Passing some time.

[G]

"One ninety-eight, One ninety-nine, Two Hundred!" huffing and puffing G'nort laid back on his floor, staring up at the ceiling. He quietly let out a deep breath as his body began to calm down after another rigorous exercize routine. "I'm either getting too old, or I gotta step it up a bit. Two hundred sit-ups shouldn't wind me like this."

He slowly rose to his feet, pulling a towel and wiping it over his face and the back of his neck, then walked over to the full length mirror to take a look at himself.

"I've let myself go a little too much. Not taking enough time to stay in shape is wearing on me." He sighed. "It's just been an hour and a half of all this. I could do it in my sleep a few years back."

A few years is always what it comes down to. He was still in good shape, but time does wear on a regular human and G, as much as he liked to pretend, was no different.

In his mid-thirties now, he was a businessman more than anything else, which meant that he spent more time on his butt than he did going out and about, adventuring, sword fighting, riding, sailing, etc. He always looked towards the future, but suddenly the future was catching up to him.

The last real adventure he had, not including the search for his White Dragon, had been just before he entered Rhydin. Him and the Company of the Dragon Mercenary group had done some work for the Kingdom of Furyondy, or was it Nyrond. He couldn't remember.

There was this cave full of orcs who were pillaging and rampaging through the countryside causing no end of trouble for the people who lived there. And dealing with Orcs is simple. You kill their goblin guards, get into the main hall or whatever where the leader is, fight to him, kill him and they all break up. Generally, orcs are small minded cowards who run when their leader is slain. Makes for an easy bit of financing.

That was years ago. All that Gnort tends to do now is fight with a pen, and occassionally a sword in the Arena. Sure, there was the stunning defense of his Barony, but in the end, running the Barony was easy too.

Being a Pirate was quite profitable, and after gaining the first of several ships that he used to create Urnst's navy, he left the pirating to trusted crewmen. Now, all he had to do was make sure that the goods and such taken as a prize was turned around into a sizable profit, which was quite simple for a man of his talents.

Doesn't leave much in the realm of keeping in shape.

Of his wifes disappearance he never spoke. He continued to say that she was either home, or working, or away on business, but truth be told he hadn't seen or heard from her in weeks. He wasn't too worried, however, because if something dreadful had indeed happened, there was always someone somewhere he trusted to let him know. If a ship she was on was taken by other pirates and sunk with her on it, then the navy had ways of knowing. If she was attacked on the road, people at her destination would know, as well, and get word to him.

In this case, no news is good news. But having a lack of a partner made him a bit, well, anxious. It was no secret to anyone the amount of sexual activity he and his wife got up to. And that was another reason he was able to stay in shape. Keeping up with Kaja tended to be an exercize in and of itself.

So, with her gone who knows where, him not adventuring, and mostly sitting around pushing pencils, there was a lack of activity in his daily regimen.

He shook his head. "Two hundred. Maybe I should step it up to three. Then two wouldn't seem so tough. Maybe I oughta work out more than once a week, too. Hmph."

Wiping his face again he moved to step into the shower. "Course, there's that cute secretary.. Hmm."