She rushed to them and as the dust cleared, she saw Haze crouched on the ground a few feet away from the sword which was now lodged in the ground. As the sword descended, Haze had used his last bit of strength to jump out of the way.
Hades stood with hand still on the sword hilt, he stared at Haze who was still crouched on the floor, wheezing.
"What is wrong with you?" Elena yelled as she shoved him in his chest, it didn't move Hades of course. "You proved your point early on, you didn't have to try to kill him!"
Hades' face remained impassive as he stared at Haze, then a smile broke on his face and he stretched his hand to Haze.
Haze and Elena gasped at the same time and stared at Hades in surprise.
"Good job". Hades said with a smile. "You held your own very impressively".
Haze and Elena stared on in surpise.
"Let me help you up". Hades said and Haze looked his outstretched hand before taking it. Hades pulled him up and walked back to his throne.
"You have impressive talent with the sword but you lack the basic techniques. Also your speed is not up to standard, so starting tomorrow, you will train till every morning till evening until you've refined your skills". He said as he walked.
Haze said nothing, he didn't know which one hurt more, his bruised body or his bruised ego.
"You can go now, Elena and I have important business to discuss". Hades said, dismissing him.
Anger built in Haze but he said nothing, he simply glared at Hades and Elena, she lowered her head, a sympathetic look on her face.
I don't need your pity. He thought angrily and picked his sword, he stormed out of Haze's palace.
When Haze had left the palace, Elena sighed. "You didn't have to be so harsh on him, he's just trying to help".
"He's an insolent boy that doesn't know he could easily get killed". Hades scoffed.
"I wonder who he gets it from". Elena replied.
Hades turned sharply to look at her. "Careful daughter of Zeus, careful". He sighed. "I know he means well but he's not strong enough yet, involving him in this will be like sending him on a suicide mission".
Elena sighed. "I know, I just wish there was an easier way to let him know".
****
Haze didn't come out of his room throughout the remainder of the day, he didn't touch the food the maids brought to his room and when they came to collect the empty dishes, they were surprised to find them still full.
When Haze woke up the next morning, his body hurt from the fight with Hades, his stomach hurt from hunger and his head felt a little light as he got out of bed but he didn't pay any attention to those things, he put on his clothes and headed out, it was time for training.
When he got to the courtyard, Hades wasn't there, instead there was a short chubby man leaning against a tree, he ate an apple idly as he stood. Haze approached him carefully with his hand on his sword.
"Who are you?" He asked the man.
The man looked him with bored eyes. "Who are you?" He asked in reply.
Haze bristled. "I'm the heir of the castle". He pulled out his sword and pointed it at the man. "Disrespect me again and you'll be sorry".
The man laughed and stood straight, it didn't make much difference to his height. "Heir to the underworld?" He asked with a raised brow. "What's the point of being heir, it's not like you're ever going to inherit this place. Incase you've not noticed, Hades is never dying".
Haze glared at him.
The man looked at the sword in his hands and a small smile played around the corners of his lips. "I suppose that sword makes you feel very powerful huh? Powerful heir of Hades with his powerful sword, disrespecting anyone who dares to do so much as breathe in his presence".
Haze's vision had began to cloud over from anger, still he said nothing.
"You reckon you can use that sword well?" The short man asked.
Haze bared his teeth. "Why don't you come find out?"
The man laughed and shook his head. He bent to pick a slim stick from the ground and brandished it. "Tell you what, I'll use this stick and you use your fancy sword, if you can beat me, I'll let you cut my head off".
Haze stared at the man in confusion, was he crazy? Perhaps a gardener who had gotten drunk and wandered into the courtyard. Either way he was going to pay for his foul mouth.
Haze charged at the man and swung his sword in a low arc at his neck. Then something extra ordinary happened, the man moved out of the way just in time, he swung his stick and struck Haze at the back of his head.
"Too slow". He teased.
Haze couldn't believe his eyes, how had the chubby man moved with such speed? He was further enraged by the fact that the man was taunting him.
Grunting, Haze swung his sword at the man. The man moved out of the away in time again, this time he jabbed the stick at Haze's gut.
Pain exploded in Haze's body as the stick came in contact with the exact spot that hit the ground in his fight with Hades.
"Too slow". The short man teased again.
Haze grunted and threw all caution to the wind, he swung at the man every once of his strength, the man ducked it, he swung his stick at Haze but Haze anticipated it this time and blocked it. He swung his sword hard in a descending arc at the man's arm, he wanted to cut it off but the man moved out of the way and struck Haze at the back of the neck.
Suddenly darkness enveloped Haze and he passed out.