Blades of Grass

A Friend

"Alright, enough studying and testing for now," Freyja said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's spar, Ace."

Aesar smiled, the nickname bringing back fond memories. "Haven't heard that in years. I've missed it, Frey."

They shared a laugh, then moved to opposite ends of the training room. The space, lined with ceramic tiles and scarred by countless battles, was ready for action. Aesar drew her bow, nocking three arrows, while Freyja warmed up with some stretches. Marshall floated in the center, his countdown beginning.

At "1," Aesar released her arrows in quick succession. Freyja dashed forward with astonishing speed, evading the arrows with agile sidesteps. Aesar switched tactics, drawing arrows tipped with explosives. She fired them in a wide spread, targeting the ground around Freyja. With a flick of her telekinesis, Freyja redirected the explosive arrows harmlessly into the ceiling. Closing the distance with a lunge, Freyja saw Aesar pull a smoke bomb from her pocket. A puff of smoke erupted, and Aesar vanished.

Freyja sniffed the air, but Aesar had neutralized her scent. She scanned the area, puzzled by Aesar's sudden disappearance.

"Time to use my hybrid form," Freyja announced.

Her body began to transform: a muscular tail grew, gills emerged, and her teeth sharpened as her skin hardened into scales. She detected a faint trace of Aesar's scent and turned just in time to see an arrow aimed at her head. It struck, delivering a jolt of electricity that knocked Freyja to the ground on one knee. Aesar dropped from above, wishing to pin her down.

But Freyja was far from finished. She removed the arrow, twisting her torso and extending her left arm behind her in Aesar's direction to use telekinesis to halt her descent. With Aesar hanging in the air, Freyja stands up to face her. A powerful jet of water shot from her mouth, knocking Aesar's bow from her hands. She then threw Aesar to the ground and moved in to finish the fight, gripping her limp form by the neck.

Suddenly, another someone appeared behind Freyja, holding a dazzling dagger. "Ahem," she said.

Realizing the one in front was a decoy, Freyja swung her tail into Aesar, smashing her against the wall. She bit off the fake's head, which crumpled into a pile of leaves. Freyja turned to confront the real Aesar, who was struggling to rise. Before Freyja could react, Aesar disappeared, catching her off guard. Arrows rained down from above, forcing Freyja to roll to the side. Reappearing, she choked Freyja with her dagger poised at her gills. Freyja retaliated by tightening her tail around Aesar's stomach, creating a tense stalemate.

They both laughed and released each other, then hugged. Freyja's skin and teeth returned to normal, her tail and gills vanishing. Aesar drank water and Freyja sat down, their bodies in need of a moment to recover.

"That was a great fight," Aesar said, still catching her breath.

"Yeah, you've still got it," Freyja replied, nudging Aesar playfully.

"What do you mean?" Aesar asked, punching Freyja gently on the shoulder.

Marshall commented, "See, I told you it would be a good spar."

"Definitely," I agreed. "You both went all out."

Aesar added, "It was a good test, but we didn't use our full abilities. Just a friendly match."

After preparing to leave, Freyja, Aesar, and I said our goodbyes to Marshall and Gertrude. Just as we were about to leave, Freyja remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said, pulling out a strange spherical device. She pointed it at Gertrude and pressed the button. A beam enveloped the shark-horse, and it vanished.

"What was that?" I asked, horrified.

"Nothing to worry about," Freyja said with a shrug. "I like to take her on adventures."

At least I know Gertrude's female now... but that doesn't explain what just happened!

"Anyway, let's head outside."

We exited Freyja's and Marshall's lair and made our way back to the underground water tunnel, emerging on the other side and heading toward the village.