeb says in passionate voice while looking straight into her beautiful blue eyes.

Zeb almost faint in saying those words, because he can't stand the embarrassment.

Her heart suddenly fills up with joy and embarrassment.

Ren's face blushed and her body shivers upon hearing those romantic words, her eyes looked down in embarrassment.

Then an awkward romantic silence passed by. Zeb still embarrassed, he then breaks the silence.

"It's... It's ok if you... don't want me... I already expe..." Zeb is cut short by Ren.

"*chuckles* No, don't be, because... I also feel the same to you." she says, blushing even more.

"WAIT!... YOU DO!?" Zeb said in a cheerful way, his embarrassment change into joy.

"Hehe, Yes... Yes I do." Ren replied.

"But... I just met you and we didn't know each other well... and even if we do... we still can't have an intimate relationship." Ren continued, her face frowned and a small tear forming in her eyes.

Zeb is shocked, he then replies. "What do you mean? that even if we do know each other, we still can't have a relationship!?" Zeb said with a slight disappointment.

Ren just nods, her eyes looking down at her feet.

"If you feel the same way as me, if you also love me, then why!?" Zeb said.

"Ren, please tell me why?" Zeb continued with his convincing voice.

"It's... it's... complicated." Ren replied also feeling disappointed about the relationship they can't have.

"Please!?" Zeb said.

Ren didn't answer his question, instead she replies "I... I need to go now, and you should be too, it's getting dark." Ren said, just to get away.

"Wait!" Zeb said then immediately jumped towards her, holding her hand.

"Can we meet again tomorrow? please!?" He said looking into her blue eyes.

Ren just nods down to the ground, she then let loose of his grip then ran away before disappearing.

Zeb sighed, eager and disappointed, he then just quickly get his things and walks back to the camp with a frown in his face hoping that tomorrow they can talk this out.

After he arrived back to the camp, the sky is already dark, and the men are now eating, Zeb then joins the men before he goes to his tent and take some rest.

Zeb then immediately closes his eyes so he can rest. He still can't forget on what Ren just said to him earlier, and he don't know whether he should be angry or happy, after all Ren also admits to him that she also feels the same.

He just set's the thought aside so he can sleep peacefully, because this day was too exhausting from all of that training.

"I hope tomorrow will be a good day."

He then fell asleep, waiting for his guard shift.