Chapter 8: Par for the Course.

Alice: "Phoenix Rise Course. The first two weeks will be easy for you. All you have to do is complete the course while being attacked. Don't worry you still can't die since you are still in my sandbox."

I create a uni-brow on my face from that remark. "Wait, I am going to be attacked while going through this hell course; and this is the easy part?!"

Alice: "Yes. Oh, forgot to mention while going through this course I want you to be full physical. Meaning no magic. I want you to work on your kinetic awareness while going through this course. This course will help your trap sense as well as environmental awareness. The golem that will be fighting you while you complete this course is more.... human like. It has eyes and ears unlike the foam ones in the training hall. Also should mention it is indestructible so you can't kill it."

Alice: "Don't worry though his attacks are very weak. They only do about 1 point of damage. I made it so he has eyes and ears. In order for you to work on your stealth skills. Most of these will have to be self taught. So do your best! Hihihi, later when you finally learn some stealth skills and the course. I will introduce more of them and take away away the eyes and ears. Leaving them to sense your presence. At this point I am hoping you will learn to hide even your soul."

Dremal: "Why do I feel like I am the only one suffering hard ships?"

Alice: "Hmm. How would I know how you feel? I will however ease your thoughts a bit by saying. Even I have gone through this training a few times already."

Dremal: "What? When? You were training with me in the hall all this time."

Alice: "What am I supposed to sit on my ass doing nothing while you sleep?"

Dremal: "Uhh... maybe? Then I could possible catch up even a little bit."

It would however be terrible if she did sleep. Since she doesn't that means when we finally get out of here. I wouldn't have to worry about night attacks. Oh, speaking of night attacks I forgot to mention how she trained me in being a light sleeper too. You should be able to catch my meaning. Well, if not here is the obvious. To train me in being a light sleeper she would attack me in a multitude of ways. Setting loose an attack golem on me. Trying to stab me with a weapon. You know shit like that. Thanks to that though I have developed a sense danger kind of skill. If any kind of change occurs in a 10 ft. radius of me I will now wake up. That bitch!

Alice: "Well to bad! I have my reasons for getting stronger as well. Plus this is getting interesting for me. I have never had to workout like this before. When I kill those golems with my physical abilities. I feel invigorated! Hmm.. I should have made a body like this years ago."

Dremal: "Well anyway. Is there any basic stealth techniques I can learn from you before beginning?"

Alice: "I told you self taught is the way to go. Danger is the best trainer. O lets limit your equipment leave the backpack and take this pouch." She hands him a small leather bag. What looks to be the size of a coin pouch. Inside is the Killjoy Herb. "I want you to do this without relying on the herbs. The hint I will give is to minimize your movements and to find your core center."

I take the herb pouch and tie it to my belt. I stand on the gold line that really says 'Start' on it. There is a blue train that goes off into the distance guess I follow that. The first obstacle I can see is what appears to be a balancing beam that below it is a small pit trap filled with iron spikes.

The golem gets summoned behind me. It actually looks like a human. It has the basic facial features, but has no hair. It has hands and fingers too along with toes. However from head to toe is covered in some kinda scales. Looks actually kind of reptilian in nature.

I take a deep breath hopefully I can out run him. Without any warning I start. Running along the blue line dashing as fast as I could. I arrive at the beam in record time. The golem is definitely slower than me. I have a good lead on him. I take to the beams trying to cross as quickly as I can. Slip! SHHING! I fell straight on my back in to the pit. Strange I only felt a small prick. Clump! Clump! Here comes the golem he was crossing the beam like it was nothing. When he got to where I was he jumped down.

Straight on top of me. I hear the cracking of bones it sounds as if someone is cracking there knuckles. Weird was that my bones creaking or his? Must be his because I didn't feel a damn thing. The golem begins punching down on my chest. HAHA! Alice was right his punches are pathetic I don't feel them at all!

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I try to stand up so I can ignore this bastard now. Weird only my head responded. OH FUCK! I'm paralyzed from the neck down! God dammit! A spike must have pierced my spinal cord. I learned some healing magic so I think I can heal myself. The problem is it would do no good. Seeing as how the spikes would continue to be in my back. Only thing I can do now is call my mommy.... err Alice.

Dremal: "Alice! Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" (Author: This isn't Trademarked is it? *cough * That certain advertisement for old folks) Where is my button when I need it.

A few seconds later Alice walk over peering down from the edge of the pit. She is just busting up laughing.

Alice: "Haha! Are you paralyzed? If so where does it stop?"

Dremal: "The only thing I can move is my neck. Please help me."

Alice: "You hear that golem attacking there isn't helping aim for the head." The golem hears her commands and starts punching my face. It does hurt. It feels like really hard poking in a large area of my face. Not only annoying as all hell, but over time it would definitely do some decent tenderizing to my face.

Dremal: "DAMMIT ALICE! This isn't helping!"

Alice: "This is punishment on failing the first obstacle on the easy setting. You deserve this!" She then proceeded to laugh at my troubles for a whole 20 minutes. *sigh* You know I am starting to think death is the easy way out of all my troubles. Why am I denied Deaths Sweat Embrace?! *Sniff *sniff.

Dremal: "Alice you heartless BITCH! That's enough we both wanna get out of here, correct? Well the sooner the better so help me out so we can move on!"

Alice: "Tsk. Fine. Golem! Reset! Stall!" The golem disappears. Alice gracefully lands in the pit after jumping down without landing on any of the spikes. She then lifts me up pretty easily and throws me out of the pit. Then catches up to where I land by jumping after me. I landed head first which twisted my neck to the right. I am now able to look at my back over my right shoulder.

Luckily I was already paralyzed or else this would hurt a whole lot. I did feel the pain of my face hitting the dirt ground though. Then she walked over to me grabbing my head with extreme force. I thought she was trying to pop my head. Then she twisted my head back in place. Man I feel like a skeleton or a zombie right now. Putting themselves back together.

She then proceeded to cast a heal over me. Finally I can move and feel again. Getting a better look at her face its a bit red. There is also a bit of drool I think near her lips. I think she noticed me staring at her lips. Because she immediately backed away and wiped them.

Alice: "Alright get back to the starting point and try again. This time finish the course without screwing up!"

I walk back to the starting line and the signal to start is when she said begin. I dashed to the beam again. This time I will ignore the golem. I get on the beam and balance myself and tread very carefully. After 100 ft. of balancing beam and a quickly catching up golem. I made it across just barely. Damn! That golem has a great sense of balance. He wasn't even looking at his feet and he was trudging along at his slow jog speed. I sprint the next few hundred feet to meet the next obstacle...

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Author: Sorry. Kind of short chapter this time... I am not really sure on what to do for the obstacle course. I want to make something that has tons of traps, that allows him to work on his skills of stealth, but also challenges the body. Something that contains a multitude of environments as well. Any who since I was drawing a black I was kind of just delaying the inevitable by making him fail. =p If you have any ideas I would love to hear them to incorporate them into the story. Thank you very much for reading so far also thank you first and foremost to those who are willing to help as well. /bow m(_ &_ )m

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