Wind Beneath My Wings?
2114 Words
Friday, 23rd September 1442
I had crept back to bed right after my meditation had ended in the study room as I went under the covers while watching Heather sprawled on the bed in her usual manner.
After a good night's rest, I awakened up feeling fresh and was filled with boundless energy as I decided on what to do next once I have started on a journey in a new chapter of my life.
Would I be the same old boring person who wakes up, has breakfast and play with the twins as I go about my usual things throughout the day?
Well, that's perfectly what I would do for today. Hahaha.
I slowly stirred from the bed and walked over to wash-up and change to my 'combat gear" that was reserved a set by me when I had duplicated the reinforced steel mesh leather armour back in the fusion chamber.
I picked a light tunic and after I had donned it, it felt much better when I wore the reinforced steel mesh toughened armour so that it would not be chaffing my skin raw when I move about in them.
I had a pair of spare soldier's uniform and after wearing those, I could feel the extra weight of at least 7 to 12 pounds on my person. I crept slowly over to the bedside and tickled Heather's feet gently to wake her up and informed her that I would be running the obstacles on today early and be back after my two rounds around the Obstacle course.
She replied sleepily and pouted her lips for a morning kiss while I simply pecked her forehead and cheeks instead. "What time is it dear? Is the sun up already?"
Her voice cracked and sounded hoarse in the morning as she greeted me sleepily. It seemed she had a rough night herself.
"The sun is breaking across the horizon soon as we speak. I would be fine before the twins wake up, dear. It would be best if I hurry down now." I replied while Heather looked at my pieces of clothing and remarked how I looked like a soldier myself.
I laughed at her silliness and lifted my long sleeve tunic and showed her the toughened leather armour that the Shadow units were presently wearing underneath their cloaks too.
"You are wearing so much weight on yourself and also be carrying the 25 pounds of sack behind your back as well?" she quipped and I replied affirmatively.
"Alright, I would be off now and be back just before breakfast. Catch up with you later, my dear, I've got so much to tell you what I did and saw last night during my meditation."
I chirped and then flitted downstairs and much to the surprise of the domain helpers and the rest of the community that were up and about early in the morning.
I jogged lightly and came to the Macleod Coliseum as I picked up the sack of sand and strapped it behind my back at the starting line. I was greeted by a guard man who was manning the place so that no one abuses the obstacles in their frustration or to prevent other children from thinking it was done kind of playground for them.
"Good morrow, Your Majesty. You're looking fine today with our new set of uniform. Thank you so much for thinking about us and designing this improved version of the garment. My wife tried to sew the sides a bit but her needle broke several times and can't even pierce the cloth."
I laughed at the guard and greeted him back. "What you are wearing is the same as mine, good man. It's improved armour that took the shape of these gugel, long sleeve tunic and pants. Yeah, I'm wearing the same as yours and I would be clearing the obstacles with it."
The guardsman was delighted to know that I was wearing the same garb as him and never knew that I would also be representing myself as one of the soldiers as well.
"Well, I've got to test the soldier's uniform under such conditions, am I right? At least I would find out how comfortable it would be and also how drenched it would absorb my sweat. Definitely, I would not be running with these during winter but would add another layer of cloak underneath it."
The guardsman gave me a thumbs-up as I went over to the starting line and I was there all alone since its a bit too early for any soldiers or Shadow unit members to be running around the place unlike the crazy old me.
The guardsman blew his whistle and I ran around the 650 yards with 3 layers of clothing on my upper body and the heavy sack of sand behind my back. I felt light as if I had grown wings under my feet as I ran the first 650 yards with ease.
I soon neared the wall and with a single bound, I leapt sideways after giving the vertical surface a slight kick and flipped my body on top of the wall and over it, landing squarely on my feet and started to run again without stopping.
"Wow...! This feels great. I don't even feel so weighed down like yesterday and I think I would be flipping around these obstacles with ease." I thought aloud as I sprinted between each obstacle as I tackled them one at a time, ignoring the extra weight behind my back.
I don't know why I was almost sprinting between those obstacles but I knew for sure that I would be shaving off seconds from my past timing.
When I approached the last Obstacle, which was the ramp, I leapt far once I had stepped off the edge of it and I seemed to be flying across the bramble Bush and landed some feet away from the edge. I lost a bit of balance but I soon picked myself up and sprinted down the last 450 yards before I finally reached the starting point.
"Hooah...!" I shouted as I crossed the finishing line and looked at the toner that was blinking at the top left-hand corner of my information system label.
What a sweet surprise...! I managed to clock 7 minutes and 45 seconds this time... Hahahha. I did it...! I managed to shave off 20 seconds from last night's run...!
I didn't stop but walked about to catch my breath and somehow I decided to practise the breathing methods right there and then.
I stopped panting and hyperventilating as I drew a long breath through my pursed lips and counted to 6 seconds and hold it in for another 6 seconds. I then exhale through my nose for 6 seconds and hold it there for another 6 seconds before I repeat.
The next thing I felt was calmness and everything around me turned silent as if time had stood still. I continued for a few more minutes and I got lightheaded just by it and decided to breathe normally.
I somehow could feel the thumping of my heartbeat right inside my head as I did the breathing exercises while not being in a meditative state. But I find out that I didn't pant anymore and the sweet had stopped dropping from my forehead and back.
I raised my hands once more and the guardsman blew his whistle as I raced down the 650 yards once more.
Last night, I was literally trying to catch my breath but this time I was breathing normally. In fact, I was sucking in deep amounts of air from my pursed lips and exhaling it through my nose...!
It was as if it is a natural thing to do and I was holding a straight face as I ran past the first round before I neared the wall.
Somehow before I even leap forward, my mind had calculated the trajectory and speed of my run and jump and therefore I knew I was able to clear the wall this time by just hoisting myself with one palm and over the wall with ease...!
That's what exactly happened...! There were some soldiers and Shadow unit members who had assembled near the wall to do some stretching and saw me leaping, and housing myself with a single palm press while performing the task sideways like just now.
I heard some oohs and ahhs as I had done so and when I had completed the manoeuvre, I landed and sprinted across the ground to the next one without a pause.
"Wow...! Our Majesty is really doing it, man...! He had cleared the first round and he now went running another round right after a few minutes rest without even sitting down...! Look at the way he flipped himself over the low wall... How I wished I could do that like His Majesty...!"
One of the guardsmen was talking casually to a Shadow unit member and was astounded when I sprinted and then flipped over the wall like I was jumping over a stool or something.
It was effortlessly done and the guys were either dumbstruck or loss for words at the moment as I left a trail of dust behind when I tackled the obstacles one at a time.
"Yeah, our Majesty had worn a pair of leather armour above his light gambeson and had worn our three-piece soldiers uniform over it and carried the 25 pounds of sack behind him."
"He literally is carrying something heavier than all of us and he seemed rather energetic today after he had run about 8 rounds in total for last night."
The guardsman highlighted to the group of men warming up near the first obstacles.
"His Majesty seemed intent to beat us and I think he might have bested some of our soldiers as well. I can say much about the Shadow unit members since they are the fittest outfit in our military force."
"Looks like these Obstacle courses mean nothing for him and see how he sprained after clearing each of the obstacles?"
"He seemed to be defeating his own enemies inside his head at this moment. I wonder what drives him to run this early morning and the number of rounds he had run last night."
The guardsman was observing me run the lad few obstacles and when he saw me leaping off from the edge of the Ramon after sprinting across it, he can't help but covered his hand over his mouth in surprise.
"Our Majesty could do that with a full load on his back as well on the ramp? How far did he land after he leapt off the edge? It wouldn't be at least 10 feet can I right?" the guardsman was gasping with surprise as he saw me leapt far after u took off from the edge as if I had wings under my arms. Hahaha.
The moment I landed, u was already sprinting away without a pause and when I crossed the finishing line, I let out a loud "HOOAAHH" and raised my arms in jubilation and ran back to the guardsman and handed him the sack or sand behind my back.
The rest of the soldiers and Shadow units greeted me and asked how I managed to achieve the low wall with a single bound cleanly across it without even stopping.
They were also surprised that I managed to clear the low rope in the quickest possible manner, like a crazy escalade who wants to reach the top of the wall in the quickest possible time.
When I cleared the ramp, it looked like I was flying and they asked me how far I had jumped and how I managed to keep my balance and took off sprinting once my feet touched the ground.
I laughed with them since I myself couldn't find the right answer to their queries. I can't say that I learnt meditation and learnt the proper way of breathing methods during my meditation, am I right?
They might be thinking that I'm going nutters...!
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