interest in him was no more than a quick glance as he stepped over the man. I followed him, and figured the guy must have been okay because no one else seemed concerned.
“Looks like someone partied too hard,” Bill said with a chuckle as he glanced down at the man. “Carpe noctem, eh, dude?” he asked with another chuckle before looking up at me again. “I don’t know ’bout him, but I got me a hang under,” he continued as I frowned and he decided to explain. “That’s like when you haven’t had too much to drink the night before, and instead o’ havin’ a shit-tastic mornin’, you feel better than normal.”
“Nice, Bill,” I said shaking my head, and figuring I had much better things to focus on. Scanning the room, I noticed it was comprised of some exercise machines, lots of free weights, and other contraptions I didn’t recognize. A few machines looked somewhat familiar even though I’d never really been a gym zealot. Several New Year’s resolutions were about the only occasions that got me into a gym, and I lasted maybe a month or so before the call of the elliptical, or the treadmill, fell on deaf ears.
“Dude looks like he’s gonna pass the hell out,” Bill whispered, pointing to a guy who was running at breakneck speed on the treadmill, the sweat pouring off his forehead and onto his already saturated clothes. “Calm that shit down, man,” he called out. “You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack, yo.” But the man didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to stare straight ahead without breaking his gait. Bill looked back at me and shrugged. “He’s a beardo anyway.”
“He’s a what?” I whispered, afraid the man might overhear us.
“A weirdo with a beard,” Bill answered. I could only shake my head with wonder at where he came up with this stuff.
“Bladesmith,” a man said in a deep voice as he approached Tallis. Neither of them smiled, although Tallis nodded his head in a weak semblance of a greeting. The man was probably six foot three inches and must’ve weighed two hundred ten pounds or so. But none of it was fat. The guy was ripped—as in, his biceps were as big as my head. His skin was the color of dark chocolate and if I had to guess his age, I would’ve said he was in his early thirties. He was dressed in a dark grey T-shirt and black shorts that ended just below his knees.
“Ael,” Tallis said.
Ael nodded, turning his attention first to me and then to Bill. That was when I noticed his red eyes appeared to glow. His hair was cut short and on one side shaved close to his head in a flame pattern. After studying Bill, he glanced back at Tallis. “Who am I trainin’? Red or Jack Black?” he asked. I noticed his canines were long and sharp.
Bill immediately started chuckling as soon as he realized Ael was referring to him. “Shit, that’s a good one. Jack Black is like my hero, yo!”
Ael eyed him, but frowned and crossed his arms against his chest while looking at Tallis for a response.
“Ye will be trainin’ Lily,” Tallis answered as he inclined his head in my direction.
Ael nodded, turning his full attention to me, as if he were taking stock of me. Then he addressed Tallis. “Twelve to fifteen weeks tops before she’s in shape. We’ll plan on addin’ six ta eight pounds of muscle an’ I expect her here three times a week.” Then he took a breath. “You bring them shoes, Bladesmith? I require payment up front.”
Tallis nodded and removed the pack he’d been carrying over his shoulder. He loosened the knot but kept the bag closed as he searched inside it, before producing a box of shoes. He handed the shoes to Ael who eagerly accepted them. Ael opened the box and pulled out a pair of red, white, and black argyle Air Jordans. He nodded, obviously pleased to see them as he inspected the sides of the shoes where the letters “AEL” stood out in block type. A smile brightened his face. “You got ’em right, Bladesmith,” he said before
“Looks like someone partied too hard,” Bill said with a chuckle as he glanced down at the man. “Carpe noctem, eh, dude?” he asked with another chuckle before looking up at me again. “I don’t know ’bout him, but I got me a hang under,” he continued as I frowned and he decided to explain. “That’s like when you haven’t had too much to drink the night before, and instead o’ havin’ a shit-tastic mornin’, you feel better than normal.”
“Nice, Bill,” I said shaking my head, and figuring I had much better things to focus on. Scanning the room, I noticed it was comprised of some exercise machines, lots of free weights, and other contraptions I didn’t recognize. A few machines looked somewhat familiar even though I’d never really been a gym zealot. Several New Year’s resolutions were about the only occasions that got me into a gym, and I lasted maybe a month or so before the call of the elliptical, or the treadmill, fell on deaf ears.
“Dude looks like he’s gonna pass the hell out,” Bill whispered, pointing to a guy who was running at breakneck speed on the treadmill, the sweat pouring off his forehead and onto his already saturated clothes. “Calm that shit down, man,” he called out. “You’re gonna give yourself a heart attack, yo.” But the man didn’t respond. Instead, he continued to stare straight ahead without breaking his gait. Bill looked back at me and shrugged. “He’s a beardo anyway.”
“He’s a what?” I whispered, afraid the man might overhear us.
“A weirdo with a beard,” Bill answered. I could only shake my head with wonder at where he came up with this stuff.
“Bladesmith,” a man said in a deep voice as he approached Tallis. Neither of them smiled, although Tallis nodded his head in a weak semblance of a greeting. The man was probably six foot three inches and must’ve weighed two hundred ten pounds or so. But none of it was fat. The guy was ripped—as in, his biceps were as big as my head. His skin was the color of dark chocolate and if I had to guess his age, I would’ve said he was in his early thirties. He was dressed in a dark grey T-shirt and black shorts that ended just below his knees.
“Ael,” Tallis said.
Ael nodded, turning his attention first to me and then to Bill. That was when I noticed his red eyes appeared to glow. His hair was cut short and on one side shaved close to his head in a flame pattern. After studying Bill, he glanced back at Tallis. “Who am I trainin’? Red or Jack Black?” he asked. I noticed his canines were long and sharp.
Bill immediately started chuckling as soon as he realized Ael was referring to him. “Shit, that’s a good one. Jack Black is like my hero, yo!”
Ael eyed him, but frowned and crossed his arms against his chest while looking at Tallis for a response.
“Ye will be trainin’ Lily,” Tallis answered as he inclined his head in my direction.
Ael nodded, turning his full attention to me, as if he were taking stock of me. Then he addressed Tallis. “Twelve to fifteen weeks tops before she’s in shape. We’ll plan on addin’ six ta eight pounds of muscle an’ I expect her here three times a week.” Then he took a breath. “You bring them shoes, Bladesmith? I require payment up front.”
Tallis nodded and removed the pack he’d been carrying over his shoulder. He loosened the knot but kept the bag closed as he searched inside it, before producing a box of shoes. He handed the shoes to Ael who eagerly accepted them. Ael opened the box and pulled out a pair of red, white, and black argyle Air Jordans. He nodded, obviously pleased to see them as he inspected the sides of the shoes where the letters “AEL” stood out in block type. A smile brightened his face. “You got ’em right, Bladesmith,” he said before
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