Beasts of Flames

Chapter Twenty

A few weeks have passed since I saw Prince Kellen. According to Gavin, who I had been spending most of my days with, he was forced to leave due to urgent business. His absence had no real effect on my days though. In fact, I found much pleasure in it. There was no dark broody man-child lingering around the corner waiting to tear out my throat. So, I contented myself with my own rehabilitation. Finding myself once again in a new body was a challenge, but my dedication to rebuilding myself gave me the opportunity to explore my latest prison.

In the few moments, I found myself completely alone, I curiously wandered about Prince Kellen's home. The Summer House was much smaller than the place I imagined he dwelled in. I have visited a multitude of spare bedrooms much like the one I woke up in, but they lacked secrets for me to uncover.

Another day, I discovered a small study tucked away behind a bookcase in the large foyer. Even more curious, the study was a complete disaster. All of the shelves were coated in layers and layers of dust and cobwebs, and the floor was covered in a rug of papers and books thrown about. Just as I was about to scour through the articles, I heard a scuffle of boots that sent me running out of the room. I would have to come back another time.

Having spent the past weeks inside, Gavin suggested that today we explore our outdoor surroundings. The limber legs beneath me were slowly gaining back their muscle, and they begged to be put to the test. It had felt so long ago that I had held a sword, held any weapon in my hands. Unfortunately, neither Gavin nor I had managed to discover Prince Kellen's weapon storage room. It seemed the most active I'd be today would be walking. How exhilarating.

"Lyda, are you awake?" Gavin called out, peeking out from behind my bedroom door. I turned away from the window to see him dressed in warm, summer clothes.

"It's almost noon, Gavin. I'd hope I would be awake by now."

"Always so sarcastic," Gavin mocked, "Come on."

I chased after Gavin, following him down the stairs and through the entrance to the house. The heat from the sun beat down on me, flooding my face with warmth. In the distance, I could hear the lulling sounds of the waves tumbling onto the rocky shore.

"Hurry up, Lyda," Gavin called to me again, "You promised me you'd show me some moves, today."

"Calm down, I'm coming," I laughingly said. He could be so impatient sometimes. He could be so impatient sometimes. By the time I caught up to him, he was balancing on one leg as if he were imitating a long-legged crane. Seeing that his eyes were shut, I took advantage of the opportunity. I picked up a round pebble, and rolling it around in my hand, I tossed it at him. The pebble collided with his side, throwing off his balance and sending him falling to the ground.

"We're going to have to work on that balance before we try any moves," I snarkily said, leaning over to give him a hand up.

"I was doing just fine until you decided to throw pebbles at me," Gavin said, dusting the dirt out of his hair.

"How about we start with some footwork."

Moving him into position, I guided him through the footwork slowly. Step by step, each movement started to remind me of my first student. Asteria. I had been fighting to stay alive for so long, I had forgotten about my friend. I had forgotten about our friendship, and I couldn't help but feel distraught. She probably believed I had abandoned her. She probably thought I ran away and left her to be plucked apart by the wolves in that palace. The thought of that tore at my heart, mostly because I knew I could do nothing to change that.

I turned my focus back to Gavin, who in the moments I had zoned out had already managed to confuse the steps.

"No, your foot needs to be here. Your knees should be slightly bent so you're prepared to move offensively and defensively," I positioned myself opposite him, hoping he would be able to mirror my movements. I started over, going back to the basics, taking each step with intention, imagining a blade in my hands. For the first time in a long time, I felt like my old self again.