“How strong are you kid.”
“I do not know.”
“When you are here you are supposed to called me Mastersmith Derrick. Do you understand me.”
“Yes.”
“What did I just say?
“Sorry Mastersmith Derrick.”
“Do not make me repeat myself from now on. How strong are you kid.”
“I do not know Mastersmith Derrick.”
“Not knowing is fine but I will be tampering you. Mind, body and soul so that within a month, you will be able to swing the hammer for 1 hour without losing your breath. Now strip.”
“What?”
Giving the death stare to Marcus,“Strip before I help you to strip.”
With chills running down his spine, Marcus quickly stripped down to his birthday suit.
Taking out what seems like an intricate lock system, Derrick began attaching the various parts to Marcus.
“From now on you are to wear these the whole day. Other than when you shower you are to keep these on unless I tell you to take them off. “
“Yes MasterSmith Derrick”
After attaching all the different parts together on Marcus, Derrick rattled Marcus to make sure that nothing is falling out of place.
After making sure that everything is in place, he turned Marcus around and planted a gem into a socket in this contraption, activating it.
The contraption vanished from sight leaving only what seems like a simple necklace dangling on Marcus neck.
“Good it seems like this old thing still works”
Old thing?
“Now this will be good training for you. do not let others know you are wearing this and do not let anyone else touch it. do you understand me?”
“Yes Mastersmith Derrick.”
“Good. Now take 5 copper and run down the street to buy me some apples. you have 10 minutes. Go. Run. Time is ticking. ”
Marcus dashed out of the workshop immediately and turn left. After about 10 seconds or so, he came back with a red face and meekly asked “Where is the shop that sells apples MasterSmith Derrick.”
After looking at Marcus from the corner of his eye, he points to the right side. “That way.”
Marcus immediately dashed out and headed to the right side.
“Kids these days, not even a word of thank you.”
Derrick then went back to resting at the counter waiting for the next potential customer who knows their stuff.
Barely 5 minutes later, Marcus rushed back with 5 apples in hand with not even a sweat on his brows.
“You came back too fast. I am quite sure you did not run there and back. for the apples. and 5 copper will not get you 5 apples, it only gets you 2. Spill it. who and where did you steal it from.”
With tears in his eye for being wrongly scolded he explained where he got his apple.“I turned to the right and ran as fast as I could toward the Fruits stall, on my way there I saw that there was this granny down the alley way that fell down and tumbled her cart of fruits. there was no one else in the streets or alley way other than us. I helped her up and picked up the fruits for her. As a thank you she gave these apples to me Mastersmith derrick.”
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“That is an interesting tale, but that defeated the purpose of sending you out. Run to the end of the district and back.”
With eye as wide as dinner plates, Marcus froze in position.“District? that is much further down that the fruit stall.”
“Go now before I change my mind and make you run round the district.”
Scampering, Marcus dashed out of the shop and ran towards the end of the District.
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-Flashback to Derrick’s younger days-
“Today you are running with these on. I will set them at 2 time the gravity. Any complains and I will make you run with it set at 2.5 times.”
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It had been twenty years since that day where he was handed this ‘torture tool’ it was a good memory to not need to wear them anymore.
Ahh come to think of it I forgot to set it to any higher for the kid. Nevermind. I will hand increase it slightly when he return. Maybe about 1.2 times the gravity? It will make feel tired but not that tired. It would be funny to see him unable to hold his utensils later. I was there once too.
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*pant* *pant* why is it my feet so heavy. I do not remember being so tired from running before. It must be the necklace, I only ran for two minutes and I am already this tired. I must persist. I need to fulfil my father’s will.
After six minutes.
I am just past the fruit stall. I still have 2 more streets until I reach the end of the district.
By now, Marcus was already at walking pace. He was close to his limit but his will kept him going.
After 10 minutes.
I am reaching the end of the district. I just need to reach the end and then turn back. I am already near the halfway mark. I must persist.
After 20 minutes.
I am back at the fruit stall now. I will be reaching soon. For Papa…. I must… continue
By now, Marcus’s lips were livid white. It is by sheer force of will that he is still moving.
---
Somewhere in a distance shop a lazy man woke up from his little nap. He looked at the clock and was wondering to himself; it has been almost an hour already. Where is that kid, did he go and play instead of returning as soon as possible because it was too easy for him?
I will give him another 10 minutes. If he is not back after 10 minutes, i will go and find him
After another 10 minutes.
Ah… this is where I helped the granny, i am very close now.
---
That does it. I am going to look for him. He is going to get it from me when he returns.
Closing the shop, Derrick began heading towards the end of the district. He was fuming his head thinking of all the things his was going to, the punishments that he was going to enforce. Barely a minute later, he was at loss for words, his mind all blank as he saw that lone tiny figure slowly dragging his feet, inching forward with eyes glazed over towards his direction.
He stood there motionless as the Marcus moved and finally bumped into him.
Looking up to see the towering figure before him, “ Ah Mastersmi….” and he blanked out.