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Chapter 51

"Alright." Akxfo began. "Day one." He paused. "Do not expect this to be easy, though, today probably will be the easiest. Anywho," He chucked a scalpel at her.

"Geez, what the heck!?"

"Top to bottom. Get scrubbing."

"Get- get what? Aren't you supposed to teach me about my abilities and how to control my anger?"

"Mhm."

"How is-"

"Don't argue with me, just do it!" He laughed. "And good luck, it hasn't been cleaned in years."

"Can I at least wear gloves?" Akxfo put his hand on his chin. Then he sighed.

"I suppose you'll have to. New laws forbid me from not having you use safety gear. Ugh, follow me." Akxfo walked over to a closet and filled up a bucket with soapy water. He put something on each side of the bucket and then handed it to her. He then grabbed a belt and put it around her waist. It had all sorts of supplies in it. Then he grabbed a wire looking thing and a harness. "Let's go." They walked up a bunch of stairs, so many flights that Lavina was winded by the time they reached the top.

"Aw, finally!"

Akxfo laughed.

"What? What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing." He turned around and looked at her. "If you're tired from that climb then this arena is going to take you forever to clean." Lavina looked at him with a scared tinge in her eye and then followed behind him. "Come mere, lift up your arms." Lavina did as he said and he fastened the harness around her. "Alrighty, well, all you need to do is suspend down the arena. Call me when you think you are done and I'll come find you and tell you if you are. Anywho, I'll see you later."

"You're not going to stay?"

"Why should I?"

"What if I get hurt?"

"Scream. There's people down there." Lavina rolled her eyes. "Hey, I didn't get any help and I was younger than you." He said, walking off.

Lavina sighed. She started on the floor that she was at, putting the bucket on her belt. It didn't spill because of the device Akxfo had put on the rim, but she still didn't like it when it tipped. It took her nearly three hours to scrub off the ceiling, her arms in pain. It was so stained that the black just wouldn't come off. But after she finished that she started suspending herself down the walls, cleaning every creveres.By the time she finished the Arena it was dark out. After Akxfo got her out of the harness they walked back up to the surface. That's when she found out that it was nine o'clock at night. "What?!" Lavina exclaimed. "It took me all day just to do all that work?"

"Mhm." Akxfo started. "It's pretty hard, but you actually did a good job. You won't have to do that again, at least not anytime soon. But tomorrow is a new day and I actually have to teach you something. But I do have a new approach to help you in your endeavors. So get some rest, cause this teacher's gonna teach."

"That's not as hip as you think it is."

"Only to you." Akxfo laughed. Then he shut the patio door and went off into the forest.

"Welcome home!" Amilia said, walking into the living room.

"Hi mom."

"Look who's back!" Leo said, coming up behind her.

"Oh, so you're both here."

"Is that Lavina I hear, is she back?"

"Is that-" Jasvinder came from behind them and stood off to the side. "Oh, so dad's here too. Is- is this the thing we're doing now?"

Jasvinder laughed. "No, I'm just in town for business, thought I might stop by."

"And this is not all because of what you saw the other night at Sully's?"

"Wha- no, of course not. I spent most of the afternoon with your brother, although a little somebody was missing. Asked if I could stick around, called the wife and all." He clapped his hands together. "So- what did you do today?"

"Mm, stuff."

"Stuff?" Lavina shoved past them and into the kitchen.

"Ugh," She started. "Just stuff." She poured herself a glass of water.

"Oh come on, I'm dad. Spill the tea."

"Uh-" She stammered. Lavina walked past him and back into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

"Come now, Lavina, what were you so busy doing today?" She glared at him.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart."
"Ugh." She said again. "I was training with Akxfo."

"Akxfo!?" They both exclaimed.

"Yes."

"How in the world-" Amilia started.

"It's really not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Jasvinder added. "He nearly killed your mother, twice!"
"Yeah, and?"

"Excuse me, and?"

"He put me in a harness today, so he's safer."

"Safer? I doubt that." Amilia said. "I can't believe they assigned him to you."

"I really don't think it's a big deal, I mean he already said I'm better skilled than you were at that age."

"Did he now?"

"Yeah, he rambled about how weak you were and something about he only came back because he owed you a favor- I mean it wasn't a big task today, I just cleaned the Arena."

Amilia laughed. "He finally did it then."

"Huh?"

"He's been going on about that Arena for years. How it lost its momentum after his master passed away. How it never got cleaned anymore, that the caretaker really didn't care enough to."

"Well, yeah." She giggled. "It's all stained now, I couldn't even begin to get the black off."

"And you cleaned it?"

"Yes."

"What was it like?"

"What?"

"You know, you saw parts of the Arena no one else has."

"Eh, it was alright." Amilia gave her a look. "It was just a normal Arena, a ceiling, walls, a floor."

"What about the gears?"

"They were gears."

"Ah." It was silent. Amilia looked over to Jasvinder. "Well, you should get going, getting in so late won't be the best for your meeting tomorrow."

"Ah- but my daughter just got home."

Amilia laughed, "You can see her again before you leave, dear ex of mine. I'm sure you'll have time later this week."

"Yes, my love." He joked. "Goodbye Lavina." He went over to her and gave her a hug, she hugged him back and then waved as he left the room. Then she got up herself and put her glass into the sink.

"Tired?" Amilia asked her.

"Not really, but Akxfo said I'm going to have a trying day tomorrow, so mide as well get a good night's sleep."

"That's true."

"Is Uncle Leo staying?"

"Um- I don't know, he might." She blushed.

"So you two are getting along."

"We always have." She smiled.

"Ah, well, it'll be weird if I have to call him dad, but not unwelcome." Lavina smiled back at her mother.

"I see." Amilia looked up the stairs at Lavina. "Goodnight, Lavina."

"Goodnight mom."