Legend of the Pure Era

Chapter 5 - The Bond

I woke slightly earlier than I wished, but knew I was better to wake now than try for more rest. I found I was the only one awake. Which was understandable. The sun hadn't even begun to show. I had a quick meal before bringing myself from the mouth of the den. The Isle was quiet and peaceful. Most are still asleep at this early hour. "And I had forgotten why I love to wake that dawn." The peace of everything was breathtaking. Calming any nerve that was lightly shot from yesterday. I was planning on waiting for Lightning at the perch, but I caught a glimpse of them making their own way from their den. "Were the dens always that close? I could have easily walked them to their den..." The thought melted away as it came. I made my way over to them, after shooting myself into the sky. My wings were faster than my legs anyway.

Lightning met me in the air and we made our way to the perch. No racing this time. We spoke about nothing and anything on our short flight. "What were you planning for our training this early?" Lightning shrugged, as much as one could while flying, and answered. "Maybe just some sparring. I don't really care about the more technical stuff." I nodded quickly. I myself wasn't a big fan of practicing fighting routines. We don't really need them. Not every fight will turn out the same way. "It's funny that they believe everyone has the same mind..." Lightning chuckled at that, making me realize I said it aloud.

I landed soundlessly on the ground of the training grounds, Lightning quick to do the same beside me. They took a moment to breathe in the air around us. The training grounds are placed on a higher level compared to the dens, making the air cooler and fresher. "Sometimes I think it's to chill the bones of the young into fighting." Lightning spoke. I nodded slightly to their words, continuing this new topic, "It brings a new chapter into their lives, it's got to feel different somehow, the Pure Tree flattened the ground here itself, it must have had a reason to." Lightning looked back to the Tree as they wondered about the topic. Neither of us is sure of how to continue the topic that we don't know more about.

Since Lightning was looking at the Tree while still walking they almost walked into the dip around the training area. I slowly knocked them away from the dip, snapping them out of their mind. "Now who's the one stuck staring at the Pure Tree? Seems like it's been a blue moon." I spoke after they shook themselves out of their mind. They only laughed loudly at the comment before butting ahead to trot forward, "Well I guess if that's the case, you might be able to beat me today while training." I wouldn't be surprised if they even heard me scoff at the counter before they had already run slightly ahead into the grounds.

I quickly brought myself to their speed, catching up with them. Once I did so, I of course pushed them over. All in fair fun. They got up quickly, bolting after me as I laughed at the shocked face they pulled as they fell. They easily caught me, as they do a lot more speed training in a week, than I've ever done, in my time training. "You seem to always forget that I'll always catch you." I could only laugh at their remark, until I caught my breath and countered, "Gotta keep you at your best, you might need that speed for real, one day. We wouldn't want the Isle to end up harmed 'cause we got lazy." They huffed slightly as they lifted their weight from me, moving to gain space between us. Ready to start our early morning training?

We place ourselves in the arena, giving each other the space between us as both our hind legs edge at the dip. Circling the arena, following a push from each other's movements. Moving slowly around the edge of the dip as we fall into a pace that keeps us parallel to each other in the arena. "Just some sparring, any rules to this?" I ask to make sure we are just having a fun spar before our real training starts later when others wake up and join us. Lightning answers me after a moment; "Yeah, give it all you got, no rules needed for some friendly fire." I nod at that, easing the pace of my circling.

As soon as I do, and my mind is off where Lightning is for a second, they push forward, landing a quick hoof to my side. I have to quickly right myself with my wings, also using them to quickly regain the distance that was lost. I kick out with my hind leg as I do so, my hit doesn't land, sending off my center of balance. When this happens, Lightning sends off on their wings, swinging their body to land a tail hit on the other side of my body. At this point, I think about picking up some more speed training, as their speed seems to have gotten even better since our last spar. I get more distance quickly, causing a clap within my wings to send a strong gust of wind towards Lightning. I can see them lose their footing and get pushed to the edge of the training arena.

Once they plant their hooves in the ground again, I know to ready myself for whatever they have next. As the gust eases they launch off with their wings, straight at me, I can slightly block the hoof that almost lands on my shoulder. I quickly unlock our fore-legs, and bring both of mine up to hit them square in both shoulders. This blow causes them to stumble back again. But they still try to land their other hoof at mine, but it just slips off the base of my wing. With this I ready the same attack, bringing both fore-hooves up, but, of course, Lightning sees this and dodges away just enough so that my hooves meet the ground again. The shock wave of the contact travels up my legs, and through the ground around my hooves.

We both take a quick breather as we have space between us, continuing the circling of the training arena as we do so. Slowly regaining our breath. Both our eyes are locked on each other, waiting for who's going to make the first move. At this point, with Lightning's speed, it's better to tire them, as my strength can't do anything to them if I can't even hit them. I can't tell what's going through their brain, they're always hard to read in a spar. It's like a mask comes down over their eyes.

I see them slightly unfold their wings, readying for another jump across the arena, but that's not what happens. They twist their body and as they face me again, their wings flap in one strong burst, sending a swirling gust my way. My footing was off so I lost it as soon as the gust hit me. I quickly stomp down on my hooves to keep myself from being dragged to the edge of the arena by the gust. They're back on me with a flap of their wings, a hoof of theirs planting itself on my shoulder, pushing me further back toward the edge. Turning quickly on my hind legs, I bring my tail around in a swing, it slams into Lightning right on their side, who stumbles away slightly from the impact.

Once they stabilize themselves from the stumble, their foreleg kicks out before I can turn. It landed at the joint of my hind leg, causing it to buckle under the shock of it. I bought my wings to flap to try and gain some distance between us again, with this I put power behind the backward flap of my wings to send a small gust behind me. I didn't see if it hit them, but it bought me a sliver of time. Not as much time as I would hope, as I feel more so than see one of the kicks smacking the end of my tail.

Knowing they seem to still be rather near me, I swirl back around. Rearing onto my hind legs I get them right in the center of their side with my fore-hooves. They fall back to having their four legs on the ground. But their hind leg strikes my right shoulder. I bounce back away from them, clapping my wings towards them, catching them in the gust, and they get pushed back into the dip of the arena.

They stand from within the dip, their emotions finally easy to read once again. I had won that spar, and they were not one bit bitter about it. The big smile on their face spoke that easily. "Well done Firera, I think that's one of our fastest spares." They spoke through their smiling maw. I smiled right back at them, with a comment dying on my own maw, as we both heard a large set of roars of excitement coming from the higher level of the training flat.

The others of both our Bond-Packs have finally found their way to the training flat, neither of us would be able to tell you, when they had gotten there, but they were there now. Which meant the real training would begin shortly.