Living in Me (Sequel to Not Gonna Die)

|Chapter 1| Abandoning ship

Fact of the day:

Both the title for this book and the title for Not Gonna Die are from two songs by Skillet, one being 'Not Gonna Die' and the other being 'Hero', which has the line "I've got a hero living in me."

They are both very good songs, highly recommended if you like the rock sort of genre.

Also, I'm happy to say (and you'll be happy to hear) that the Nightmare is not in this book. That reference last chapter is the only thing he gets.

          The tall stone wall was well built, if a little old in some places, with a large portcullis that was open just as it was every day from sunrise to sunset. Spaced out at regular intervals along the top of the huge wall stood guards, their burnished armour flashing in the sun, holding spears that were pointed straight up to the sky. But instead of seeming intimidating and threatening, they seemed almost welcoming, like a safeguard for anyone who sought shelter within.

          Beyond the wall was a long central road that passed the hospital on the left and a large, open grassy area to the right. Further up the road, on both sides, was a large collection of houses that seemed to be newer than the rest of the buildings, no more than a few months old. People were moving up and down the street, going into buildings and calling out to friends or ducking down to avoid the eye of a passing captain when you were skipping duty. In the grassy area, several groups of soldiers were training, banging their wooden practice swords against the padded poles in front of them or the wooden shield of their partner.

          But in a slightly different section of the training area, half-hidden behind the storage warehouses, was a much smaller version of the greenery. Due to its location - close enough to the training grounds to jump out if needed but still hidden enough to not be easily seen - it was a favoured training spot for high ranking captains and also for the generals who ran this army. There were eight of them in total, all best friends who had gathered together one by one to create this army several years ago, aiming to put an end to the constant feuding of the nearby war lords.

          For now though, nearly midday as it was, only two of the generals were in this training area, the sound of wood striking wood echoing in the small outdoor space as they duelled back and forth. One was wearing a beige shirt with the mid-length sleeves rolled up, jeans which had grass stains on the knees and lower legs, and red sneakers. He expertly swung his wooden sword, which was specially made to be the exact size and weight of a regular sword, and it cracked onto the sword of his opponent which had flicked into the block at the last possible moment and just as quickly darted to the attack.

          This man was wearing a black T-shirt with dark grey pants and red shoes that were of a darker colour than the other's. His longer brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail and he analysed the movements of his opponent through his black sunglasses. As he ducked under the sword and smoothly sidestepped to deliver a blow, the amethyst amulet that hung around his neck swung a little, glinting in the sunlight.

          The two fought back and forth, their swords swinging and clanking against each other, forcing the other backwards for several steps before they were forced backwards. As the beige shirted one stamped forward and drove his sword point towards the other's chest, the man with the amulet darted down and around with almost inhuman speed, stabbing his sword into the ground before grabbing the other's arm and twisting it behind his chest. In the instant it took for him to process what was happening, the man with the amulet shoved him forward, twisting the sword from his grip and sweeping his legs out from under him. The beige shirted man fell to the ground heavily and spun around to see his opponent's wooden sword levelled at his neck.