Guardian

(2) Battle Scars & Practice

Hello everybody! I hope you're having a wonderful day. So, I started writing this story in third-person, and then I realized I wanted to write it in first.... So I'm switching it up! This will be told from Rhea's perspective. I don't know if you can do this, but I'm breaking the rules. Muwahahaha, enjoy. :)
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The wind howled in my ear as I stepped into the clearing. Just like every week, he stood there waiting in all his glory. His sunset eyes met mine, and I nodded in acknowledgement.

I hadn't told anyone of my secret meetings with the gorgeous angel. I knew what they would say and how they would feel , but I couldn't contain myself. There was like an imaginary string drawing me into him, and I found myself not wanting to resist.

Pulling my hood and cloth tight to my face, I listened to the steady silence. I still did not trust him to see my face, and a part of me was scared to see his reaction. No one but my friends have seen what was truly under the mask, and I wasn't mentally prepared for him to find out.

"Hello," I called out. Even with the muffle from the fabric, I knew he heard me. The angel had not made one attempt to speak to me, and I was growing agitated. " I think Gelasia is starting to suspect something. I caught her following me last week."

Still no reply.

It's no use. If he doesn't wish to speak, he won't. You can't force him or try to draw him out.

Bowing my head in silence, I took cold, deep breaths in, preparing for my warm-up.

After our first, unusual encounter, the angel began to appear everywhere. He would observe me training, talking, eating, and even once, bathing. The nerve of him! Luckily, my back was to him so he could not see my face. The only reason I had known he was there was because of the warm sensation I got in my chest whenever he was around.

Afterwards, the man would start slowly approaching me, especially when I was practicing. He would sit on the floor or on a nearby rock and watch my intently with those burning eyes. Annoyance soon crept in, and I snapped at him, but he was unaffected.

He cautiously made his way to me, and took my blade. His body moved fluidly with every movement, and I realized he was correcting me. At first I was furious. How dare some man, who was stalking me, try and criticize me, but my anger dwindled away.

As I continued to watch him, amazement flew through me. His movements were so precise and elegant, yet powerful and well executed. I knew there was many things I could learn from him.

Maybe he wasn't useless after all.

Our sessions continued form that moment on. Him demonstrating, me learning, all in complete silence. Okay, maybe not in complete silence.

"So what do you have in store for me today, oh Great Master," I teased as I finished stretching. His face remained blank, but for a second, I could've sworn I saw amusement in his eyes. He stood in silence, and I scowled.

Drawing my blade, I took my stance, and that got his attention. He too whipped out his sword, an intense black, that gleamed in the sunlight. We began to circle each other, like two animals ready to attack. I made the first move.

Propelling myself forward with my right leg, I swiped at his head with my blade. He ducked, rolling out of the way, and spun around to deflect my blow. Iron clashed against one another, and I pushed against his sword.

Twirling, I aimed a low kick to his calf, but he barely stumbled. Jumping out of the way, I watched as his sword sliced the ground where I had been standing.

That was close.

Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I felt my wings threatening to expand. I dodged his next blow and slammed my body into his side. We tumbled onto the ground with me on top.

We stared at one another before he launched me off of him. I hissed, and my wings snapped out on impulse. I hovered in the air gracefully, watching his every step. The angel dusted himself off, threw his head back, and his blood, red wings extended out from either side.

This was going to be an air fight.

He charged at me, and our wings were now smacking each other, our most powerful weapons. Neither one of us back down, and I could feel sweat starting to form on my forehead.

Gathering all of my strength, I swiped my sword upwards, catching him off guard, and swung my wing in his face. He fell to the ground, and I dove after him. Before he could recover, I latched my legs onto his neck. Using my momentum, I flew backwards, causing him to crash into the dirt face first. I kneeled on top of his back, my sword resting on his neck.

"Game over."

Stepping off of the angel, I brushed the hair out of my face, and that's when I realized my mistake. My hood and cloth had came off during out fight, and my face was exposed to him. Gulping, I stared into his hard eyes.

He accessed me up and down, and I stamped down the instinct to run. As if time slowed down, he began walking towards me, and that's when panic hit me.

Turning, I fled. The warm sensation didn't leave me, so I knew he was following. Suddenly, I crashed into a tree, his body pressing tightly into mine. I whirled around ready to slap him, but he caught my hand.

"Don't," he commanded. I gasped at the sound of his voice. So deep and masculine, and sexy. My face scrunched up.

Did I just call him sexy?

Hot fingers jolted me back into reality. He slowly traced the scar on my face, starting at the center of my forehead, to the left side of my face, and back up to the center.

"Crescent," he whispered. I didn't speak. Suddenly, he pushed himself away. His wings expanded, and I knew he was preparing to take off. I watched as he launched himself into the sky, but stopped to turn and look at me.

"Endre," he said softly, before taking off. I watched in confusion.

His name was Endre? Why does that seem so familiar?