Worlds of Light and Dark

Elentyia ••• The Illyrian Fight

The cool mountain breeze whipped strands of Elentyia's hair from her braid. Ayla had flown her up to her private training center in the middle of a mountain. 

Two large training rings were positioned against the left wall. Rows of weapons and armor scatter and grouped around the open space. A small sitting area occupied the back corner and was decked out with large couches, no doubt to accommodate the Illryian's wings, and piles of games. It appeared that the night court liked to get away from the hustle of life and cozy up in this windswept mountain. 

Elentyia doubted the view at night was something someone could forget either. It's night time use was apparent in the colorful, fuzzy assortment of blankets draped over the couches and the slumbering fireplace that stood opposite them. 

Lively was too simple a word to describe the multitude of artwork painted on the walls. They were black, and purple, and blue, but seemed to pulse and sparkle like the night's stars. Flashes of green were woven into the mass of the sky's colors. Trees, and plants, and wildlife, blooming amidst the stars. 

It really does take your breath away. 

Elentyia blinked and cast a glance at Ayla, still unused to their mind to mind conversations. 

It does. The midnight queen smiled. 

Elentyia tried very hard to not communicate the thought that burst into her head, She should smile more. 

Distraction was always a powerful weapon, "Do you paint these, or... this?" Indeed even though the scenes of art changed, they all seemed to flow together. 

"It was mostly my mom," Ayla chuckled, "She's a big painter to say the least. But I helped her here and there, and" she pointed to one of the green patches, "tried to add a little more color." Elentyia smiled, "But I wasn't alone." 

Sure enough, if you looked closely there were slightly messy patches of bright red and blue, molten silver, yellows, and wine red. As if a few, or all, members of the night court decided to have fun with their high lady's painting. Indeed there were was a small cluster of stick figures on the wall to Elentyia's left. A stab of homesickness hit Elentyia in the gut, no member of her own court would be above doing the same. 

Wings boomed, announcing the arrival of the reason she was here. Cassain landed with the ease of a trainer flyer. "Excited to exercise?" he said all too sarcastically. 

Elentiya shrugged, fighting the smile on her lips, "I didn't think that was possible this early in the morning." 

With great strides Cassain walked passed her, barking a laugh and patted her on the shoulder as he went, "We'll have to train some manners into you," he teased. 

Cassain stopped by the nearest rack of weapons, this one filled with a variety of shields. He looked down, eyes scanning the line of shields, as Ayla and Elentyia walked over. "So," he started examining a platinum shield, wings held high behind his back. He placed the shield back onto the rack and raised his gaze to Elentyia's own, it was no longer the teasing face from mere seconds ago, but the strong, fearless, no sh*t taking face of a commander, "What do you know about fighting?" 

Elentyia shrugged again, "I know a few things," not a lie, but not an outright truth either. 

Cassian nodded, "Well as our guest here until the High Lords meeting we need to keep you safe, so I'll try to teach a little more than the basics." He kept his steady eyes on her own, "But it's going to take work and effort, so I need you to bear with me, ok?" 

She nodded biting down her smile. "Good, now I have no doubt you can do this with help," a pointed glance at her muscular arms, "but I don't know what your endurance level is so I'm going to have you do a few warm ups while I spare with Ayla." Once she responded with another nod, Cassian showed her which exercises to do while he and Ayla would spare.