Chapter Nineteen: Squad Part One

“One hundred and ten… One hundred and eleven… “ I huff as I push myself up on my left arm, making sure to keep my body perfectly straight and balanced so that I don’t sway to the side and fall, with my right arm pressed against my back. The weights on the tops of my feet pressing down on me, but stay soundly in place not moving under the fierce wind that’s been attacking me.

I could feel the dawn’s light beginning to cover me, in a pleasant warmth as the sun begins to rise, slowly removing the chill from that has been enveloping me since I got up here and started working out.

Atlas Pine has become one of my favorite places to workout recently, and after waking up to a hangover a couple days ago and drinking a couple buckets full of water, I decided working out some more and improving my body in some more extreme conditions couldn’t hurt.

The ground below Atlas Pine was littered with my imprints, from previous workout failures. But what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger right?

“One hundred and ninety-nine… One hundred and oh wait, Two hundred..” I jumped up with my left arm off the branch, my hand screaming in relief as it could finally stop grinding against the wood and breaking its blisters. I tore my right arm off my back and struck it down against the wood to balance myself, but “Crack.” I hit it too hard and the branch broke. “Shit, not again,” I barely had time to say before gravity took a hold of me.

I kick upward with my legs and the weights flew up, up, and away. Using my core, I rotated myself as I fell and so that I fell on my feet, after landing on my face a couple of times I had to start changing things up, a couple moments later my feet impacted the ground with a little shake. I struck my palms out quickly before the weights could fall on Mud who’s playing right to my side, and the weights fell into my hands with a slight thunk in either hand and hiss of pain from me. Hundred pound weights falling at terminal velocity always hurt it would seem.

Then came the clapping, I turn my head to see George standing at the border of my part of the lot. Seeing him clap I give him a quick bow, and gesture for him to come over.

“Bravo mate, that was a mighty fine show there.” He said impressed, but unusually tired.

I scratched the back of my head, “Well, it wasn’t supposed to be a show, but thanks anyway. So why do you look like you have one foot in the grave?” I say bluntly.

He lets out a jovial laugh, “Is it really that obvious?” I nod, he looks like he fell down a cliff, with all the cuts, scratches, and bruise littering him. “Weeell, I beat my instructor.” He says with pride.

I let out a whoop of joy at that, and bring him into a crushing hug. “Good job buddy! I know how hard that is!”

“Ouu,” He lets out a small groan, and I release him.

After a couple deep breaths, he relaxes and says teasingly. “Thanks, mate, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t almost crush me.”

I laugh it off, “You’ll get used to it.”

He laughs too “Yeah, I hope so.” He pauses for a moment and then looks me in the eyes seriously. “So, let's get to the main reason I’m here. And no, it’s not to see you training or ask for pointers, before you ask.” I feel slightly disappointed at that.

He then lets out a small huff of exhaustion, “Well, first off are you busy? Because I got a quest that I’d like you to be a part of.” I raised my eyebrow, and he nods his head with a weary smile. “So, before I go any further do you have any chairs? I’m aching all over.”

I gesture to ground around us, before plopping down cross-legged.

He gives out a small laugh, “Figures.” He then eased himself down to the ground.

I then motion for him to continue, and he nods his head in compliance.

He smiles more and then continues “So to the main point, I want to form a squad with you,” He points at me and then himself, “Me,” Then points northeast. “Damon and Julian. And I’ve found the perfect quest for us to take, and yes, Atlas it will be very challenging, grueling, and all around masochistic.” He said with a laugh before I could ask anything.

I raise my eyebrows at him with a mild glare and say slightly annoyed, “Hey, just because I like to be challenged doesn’t mean I’m a masochist.”

He raises a single eyebrow and says in a blunt, patronizing monotone. “Sure, you aren’t, sure you aren’t.” He then continues in his normal tone, when I raise a fist at him, and he holds his hands up in surrender.

“Anyway back on topic, the quest is a rank four and if I a rank three like me wants to take it I need a squad. And a squad needs a minimum of four people,” He then gives a winning smile, and with some energy back in his voice, he says with flatteringly. “So here I am, asking my best brute and best melee fighter I know to come along with me for fame, glory, and of course money.”

I look at him impassively and ask bluntly, “What’s the quest about?”

He's all smiling “I was hoping you would ask, in the mountains to the south there has a been disturbance. Goblin clans are relocating and causing trouble, and so you see the problem here right?” I nod my head, Gobin clans don’t just up and migrate.

I hold up my hand and flash a brutal smile, “Let me guess, they want us to kill whatever is causing them to move... Count me in.” I end with sudden energy.

George gives another big goofy smile and gets up. “Good, good, can’t wait to do this.” He starts to rub his hands together and starts to laugh maniacally. I join in too.

Once done, he says “Alright meet me up at the guild around noon tomorrow, cause I still need some rest, and oh, and I’ll make sure to have Damon and Julian up there tomorrow.”

“Good, I hold you to that.” I pause and then look him in the eyes. “I’ll tell this to you once George, don’t puss out on me. I trust you more or less, so I expect you to not get scared or run off.”

He chuckles “Funny, I was just about to say the same thing.”

I let out a long roar of a laugh. “Get the fuck out of here, I’ll see you tomorrow,” I say with good humor.

He nods with a laugh and turns around with a wave before strolling off.

Once he was gone, I jumped back up Atlas Pine and got back to training. With Mud scrambling to get up the tree after me.