"I'm so excited to get our new equipment!" Shinobu exclaims as she spins around in circles.
"It's just the two of us. You don't have to do that." Sakura yawns. The two girls are walking through the street on the way to the blacksmith. The ever-present cold sits heavy in the air.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, act all excited. No one gets worked up about things like this."
"Why not?" asks the perplexed, blond-haired girl.
"Never mind." Sakura rolls her eyes and keeps walking. Unwilling to drop the subject, Shinobu presses.
"Do you not like working out?"
"Of course not, it sucks!" Sakura yells as she throws her arms up in the air. "It hurts a lot, and it makes me all sweaty. Plus, as soon as it gets easier, we have to add more weight."
"But, it makes us stronger."
"I know. That's why I don't say anything." Sakura folds her arms and pouts. Shinobu shifts around uncomfortably, trying to think of what to say.
"You're right; it's hard. Sometimes, I just cry in my bed at night because it hurts so bad. I have to bite my pillow, so I don't make too much noise and wake everybody up." Shinobu giggles. Sakura scrunches her face to hold in her own laughter.
"I'm just so sick of it." The flower girl responds.
"You know, when I first joined your party, I couldn't believe how strong you were."
"Really?" Sakura looks up at her friend with big puppy dog eyes.
"Yes, really. I always thought I was one of the strongest kids in town, but I was sorely mistaken. Even with magic, I was no match for any of you. I remember thinking how badly I wanted to get stronger so I would never have to…." Shinobu's voice trails off near the end of her sentence. Some wounds never quite heal.
"It's all happened so fast. I guess I just forgot about it. I used to be scared of talking to people before I started training." Sakura kicks the dirt on the side of the street as she reminisces.
"Now that I find hard to believe."
"Heyy!" Sakura protests. The two girls laugh as they continue their journey.
"Sakura and Ms. Richter, correct?"
"Just call me Shinobu, please." She says with a wry smile.
"Of course. You're here for the plates and bars, correct?" The woman attending the blacksmith shop is quick to change the subject. A thick leather apron covers most of her body, and her long brown hair is curled into a bun.
"Yes, thank you."
"We can have them delivered to any address in town for an additional fee."
"Thank you, but we'll take them ourselves. Is it okay if we make multiple trips?"
"Sure, I'll be here til dusk, so take your time."
"Oh, it won't take us that long?" The girls each pull out a magic bag recently bought from the magic shop. These bags have padded straps to allow the user to carry heavy loads without hurting their shoulders. They pick up the packs after piling in two hundred pounds of weights and head to the Adventurer's Guild. As they walk around the back to the courtyard, the girls see Jezabel running laps at a breakneck pace. Upon noticing them, Jezabel slows down while wiping sweat from her brow.
"I wasn't expecting to see either of you today."
"Likewise, I definitely wasn't expecting to see you running. Did you lose a bet?" Shinobu asks.
"Very funny. Actually, there's an outbreak of smart-asses around here, and I've got to get back into shape to sort them out," Jezabel replies as she cracks her knuckles.
"Sorry, you didn't even run when we all fought you, so it just looked a bit odd."
"Well, there's a war brewing, and I've got to play a bigger part than I originally planned."
"Why's that?" Sakura queries.
"Duke Avaritan threatened me. Needless to say, the Guild Headquarters is going to make a move here soon, but I need to stay alive until then."
"You can always stay with us at our new house," Shinobu offers.
"Thanks, but I think I'd rather sleep in the woods. Anyway, you've all gotten a lot stronger since we last had a match. You may not notice because your stats aren't increasing as quickly but that combat experience adds up fast. I've been talking to Inari, and it looks like she's been running you through the wringer," Jezabel says with a grin. Sakura inspects her hands as if they can explain what that means. "Why don't you four have a bout with me again next week?" We can see how much longer you'll last this time."
Both girls' faces grow pale at the suggestion.
"Um, actually, we're busy next week," Shinobu quickly explains.
"We have to go give Inari her weights. Bye!" The two girls quickly dump the contents of their bags on the ground and bolt down the alley of the guild building. Jezabel's boisterous laugh chases them out into the street. Shelly approaches the guild leader after the kids have disappeared.
"Was that really necessary?" she asks.
"Of course, I've got to get my hits in while I can."
"You're mean," Shelly says with a scowl.
"You're damn right. I haven't been this pumped up in years. The world is finally starting to turn again; how can I pass up on this opportunity."
"One day, those children are going to beat your ass."
"That's what's so exciting!" Jezabel replies with a fierce smile.
"You're insane." Shelly walks off with a scoff as Jezabel continues her run.
"Are we really going to fight her again?" Shinobu's eyes flash with fear as she runs through the street.
"I don't know," Sakura replies while biting her lower lip. It isn't long before the pink lightning pair end up back at the blacksmith shop. The same attendant from earlier is there to greet them.
"Are you two alright?" Her brows are furrowed in a concerned expression as she eyes the young women up and down. "Do you want me to get some help?"
"No, no. We're fine." Shinobu assures her.
"Okay then. Do you want the rest of your order?"
"Yes, please!"
The attendant rolls out a cart with the remaining equipment.
"The smaller weights don't have any insignia on them, so they can't be linked back to us. I don't know what you girls plan to do with those, but I've got a hunch."
"Okay, thank you!" Sakura piles the plates into her bag as Shinobu watches on.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Shinobu asks.
"What do you mean?" Sakura stops what she's doing and looks up at her contemplative friend.
"Aren't you worried about your family?" Sakura's shoulders shudder at the sudden inquisition. She tenses up momentarily and then relaxes as if despairing.