Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🐉 Dragon's Doom [3/5] 🐉

Tia's POV:

"Feint to your left and strike at me with your right! C'mon Tia, you can do better! Strike me like I just snapped your RipTrident in half!"

Arthur barked more commands at me as we sparred, testing my physical limits.

Both of us were in the training courtyard on a cold, windy night, fighting in a light snowfall.

We were both putting up a practice match, preparing to demonstrate some of our abilities to Queen Xera of Everhallow and her husband, King Lance.

It took me a while to get used to them, but now they've just become a new pair of spectators in my peripheral vision.

"Harder, Tia!" My mentor snapped, swiftly swinging at my unguarded jaw. "Block it and counter with your tail. Kick at my side and try to knock me off my feet!"

I was getting tired; We have been at this for the last five consecutive hours without a break.

Neither of us were about to stop now.

In an attempt to follow his orders, I whirled around to slam my knee into his exposed ribs, only to trip over my tail flukes and crash into his broad chest.

We both went falling down into the snow.

"Ugh..." I groaned, awkwardly rolling off of him and onto the cold blanket of slush beneath us. "Did I land the hit, sir, or...?"

"No, Tia." Arthur huffed, sitting up and crossing his arms. "No you didn't. You wanted to train for this long, and yet you don't have the stamina to do so. What happened?"

"I... I'm sorry, Arthur." I sighed, my head spinning from the fall. "I understand I'm being clumsy, please forgive me... I don't mean to fail you."

His gaze softened. "No, no. I just realized I'm being too hard on you, Tia. You need to take a break from practicing."

I slowly sat up, brushing the frigid slush off of my chest. "No, I want to keep going... I'm tired, but I can persist."

"We're taking a mandatory break, no exceptions." He insisted, getting back on his feet. "Fifteen minutes at least. Your tiny body can only take so much outside of combat."

"I hate you," I huffed, rolling my eyes at him out of mock-annoyance.

"I love you too, Tia." My mentor snorted, reaching down and offering to help me up with his free hand.

I took him by the wrist, pulling myself back onto my boots and nearly slipping back into the snow.

"Careful, sleet's turning to ice." The king warned, supporting me with the other hand. "Temperatures are dropping tonight, and it's gonna get colder than it is now."

I felt his palm warmly cup around my shoulder, comforting and reassuring me.

Leaning into his welcoming touch, I let him guide me inside, leading me back toward our room.

Yes, I say our room because I don't want to have a room alone.

I do have my personal training quarters, but I don't rest there even though there's a perfectly good hammock for me to sleep on.