My training began from the next day.
Den wanted to take things slow but steady. So, he made me run around the house twice, taught me how to do some pushups and set up a pull up bar so I could do those too. He didn't instruct me to do anything else like sit ups or skips. For now running, push-ups and pulls ups were enough.
He did say he was going to increase the intensity every week and honestly, I agreed with him. Everything he did so far were very reasonable.
Yet… yet my pathetic chubby body couldn't even achieve that. I wasn't just weak, I was extra lazy. My weak arm was much less of a handicap than I thought. Maybe it just needed some movement? I could only do two push-ups and a single pull up though. I did everything, slowly, but I still did it anyway. And ended up in a panting session. I didn't have asthma but I sure felt like I had it, huffing for every breath.
"I'll tell Lin to give you more meat but do request extra if you're hungry. Meat is your friend from now on," he said.
We practiced in the outskirts of the forest just like the first time. He argued, it was good to be walking around and just walking enough should have helped me in the stamina department somewhat. But I was so out of it, he had to carry me back home on his back anyway.
And honestly, this dude was really tall. Not as tall as Mother maybe an inch shorter but still that was already over six feet. And things from up here… just different. I never had an experience like this in my previous life.
"Got it."
Den said he was eventually going to repeat this same thing in the afternoon and even take me to regular hunts from next year after my fifth birthday. The guy actually seemed to be really into it.
Which was great but I was kind of starting to get a little suspicious. "Mom's real pretty today, huh?"
We watched Mom washing clothes and stuff in the pond. She was quite far away, so she probably couldn't hear us, even with that superhuman level hearing of hers.
"Yeah," Den said.
He wasn't the least bashful he just said it in a matter-of-fact manner. 'Hmm…' "Lately, I'm getting a little lonely, you know," I said. "Maybe it wouldn't be the case if I were to have a little brother or sister like Lia…" Speaking of Lia's younger sibling, Lyra was apparently 7 months in. Just two more months to go!
The guy looked at me, almost squinting, almost infuriated. At least try to hide that a little, geez. "Have you spoken to your mother about that, yet?"
"No, not yet."
"Good. You want friends, right? I'll ask some kids to come play with you."
"Well… it's more like I wanted to see more of the village."
He sighed. "I'll ask someone to take you around; actually, I'll just take you myself!" He put me down, scratched his head and walked away. "And he's three?" I could have sworn I heard him say that as he kept on going. And no, I was three and a half, dude.
Sometimes later Mom came back and looked around for Den. "Where'd he go?"
"Beats me."
We went back in the house and had lunch. Yeah, lotsa meat.
"Mom."
"Yeah?"
"Den's a nice guy."
"Yeah. Has a bad habit of saying weird things at times though. He's not as honest as he should be."
Weirdly that was true for others. But Den often just spoke frankly with me. And for better or less, he didn't try to put on a mask around me. Weird indeed.
"Yeah."
I wanted to give them a push but at the same time, it didn't seem like I needed to. They already liked each other and were moving at their own pace, at least that's the impression I got. I knew for sure Den liked Mom. And Mom respected Den but I wasn't sure if she liked him romantically. And although I was curious, I didn't want to intervene.
I didn't want to intrude. I already had my fun teasing Den anyway.
The rest of the day flew by quickly as did the week. Den taught me things and by the end of the week I was starting to get a hang of things. At least till Den made me run double my initial runs. To say I was exhausted was an understatement. I felt just like the first day, huffing for air.
"I think we're done for today," I paused at every word, taking a loud breath every time.
The sky was blue today too. So pretty. So colorful.
But sadly, we had to get back. And for that, I had to walk back all the way with my huffing lungs. Which proved to be a chore, so I put my hands up and stared at Den.
He sighed once, shrugged twice, and picked me up on his back without a word. The guy actually cared… somewhat. On our way back, he even gave me a weird apple shaped fruit and… uh… sweet!
"Go clean up and come back in five minutes." He dropped me off just outside the fence.
"Wh-why?"
"I'd like to introduce you to someone today. You wanted to look around the village, remember?"
"Oh yeah…" My head spun but I managed to stand up straight.
Yeah, I did want to see the village and stuff, but he wanted me to meet someone? Oh well, beggars couldn't be choosers.
"Don't tell Lin. Tell her, we're just going out for a walk."
"You got it!"
I ran back, wiped my body with a wet towel, grabbed a clean shirt and ran out. But then I went back in. "Mom, I'm going on a walk with Den!" I screamed and then I ran out.
As long as I said something loud enough, no matter how far Mom was, she could hear me. She probably couldn't reply and even if she did, I wouldn't hear her but if she knew, where I was, that was good enough for her to not worry.
Ever since the tiger incident, she was really reluctant to let me go anywhere alone. The incident was pretty much in the past now but, even now, we didn't know how the Two Headed Tiger made it this close to our house. Monsters were scarce in the woods, and they were never supposed to be near our hut.
Granted, me and Lia went out, but, those piglets. It was almost as though those Piglets worked together with the Tiger to lure us out but the Tiger betrayed them and then shit happened. But again, how did the Tiger get there? Mid rank and above fiends were not supposed to be in the forest. Yet…
So yeah, she never let me go out on my own. And I could understand why. But my curiosity couldn't be sated. Hence, I had to get Den's help.
And yeah, today, after a long wait. Finally, I could see the rest of the village.
"So, who're we meeting?" I asked.
Den picked me up. Jumping around the trees was apparently a way faster way to travel. Mom traveled faster on foot though, as far I could tell.
"Oh, you'll like him," he said.