Re: Zero: A Hell of His Own Making

Stumbling, Falling, Overthinking

One step after another, our knight made his way out of the mansion as he began to peruse the training grounds that had been set up.

During his walk, he seized the chance to take in the surrounding calm, which aided him in stabilizing his breathing, in spite of the buzzing clouds of thoughts swirling around his head.

It wasn't much, but it was all he had until the end of the day, so he was left with no choice but to make the most of what few moments of relief his mind could spare.

All in all, one could say he was looking forward to the imminent, grueling training session, for he couldn't be swarmed by intrusive thoughts and sensations if he was tired out of his mind.

Also, these training sessions were a way for him to prove something to himself, to mark some sort of improvement, some kind of milestone engraved upon his life's path.

To demonstrate that, perhaps, he wasn't entirely worthless.

His steps were halted on the border of the training camp, as his eyes darted from left to right in search of the half-beast with whom he had a... complicated history.

To say that they got off on the wrong foot would be an understatement.

But fortunately enough, after a considerable amount of hurdles, they had grown past their differences, with Garfiel now looking up to him as an older brother of sorts.

While he initially rejoiced at the thought of someone holding him in high esteem, it didn't take long for his mind to follow up with all the troubles associated with it.

Yet another person relying on him.

Yet another set of expectations weighing down on him.

Yet another chance for him to slip up and ruin everything.

Suddenly, his thoughts were shaken off of him by a firm grasp on his left shoulder.

"Yo Cap'n! Watcha up to? Ya do remember that ye've gotta, as ya put it, hit the gym today, right? Can't have ya spacin' out on me, come on!"

The demihuman's voice roared into his ears, causing him to stumble back by a few steps.

"...oh! No need to worry, Garf! Your Captain was just... uh... getting in the right headspace!"

Of all the lies he had told throughout his life, that one was certainly not the most elaborate, let alone the most believable.
Then again, his interlocutor wasn't exactly known for being particularly bright, so there was no worry in his heart that it would come off as suspicious.

"Sure thing, Cap'n, I know ya! Don't even so much as think of slackin' off on me! C'mon, time for the usual warm-up!"

Without any further word, Garfiel began to run across the training field.

For as much as his captain wished to immediately follow along, there was a certain something that he needed to take care of.

He quickly glanced around, his gaze falling upon a patch of tall grass just outside the field's borders.

After ensuring that he wasn't being observed, he promptly pulled out a tissue, wrapped up the ceramic shard in it, slid it amidst the grass and then carefully laid a small rock on top of it.

As he completed the occultation of the "incriminating evidence", the young knight sprinted along the training course.

The act of rapidly putting one foot in front of the other, the effort of coordinating the movements of his legs with those of his arms, along with the overall physical exertion poured a glass of relief within the jug of his mind.