Flame Inside ✿ Damien and Matthew

Chapter 37

Thalia walked into the great hall, smiling as she noticed that Saero wasn't there. "He must be researching where the rose is..." She muttered to herself. She lit her hand on fire and played with it as she waited there in case Saero was able to get her a replacement trainer. She tossed the fireball back and forth between her hands a few times before allowing it to float above her hand.

Thalia watched the fire for a few moments before she threw her hand out. The fire lands on the floor and she turns in a circle, the fire following her movements. Once she'd created a circle, she pushed her hands upwards and the fire followed, creating a fire dome around her. "Very impressive." She hears a familiar voice compliment. She shoots her hands out to either side of her, blasting the fire wall outwords and the fire dissipates after a moment.

She turned around and smiled at the source of the voice. "Thank you, Diana." Thalia told her, "So what are you doing here?" The apprentice already knew the answer but she didn't want to tell her that.

"You will be training with me today. I apologize for Saero's absence."

"What do you mean? Where is Saero?" Thalia asked, keeping up her clueless act.

"He asked to train on his own for the day. As he will be in the front lines of the siege, I granted him permission."

She nodded in reply. She held her hands out and summoned her daggers, ready to fight the queen of the rebellion headon. "Alright. Then don't hold back."

Diana nodded and prepared her stance, summoning her saber and bringing it back behind her. Thalia had to use this new training partner as a new experience. Not everyone would fight like Saero, so this was a good challenge for her. Fighting with Diana was no easy task. She was quick and thought ten steps ahead of Thalia, catching the apprentice off guard at some points. Still, she could tell that she was putting up a good fight with her defense.

What surprised her was how time passed by without her even noticing it. The more she clashed with Diana, the more ignorant she became of the sky's eventual descent from light purple to dark orange. Soon enough, their training had ended.

Thalia panted, out of breath, but surprisingly still on her feet. She didn't understand how or why, but she could only assume that she was getting better, which was a good thing. Diana smirked as she relaxed, stretching back and making her saber vanish. "I will admit, dear: you've done well for just a handful of days." She complimented.

Thalia grinned, happy to hear that she had impressed Diana with her skills. She only trained for a few days but showed great improvement. Maybe the demon world was aiding her in becoming a stronger person. "Thank you, Diana."

Diana nodded before walking to the exit of the room, "Now, please excuse me. I must see to the boys. You are free to come if you'd like." Thalia almost agreed, but she wanted to find Saero and see if he needed any help. She declined and left the room as well towards the opposite direction.

She wandered around the castle, trying to find the library because it was where Saero would probably be researching. As she wandered, Thalia passed by a door that was only open a small crack, overhearing a quiet conversation. "This idea is idiotic, guard. Leaving during a war could be considered treason and you would be abandoning your duties to your mistress." She heard a voice that sounded like Shadow say.

"I know that! But..." She heard Saero exclaim.

She stopped walking and peered inside, wanting to see what was going on. Saero was standing steadfast by a large fireplace as Shadow, arrogant as ever, loomed over the small table that was covered in maps and books. "Do you really think a quest like this is beneficial to the war? All it would do is leave us one less powerful ally for a significant amount of time." Shadow said.