Dean's father was looking at his son while the same was out of breath due to the effort he just made. The muscles of his body were already developing well, also as strength, but he still needed to strive a little bit to wield a long sword.
His technique wasn't the best you could find out there, the overall attributes of his body needed to improve a lot, and he could clearly see that he needed more steadiness on his base when shifting weight and doing the swings.
However, it was good. Not the best that his son could do, but good.
Dean was in the same place while holding the sword. He was holding the grip to let it in front of his body. He made sure to adjust his posture and bend his knees to do a solid base.
Dean himself was aware of the mistakes he made. That was one of the best abilities he had, after all. His capacity to learn things all alone had been improving throughout time.
"I won't be pinpointing any mistake because, due to your grim expression right now, you seem to know very well about it." He patted his son on the shoulder. "Anyway, it wasn't better than the last training we had. If it was, I don't know where. For me, you lessened some mistakes you made before, but it is still missing proficiency, perfection. Just remember what I taught you and you will catch up with it soon. Now, hurry, otherwise it will be troublesome for you when getting in the forge."
A bit disappointed, he nodded his head. He was sure that he would get good results once he was done that day, but it seemed that he still had to improve a lot.
He knew that skill, proficiency, and power came with time. Dean just needed to keep practicing, so soon or later he would have covered a long way without even thinking or realizing it. Nonetheless, he couldn't bring himself to think of something other than becoming stronger quickly. He wanted to accomplish his goals already.
'I haven't seen any improvement since the last three months. My mind seems to be a bit aloof all of a sudden. It doesn't seem like I am learning something new every day after all, nor absorbing what was told to me. Or, at least, my body isn't reproducing the moves properly.'
He was feeling a strange thing on his chest during these months. It seemed like a black hole had formed inside his chest and was sucking all his happiness and motivation. However, there was no emptiness in his heart because of the lack of those emotions. On the contrary, he was feeling more agitated, uneasy... powerful, maybe?
It wasn't a good feeling like they said when someone was about to Ascend. It was different from everything they taught him until that point.
That energy inside him wasn't bright, comforting, or ecstatic. He felt like being eaten from inside out.
"I am feeling bad for you, but we gambled, remember?" Dean's father got up on his horse while his son rambled about his current situation, feeling a bit dejected.
"Yes, yes. That's fair enough. Thank you, father." He gave a faint smile, trying not to show weaknesses for his father.
The guard, though, knew very well about the struggles that his son was passing for. He had no idea about that strange feeling, but he could tell that Dean was acting strangely.
"Well, just don't push yourself too much. Probably you will Ascend in no time. It's better to be in your top condition when it happens."
Dean kept in the backyard for some more minutes afterward, looking to his father leaving with his horse slowly. He wasn't in any rush to go to his job. Truth be told, he didn't like to be a guard, but the payment was decent, and it raised his prestige among the survivors.
As per usual, Dean kept looking at him while he left. His mother would usually be out at that time as well, but he never had the chance to see her leaving, so he liked to do it with his father when he had the chance.
His father disappeared in the distance, letting just a thin cloud of dust as he rode the horse slowly.
Dean went inside his house as quickly as possible. Now that the adrenaline of the test was gone, his body started to get in pain again. In the end, that extra effort just stole him more time instead of giving him a ride to the forge.
He was a bit grumpy because of it, but he knew that his father was just managing to increase his motivation and determination, also getting him to his limit. In a way, it also served to fast the process for him to become an Ascendant.
He tidied up himself quickly, always looking into the hour. Dean wouldn't have the time to eat, so he would be hungry for the rest of the noon until his apprenticeship at the forge was over and he could get a snack. He planned to sneak while the classes happened and tell his uncle to buy something for him, maybe.
The boy went out of his house, nearly forgetting to close the door, then rushing across the streets to get to the forge.
While he ran, something drew his attention, which made him change his focus immediately to the sky.
He didn't have the time to reason for even a second before the person flying went down in a masterful brim. For a moment, Dean thought that she would strike her head directly on the floor, but she changed directions in the last second nearly skidding her body on the ground then landing. She needed to run for some meters because of her speed.
'An... An Ascendant.' He thought, looking amazed at the golden cape that was on her back.
Using her hand, she brushed the cape to the side while turning to him.
Dean couldn't even believe that an Ascendant was going in his direction. The boy was so flabbergasted that he needed to look to the sides to be sure that there was no one else around there so he wouldn't be doing any embarrassing misunderstands like in the previous times.
However, there was nobody on that street.
Suddenly, Dean noticed that someone passed quickly near him, stopping afterward beside the woman with the golden cape.
It was a man, but with golden boots instead. Just before he got beside the woman that Dean felt the gust of wind caused by his rush. The boy's jaw dropped once he saw him as well.
It was just the two of them for the time being, and they seemed to be searching for something. Dean, at first, found it to be really strange. It wasn't every day where you could see in person an Ascendant, even rarer when they weren't just trying to do nothing and drink something, living their ordinary lives in their personal private space.
They spent some time searching for this thing that Dean still couldn't understand what it was.
The woman, surprisingly, changed her focus toward Dean.
Dean was dumbfounded and stood still in the same place. He was filled with excitement to talk with them but was anxious as well. That combination of feelings made his heartbeat like crazy and got him insecure about the outcome of that situation.
'Ok, there is an Ascendent here, in front of me. And she is looking at me bothered now. There is no mistake when looking at her expression. I can see even a bit of threat inside her eyes.' He sighed internally, trying not to make noise and alert her somehow. On this type of occasion, it was better to go with the flow to not get into trouble.
'I just need to know how they will act with me. Though, I am still a kid, so I think they won't be acting violently.
Dean was getting uncomfortable with that situation. He didn't want to be stuck there all day, particularly because there was just a woman staring at him. It was not a big deal, even though she was one of the owners of that corporation. Because of it, he went walking towards the Ascendant with the shiny golden cape that was losing its brightness and getting black slowly.
He didn't know which approach he would do but decided to go with politeness.
He bowed for her. Dean said his name and his survivor number, to show that he was from that zone.
"I am sorry to disturb, Miss. But, is there something wrong with the streets? May I pass? I need to go somewhere"
She narrowed her eyes at Dean.
"Yes... there is something wrong. Just a little hindrance that keeps bothering us... And I hope that this trouble isn't caused by you."