Days and weeks passed with Miles training in the Secret Mercenary Training Ground.
Before he entered this place, he kept on imagining himself as a great mercenary who could rival the world. He trained with his father everyday and believed he was one of the best junior mercenaries.
Unfortunately, after stepping into this training ground, he met others whose skills were way above his, shattering his beliefs. He felt like all his life, he had simply touched the tip of the iceberg in his training.
Months turned to years as he worked hard everyday to improve himself. During this time, he had very close friends. One was the weird boy who released that poisonous worm-like organism to him. His other friend was Jackson who was the son of the great mercenary Jace.
Overtime, he and Jackson got increasingly closer. His relationship with the weird boy was not as close as Jackson. The weird boy, who never told him his name, had a relationship of teacher and student with him. He was the best in the training ground and taught Miles a thing or two as he trained.
"Put less weight on your left leg when you want to try that move making your speed and accuracy better."
"Inertia! Inertia! You think it's that easy to stop a moving heavy object?!"
" Come on, that's okay for today. I'm going to sleep."
Miles took his help for granted which was a very wrong move on his part. He never knew that he was the only one that the weird boy spent time with.
One day while they sat in the hostel, the weird boy told him something very unbelievable.
"Stop hanging out with Jackson, he's bad news. That guy's not a good friend."
Miles' brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Jackson is my only friend." he did not notice the subtle change on the weird boy's expression after he said that.
"Do what you like." he ended his advice and covered himself with a blanket.
Miles looked conflicted spending some time thinking about what he was told.
As much as he appreciated the weird boy, he wasn't going to believe his mean words about his friend.
The next day, he was out with Jackson training together. Jackson seemed strange, he wasn't as lively nor happy. When Miles asked, he waved it off as a mood swing.
Don Esau was spending less time with him as a trainer and protector ever since he became friends with the weird boy.
Three weeks later, there was going to be an off ground training. All trainees would be sent in a mission and they were to travel in groups of three.
Miles, Jackson and the weird guy were together. Their mission was to fight on the side of Wilkom, a neighboring country and defeat their arch enemies, the Mondolians.
Miles slung a bag over his shoulder and picked up his mission ticket. He walked down the stairs and met Jackson and his roommate, the weird guy in a deadlock. The atmosphere was very stifling as Jackson glared at the weird guy. He looked up at Miles on the stairs.
"You've got a very irritating friend here, you know. Did you have to put him on our team!"
The weird guy snickered. "You mean, did he have to put you on our team?"
Jackson rolled his eyes.
"Can we start going?" Miles didn't know what to say apart from that.
The journey began with the stifling atmosphere not changing. The way towards Wilkom country was not as easy as it could have been as spies from the Mondolians blocked the road and discomfited many of the trainees.
Finally, they reached the military camp of Wilkom.
They settled into a tent after the weird boy and Jackson argued so much for another tent.
Their only relief was that the tent was very wide giving them their space.
It was a small scaled battle, the one between Wilkom and the Mondolians. The Secret Mercenary Training Ground couldn't send young trainees to a large scaled battle.
They came pretty early so they had plenty of time to train. They visited the military training ground and were internally disgusted by the lack of equipment and skilled officials. Anyway, they still trained hard.
One day, the three of them were in the training ground, again. The military men had begun calling them training addicts. They were there almost all the time. Miles was shooting arrows into the distance exercising his muscles while the weird guy stuck around him repositioning his hands and legs. Jackson was a bit further from them and they did not know what he was doing.
"Why are you always arguing with Jackson?" Miles asked softly as he looked at the weird guy towering above him.
"We never argue,just exchange a word or two."
Miles rolled his eyes.
"Jackson's my friend. As well as you are." Miles said making the other guy's eyes widen a bit.
"I thought you said he was your only friend?"
"I didn't mean it."
The weird guy smiled. "Um..do you want to know why I never tell people my name?"
"Hunh? Why?!" Miles asked, curious. The other guy's eyes were red.
"You see, it's a curse. I do not want others suffering because of me."
Miles tilted his head. "A curse? What do you mean?"
"All those that have ever known my name are dead." The weird guy said not looking at Miles.
Miles' eyes were widened in shock. He blinked, then blinked hard again.
"Tell me. Perhaps, those people died for other reasons." The weird guy shook his head. "Never, Miles."
Miles turned to him. "I understand."
They stood gazing at the evening sun. Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard. The weird guy turned in alarm.
An arrow was rushing from Jackson's position.
"Nooo!" the arrow flew past the weird guy and stuck Miles on his chest. The arrow Head was covered in green liquid.
"Poison." the weird guy gasped as he held Miles who slowly fell to the ground.
Miles was dumbfounded. 'Was that Jackson who shot that arrow?' he thought bitterly.
"Miles, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Please, don't die. Not on me, please Miles." the weird guy almost cried.
Miles chuckled with great pain.
"Nah, it's okay. I should have listened to you when you warned me about Jackson. So, I'm about to die. Tell me your name."
"It's Lucifer. Forgive me, Miles."
Miles sighed as he breathed his last. He noticed a silhouette of Jackson coming closer.
"Bye, my friend." He noticed as Jackson's eyes watered.