Avery and the Dragon stone

Chapter 10 learning new skills

The sun crept through the tattered and worn-down curtains of the inn room. 

"Ugh" Avery groaned turning away from the sunlight. 

"Cmon Ave's it's time to go meet Abraham." Avery picks her head up to see Atlas already awake and dressed.

"Why ugh" Avery sits up in the bed and Atlas laughs. After a few moments Avery gets up and changes putting the sword under the bow on her back and sliding the knife in the sheath and attaching it to her thigh.

"Alright let's go" Avery says as they both clean up the old inn room and head downstairs walking outside of the inn. 

The girls walk down the rocky dirt road up to Abraham's weapon shop. They push the door open to see Abraham working.

"Your late" he says looking up at them.

"You said daybreak." Avery says tiredly.

"Yes, Avery Day break, not sun rise." He rolls his eyes and puts his hammer down going into the back to clean up. The girls look at one another wondering what they got themselves into. Abraham comes back out and walks past the girls.

"Follow me" Abraham says as he walks outside and behind the shop where a wooden log is hanging from a tree along with some round pieces. 

"Alright Avery, hit that with your bow." He says handing Avery a pack of black steel arrows.

Avery takes them putting them in the quiver and pulling the bow off her shoulder. 

"Breathe, you have no reason to rush your first shot." Abraham says watching her hands shake as she puts the arrow against the string pulling it back. Abraham puts his hand on hers, turning her hips slightly before letting go of her. 

"You got this Ave's" Atlas says keeping her eyes on Abraham as Avery releases the arrow hitting the oak piece right in the center.

"You just killed your first beast." Abraham smirked.

"Alright Atlas let's see how you do with that axe." He says as he points to the log handing from the tree. Atlas pulls the cover off the axe gripping the leather handle as she hits the log over and over.

"Wait!" Abraham says as Atlas stops and looks at him. He shows her how to shift her weight by shifting his own weight. 

"See like this" He shifts his feet. 

"Good now hit it again." He says as Atlas does as he says, she hits the log with the axe hard enough to get the axe stuck. 

"Good" he says and looks back at Avery.

"But now its stuck" Avery says looking at Atlas who is confused as well.

"Yep, now you're going to learn to pull it out of whatever you plan to kill" he says walking over to the log holding it.

"Put your foot down, in front of the other. You want to solidly plant your feet. Use your upper body strength and push the axe up away from you so you don't hit yourself." He does as he says showing Atlas and then hits the log with the axe, so it gets stuck again.

"Now you try" he says taking a step back and walking over to Avery. 

"Alright let's see how you do with that knife." Abraham pulls out a wooden knife lunging at Avery not giving her time to pull the blade out of her holster.

"Too slow, you never know when you're going to be attacked." Abraham steps back and then lunges again, this time Avery gets the knife out, but Abraham uses his other hand and knocks it out of her hand holding the blade in his hand against her neck. Avery shocked looking up at Abraham. 

"How did you-" Atlas hears Avery and turns to see Abraham holding the blade to Avery and Avery blushing.

"You have to be quicker. Don't let that knife out of your hand, the second that blade reaches your hand your grip needs to be like concrete." He says and drops the blade from her neck flipping it around and handing it to Avery handle first. 

"Have you gotten the Axe out yet miss Atlas?" He turns to see Atlas who is staring. 

"Uh no not yet!" Atlas keeps trying as Abraham turns back to Avery. 

"Shall we try again?" Abraham says as Avery nods holding the blade as Abraham takes a step back planting his feet.  Abraham lunges and sees Avery's arm move. 

"I got you again! You need to focus!" Abraham says.

"Uh Abraham? You sure you got her." Atlas says now holding the axe after getting it free. Abraham looks down to see Avery holding the tip of her black knife against Abraham's chest. A look of pride comes across his face, and he lowers the wooden dull blade from her neck.

"You're getting there" he smiled and walked over to Atlas.

"Alright time to see your knife skills." Abraham says.

After three hours both of the girls are exhausted. Avery sits on the ground and Atlas is bent over with her hands on her knees panting.

"You both did good today, but there is no way you're ready to go after the stone yet." Abraham says offering them both cups of water.

"But we have to get home" Avery says taking the water.

"There is no point in going if you're going to get killed." Abraham says as Atlas nods.

"He's not wrong, we aren't ready." Avery nods to herself.

"Alright you girls take the rest of the day and come back tomorrow same time." Abraham said as he went back inside the shop to continue his work from this morning. 

Both the girls sighed and drank the water before standing up, Avery's knees buckled, and Atlas quickly grabbed her. They made their way back to the inn room and Atlas headed downstairs to pay for another night. 

"Why was he so focused on me today?" Avery questioned to herself as Atlas walked back into the room. 

"Hey, you were blushing when he beat you the first time at the knife training." She said taking a sip of water.

"Was I? It was probably from the heat" Avery exclaimed. Atlas just brushed it off thinking nothing of it. 

"Alright we have to figure out a way to keep getting silver because we only have one left and need more to stay here. I think it would be best if we both go scavenging right now and bring back whatever we can to Mama Magnus." Avery nods hearing Atlas and they spend a bit of time recovering before deciding to go out and find things to barter for more silver.

New skills are rising, are new relationships rising as well? I guess we will find out why Avery was blushing when training with Abraham. 

Will the girls be able to keep staying in the inn and find more silver? Check out the next chapter to find out.