Punishment for Failing

Ezra wore the shackles, they were round and long. "They look more like bracers than shackles" he murmured.

"Then call them bracers, it's meaningless what we call them. If you have ended your word game, then start training. 100 Push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 pull-ups, 100 squats and 15 minutes of plank hold. There will be a 10-minute break after you complete a set.

You have 2 hours to finish, if you fail to do that by due time then there will be a punishment" Fenrir explained.

Ezra Zephyr gulped lightly and asked, "What will be the punishment?"

"Strikes from a whip, numbers will be decided by the extent of your failure" Fenrir smiled, showing his white sharp teeth.

"I will do it" The Prince bravely asserted.

"That's the willpower boy, after two hours you will be running for 4 hours continuously. You'll be given a pouch of water, however you drink is your sole problem.

When you complete your running, there will be an hour of body stretching exercise, creating muscles and power is useless when you lack flexibility.

That makes 7 hours, completing them, you will be sent to the forest. Where you'll see a myriad of wild beasts, there will be water and fruitful trees. All you have to do is to survive there for 8 hours.

This is your current training schedule, after completing it, you'll get 8 hours to sleep. Sleep is an essential function that allows your body and mind to recharge, leaving you refreshed and alert when you wake up. Healthy sleep also helps the body remain healthy and stave off diseases. Without enough sleep, the brain cannot function.

Combining all, that will be 23 hours out of 24 hours. The last hour is for you to repeat the cycle of the entire day in your mind, you'll think about what you did wrong and why. How can you protect yourself from the same measly mistakes. It will greatly help you in surviving in the forest as well as against an opponent who you have fought before. In simple words, that hour is for you to make a plan.

This is the schedule of your training for the first 3 months, It was not included in my mind before. But seeing your pathetic weak body, I had no other choice. So shake your leg, with 100 push-ups first."

"I'm confident in push-ups, I have been doing it for a year." The prince said as he lay down on his hands, preparing to do the first push-up.

The prince successfully manage to do 9 push-ups, when he went down for the 10th, his arms refused to lift him up. It was at this moment that he knew he is doomed. His arms shook, and sweat poured down from his forehead.

"What is this? I have been secretly doing push-ups in my chamber to strengthen my weak body, my limit was 53. Why my body is giving up at only 9?" He continuously questioned himself as he tried to raise his chest.

Fenrir read his mind and answered "You took those bracers way too lightly boy, your body was already weak. There are two differences between doing push-ups here and in your chamber.

Your chamber has a smooth floor made of the finest marbles in your kingdom, while the ground here is rough and coarse, wielding the power to injure your hands with minuscule pebbles.

2nd and most important is your body weight, you are carrying an additional 12kg on your body. And one more thing, if you didn't complete your 1 round within 10 seconds, you will receive punishment."

"My body is aching, I need time to adjust with these bracers." The prince pleaded.

"You have successfully failed to complete your round in 10 seconds, grit your teeth" The Monstrous Wolf said as he gave a tentative look at the forest before speaking again. "Come out"

A greenish humanoid beast came out, his tusk protruded. His hand was holding a thorny long whip, he came forward and knelt before Fenrir. Then he turned his head towards Ezra Zephyr and knelt before him as well and uttered respectfully. "Forgive me for what I am about to do, O chosen one. I have been selected for this."

"Selected? Fenrir selected him for punishing me. What kind of race is this?" the young werewolf prince pondered.

"He is a Hobgoblin, an evolved race of Goblins. He has been frozen for hundreds of years in a time zone, he was an executer in this lower realm. His mastery in wielding a whip impressed me." Fenrir replied indifferently.

He laid back at the entrance of the cave like before, enjoying the show.

Hobgoblin addressed Ezra Zephyr "Brace yourself chosen one, here I come"

Ezra Zephyr's widened as the hobgoblin closed the distance between them, Ezra was still there in the push-up pose.

The Hobgoblin clenched the handle of the whip and jerked his arm, the jerk was so swift and flexible that the arm seemed as if it was made of rubber.

The whip descended down, slashing the air. The whip vanished and there was only a blur with a buzzing sound, it all happened in a millisecond.

~ZPAAAAAK~

The whip landed on the feather-soft back of the gentle prince.

~AAAAAAAAAARRGGHHH~

The prince cried his soul out, but it was not the end of it. The thorns dug inside of his back, the hobgoblin used his malleable arm and pulled the whip. The whip tore off the skin on its way out of Ezra's back.

~GRRYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH~

The prince cried again, much louder than before. Eventually, he couldn't bear the pain and fainted out.