Hell

CLANGGGGGGGG!!!

"WAKE UP!" Jynn, Garrick, and Kaela yelled, their grins so devilish they were almost unrecognizable.

"Today is your first day of REAL training" Garrick said.

Real training? I thought we were already training. Yesterday's lessons were already hard, complicated, and exhausting.

"What do you mean REAL training?" I asked, I could feel something sinister, something pure evil.

And it was coming straight from the 3 friends I had met.

Kaela was energetic, answering the question almost immediately, "Well, you need to become stronger and fast so we decided to amp up the level"

"Ok, give me a minute, let me put my clothes on" 

I hurried to put my clothes on. What was this new training all about? How bad could it be?

As I got out of the house, I slowly walked towards the training center.

However a growl stopped me in my path, a familiar growl. The Veylgrin.

A Veylgrin appeared. But this time. It was different. I had grown stronger. But I was wrong, because I didn't know I was going to get jumped by a pack of them!

I sprinted and ran as quickly as I could.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" I bolted, sprinting like my life depended on it. Because, well, it did.

The gates to the training grounds finally came into view. Relief flooded me.

"You finally made it. Took you long enough," Kaela called out, barely suppressing a smirk.

"Quick! Close the doors, lock the gates! Dozens of Veylgrins are chasing me!" I yelled. 

Jynn tilted his head."What Veylgrins?" He waved a hand lazily, and the creatures stopped. "Oh, those? They're our precious pets."

"...What?"

"They're our pets," Garrick confirmed, his grin stretching unnaturally wide, almost touching his ears. "And we used them to get you here faster. You were taking too long."We used them to get you here faster. You were taking too long." Garrick clapped a hand on my shoulder. "But enough talking—we've got a full day ahead

I followed them inside—only to stop dead in my tracks.

The training grounds had changed.

Cages rattled as monstrous creatures snarled and clawed at their bars. Target dummies smoldered with molten wounds. The air itself felt heavier, charged with an eerie energy.

"This is your new training grounds, you'll be training with me for the next year" Garrick said.

I blinked. "Wait, just with you?" 

Garrick gave a huge thumbs up, "Of course!" Then he started to flex his muscles widely, "You'll need a strong body and foundation to start the other techniques."

I leaped in excitement. "Of Course! Then lets get started training!" This is just like a video game!

Jynn and Kaela stared, as if I was a lunatic.

Kaela sighed, "Well at least your enthusiastic about it."

"You won't be for long" Jynn said, as he shook his head in disappointment. 

"Well you said it yourself" Garrick picked me up like a toy and leaped into the air. From above I could see everything, from the house to the distant lands and even a huge castle?!? It was like a city, but less developed.

"Before I could fully process what I was seeing, Garrick landed in what looked like a massive gym."

"Whoa, where are we?" I asked.

"This is my gym, the Goliath." Garrick said, standing proud of his area. "Now enough talking, from here we are 5 miles away from the normal training center." "Every day, you'll be coming here at 9 AM sharp."

"Wait." I shook my heads a few times. "How many miles?"

"5" Garrick repeated. And now you're first task, simple pushups.

"Easy" I got on the floor and started doing pushups right away, eager for what's to come next.

"Yep. I'll tell you when to stop," Garrick said, sounding far too amused.

A hour went by.

"urgrhh" "Am I done yet?" "My arms burn." I pleaded.

Garrick laughed. "That's it, you haven't even done 1,000, keep going." 

When the sun set, Garrick yelled "STOP!". 

"ughhhhhhh. Finally" I plopped down on the floor and laid there like slime.

"Ok, I'll leave you be, you seem tired. Be here by tomorrow 9 AM sharp. Good luck!" Garrick walked out and leaped back disappearing into the sky.

"Wait what about me???. I can't walk 5 miles like this?!? I don't even know where!" I ran after him but it was too late, he was already gone.

"UGHH"

And so, I dragged myself home and arrived at 5.

This was only day one.