Chương 8: The Pagsasanay. (Part 3)

Another morning starts and so does another day of training. Ezekiel and Bagani woke up early with their bodies aching due to the weights they wore while climbing a mountain yesterday.

"I didn't know it was gonna be this bad." Ezekiel mumbled as he chomped down the breakfast served to him by James.

"Yeah, I can barely move my body too." Bagani whispered.

"That colossal bastard doesn't hold back does he?" Ezekiel grinned in the feeling of both thrill and anticipation. "I failed yesterday on that impracticable hike."

"Hey, Ezekiel." Bagani calmly called his friend. He drank water from his metal cup, after he finished it he slammed the cup on the table. He looked ahead with eyes shining pure determination. " Let's show him what we're made of.

Ezekiel's grin became wider, he hurried to finish his meal and so did Bagani. After they ate they went outside. Massaging one's arm, stretching their legs, and overall bracing themselves for the next trial. The loud steps of Bulawan were heard from behind, the two turned around and with a fierce stare stood upon their giant mentor.

"Bring it!..." Bagani and Ezekiel roughly challenged Bulawan.

Bulawan chuckled. He gave the boys three black balls each. "These are smoke bombs. They're pretty easy to make, just add some sugar and wood ash to a guard symbol then bend it. You two will have three each to try and escape my grasps."

"What do you mean?" Ezekiel asked. "Escape? Why?"

"You're going to attempt to reach the temple without getting caught. I'm placing you both farther away in the middle of the wilderness. Those smoke bombs are your only tools." Bulawan implied.

"Do we have to wear weighted vests again?" Bagani queried.

Bulawan looked at him with an impassive face and replied. "I'm not that cruel you know."

Ezekiel gritted his teeth. "You made us climb a mountain with that you fool!" He screamed internally.

"Chill." Bagani comforted Ezekiel as he saw his face in discomfort.

They traveled 60 miles in the middle of the forest. Caterpillars feeding on leaves, the smell of soil, the bright sun gazing upon the group, and the sound of the wild. This was familiar territory for Bagani. On the other hand, there was Ezekiel who is still enraged by Bulawan, he only thought how to avoid getting caught.

"I'll give you both a headstart." Bulawan stated.

Bagani along with Ezekiel ran in the opposite direction. "We went east. I thought you were smarter Bulawan. Why would send us in a straight direction?" Ezekiel thought to himself.

"Watch out!" Bagani shouted.

Ezekiel looked up. A 70 feet tall tree shadowed him from the sun for a second, it crashed down on the other trees in front of the duo, hindering their view as dust from the crash covers the air.

"Is he trying to kill us?!" Bagani screamed.

Both of them ran once again circling from the fallen trees. Sweat and dirt dripped off their bodies, an overwhelming amount of pressure pushing them down at every step, the fear and distrust of one another flow, and the urge to give up and get caught. They stayed silent to one another as they try to escape Bulawan. The silence was then interrupted as Bagani notice something.

"Huh? You hear that?" Bagani asked and went to a complete halt.

Ezekiel stopped on his tracks as well and listened. Their eyes swirled and looked around for signs of Bulawan. The intensified feeling of fear once again lingered on the two.

"Look out!" Bagani screamed.

The giant hand of Bulawan sprouted out of a tree that was covered in tall grass. Ezekiel and Bagani managed to dodge his attack at the same time. Bulawan then scooped the dirt on the ground and threw it at the duo. Bagani got hit by the projectile and went to thump his eyes. He was immobilized as the stinging sensation of rubbish blocked his field of vision.

"Ezekiel run!" He bellowed.

"But-" Ezekiel tried to reason with him but to no avail.

"Just run! I'm going to buy time!" Bagani screamed.

He did as his friend ordered and escaped. With guilt in his heart, he questioned his decision. "Damn it, Ezekiel, why did you follow?!" Ezekiel came to a stop and devised a plan. Meanwhile, Bagani is having the showdown of a lifetime. "You got no guard symbol here. I'm gonna win..." He muttered, wiping off the dirt from his eyes. "Just you and me old man!"

He then once again swiftly rubbed off excess dirt from his blood-red eyes that were completely sore. Bulawan took the opportunity to try and grab Bagani, but he dodged it and sprinted away. Due to his massive size, Bulawan was much faster than Bagani. He tried to flick the boy, flinging him to a tree that would paralyze him for a short while. Bagani then once again dodged, he threw a smoke bomb at his feet which completely blocked Bulawan's vision.

"Too early kid." Bulawan thought to himself.

A patch of smoke holes up and rises forward as Bagani tried to escape. His mentor noticed it in an instant and responded with another attempt to snatch his student. Bagani got caught in a corner and decided to waste his second smoke bomb. He threw it at Bulawan's face, rendering only the Behemoth's vision, it also made his eyes sore which put him at an almost equal playing field as Bagani.

"Tenacious one, you are outstanding," Bulawan stated in front of Bagani. "But not smart enough." He smashed the ground and made it shake, in return this made Bagani lose his balance and fall, in misfortune his last smoke bomb fell as well, wasted.

Bagani stood up once again and tried to escape, but as all situations considered his luck ran out and got handled by Bulawan. "Guess you're out of the trial." Bulawan stated. A smoke bomb then came and crashed to his face once again, forcing him to let go of Bagani and blow of the smoke. "Guess the other boy is brave as well."

Ezekiel came to the rescue and dragged Bagani with him. "I told you to run!" Bagani scolded his comrade.

"Shut up I got a plan, just follow." Ezekiel stated, but to his looks, he is still unsure if it will succeed.

Bulawan looked for the two for an hour, the moment he finally found the rascals he smiled for they were in under no condition of escaping. Ezekiel walked at a slow pace for Bagani was Exhausted due to the battle he had with Bulawan. He jumped right in front of the two.

"You both failed," Bulawan said in a monotone voice. "I thought you are smarter than this Ezekiel."

Ezekiel then slammed his second smoke bomb to the ground, covering both him and Bagani from Bulawan's sight. Bulawan waited for Ezekiel's escape from the smoke, but to his surprise, there were no signs of exits of an individual.

"You're gonna stay inside there. Smart, but I can just let the smoke subside. Once you exit it's done." Bulawan thought to himself.

He waited as the smoke slowly but surely disappeared, to his surprise there was nobody. "What?..." Bulawan muttered. He then went on to the temple's direction in hopes of finding the two. Hours passed and the sun started to set. Bulawan gave up on searching and went home. A small snicker suddenly voiced out from behind.

"Wait a minute..." Bulawan muttered.

(A few hours ago)

"Hey, Ezekiel, whatever you are planning it's not going to work. That guy is too strong and fast for us. Especially cause I can barely run." Bagani argued.

"No this is going to work," Ezekiel stated. "Remember when we first got here?"

"Yeah, why? Bagani asked.

"You stabbed him at the back- erm more of the leg side of his behind, but he barely flinched. He has probably a limited amount of sense of touch when it comes to his legs." Ezekiel reported. " Let's stick to his behind.

(Present)

Bulawan kicked to the air which sent both individuals flying to the woods. Bulawan grinned for he was moved of the tactic. "Still not enough.".

A puff of smoke coming from a smoke bomb appeared near where Ezekiel and Bgani landed. Bulawan rushed to the spot and blew the smoke to quickly find the two. To his shock once again the two had escaped. He looked all over his body but the rascals weren't anywhere to be seen. At a far distance, he saw the two sprinting to the temple gate.

(A few hours ago once again)

"And what if that plan doesn't work?" Bagani asked.

"Then we'll just distract him with our escapes," Ezekiel stated. "He's thinking that we're going to be where the smoke is, but he forgot we can throw it farther away."

(Present)

Bulawan hops to catch up to Ezekiel and Bagani. Though he wasn't taking it seriously, the thought of the two outsmarting him made him give his very best. The duo tripped as the fall of Bulawan shook the ground. They crawled relentlessly, as Bulawan ran to them with all his legs could run. With their plan at the gate of the temple, Ezekiel and Bagani were victorious for the day. Though tired, the two stood up to brag at their mentor.

"We beat you old ma-"