Insistent Assistant 2 (Patreon)

Insistent Assistant

Chapter 2

-VB-

I took a deep breath in.

And ducked.

The wind boomed above me where my head had been just a second ago as Thorkell’s heavy fist and thick arm vibrated my senses from merely passing close to me.

He really was a monster.

Gritting my teeth, I jumped forward. My right foot pushed off of the sandy beach, momentarily flinging myself into the air, before my other foot landed back down. My fists lashed out and I struck him once in the kidney before ducking back out again before he struck me.

Despite the fact that Thorkell must have weighed over twice as much as I did, he moved just as quickly as I did.

Like I said, he was a monster.

“GURK!” I choked when he kicked me out of nowhere and sent me flying. I felt my back hit the sand first as my vision spun, second on my face, and then I landed in the water on the third drop. I gasped as I pushed myself up from the shallows … and then saw the shadow underneath and surrounding me.

I looked up just in time to see Thorkell bearing down on me like a cannonball.

“FUUUCCCKKKK!!!” I yelled as I kicked off and barely made two feet before Thorkell landed. I tumbled and waddled in the water, having dodged him completely. I also knew that I was within his striking range, though I wasn’t thinking this consciously. It was more of “I’m not far enough.”

That’s when he punched me in the chest.

I bounced on the water like a skipping stone before crashing into the beach.

“Man, you really want to fight better! I still can’t get over that!” Thorkell laughed as he walked over to where I’d lay in a frame-perfect sand crater made by my body. He grabbed me by the cuffs and dragged me out while I mumbled incoherently.

“I have to survive…” I mumbled just before he dropped me in front of our little hut.

“To fight is to live!” he laughed. “I don’t see a difference!”

‘Bloody brute,’ I thought tiredly before turning over and then getting up to my knees. My vision still swam a little from the last impact I had, and I felt myself swaying side to side minutely.

-VB-

I ducked.

“FUCK!”

It was the next day. I’d spent the morning fishing and hungry, cooked and ate with Thorkell during lunch, and now, it was time to train. Again.

It was always time to train when I wasn’t getting supplies to survive.

Thorkell grabbed me this time and threw me.

I sailed high up into the air even as I fought to stay awake against the absurd G’s he’d just put me through.

I thought I got stronger and tougher, but I guessed incorrectly.

“FFUUUCCCKKK!!!” I screamed before landing in the sea. I let a few bubbles as I looked around. This was the south side of the island, which was filled with coral reefs. It was a relatively safe area of the coast, unlike the north and west.

Grumbling internally, I quickly swam up to the surface and then to the beach.

Where Thorkell was waiting for me.

He grabbed me.

“No, don’t you d-!”

And he threw me.

He called it “survival” training.

Training, my ass! He was just bored and using me as a ball! A reacting, self-returning ball!

-VB-

Today would have been the start of the fourth month on the island.

It would have been the fourth month since my training began, but it was also the day that I finally spotted something new.

A ship, and from the looks of it, it just looked like a merchant ship stopping by an island for fresh fruits.

I could get myself on the ship! Just ask the captain for back-breaking labor! I knew how to do back-breaking labor!

I’ve been doing back-breaking labor for the last four goddamn months.

I quickly lit a fire and made it smoke.

Thorkell huffed and helped me, grumbling about not having had enough fun making me or something.

The ship, a galleon, came over, and soon, rowboats dropped down from its sides and rowed over while the ship stayed away from the shore.

I stood at the beach with Thorkell, just happy to see someone else other than my assistant… but then my excited heart stuttered as the rowboats grew closer and closer.

Because it was not hard to miss the obvious pirate flag they were carrying.

(Why they did that, I don’t know. Wouldn’t normal pirates want to hide their identities until they struck a target?)

When the rowboats moored themselves on the beach, their occupants jumped out and drew their flintlock pistols and sabers.

“Goddamnit,” I muttered.

I said so because I wasn’t worried about dying or anything like that. I’ve been tossed into the ocean, “fought” two sea kings, and had impact-shattering stones thrown my way (Throkell the Asshole).

No.

I was worried about Thorkell because he saw the obvious signs of hostility and just grinned.

“Hey, fell-” I started but one of them shot at me. It missed, obviously. Flintlock pistols suck. Their accuracy was at best dozen yards, and I stood at least thrice that away from the closest pirate.

“Shut u-!” the shooter cackled before he was abruptly cut off by a rock that got flung into his neck.

I looked away with a grimace as the rock tore his throat open, punched his spine in twain, and exploded out from the back of his neck.

Everyone froze and watched as the guy keeled over.

Then they all turned to Thorkell.

He looked so very happy.

I just felt pity for the pirates.

Then with digitized motes of light, his hands found a pair of war axes.

“Come to papa.”

I sighed. “Goodbye,” I waved at the pirates before Thorkell jumped at them.

Unfortunately for them, they weren’t anything special and proceeded to get slaughtered.

I sat down and watched as body parts flew, literally, with each swing of his axe.

“Please don’t destroy the rowboat. We kind of need them to get over to that ship.”

Thorkell just laughed like a lunatic because he was one.