This One Does, However

I awoke the following day, just as excited as I had been the previous day, probably more so, despite having a rough go of it after we returned. Moonlight Guardian had personally escorted me to the Healers. Despite my worry that Horizon Healer would be disdained to see me, he was actually impressed I had gone so long without any noteworthy injury. What concerned him far more was my company.

"Moonlight Guardian, I take it you know how he got this strange injury?" Naturally, Horizon Healer was curious; I didn't think he saw many crossbow injuries.

"Humans," another terse answer from Moonlight Guardian.

However, he seemed able to deduce all he needed from that short reply. "Humans, is it? They keep getting more brazen." I couldn't see it, but I think he was scowling under his mask.

"Yes, please spread the word to keep an eye out for them."

"Goes without saying."

After treating my injury, despite my insistence, Moonlight Guardian saw me back home, where she proceeded to fully inform my parents of that day's events—no details were spared.

Mother started crying. "How could you, Indigo?" I couldn't do anything but stand there in shame.

"Indigo! You made your mother cry!" I don't think I had actually seen my father angry until then. He was usually reliably laid back, "No soup for you!" Perhaps that wasn't the most accurate translation, but it was the best translation.

"W-What!?" I stammered

"You heard me." This was quite the loss, as dinner today was a particular delight.

"But we can't just send him to bed hungry." Despite my transgressions, Mother still came to my defense.

Father snorted and then tossed me a piece of... green fruit. Uncooked green fruit? No thanks, I would rather eat tree bark. I will just go to bed hungry.

"Thanks for looking out for our foolish son." Father bowed his head and then pushed my head down as well.

"There is one more thing, the main reason for my visit." Both my parents looked up. Doubtless, because that first point was already a big deal. Logic would dictate that this was an even bigger deal. "Indigo will become my apprentice starting tomorrow."

"!!!" They looked at each other, then to me, and finally to Moonlight Guardian.

"You are taking him on as an apprentice?" Mother repeated as a question.

"Yes."

Mother looked back at me. "This is what you want to do?" I nodded resolutely. Though I wasn't sure if this was what would content me for the rest of my days, I couldn't equivocate. It certainly was the most appealing option at that time.

Looking back to Moonlight Guardian, "Then the only thing I ask is that you keep an eye out for Indigo. He can be a bit rash sometimes... Well, I guess you have seen that first hand." I didn't think that was fair. I never did anything I thought was dangerous... in the moment.

"And don't cause her any more problems, ya hear, Indigo?" Father was clearly still a bit cross with me.

"Y-Yes Sir!"

Before she left, Moonlight Guardian turned to me and Whispered, "Make sure to eat up, you will need your strength for tomorrow."

"..." I eyed the green fruit still in my hand.

Yeap, despite all that I was still rearing to go. In accordance with Moonlight Guardian's command, I made sure to eat a hearty breakfast with the family—my sister was now a year and a half old and was eating with us, if not solid food, then once solid food. Unfortunately, we had nothing left from last night's dinner, but fortunately, it wasn't green fruit-based either.

With breakfast consumed, I prepared for my first day as an apprentice Guardian. As it would happen this didn't involve much, just making sure I had clothes on and figuring out where I was to meet Moonlight Guardian. Clothes check; meeting location... I had no idea where I was to meet her. Probably should have cleared that up yesterday.

As I panicked about making a bad first impression, "Indigo, Let's go.," Moonlight Guardian’s thoughts coasted in. She had apparently just planned on getting me. That made sense. I rushed out the door.

"Be careful Indigo." A mother will worry, won't she?

"Don't make your mother cry again." Father apparently knew how to hold a grudge.

"Alright Indigo, first things first," Moonlight Guardian started out with a lesson. "A Guardian needs to be strong in both body and spirit."

"What about mind?" I found it jarring that she didn't finish the trinity.

"Mind is important too, as it is to any endeavor, but a weak mind will not preclude you from being a capable Guardian." Well, I supposed that was true, many fictional heroes have been short on brainpower.

"With this in mind, I have prepared an exercise that will bolster those two attributes in you." She had taken us to the bottom platform of the South tree. "Come, Indigo. I need to show you something." As I came to her side, she produced a round metallic object—it looked like a large pocket watch, golden in color with various ornamental inlays. She opened it up, and it did in fact seem to be a clock of some kind, I couldn't make sense of the symbols though. "This is a tool humans use to manage their day, since they apparently cannot use the Sun." Is that what she thinks? Also, did I detect a bit of condescension?

"Okay, so why do we need it then?"

"It also can act as a means to measure out specific amounts of time." Oh, so it can act as a timer. It seemed this is a foreign concept to our people. "I will set it now." She wound it up and clicked a button on top. I noticed one of the hands start to move counterclockwise.

"Do you often need to measure out specific amounts of time?"

"No, I borrowed this from the Elder for this purpose." He would have something like this, wouldn't he? (Misappropriating resources, shake my head)

"So what is this purpose?"

"I will explain now." She gestured to the platform. "This device will chime once the prescribed amount of time has passed. In that time, you will need to complete the following: run at least one lap around this platform, before crossing the bridge and run one lap around the North tree." She glanced at me to make sure that I understood. I nodded. "You will then ascend to the next platform. You will run at least one lap before crossing the bridge to the South tree." Okay, I knew where this was going.

"Then run one lap around the South tree platform, then ascend a level and proceed to the same thing on the upper level," I completed.

"Yes, Once you finish, you are to do the same thing but this time, you will work your way back down. You will be finished once you have run one lap around this platform and reached me." She finished

So what did this amount to? Well, let's figure this out.

Math Time

So I will have to make some rough estimates for this, but we will say that each tree is about 100 meters in diameter. Using the middle school geometry equation circumference = Pi x diameter:

3.14 x 100 meters = 314 meters (approximately circumference)

Now there are six platforms, and we will be going around each one twice, so basically 12 platforms. So the total platform distance will be 3,768 meters. Of course, we need to count the bridges as well, 6 crossings in total. We will say they are also about 100 meters each, so let's add that to our total: 4,368 meters.

We also need to add an allowance for poorly placed stairways—at last in terms of this exercise. So let's add 50 meters per flight of stairs: 4,568 meters (4 sets of stairs).

Speaking of level changes, we need to add the stair length as well. Each platform is about 20 meters apart from each other, and the stairs look to be about 45 degrees in ascent. Applying the Pythagorean theorem:

20^2 + 20^2 = 800; take the square root: 28.28 (we will just say 28)

So let's add four iterations of that to the total: 4,680 meters.

Pencils down

So we are basically looking at a 4.68-kilometer run, and that doesn't include the effort to climb the stairs. I was never much of an athlete back in my home world. Still, I didn't think this would be too bad, basically the equivalent of a 5k.

Just as I thought this, the watch chimed. "That would be your time," Moonlight Guardian stated.

It took a moment to realize what that meant, but when it did, I felt my eyes dilate and my mouth drop open. I didn't know what units they used for time in this world, but where I come from that couldn't have been more than 15 minutes! There is no way she could expect me to finish in a 5k in 15 minutes!

"I expect you to finish in that time."

She couldn't be serious!? That was just over a three-minute kilometer. Maybe the greatest athletes in the world could pull that off, but certainly not me!

"Get ready." She rewound the watch. "And start."

"Huh." I was still incredulous at her absurd standards.

"The device has started, Indigo." Crap! I started running. If I spent time demanding more realistic expectations, I would only find myself with less time, and I was confident she wouldn't change her mind.

Thinking about it, there was no way she could actually expect me to succeed. She only came off that way, because of her demeanor. Compared to humans, I would say our speed is about equivalent, though I think we might have the upper hand with regard to agility—not that it would matter. As far as six-year-old humans are concerned, I would bet a limb that none has ever cleared a five-minute kilometer, let alone a three-minute one. In conclusion, it was clearly impossible to run this course in 15 minutes, and it would be beyond unrealistic to expect it. Therefore, what Moonlight Guardian was clearly after was a show of spirit—she did mention that, didn't she? And if I could build my body as well, that seemed ideal.

So all I needed to do was give it 110% and finish regardless of the futility, and that should be enough. If she was going with the full drill sergeant protocol, I could expect to be chewed out for failing, but that would be just to strengthen my mental fortitude.

With that in mind, I pushed myself hard, but not so hard that I would collapse—I did need to make it to the finish line. I started feeling the fatigue and muscle ache pretty early, I had not done anything specifically to condition my body, other than the natural hard work I had been putting into the village—it seemed that didn’t translate into athletic performance.

After finishing the first platform, I felt pretty good. The same with the second, but once I hit the first set of stairs, I started to feel it. Still, at this point it was manageable. It was unusual to see people running around the platform full throttle, so I caught more than a few passing stares. The one good thing about being in mild agony is that you really don't care what other people are thinking—not that I caught any thoughts other than mild curiosity.

By the time I had completed the first half, I felt like this would be a good stopping point, I was racked in pain and I felt like I had really driven myself. However, the return trip remained. I told myself this is where the true test of spirit comes in and pushed ahead. I'm not sure what force kept me going. But when I approached the final sprint of the last platform and I caught sight of Moonlight Guardian, I was so elated to know I was almost done that I was able to dig deep and sprint to the finish line, where I abruptly collapsed.

"Indigo."

"Yes, Moonlight Guardian," I responded prostrate on the ground.

"You didn't finish anywhere near the allotted time." Here it comes, the foretold tongue-lashing. However, I was far too tired to care, or even think straight. A miscalculation on her part.

"Sorry, Lilac Governess. I'll do it better next time."

"...Lilac Governess?" Oh wait, wasn't this Moonlight Guardian? I really was out of it.

However, I perked up, once Moonlight Guardian stated, "Well this is unacceptable. You will have to run it again, this time, within the time limit."

"!!!" What! She couldn't be serious! I get the "testing one's resolve" and whatnot, but this was ridiculous! I was practically dead here, and any additional strain on my body would certainly be detrimental.

"And… Go." She started the clock again. I stared in disbelief. "Get going Indigo." I continued to fixate on her. She tilted her head. "You didn't think this would be easy, did you?"

"Aaarr," I gritted my teeth and trotted off. I was angry. These were completely unrealistic expectations, if not for my anger, I probably wouldn't have been able to find the strength to keep moving. Well, I wasn't going to try this time. Although just the fact that I was still going meant I was expending no small amount of effort, I wouldn't be pushing myself any more than that.

Needless to say, it took considerably longer to finish. I walked a good amount of it, but I made sure I wasn't completely thumbing my nose at Moonlight Guardian as I made the final lap, completing the course at a modest jog. Despite my mediocre attempt, I still couldn't feel my legs, I had blisters on my feet, and my lungs burned as if I had inhaled acid.

"Indigo!" Moonlight Guardian came and stood over me. "That was abysmal and far worse than last time. I told you to finish in the time allotted."

"But that's an impossible demand!" I almost threw down the gauntlet and said that she couldn't do it. But after yesterday's display she would probably finish with time to spare, and then I would be up shit creek without a paddle.

"No excuses." She sighed. "It seems you will need some incentive." What did she mean by that, with the way the day was going, it couldn't be anything good. "If you don't finish on time, we will be adding weights."

"WHAT!? You can't be serious!?"

"It won't be an issue if you finish within the time." I was wrong, she wasn't a horror movie monster, she was far WORSE! At least a monster would have the good graces to kill you outright, and not outsource their work to the victim.

Once again, she wound the watch and said, "Start." I didn't hesitate this time. There was no way I was going to make it, but I made a sincere effort with what remaining sincerity I had left. My only desperate hope was that she was bluffing, and just wanted me to try harder. That was the only thing I had to cling to.

I managed to finish, far short of my first attempt, but better than my second. I must have prayed to the God of Clear Sky for mercy; Perhaps, he would have granted my request, Moonlight Guardian, however, did not. True to her word, she made me wear these stone weights on my wrists and ankles. I don't know what material these stones were made of, but they felt heavier than appearances suggested.

I made my fourth attempt, and... didn't make it, if there was any doubt. So I was to run it a fifth, sixth, seventh... I lost count eventually. For fear of more weight, I at least try to make an effort. By the end, my best effort was barely a crawl—I don't know what force propelled me forward. For every failure, Moonlight Guardian continued to chide me but otherwise did not add any further punishment.