Collapsing flat on his back, Noxtis gulped in breath after breath of air, trying desperately to soothe his aching muscles and bones after the thorough 'training' session that Ember had put him through.
Completely contrary to Noxtis' exhausted state, Ember was practically glowing as a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin. "That was amazing, to think that these sword stances could be so useful. Utilizing not only the sword in battle but also your body as a weapon." Patting her scaled arms and legs happily, Ember slashed at the air in an elegant pattern against an invisible foe while dodging and throwing in an elbow or knee kick in-between.
Thinking to himself, the Phantom Mirko shrugged but didn't correct the young lass. 'While it is true, many sects of the human world still only use their weapons and avoid using the body considering how fragile we are as a race. With how long and strenuous it is to improve upon our bodily strength, few sects actually use their body parts to attack considering the risk."
Finally remembering her master on the floor, Ember poked his body cautiously as if checking to see if Noxtis was alive. "Heeeeyyyy...you alive down there? I want to practice the sparrow form again, it's much more complicated than anything I'd seen before."
Smacking her hand away, Noxtis leaned up on his elbows. "I don't understand how you have so much energy, you pick up the stances, maneuvers, and techniques so fast and put so much power into your blows. My body might give out before we even make it to Crimson Scale city."
Rubbing her head and sticking out her tongue, Ember helped Noxtis stand on his feet and brought out some food from her spacial ring. "Sorry...I might have gotten carried away. I...I've never had so much fun cultivating before. It's always been by myself most of the time since my grandfather and Elder Gundlach always are busy with tribe matters."
Digging into his own meal, Noxtis looked a the somewhat unflattering ring on Ember's finger. "So what's with the ring? Is that where you keep your stuff?"
"Hmmm?" Swallowing her bite of lava lizard, Ember looked at her spatial ring. "Oh, this? It's a spatial ring that has roughly double the space of your hut for me to store my things. It isn't that pretty, but it needs to be somewhat blocky to properly inscribe the storage and safety glyphs on it."
"So they're pretty expensive then?"
Covering her mouth to prevent herself from laughing and choking on her food, Ember nodded. "That would be a huge understatement, even with this being a gift from my grandfather, this spacial ring would buy your whole village one hundred times over easily and have a mountain of coin left over. Even some Elders don't have a ring-like mine, but most of the Elders and some of the wealthier merchant disciples have one without a safety seal.
And before you ask, a safety seal is put on top of the storage ring to prevent others than me from getting inside the ring."
"Do you think I would be able to get one?"
"...do you really want me to answer that?"
Sighing and patting his full stomach, Noxtis sipped his tea. "Yeah, I figured as much. Doesn't hurt to ask though."
Finishing her own meal and sitting lotus style to gather some fire qi, Ember closed her eyes. "So ignoring the transportation aspect of getting to Crimson Scale city since we're together, how do you plan on acquiring your sword spirit metal?"
Completely forgetting his objective in the first place, Noxtis shuffled over to Ember and kneeled before her firm thighs. Looking up at the dragonkin who was giving him an incredulous look, Noxtis put on his most cute and cub panther look as he could with his hands clasped together to beg.
*sigh*
"Fine, I don't think grandfather will be happy about me using tribe funds to help you buy treasures but I'll see what I can do." Grabbing her troublesome partner in her forearm and twisting her fist into his hair, Ember wanted to get him back slightly so he wouldn't be too dependent on her status.
*hhhhgggg* "Bhhhuutt whryyyy?" Not knowing if he should be suffering due to the rough treatment of his hair or in heaven by feeling Ember's sizable chest pressed against his back. Noxtis Feigned struggling to continue feeling the pleasurable softness.
Getting enough rest to continue cultivating, Ember decided to stay in the tent while Noxtis choose to practice the Bloodless Assassin sword forms. Having fought Ember and realized that he would need to focus on playing towards his speed and agility rather than raw power. Many of the fights before this had been versus the beasts of the forest which were brutish but did not really challenge Noxtis to his limits.
Despite his win against Ember during their first encounter, Noxtis had really only won because Ember's attacks were brash and she used a very bloodline-intensive ability when she really didn't need to. Not only that, Noxtis had to play dirty to get a blow at the moment Ember had let her guard down. Being more honest to himself, Noxtis knew that he had been very lax in his training and wouldn't stand being a burden to Ember or anyone else he cared about.
Breathing out a large amount of steam, Embervesent looked in towards her dantian and was glad to see her effort paying off as the density of qi had already become a liquid in her dantian and was close to becoming a qi seed. While Ember had heard the process of absorbing qi into her dantian would be difficult, she underestimated just how much her own body fought to steal such a wonderful world qi that made her bloodline a ravenous beast.
Getting up from her lotus position, Ember stretched her body with a large number of snaps and pops echo out as her muscles finally got some activity. Looking out of the hut, the darkness blanketing the sky gave Ember a start as she didn't expect to get so absorbed in her cultivation.
Further away, Ember saw her partner still practicing his sword forms diligently. While she didn't regret meeting Noxtis and learning the sword from him, even after the whole contract situation, Ember couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed in her heart.
Noxtis clearly had a good and caring heart, but that kind of weakness would cost him in the future. Even she, being the princess of one of the strongest tribes on the Sol continent knew that caution and wariness were needed to survive.
Despite those feelings though, Noxtis had a certain charm and determination that made her heart flutter. Ember had a small part of her that hoped that he would never change his pure heart, at least for her. Just seeing him diligently practice sword forms and weaving in attacks and dodges with minimal strain was...inspiring. While she was stronger than him now just by the resources and training she had been through thus far, Ember could tell that Noxtis had talent and the will to pursue his goals. She could envision him becoming one of the strongest cultivators and standing at the peak that this world had to offer.
And she hoped to stand beside him when the time came.
~ ~ ~
Thrusting his sword forward in a piercing motion and defeating his imaginary foe, Noxtis decided to end his training there as his arms and legs were beginning to falter. Without the guidance of his teacher, his mind began to naturally wander and his body subconsciously began to make subtle changes to the sword forms he was performing to better suit the strength, agility, and flexibility that a beastkin body naturally has advantage over that of humans that his master was used to.
"Hello Noxtis, it's getting late and my Elder should be packing up with the rest of the merchant disciples to get back to Crimson Scale city soon. We should get going if you still wish to go."
Waving at the approaching Ember, Noxtis stretched his aching muscles. "Sure thing, I didn't want to disturb your cultivation so I didn't wake you. I hope you don't mind."
"It's no worry, we won't depart till early the next morning but I'd like to let Elder Gundlach know first and set up travel plans since we're going together. You can also pack your things and say your farewells."
Nodding, Noxtis went over to his hut and revealed a hidden compartment under the floor. Grabbing a small chest of materials for his sword forging and the cultivation technique that the Mirko fragment had given him earlier, he gave a brief sweep over the rest of his hut and found nothing of note to take. "Ember, do you mind keeping this in your spatial ring for me?"
"Hmmm? Oh sure, it shouldn't be an issue. What's in here?" Looking at the small chest, Ember didn't care to open it up and store it away.
"Just a few things for my sword spirit forging later and a cultivation technique my Master had me write down. It was going to be what I was going to leverage for the last material I need."
"Oh? So the whole act earlier was just for show? I would've been curious about the technique myself if not for the much better one I have now."
Glad that she wasn't still irked by his earlier charade, Noxtis walked as best he could towards Grandma Reah's house. "Initially yes, however who knows if they would trust a random cultivation technique from an outcast that shows up on their doorstep. Even if it was the real deal, I could only imagine how annoying it would've been to actually sell it not to mention finding the metal I need."
"Well...at least you have me now." Wrapping her arm around Noxtis and supporting him a bit, Ember snuggled into his embrace.