Iron Born

Chapter 1

"Faster"

Ruby's body was nearing its limit, but she obeyed and pushed her limbs to thrust and twist on command, increasing her speed.

"Faster, you're still not fast enough."

Sweat ran down her neck and back, getting in her eyes, but she didn't stop to wipe it away. Instead, she kept going, willing herself to improve.

Keep your body low, keep your feet wide and ready to move.

These basics had been drilled into her since she was a child until they were as much a part of her as her arms and legs. The teenager grunted with exertion, focused solely on the square on the wall that was her target. The caves were cool, the stone holding in the chill of the autumn air. They were well hidden from the world.

In her intensity, Ruby was caught off guard by sudden pressure on the back of her knee. She didn't fall, but she did buckle only to recover quickly and whip around in surprise.

Nuada stood behind her with an unimpressed look on his face, ageless as ever. "You let your guard down."

Ruby wiped the sweat from her face and growled, "You were the one that wanted me to go faster."

"Yes, faster, but don't get sloppy." He reprimanded her. "Never, ever forsake awareness for ability, otherwise you'll miss something you could have stopped."

Ruby sighed heavily but nodded. He'd really been picking up on her training in the past year. When she came to him as a child he'd only taught her the basics, but maybe since she'd stuck around for so long and kept his location a secret, he'd started to take her more seriously.

The girl rolled her shoulders lazily and winced slightly

"Did you strain anything?"

"No" She should her head, "I've just been training with the weights at HQ, to get stronger."

"That's good." Nuada nodded, slightly impressed that his protege been training outside of him, "if you train with weight, you'll become faster when you move without them."

Ruby nodded and sat on an out-jutting rock, taking advantage of the lull to catch her breath.

"How's my sister?" Nuada asked, ever curious since his link had been broken. The knife that pierced her breast hadn't killed them, but it did sever their tie to one another. After the battle all those years ago, Nuada reinstated his exile. The betrayal of his sister had sent him into a tailspin, and as much as he wanted to finish what he started, he couldn't find the fire he had had before.

Perhaps, he thought, the years were getting to him.

"She's alright." Ruby nodded, tying her black hair back into a tight bun. "We don't talk much, but as far as I know nothing's changed."

"And your brother?" Nuada prodded carefully, leaning against the wall beside her and slowly slipping down so they were on the same level.

She swallowed her water and sighed, setting the plastic bottle to the side "He's the same too."

"So, your parents are still coddling him then?"

"Hm." Ruby shrugged, "It's complicated. But I don't mind so much, not anymore. Trevor's not like me. Sometimes I think it's better that he got mom's powers and I didn't. I mean, could you imagine me catching fire?"

Nuada scoffed at that, "I'd rather not, I've already made you enough of a menace."

The girl chuckled and nodded. It wasn't true though if anything Nuada had kept her from becoming a threat to society. Once upon a time, Ruby hated her brother for his powers and the fact that he was too timid to use them. Yes, she'd taken after her father in strength, but all the same, she was insanely jealous.