Fren gripped his wooden training sword like it was a live fish, swinging it with the grace of a one-legged duck on ice. His exaggerated effort resulted in him spinning himself into a near tumble.
Vanessa groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Fren, I said flow with the sword, not fight the sword. Relax your grip!"
"I am relaxed!" Fren snapped, gripping the sword tighter. He took another swing, missed the practice dummy entirely, and staggered backward, narrowly avoiding falling flat on his back.
Ress, perched lazily in the tree, opened one eye. "If that's 'relaxed,' I'd hate to see you tense. Are you trying to duel it or propose to it?"
"Not helping, Ress!" Fren shouted, his face burning with embarrassment.
Before Vanessa could step in, the sound of crunching leaves interrupted them. Aria, Kai, and Rosa emerged from the garden, looking like survivors of a natural disaster—singed, exhausted, and clearly annoyed.
Kai flopped onto the grass with a dramatic groan. "If I ever see another Illusion Domain, I'm retiring. From life."
"Stop whining," Aria grumbled, collapsing onto a nearby rock. "You're the one who thought punching the walls would help us save Rosa."
"And it did! Admit it—you were impressed," Kai retorted, puffing his chest proudly.
Rosa flopped onto her back, groaning into the grass. "You two argued the entire way. If arguing were a sport, you'd both have gold medals by now."
From his tree, Ress snickered. "Sounds like a fun mission. Next time, invite me."
"Fun?!" Rosa shot him a glare. "Do I look like I had fun?"
"Eh, kind of," Ress replied with a grin. "In a 'you barely survived' sort of way."
Before anyone could respond, a low grumble echoed through the clearing. "Finally! Some fresh air!"
All heads turned as a tall man strode out of the shadows, carrying an absurdly large weapon with a bear-shaped head carved into the top. The weapon itself… was talking.
"If I have to spend one more week in a volcano, I'm filing for retirement," the bear weapon growled. "I'm serious, Jax. Volcanoes are overrated."
The man smirked, slinging the weapon over his shoulder. "Relax, Bruce. You survived. Besides, you're the one who said you wanted to 'see the world.'"
"I didn't mean melt in it!" Bruce snapped.
Ress straightened up, finally paying attention. "Jax! Took you long enough. Did you get lost or were you just enjoying a vacation in hell?"
"Please." Jax waved dismissively. "I could've made it back blindfolded. Though someone," he gestured at Bruce, "kept flirting with every Lava Hound we met."
"It's called diplomacy," Bruce said, offended.
Kai, still lying on the grass, raised a hand. "Uh, two questions. One: who is this guy? Two: why is his weapon talking? And three—wait, no, just two questions."
Jax glanced at Kai, then Fren, his expression skeptical. "Who're the new kids?"
Vanessa stepped in. "Fren and Kai. They joined while you were gone."
Jax sized them up, unimpressed. "Are we sure they're not just here to deliver lunch?"
"Hey!" Fren and Kai shouted in unison.
Jax smirked, holding out a hand to Fren. "Jax. Third-strongest on Ress's team, but don't let that intimidate you."
Fren hesitated, shaking his hand. "Uh, Fren. Still learning the basics… like standing."
Kai crossed his arms. "Kai. And for the record, I'm not taking sass from a talking bear-sword."
Bruce growled. "I'm not a sword! I'm a Halberd! Get it right, amateur!"
"Bruce, play nice," Jax said with a chuckle.
Vanessa clapped her hands, cutting through the banter. "Jax, since you're back, why don't you help Fren with his training? He could use some… guidance."
Jax groaned theatrically. "Babysitting duty? Fine, but if he cries, it's on you."
"Cry?! I don't cry!" Fren protested, puffing his chest.
Bruce let out a grumbling laugh. "Kid, with those moves, I'd cry."
Ress snickered from his branch. "This is going to be good."
As Jax approached, Aria leaned toward Kai and Rosa, whispering, "Ten bucks says Fren doesn't last five minutes."
Kai grinned. "I'll take that bet. Make it three minutes."
Fren squared his shoulders, gripping his wooden sword with renewed determination. "All right, Jax. Teach me. I'm ready!"
Bruce smirked, "Oh, kid, you have no idea what you've just signed up for."
And with that, chaos—and hilarity—ensued.
To be continue...