"Why are you being like this?" Aurelia looked at me from across the court yard. Her sword in hand. "Lily, that pride of yours why don't you just throw it away? Would you really make me order you to absorb the pill?"
"You're not that dumb, if you force me to become stronger and I do happen to regain my cultivation what's to stop me from using my abilities against you?" I chuckled darkly, something I didn't know I could pull off until right then.
"You don't wanna bet on chance do you?"
she frowned, "do you really want to do this?"
We had donned armor and both held sharpened blades.
"Yeah. I'm sure."
"This dumb farce, you know you can't beat me." she waved her sword testing the balance, it wasn't the one she'd used when we first fought, neither of us had our usual blades.
The afternoon wind rustled the small shrubbery and overgrown garden trees. We were back in the outer district at the place where she said she'd often practiced.
it had the appearance of an abandoned courtyard the place mostly overgrown by weeds and what remained of the walls were beyond the point of repair.
Still, I could have probably pretended to take the pill and claimed that it didn't work. The fact that I didn't means surely that I'm starting to like her. Not wanting to lie, was my resolve weakening? I couldn't let it, Who knows what's happening to master? Who knows what 'she' did to master.
I really should be upset,
Look at her, acting all self righteous. At what point do I get to knock her off her high horse?
I calmed myself and breathed out.
This wasn't the time.
This wasn't the place,
And my objectives weren't met.
And even though I've regained most of my strength beating her in a friendly practice match would be child's play, so long as she doesn't use hou.
Either way, I could defeat her and force the point that I simply didn't want to regain my cultivation or lose and accept the pill. Regardless, my interests were... conflicting.
Suddenly she was in front of me, her blade in a downward arc! Forcing me to pull my blade up partying her attack successfully!
The weight of her sword, she wasn't seriously trying to hurt me was she?
Also that movement, it's the same one Jiya used, and every time she did I would always end up on the ground.
This would be tricky, with her newfound speed and strength it would be hard not to fight seriously and this wager, It really wasn't one I could afford to lose, easily.
This had to be convincing.
Was that me making a decision? No it was me leaning to one more than the other. Regardless, I need her and more importantly I need her to remain as oblivious as possible.
Aurelia, she may be nice. The only other friendly person I've met and she even seems to be genuine but, she's just a means to an end.
Nothing more.
Just a something for me to use.
Her blade slashed again but this time only empty air, I had taken a few steps back.
"Retreating? When did I give you permission?"
She tosses her blade at me, I easily side step dodging the blade completely "What?" This caught me by surprise but this, why would she toss it?
Damn!
I'd taken my eyes off her, and now she was gone! Where did she go? I scanned to the left before attempting to look in the other direction.
Suddenly a powerful attack blasted my blade breaking my posture and leaving me wide open!
Aurelia!
Another swift attack reached for my face leaving me with just enough time to dodge by leaning backward, further compromising my posture.
With this all it took for me to fall on my back was a slight push.
She was standing over me giggling.
"You may think this is a spar but really what you don't understand is that I go through rigorous training everyday."
"Ugh." I could feel my face get hot.
That was embarrassing!
"Need a hand?" She extended her hand which I slapped aside. "Oh right! You thought you'd win!" She laughed harder while I picked myself up and she her sword.
"We're not done!" She may have speed in spades but I have power, more than the average human and even more than vehatra, that was one thing I was sure about.
"Again!"
She smiled and dashed at me this time with a jumping roundhouse kick that I easily caught and push her to the ground.
She hammered at the ground with her fist, "that hurt damnit!"
It was my turn and she'd get no mercy, "aww I though you were confident in your skills."
She stood swinging her blade around before tossing it to her right and then back to her left.
This was obviously an attempt to intimidate me.
"Are you gonna dance around all day or are gonna do this seriously?" I had my blade ready and low.
"hmph!" she appeared before me again with a swift attack which left me no choice but to block and another which pushed my sword away then a straight thrust which I narrowly deflected by using my vambrace to change the direction of her attack.
She quickly stepped back before glancing at my arm which had started to bleed.
It was only a small wound and would probably heal sooner rather than later thanks to the technique I had learned from master.
Raising her sword, pointing it at me, her stance one I hadn't seen before, she leaned forward.
Was this it?
Did she finally decide to get serious?
She dashed forward and within a micro second she was within my counter range, she had gotten faster again but this couldn't be it, her undefeatable secret technique that she was so proud of, the one that she claimed could threaten even the most strongest of hou users.
The attack was faster than before but in truth it was nothing I couldn't handle.
I pulled up my blade, ready to parry and counter, "this can't be all y-!" Her blade made contact "Urk!" The sound of our blades clashing resonated through the entire courtyard pushing me back a few feet!
This was different and I instinctively blocked as she dashed forward again.
A rookie mistake.
The force was at least two times greater than before, the sound more sharp this time around.
I was panting when I realized she had stopped, why did she stop? Did she finally give up?
She smiled and pointed in my direction.
Huh?
She was pointing at my blade, or what was left of it. The mangled iron, it's form twisted and bent at odd angles.
I looked at her angrily tossing the bent sword aside lifting my arms. I didn't need to win but my pride was hurt and if she thought I'd give up because my sword broke then she's naïve!
She raised her brows before smiling maniacally and tossing her own equipment aside. Even going as far as removing her breastplate and vambraces.
I slowly closed the distance edging forward until we were within attacking range. Still she didn't show any signs of meaning to initiate an attack so I took the chance.
I swung but she dodged easily, countering with a punch which found its way to my stomach knocking the wind from me.
I coughed trying to regain my breath right before something hit me across the face.
It stung!
She'd slapped me!
"Ouch!", I held my face.
She didn't hold back any and the pain seared at my skin. "Why did you hit me?!"
Eh?
The look she had on now was one of angry disappointment.
"Why are you so reckless? When you can't win a fight, give up!" She'd yelled, "I don't want my number two being hard headed even when you don't have the ability to back it up!"
"I was jus-!"
My words were cut short by the sting of another slap.
"Wh-!" And another.
I had put up my arms to defend against another slap a desperate move that I only did in embarrassment, hiding my tail so she wouldn't step on it, so to speak.
I waited, my eyes closed but when nothing came I looked up to meet her gaze once more.
She was fuming.
I didn't even know what I did to make her so mad.
"Ugh!!!" She raged "do you think that because you're some kind of princess I'd allow you to do whatever you wanted in my squad?"
I wanted to say something but thought better of it. She obviously wanted to let something out, so I decided to remain quiet.
"You make me so mad! I don't want you taking those risks!" she gestured at my hand.
which now bled profusely.
"Yes, you're stronger than me, but raw strength isn't everything." She stated more calmly before sighing.
"I'm sorry for hitting you like I did but I need you to be at your best, after all if you considered this a simple spar and not training then you don't belong on my squad!"
Then let me go, you dumb chick! I obviously didn't say this out loud.
"Clean up, then continue training on your own, tonight you can show me what you've learned and I expect you to keep your promise." She tossed the small pill bottle at me before turning to leave obviously still furious.
Ugh, if it wasn't for her being my only lead I wouldn't have to put up with this!
I looked at the small transparent pill bottle in my hand at the pretty pink marble that rolled around in it and sighed.
Soon after, one of the guards who were watching approached me. "Permission to speak freely," he stated more than asked.
This surprised me as none of them had ever shown an interest in talking to me, heck dragon-borns rarely had an interest in anything to do with humans unless it's to oppress or chase them out of town.
The latter being my of my own experience.
"Go on." I replied.
"Please don't think badly of commander Aurelia she really cares for us all, you should understand this, it's been only a day after all."
"Your point? Soldier?"
"Well, some of us are upset that the commander chose you a stranger instead of one of us to be the new vice commander and some of us think it's too soon since we only lost the previous vice commander a little over a month ago. But please understand the commander only wishes for us all to be at our best!"
"I understand, you may leave."
"but the commander told us to-!"
"as your vise-commander this is an order!"
slowly he looked over at the other guard before nodding and they both subsequently stepped back and faded from view.
Wow! that surprised me mostly because i never thought they'd listen to me and second because i never knew they could do that. Was that a technique i could learn too? regardless of that the real test was about to begin.
Aurelia, she was looking for that man, luckily i know where to find him. Unluckily for him, he was gonna be the thing that solidifies my position as vise-commander as well as my bargaining chip to get info on master's where about.
i breathed out slowly. I cant mess this up.