Train Hard

After just being rescued again by the same man that helped Zac escape from prison, appearing before his eyes, he doesn't feel anything but the emotions of loss and pointless life.

"Looks like our reunion didn't take long; seeing as how you keep getting into trouble and I keep saving you, I think it'd be nice to know your name. I'd like to put a name on the tombstone, haha."

Zac sits there without one word coming from his mouth.

He stares with a long gaze as he just lost all hope of being able to enact justice against the people who've killed his mother, leaving any sense of hope behind.

Zac couldn't think of a single reason he should still be alive right now; even after being saved, he believes it is a pointless struggle to live on without any reason.

While Zac sits in silence, Ray still awaits to hear a response from Zac, not expecting a thank you but just a simple word out of Zac's mouth.

*Sigh*

Ray lets out a sigh of annoyance.

"Hey kid, why are you just sitting there? You look like shit, was being close to death that bad?"

*Silence*

"OK, if you're not going to say anything, I'll take my leave, but before I go, I wanna tell you that you've looked better before I go. Something happened in that house, and I won't ask, but if you're going to look like you've given up on life, you're weaker than I thought. The last time I saved you was because I saw the ambition in your eyes, saying you can do something without giving up. I guess I was wrong about you, but if you ever feel like getting that spark again, tell me right now because once I'm gone, I'm gone for good and won't be able to save you a third time."

At that moment, Zac is given a choice to take help from Ray; for Zac, the offer that Ray had given him is if he wanted to proceed with an act of pointless revenge when he was so young and so weak or to give up and find a way to live with the constant anger and resentment towards those who've treated people like nothing but insects, and have them live a luxurious life while Zac struggles just to find food?

NO!

For Zac, revenge was the only meaning to his life, the thought of corrupt Nobles living made him gag and would leave a bad taste in his mouth.

As Ray was about to walk away, "Wait! Please... help me get stronger." Zac would request with passion and have the face as if he had just lost his sense of pride.

"Very well, I will help you get stronger, but you must realize that once you start this training, and I promise it will be literal hell." Ray would proclaim with an extreme dark intent as if he were the devil himself.

"Now tell me your story, kid."

3-minutes-later*

"So that's why I found you in that house. Kid, one thing you must understand is that justice doesn't mean anything in this world. Nobles are at the top, while you're at the bottom; it's just that simple. It's survival of the fittest, and the only way to be above a Noble, especially one with a lot of authority, is to have the power to go against the kingdom itself and let me tell you, a kid your age will be able to do absolutely nothing to them it's a miracle you're alive right now. You better be thankful that you're able to get a second chance at anything; no, in fact, it's your luck that you were able to meet me and find out how cruel this world is because if you haven't, you would've died with the fantasy that someone is willing to listen to you. Enough of that; tell me more about the stone that you said you found."

"Other than what it looks like, I honestly can't tell you anything more about it, but I also know that Kieron was adamant about getting that stone by killing me, leaving no witnesses but his bodyguard." Zac shook as he would remember coming close to death a second time.

"You may not know, but you've been doing something more dangerous than you realize; that stone is something that can change the fate of millions of people and can completely change the world."

Wincing at what Ray had said, Zac still holds lingering attachments to humanity as he believes everyone treated harshly by the Nobles is the same as him.

Zac wanted to do something, but as Ray had said multiple times, he's just a kid and has no power to change anything. The fact that Zac cannot help those wronged by the Nobles made his stomach churn, but the first step to gaining that ability was to train and wait out the years until he's turned into a more mature age.

Draining out most of the sorrow in his heart from failing to bring the Knights to justice, he brings light into knowing that someday he will be able to make a change to the rotten world that he and most others are living in.

Just as the conversation seemed to have ended, there was still one question Zac was waiting to ask before they got up and left. "When will our training start?"

"Okay, if you're that serious about it, I guess we'll have to start soon."

As soon as Zac stood up, the village known as Clita would come into view.

He started gazing upon the village where houses don't look too rich, nor too poor.

Zac is amazed at the sight before him; he couldn't believe such a small place could be so lively.

The tiny houses and other small things reminded him of his village, but instead of letting that make him depressed, he sits there comparing them, hoping even to make every poor village like his outstanding.

~

The Kingdom Of Boly [Village: Clita]

"Where is this?" Zac would wander his eyes around, taking in the full view.

"Clita, it's my home, where I was born and raised."

"Seriously? You should show me around; I'm hungry anyway."

With a pitiful look, Ray finds himself thinking about his past.

"I've never seen him look like that; I wonder what happened." Zac thinks to himself as he stares at Ray, looking for a response.

"There will be no food because we're not staying here for a second longer," Ray says with an annoyed tone and irritated look on his face.

"Ah c'mon, why did we even come here if we're not going to do anything here?" Zac would whine.

"There's a limit to how my power works; I can't just teleport anywhere. It has to be somewhere I've been before." Ray would respond, clenching his teeth in annoyance.

"we're going to somewhere where no one will be able to find us."

*tch*

"Don't tell me it's the woods again? Hey! I still remember you leaving me in that forest; it took almost a year to find my way out!" Zac would yell in anger.

*sigh*

Ray would sigh in bitterness.

"Look, sorry that I saved your life, alright?" Ray would sarcastically say.

"This is the first part of your training, alright? You're going to have to learn how to be patient, or you'll eventually die from your stupidness rather than weakness."

"Hey! Are you trying to be funny? If you are, it's not at all." Zac would respond as his face began to turn red from irritation.

As they both argued back and forth, they eventually both exhausted their voices after a long while.

They felt the need to get back on track; Zac and Ray decided to start training the following day.

...

Though training had started, it was beginners training which meant the boring stuff such as learning breathing techniques and hours of meditation. Zac still had the motivation to get him through the first few months, but after it seemed as though it was utterly useless and a complete waste of time, his patience, that of his young age, had finally broken.

"Why are we wasting our time!?" Zac would shout in immense contempt and frustration.

"When will we be doing real training? Like fighting and actual effective techniques that will bring me my revenge?"

As Zac shouts in outrage, Ray sits quietly in a meditative state where he seems to be deaf and unaware of Zac's complaints.

Zac's frustration grows as he is ignored and attempts to walk away but soon stops as Ray finally responds to Zac. Angered and feeling eager

Zac wouldn't look at Ray but would only wait for a response and a satisfactory answer.

As the words came out of Ray's mouth, Zac would be even angrier with both himself and Ray for the hindrance on his revenge.

"Zac, you're too impatient, and I should've expected that from your young age, but I thought you were willing to listen to my commands as I teach you." Ray would answer as he stays in his form of meditation. "This is not useless training. Remember when I told you that I would be teaching you patience first?"

Zac's anger mellowed as he realized his impatience from Ray's words, but it would still not stop him from questioning Rays' ability to teach him.

"What does meditating and breathing have anything to do with patience?" Zac would question in a loud but non-aggressive tone.

Disturbance fills Zac and Ray as Zac can't help his ignorance, and Ray is interrupted by Zac.

Though that does not stop Ray, Ray is the grown-up, so he makes an effort to consider Zac's situation and thinks twice as this training isn't supposed to be easy.

"Is your revenge so shallow that you can't make an effort to try to win?"

Finally, putting on a teacher act, Ray must be stern and forceful towards his student as this is not academics but life and death.

Shocked at the words of the man who was always kind to Zac, he lowers his head down in shame as he could not deny his incompetence to understand what was being taught after receiving a chance to take down everyone who's put Zac into dispair.

The moment of silence was shallow, but shortly, Zac was propelled to be someone that couldn't be looked down upon.

Though maybe appear useless, more skills and techniques would be better to have than not. Without a word between them, Zac decides to return to meditation and could only yearn for his future results to be good.

~

In a castle that reached higher than any building within the nation, as flags sit on top of the cone-shaped buildings that seemed to be attached on the sides of the castle, waving ever so lightly dawning the kingdom's emblem.

A man cloaked in a black military uniform, medals dangling down from both chest areas, enters the giant doors that stand before him and the throne room.

He is kneeling to the unrevealed King, showing fear from pressure and gleaming with confidence as he has finally found something satisfactory to report.

"You interrupted a meeting; this better be good." The King would demand as he looks down from his throne, letting out a hint of blood lust to intimidate the reporter.

"Y-Yes, your majesty."

Showing the fear in his words, he hesitates before making his report.

"A description of the man you have ordered to be captured, Ray Gammer, has been reported by Lord Kieron as he had broken into Kieron's home helping an escaped convict that showed up at his home not so long before Ray and suddenly both vanished after leaving him injured."

The reporter would finish with confidence hoping to live another day.

Silence filled the room as the King was found resting his mouth against his knuckles, evaluating the report.

"Interesting, he disappears for nearly 50-years evading all my resources I have put into trying to find him but is reported by a second-rate Lord for breaking and entering?" The King couldn't help but feel his pride being shattered as no one other than Ray has offended him so much. "And who is this convict that you spoke of?

"Zac Keller, a commoner boy who was caught stealing b-bread from a cart owner in the town of Glaryplains." The reporter would hesitate as he recited the information given because he had a Merciless King to satisfy and getting embarrassed from reading a silly convict report in such a profound and dangerous situation.

"Who is this Zac, and why would Ray a man of caution save such a person?" The king looked more and more furious, leaving an insane amount of blood lust flooding the room out of pure rage.

Feeling choked from such dense blood lust, the reporter tries to speak, but nothing comes out.

"Ah, forgive me, please continue." The King would settle his rage so he could finally learn everything from the reporter and figure out what to do next.

"Zac Keller, day of birth, unknown but seems to be around nine-to-ten-years old, birthplace, unknown but is not from Glaryplains as witnesses stated that he was asking the description of Lord Keiron, lastly, relatives dead or alive is unknown." The reporter would list everything to satisfy the King, though not letting his guard down as the King is a man to hide his emotions when facing others who are not close as the reporter is.

"A kid, huh? I want this kid found; he may lead us to Ray if not, kill him; we cannot have anyone knowing of this man other than me and you, got that?" The king would order as he slowly stood from his throne.

"Y-Yes, my King."

The reporter hesitated to respond, though not for the same reasons as before but could not help but gaze upon the King, for he cannot be but the perfect looking human on the planet.

Chapter End.