(Day 5)
"Are you seriously kidding me?! How am I supposed to hit balls in this position?!" Ezekiel freaked.
Hanging on the rocks of the mountain from where they climbed up painstakingly at the beginning, he dangled. "Waah!! It's scary!! Captain! Vice-captain!! Save me!!" he cried grasping the rope tight glancing down. Thick fog before his eyes and the mountain below gave out a fearful sight.
"Listen up rascal! Hit the balls coming down there and remember the limit. If you don't hit back at least 500 hundred balls today, you won't get a rest tonight!" Nidou threatened from above. His legs crossed, he stared at the boys practicing before him, leisurely on his wooden pallet.
"No way!!" Ezekiel cried, "Captain! Vice-captain! Just save me already!!"
His voice echoing around Helios sighed, "Just leave him be."
Poseidon nodded. As loving and caring as he always is even he couldn't do a single thing to help him.
Adam rallying with Gabriel, while Cassiel balled Xavier the rest moved up and down doing consecutive pushups.
"Huff! Huff! Huff! How many more are we supposed to do…?" Heber questioned exhausted.
"Five hundred more little one… don't even ask if you treasure your will… Pant!" Seraph breathed.
Alan smiling gazed at Azazel who threw the ball at the tree right on mark. "Haha! I did it!" Azazel gleamed.
Alan relieved replied, "Yeah… you certainly did. Good job."
Azazel remembering the sight from the last night stared at him thinking, "The move he used last night… why didn't he use it back at the base playing against us? Surely if he would've used it… none of us would've been able to return it back…"
"Hm? What's wrong?" Alan asked tracing his stare.
Coming down to earth Azazel scratched his hairs looking away. "Noth-ing! Nothing at all." he stuttered flustered.
"Catch them Feng!" Nidou ordered.
Feng tracing the ball jumped up catching them one by one. "On your right, Feng." Xavier pointed. Feng once again jumping up caught another ball tossing it back to Cassiel.
Kenzo gracefully standing upside down over three fingers reminisced the scenario last night. "I am strong… hella strong!" Alan's words imprinted his mind, "I'll take you to face the world with me. You'll turn into the king of kings until then!"
"So that's what he meant by that… Kings of kings." Kenzo remembered Alan's claim from back at the base.
"Wow~ this stupid king can also do this? I am impressed." Adam clapped awed. Ryan tracing Kenzo's silence stretched his back wondering.
(Day 6)
"Helios my boy, spin deliveries without using your pinnacle except for your in swingers and out swingers are weak. They might be precise and sturdy however, they lack concentration. Try to bowl leg spinners for a change. How about it?" Alan advised.
"Hm." Helios agreed, "You are right. I am weak in that aspect. As a swinger, I'll try to use different styles from now on."
"Brat! Your speed is declining hurry up!" Nidou shouted at Heber.
"Oh come on! Pant, pant! I am running as fast as I can…!" Heber snaped climbing the mountain and descending again for the sixth time.
"I think this position is right." Cassiel showed the balling grip to Gabriel who copied.
"And, for arm balls the index finger should be in the middle with the thumb supporting the side." Gabriel compared. "Yes." Cassiel agreed.
Azazel and Poseidon a little further balled to Kenzo and Feng.
"Tch, Poseidon's Charm of paralysis is really strong. I can't even move. Thanks to clad shield defense I am even standing right now but for how much longer can I keep this up? And, inside his territory to be exact. There's all sea, sea inside here…" Feng thought anxiously moaning next.
His eyes tracing Poseidon who grinned mercilessly. "Really… is he even the Poseidon I know?" he thought speechless.
"Pre-eminent Kings Order! Change into an inswinger!!" Kenzo ordered confidently. Azazel's bouncer turning into an inswinger all of a sudden, Kenzo smacked the ball for a four.
Azazel tracing the ball's sight in midair gulped confused, "Again?"
"Aza! What's wrong? Can't break my technique?" Kenzo questioned stern from the batting crease.
Azazel not daring to look at him headed back, I'll definitely break it!" His eyes glazed red.
Xavier swinging the bat took a deep breath. "What's wrong? Tired already?" Nidou questioned.
Xavier shaking his head replied, "Nope. Not at all."
"Good… come here." Nidou said.
Xavier walking over instantly caught the ball thrown at him. He blinked his eyes. "Rally with me for an over or two." Nidou said.
Xavier glancing at the ball kept his bat aside.
Adam and Ryan racing each other doing consecutive pushups panted hard. "Four hundred… and ninety three!" Ryan declared.
"Four hundred and ninety four!" Adam raced.
Seraph gazing at his hand clutched it tight. His gauntlet shining under the sun. He tossed the ball down to where Ezekiel hunged returning it one by one.
Their training as rigorous as it could be sunk another day into darkness.
(Day 7)
"Today you are all heading down the mountain again." Nidou informed.
"Huh?!" the thirteen of them shrieked together.
"No Huh's. Take this map and go find your further materials as per given instructions." Nidou threw the map towards Helios.
Catching it singlehandedly, Helios studied it. "And the time limit?" Gabriel questioned.
"Tomorrow morning it is. No need to bring the materials back here just go back to the place where you rest." Nidou explained gulping his sports drink.
The thirteen of them looking at each other nodded. Alan glancing at them from the edge of mountain top took a deep breath. His complexion slightly pale, he blinked his eyes weak.
Suddenly Adam embraced him from behind startling him. "Are you alright Alan? You look tired. Why don't you come to us tonight? By the way, what do you all night?" he asked curious.
Heber crouching beside Alan too added, "Yeah, what do you do out there? It's so dark and dangerous yet you don't even come and glance at us?"
Alan grinned, "Heh~ how do you know that I don't?"
Hearing him Ezekiel questioned from the other side, "You do?!"
"Yeah, I do watch over you. It's just that you don't know it." Alan replied.
The three of them blinking at each other sat stunned.
"Come on, let's go." Alan stood up as Adam left his back. A stinging pain leaving his chest he clutched his fists tight.
"Are you alright, Alan?" Heber asked worried. The rest of them hearing the conversation too turned attentive.
"I am fine. Don't worry." Alan assured.
"And, one more thing. There's a swamp amid the path before the materials are stored. BE CAREFUL not to drown." Nidou warned uninterested.
Feng in disbelief slammed his forehead while Alan eyed him irritated. Xavier on the contrary smiled.
The fourteen of them through thick and thin, through rain and shine and through brink and fall crossed the swamp to where the materials were.
"Be careful, Cassiel. Don't let anyone slip from the rocks." Seraph warned grabbing Ryan's hand tightly climbing up the tree.
"Be careful Adam." Poseidon grabbed Adam who gulped by the bubbling sight of the enormous swamp beneath his feet.
Xavier landing on the other side beside Feng and Heber helped Helios and Ezekiel. Jumping from the tree Kenzo landed beside Feng. "Azazel! No matter what don't panic! Just step on the rocks one by one!" he cautioned and encouraged at the same time.
Azazel wobbling on the slipping stones answered, "Ye-s cap-tain!"
Stepping on the next stone his feet instantly slipped. "Wah-!" Azazel shrieked as Alan caught his wrist pulling him back up. "Watch out and calm down its alright." he assured clearing the way.
"Come on, Poseidon, Adam." Xavier called. Poseidon jumping down looked at Adam who too jumped. Xavier clasping his figure lightly patted his back, "It's alright. You did it."
Adam embracing him on the contrary cried, "Wahh!! It was really scary! This was the first time, I saw a swamp this big!"
Xavier chuckling agreed, "Yeah, you did great."
The fourteen of them crossing the swamp exhaled calmed.
"The fact that we have to cross this death hole back again after collecting materials makes me mad!" Gabriel grated vexed.
Moving onwards, they collected the materials heading back passing yet another nerve-wrecking drill. Returning back to their asylum the boys sat and acted dead.
"I am broke…" Feng uttered, soul leaving his body beside Ezekiel, Azazel and Heber.
"Literally, it's hard to carry the materials all the way back while crossing the same thing again and again. And, a swamp a top of it!" Ryan complained.
Alan weary, ignoring them headed inside the cave.
Seraph concerned looked at Helios, Xavier, Gabriel and Kenzo.
"Is he alright? Ever since I saw him this morning he is acting strange?" Helios asked anxiously.
"Yeah, he looked tired in the morning too!" Adam informed.
Xavier, Azazel, Kenzo and Seraph looked at each other silent.