Unusual training

When Jamal felt like the sun was about to rise soon, he started to open his eyes while his mind was gradually waking up. When he tried to sit up two soft hands came to hold his broad and strong chest and before he figured out what was going on he got pulled back on the bed. Lina passed her sweet and slander leg around his while holding tight his upper body.

" Where do you think you're sneaking out like that? " Lina teasingly whispered in his ear.

" Lina... " Jamal implored " I have to go, we are in a very crucial circumstance and you know that very well, I can't allow myself to slack off on my bed while our one- ".

Lina put her forefinger on his mouth stopping him to talk further, " shhhhh " with her eyes still half-opened. she started to kiss delicately his neck while her hand was gently running down his naked body search for his lower parts, but before she could go further Jamal grabbed her by her wrist and while still holding it, he turned his head to face her.

" Don't tell me you're asking for another round? "

" You didn't enough show me how much you were missing me " she tried to justify while slowly moving her head towards him, her lips looking for his.

The corners of Jamal's lips extended to reveal a teasing smile. " What are you saying? I know you've reached your limits, you are barely able to stand up I can even feel your legs still shaking ".

" Yeah, I have to admit it, you did a great job, " Lina couldn't help but acknowledge, however, since she was a very sour loser, she kept insisting, " but still we don't have to do the same thing, we can just snuggle on the bed while chatting about random subjects, it's been a while we didn't do that ".

" I know and you can't imagine how much I would want it, but you know that we have many responsibilities to fulfill, many people are counting on us we can't let them down, " Jamal calmly replied.

As Lina stayed silent for a moment while he was burying her face in his arms Jamal started to feel something tickling his neck so he asked " what are you doing? "

" Give me a moment I want to inhale as much of your smell as I can so that I can hold until we meet again later ".

Jamal, who didn't expect such an answer, burst out laughing.

" Why are you laughing? " Lina asked while faking a pouting, " it's the least I can do since instead of waiting to spend more time with me my man prefers to spend all the morning staring at younger girls as they are moving their bodies here and there excitingly ".

" What are you saying now? " Jamal replied while still trying to control his laughter.

" Am I wrong? Then look at me in the eye and swear that you don't find them more attractive than me, " she asked while suddenly turning the head to stare at him. However, when Jamal was about to respond, Lina quickly blocked his mouth with her hand and she exclaimed " you see? You don't even try to prove me wrong. Oh dear, you're supposed to say no while holding me tight so that you can calm the heart of this maiden in front of you ". She then pushed him out of the bed while carrying on her acting, " now get out of here, you insensible and heartbreaking lover ".

While he was standing next to the bed after been ejected, Jamal didn't intend to let her do as she pleased and began to pull the woman by the arm, " no you get up too. Don't forget that you have a load of work waiting for you in your office. We can't be working our asses while you're slacking off in your bed ".

" I do have worked my asses too since yesterday, and the result is that I'm not yet able to use my legs, " Lina replied while resisting, pulling herself in the opposite direction, " since you're responsible for that you have to leave me some time to recover and contrary to you in my office, we don't start working when the sun rises ".

" Well, you win, I give up " Jamal chuckled while letting go of her hand, after he moved to go pick his clothes he said, " see you later ".

" Wait " Lina stopped him as he was about to leave the room, she waited for him to turn before she asked, " will you stay tonight here again? "

He shook his head " No. Sorry, I will be in my apartment ".

" So can I come over? "

" Sure, but why you ask me now? You could have waited until later when I would come to pick you up for lunch, " Jamal asked after he nodded, a little curious.

" Because I don't plan to eat with you later. To much work. I have to finish them by today so I don't think I would be able to leave my office until then. Anyway, see you, " she waved her hand at him after sending him a flying kiss.

Jamal just nodded before he left the room while Lina was going for another one hour of sleep.

•••

" I hope you have been able to get a good rest ". Jamal was standing in the courtyard next to the control post where he had taken the habit to train Natasha.

Carla and the latter were standing before him dressed in their sports outfits when they shouted " yes! " to let him know that they were both physically and mentally ready to start the training.

Carla was wearing a simple sleeveless t-shirt with a legging which she surely had borrowed from Natasha while the latter was wearing her habitual training suit.

They had run the length of the barrier earlier just like he told them so Jamal considered that they had already warmed up.

They were standing there wondering what would be the next part of the program when Jamal attacked them suddenly. As he didn't give them any warning, the two young women were very shocked but not completely taken off guard since they didn't stay immobile. Having quite good skills and most importantly sharp reflexes, they both managed to dodge his first attack, however, what came next was so fast that they didn't have been able to defend themselves against it, even less countering it, and before they knew it the two of them were thrown down.

Jamal was standing in front staring down at them as they were painfully to get on their feet.

" What the hell was that? " Natasha cried out while rubbing the parts of her body where she got hit.

" A surprise attack, " Jamal said calmly as if nothing happened.

" We had already figured that but why? " Carla insisted while rubbing the back of her head.

" Remember how will be our next mission? " the man asked without giving any more hints but after seeing them glancing at each other while looking confused, he thought it was better to just give them clearer explanations. He pointed to the barrier a little afar, " we will be heading beyond this wall of iron wire. There we will be constantly under the probability of being attacked by the undead at any time just like that or maybe faster. As you have just witnessed, you can no more be satisfied by those reflexes of yours, you have to sharpen them more but also train yourself to always keep an eye on the surroundings while still focusing on the danger ahead of you. And that will be our lesson of the day ".

Jamal moved aside and the two women noticed the bag he had left on the ground earlier when he had arrived, he opened it and pulled out a wooden sword and a long wooden stick. He threw the weapons to Natasha and Carla respectively before he announced, " you will be sparring with each other but as you are fighting, you have to be aware of some surprise attacks coming from me. At the end of the session, the one who didn't have been able to block or dodge most of the assaults will be given a penalty ".

He waited for a short moment for them to confirm to him that they understood and that they were ready before he gave them the signal to start.

Two hours later right after Jamal announced the end of the session both Natasha and Carla fell on the ground completely exhausted.

While they were struggling to catch their breath, Jamal went in the post of control and came out a moment later with two bottles of freshwater. He put one at each side of the women.

" Is it like this every day? " Carla turned her head and asked Natasha between two breaths.

" No... " the latter responded before she sat up and picked her bottle of water, she opened it, put it next to her mouth, and finished it in one breath before she added, " it's the first time since a while... I'm so tired ".

" Every time the situation keeps on changing, so evidently, we can't remain at the same level as before. We, too, have to evolve, " Jamal responded, a little amused by their reaction.

In the end, Jamal couldn't give a real judgment on who should get the penalty since the result was quite awkward. Carla was the one who had been able to avoid most of his surprise attacks but as a result, she would instantly get defeated by Natasha after losing focus on the combat and her opponent before, while in the other hand with Natasha, it was the total opposite, she was so focused on her opponent before her that, most of the time, she couldn't even barely see Jamal's attacks coming.

Instead of finishing her bottle of water Carla just drank the half and sprayed the rest on her face to cool her head, she then sighed before she replied, " but I thought you would train me how to use my power or at least helping me to improve my martial techniques ".

" In fact, I can't really show you how to use your power since it is actually yours. You consequently have to develop it by yourself, " Jamal shrugged, he then raised two fingers in the air while adding, " and concerning your martial techniques, I don't think we have much to do about it. Hopefully for you and us, back in your hometown, you have been taught how to fight, your moves are not perfect but you have a good level. I think you already got an idea of why I made you use a wooden stick, didn't you? "

" Yes, it's in relation with my power which is to transform my hair into weapons " she responded studiously.

" That's right " Jamal confirmed, " so about that all I have to do left is to introduce you to all the kind of martial arts involving those kinds of weapons you can summon. So I will try to show you the basics of each style whatever it is the handling of a spear or the different stick-fighting styles. But keep in mind that I can only show you the basis the rest will be left to you on how you will keep improving yourself. Every day I will show you a new style and you will have to use it against Natasha the next day. By sparring continuously with her you can gain experience and sharpen your skills ".

He, then, turned to Natasha and told her, " you, too, have to use this opportunity to gain experience and figure out how to adapt your blade to each of all those kinds of fighting styles, got it? "

The two young women nodded.

Carla, who still couldn't get rid of her old habits, raised her hand to ask, " since today's training is finished when, then, will you teach me those fighting styles? "

" Hmm, it's just your private training which is over, later on when we will join the others in the dojo, I will teach you " Jamal replied, wondering if Natasha did inform her yet.

" The others? " Carla repeated, naturally confused.

" Actually, Jamal doesn't teach only us how to fight. He personally took in charge of all the youngsters of Stainfall to initiate them in self-defense and other kinds of fighting styles, " Natasha clarified to her.

" Oh, I see " Carla nodded thoughtful then asked again " are new citizens like me are authorized to participate? "

" Yes, of course, why wouldn't you be allowed? " Jamal replied with a smile. He clapped in his hands while indicating them to move, " now let's go, we shouldn't waste too much of our time ".

•••

" Where are we going? " Andre asked again while his sight was running here and there around him. He was trying to figure out their destination for a moment now unsuccessfully while, at the same time, memorizing the alleys they kept taking.

" You're persistent, " Volga joked after turning the head to take a glance back at him, " can't you be a little patient? We are almost there ".

They some more and stopped, ten minutes later, nearby a hangar where all the vehicles that had been brought from the other neighbor cities were stocked.

" Lina has made an agreement with the representative of each city to leave all these cars for the public services. I have to admit that the competencies of negotiations of that woman are quite scary, " Volga revealed to him as he seemed curious, " anyway, it's not because of that we are here, follow me " she said with a gesture of her hand.

She guided him before a steel gate locked with a chain and a padlock. Volga pulled a key from the pocket of her pants and with it she unlocked the padlock, she removed the chain and slowly opened the gate.

" Normally, I shouldn't be allowed to show this to people since they can get bad thoughts and do bad things, " she started to say before Andre took a step forward and began to see what was hidden in that room, " but I know I can trust you and I'm sure Jamal would have done the same thing... or at least he wouldn't say that I was wrong to show this to you ".

Andre's eyes widened when he finally saw what was inside.

The room was filled with so many guns and fire weapons that he wouldn't be able to count. When Volga pulled him inside he saw that on both sides of the room, boxes of ammunition were piled up along the walls.

" That's all the weapons that have been used in the battles we have undergone along with all the ammunition we have saved and collected, " Volga informed him while he was examining the room, she pushed him lightly by the back and said, " well, pick one of those and let's go shoot some shots ".

" Huh? " Andre turned to stare at her, obviously confused, as he couldn't figure out what was she thinking.

" Don't be shy and take the one which pleases you the most, I have the authority to let you take whatever you want so don't worry, " she reassured him.

The young man observed around a little before something picked his interest. He moved and came back with a rifle in his hands and after he showed it to Volga, the latter nodded with a smile while saying, " an M16 assault rifle, huh? You have good taste ". She went to pick a weapon for herself too and while carrying with it a bag of ammunition, she started walking towards the exit. " What are you waiting for? Let's go " she shouted at Andre.

After the young man left the room, Volga closed the steel gate behind him and put back the chain and the padlock before she told him to follow her again.