It's like 4 A.M. in the morning or is it five? Who even knows anymore. I put on some clothes and pulled down the zip of my tent. I stepped out to see Rhea already stretching.
We agreed to watch the sunrise together too. The plan was made last night when we were both in our tents but still talking to each other. Come to think of it, it was a really calming and peaceful night.
The event of last night tugged a smile on my face as the plan we made is being carried out at this moment. "Catch!" I heard Rhea yelled as a piece of bread fly towards my face. I caught it almost before it fell to the ground.
"Another one!" She yelled as I reached my hands out to grab it as it didn't fly as far as it did the first one. I grabbed a bite from the bread and glared at Rhea, "and what if I didn't catch them?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "not my problem," she sang. I stared at her in disbelief as she hopped along the side. I shoved the two pieces of plain bread into my mouth and stagger alongside her.
"Hoo ong wiw ee hake us," I tried saying through the bread. I find it getting harder to bite into the bread. I knew I should've eaten it slowly!
"Finish your food first then talk," she turned to face me and said strictly. I tried chewing it and somehow I managed to chew enough to swallow a bit of it. A stinging pain pierces through my jaw. That hurts so bad.
I continue chewing it little by little and finally got everything down. I reached up to my water bottle and took a sip. I cleared my throat and faced Rhea again, "I said, how long will it take us?"
She stared at me for a while and got back on track, "longer if we keep stalling."
She started to jog up and I followed closely right behind her. I was observing the surrounding area. They're all forest. It's all so beautiful. I look at the areas around the trees. A small pathway starting from nowhere that also leads to nowhere. I scrunched up at the oddness. I should ask Rhea if we could check it out on the way back.
I focused back on track and a sparkle appeared and surrounded Rhea. "Rhea! There's sparkle on you!" I told her as quickly as I could without thinking twice. She turned around and the sparkle went missing.
"It's gone," I looked at her. She nodded knowingly, "that must be the work of the forest trolls."
Forest trolls? What's that? Are they little trolls or spirits or sprite? Big? Small? I looked back at her confused, "what?"
"You see this forest is nature no spirits can accommodate here. But there are a few spirits that came with the forest to guard it. I probably didn't say that earlier. They are the ones who will confuse humans to make them lost but has no effect on us spirits as we aren't allowed to use magic anyway. So if I wasn't here with you, those sparkles? Would've gotten you lost in this huge forest," she explained gesturing to a big forest.
I chuckled at her gestures, "alright, I'll stay close to you, let's go."
She started to jog again and I followed closely. If I got lost here, I would cry. Well not really, I said that just for the context. We jogged up the hill and the view was getting clearer as there aren't as many trees at the peak as there are at the foot. The season here right now just makes the trees look so beautiful. I know I've said that way too many times but the bright green slowly turns into a darker shade. I wonder what trees are they.
It took us a while but definitely not forever to reach the top. I took a look at my watch which reads 6:56 A.M. I would say sunrise looks much more gorgeous than the sunset. That's just my opinion though. A smile tugged at my lips as I turned to Rhea.
"Do you like the sunset better or the sunrise? Because I particularly would prefer sunrise," I said. She took a seat on the grass and took her bag out. "I like sunsets better, they're more romantic and daring than sunrises but I think both as equally as beautiful," she commented as she took out her bottle and took a sip.
I took out my bottle and took a gulp of water before laying down. I shut my eyes and feel the grass around me.
SLAP.
A stinging pain reached my cheeks and I jolted up. I looked at Rhea with a really hurt glare, "what was that for?" I said, pretending to be offended. She had her hands on her hips, "training, young man."
I groaned in response which corresponded with an eye roll, earning a kick on my bottom. I got up and rubbed my bottom in pain, "Rhea, that hurts!"
She just shrugged and turned away. I walked behind her, following her, thinking she's leading me elsewhere. That definitely was not the case when she turned around and swing her arms in a split second. It didn't give me time to react as her fist hits my cheek and I stagger backward.
"Are you kidding me? That was one of my lousiest attacks and you couldn't at least protect yourself?" Rhea asked in disbelief. I stared at her with the 'what do you mean' look. "Rhea, I am a bartender and plays snooker for a living what do you mean 'are you kidding me'?" I snapped, slightly offended, and ended it with a mock.
She rolled her eyes, "This is gonna take forever," she sighed. "Well, jokes on you, this will only last me a lifetime," I said, reminding her that I'm a human not a spirit like her. "Yeah, yeah whatever."
"Well first off, I'll just teach you some defense because you're so weak and your stamina is nowhere near mine," she concluded. Um... Rude much? She got in a stance and pulled her hands up, covering her face, "This way, you block the other person from punching you. This is the most basic. Well, it only works if the person is aiming at your head."
"Or you could just dodge. We'll need to train your stamina and also your observation. You need to be very alert with anyone. Anyone at all," she said. She pulled her fist back and swing her arms. I shut my eyes and pulled my hand up for an impact but it never came.
"When the swings are from any direction that's above your chest, you squat down to dodge or you step back, depending on which makes you more comfortable," she explained. "Let's give it some shots."
I took a deep breath and nodded. She started throwing punches from left, right, and front. Which I mostly responded with squatting down. It was too much for too quick of the time and my legs got so tired and my muscles were pulling in my thighs that I couldn't dodge a punch and it landed on my unbruised cheek. I staggered to the side and fell because my legs couldn't support me anymore.