Glen and Ezekiel were standing in front of a log.
It had been four months since they began their journey. During this time Glen started to teach what he knew to him.
He taught him everything that he knew which ranged from shooting to how to avoid Zombies.
This version of zombies that Glen had encountered was weird. As they got older their stomach would bloat and eventually burst, leaving black pus-like substance everywhere. He didn't know the identity of that black substance.
He figured it might be the people they ate. After all, zombies constantly tried to eat humans but logically they didn't have any digestive tracks. So where did all the 'meat' they ate go?
Also, another important question; why did they have the urge to eat humans? Sure, that was how they multiplied so in an evolutionary sense it made sense that they had an urge to bite people. But why eat?
If their goal was just to create new zombies wouldn't it be enough to just bite once and leave their target alone?
However, they would eat humans until nothing remained of them as long as a new target wasn't nearby. Drastically reducing the number of potential new zombies.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
Ezekiel missed the empty tin can standing atop the log. He had managed to shoot the first two but the last one was a miss.
"*Sigh* How many times am I supposed to remind you. Aim with your hips. HIPS" Glen said as he gave Ezekiel a giant slap on the back of his head.
After four months with Glen, Ezekiel had become 14 and already started to put on some muscle on his thin arms. He didn't look like an adult yet, but in his visage, Glen could see the shadows of a handsome young man.
"And what do you mean by that exactly?" Ezekiel said as he rubbed the back of his head but he wasn't dissatisfied with the way Glen treated him. It hurt but he knew this was because Glen truly cared about him.
When they first started, Glen wouldn't even give him any pointers and just watch from the side. But as they spent more time together, they got closer and closer. Close enough that Glen now could hit his head in annoyance when he didn't understand something.
But what could he do? He didn't have anyone to compare himself with so he didn't know if he was too fast or too slow. The only thing was, he wouldn't understand most of the concepts Glen tried to teach. Like just now. What did he mean by aim with his hips? He thought he only needed to point the sty towards his target and the bullet would go there.
"Depends, I can show you but I will be deducting five from your bullet allowance. Think carefully, do you want to figure this out yourself, or do you want me to give you a demonstration?" Glen said.
Just like Ezekiel, he was also frustrated. When Wiley told him once, he would be able to do it the next time. Ezekiel, on the other hand, needed him to constantly correct his mistakes. He would also have to explain everything in a detailed manner unlike what Wiley did with him. As long as Wiley gave him a hint, he would be able infer more things from that hint alone. It was to such a degree that Wiley would refuse to teach him for days after a lesson. He also didn't teach anyone else before so he was also wracking his brain over how to teach Ezekiel effectively. The kid clearly couldn't come up with stuff on his own. He needed to be spoon-fed.
So, since he had trouble coming up with explanations, he figured he should implement a payment system. If Ezekiel wanted his demonstration, he would have to pay with bullets that Glen would use.
This way they could also save on bullets. Meaning Ezekiel had to count every bullet carefully, whenever he practised shooting he would have fewer bullets left.
"Okay, show me"
After much deliberation, Ezekiel decided to give in this time. It was hard for him to follow Glen's thought process. If he saw him, at least he could infer some stuff on his own.
"Bullets please" Glen said as he reached out his hands. Ezekiel handed the bullets to him unwillingly.
"Throw the tins up in the air when I give the signal" Glen said as he stood sideways with the navy revolver in his hands.
He took a deep breath and signalled for Ezekiel to throw the tin cans with targets painted on them up in the air.
As he watched the cans rise up in the air, Glen's body started to move. While his left hand was rising, his right foot started to move.
*Bang*
As he shot the first one, Glen didn't stop moving. His right foot kept moving and adjusting itself.
*Bang*
He kept moving. As his right foot moved so did his chest and most importantly hips.
*Bang* *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*
By the time Glen made the last four shots his right foot was stretched like he was about to take a step.
The whole process took about half a second. It still wasn't as fast as when he was back in his prime but he was way faster than he was back at the Wildeskink.
*Inhale*
As he inhaled the smell of gunpowder Glen felt his blood pumping.
*Ba-dump*
His heart was throbbing. He wanted to shoot more. He wanted to shoot till he couldn't even stand up.
*Ba-dump* *Ba-dump*
How good would it be if he could have a day where he shot his gun till he was satisfied.
*Ba-dump*
Glen calmed his heart. Now wasn't the time nor the place to have such thoughts. This was a side effect of his little adventure.
For the last two years, his heart had stopped beating. He was living just for the sake of living. He didn't have much enjoyment in his life.
He didn't know what happened back at Wildeskink... well, aside from getting his arm blown off, that is. But ever since that day whenever he wielded his gun, his heart would start throbbing just like how he was before the events at the Rionel's Keep.
He had thought this part of him had died alongside the city but it was just lying in wait and now it had woken up. He was finally taking a step forward in his life after getting stuck in the past for too long.
"*Puff* So did you get any of it?" Glen said as he blew on the navy's muzzle.
"You took a step forward?" Ezekiel asked hesitantly. He still didn't understand what Glen meant even though he watched him carefully. To him, it just looked like Glen took a step forward. He didn't understand what did this have to do with his aim.
Glen blinked his eyes, frustrated. It seemed like he would have to spell out everything again.
"Okay, let me ask you this. What is the hardest part while trying to aim at multiple targets?"
"I know this one! It's stability. When I move my arm to the next one sometimes I can't stop in time so my aim veers off!"
"Yeah, so we aim with our body instead of moving our arms. Duelling with guns is not just waving your arms around like a chicken with its head cut off. It's like a dance. Along with your arms, so does your body has to move. It has to be elegant"
"You lost me"
"*Sigh* When you are taking a step, your body adjusts itself to keep its balance. So when you are moving your foot, your arm also moves along with your body. From your perspective, the arm doesn't move. However, it moves together with the body. So, the place you are aiming for changes even if you don't move your arm. Meaning..."
"My aim is stable and doesn't veer off?"
"Exactly!" Glen gave a big hearty smile! Finally! This kid was getting it.
"So when you told me to aim with my hips meant I needed to move along with my target?"
"Yes! Any gunslinger worth his name wouldn't stay at the same spot in a duel. They would move along with their target, constantly changing their place. First of all, it makes you harder to hit. Second of all, it makes aiming easier. As long as you can't pass this hurdle you can never become a master. Sure, speed can carry you to be a intermediate-level gunslinger without any problems. But starting with intermediate-level it's all about the technique and the body. If you can't hammer in these little techniques, you would be stuck at the intermediate-level forever. "
Ezekiel nodded his head as he listened to Glen carefully. He wanted to be a legend just like Glen in the future, so his words were gospel to him.
"Okay, it's time for dinner. Go and get the rabbit now and drain its blood" Glen said as he holstered his gun.
"What rabbit?"
"About three hundred meters ahead, next to bushes beside the dead poplar tree. Get it before foxes steal it" said Glen as he walked away.
Three hundred meters!? Did he shoot a rabbit while also aiming for five other targets which were in the air?
He was more annoyed than impressed. After all, this was not the first time Glen did something like this.
"Didn't I tell you to not waste bullets!?" Ezekiel shouted as he watched him.
Ever since Glen gave him a bullet tax to answer his questions, he had become extremely stingy when it came to them.
Every bullet Glen wasted was a bullet Ezekiel could have used to practice!
"Haha, I got too excited" said Glen while laughing.
Ezekiel, on the other hand, rushed to find the rabbit before the wildlife get to it. There was one time he had lost a hawk to a vulture because he took his time getting it. As a punishment, he wasn't allowed to shoot for three days!