She’s still a cunt.” Kat grumbled, drying her hair on the bed.

They were getting ready for the day, and were going over their previous experience with Rowena for the third time.

“Listen, Kat, I get it,” Ann sighed, getting a little tired of this. “She overstepped big time. I’m not a fan of that. She backed off real quick when we told her absolutely not. It’s giving me this feeling that it was a test.”

“Test or no, still a shitty thing to do,” Rosalyn said, agreeing with Kat.

“And I agree,” Ann repeated herself. “I don’t like it. It put a really shit stain on the whole meeting. Unfortunately, we’re probably going to have to work with her. For now, let’s just focus on what we can do, and figure out how to deal with her being a bitch later.”

“Petty? I’m fer tha’,” Kat chuckled. “Frustratin’ thing is, I wouldn’t ‘ave minded some cute li’l priestess. Now she’s gone an’ ruined it fer me, an’ consequently, us.”

“Still. Not happy with it, either,” Rosalyn said. The druid was in the middle of shaking out her wooly locks, her hair being much better at retaining water than the other two’s.

“Yeah, it was a really scummy way of doing it, but that’s the most charitable thing I can interpret it as. We’re going to have to work with her in some capacity. Or, at least, I am. Let’s just worry about today, and we can figure out how to get back at her later.”

“We can still find someone who could work with us here, somewhere, on our own,” Rosalyn pointed out. “If we have the liaison that she appoints, or we choose, they can just be a secretary or something like that. No need for her to get involved in our bed, or with you or Ann beyond a professional thing, right? Sorry, don’t really know how much of this works, but that seems right to me.”

“Nah, yer right,” Kat confirmed. “An’ don’t exclude yerself there. Ye’re part o’ this, little lamb. Can just treat ‘em like a co-worker. Hells, maybe they can ‘elp wit’ some o’ the paperwork at the Merc Association. Speakin’ of, we need tae get ourselves updated ‘ere. Just in case anythin’ comes through fer us specifically.”

“We can do that after breakfast,” Rosalyn suggested, pulling her shirt over her ebony curves and fiddling with pants that did nothing to hide her glorious thighs. “Considering we all need to be there for that. Afterwards, I kinda want to explore some more. We’ve been to the train station, some workshops, the temples, and the palace. I want to see what the rest of everything is like. You grew up here, Kat. Give us the royal tour?”

Kat grimaced at Rosalyn’s unintentional dig at her status, but let it slide. Ann noticed she had a habit of letting pretty much anything slide with the adorable Druid. A weak spot they shared.

“I’ll give ye a tour, sure. Bren can help too. He knows some areas better than me,” Kat said, sliding on her tight leather pants. “I know a good amount o’ the noble district. He knows his way around the magic, an’ we both know a good amount o’ the middle class area.”

“Guessing the poorer area is outside the mountain?” Ann asked, not hiding the hidden concern in her question.

“Aye, it’s farmin’ an’ labour districts out there. Not like it’s not cared fer though,” she added. “The city is the city, an’ the city is its people. If there’s a Swarm, everyone’s evacuated intae the mountain itself. Caverns are set aside an’ excavated specifically fer it. It’s this whole thing the nobility plans fer an’ contributes tae. Each city’s got its own version, ‘cept the Keep. The keep just lets people move in.”

“Right,” Ann said slowly, not having expected a larger explanation. “Let’s get to breakfast.”

Orlana and Kremdol were absent from the table this morning, having already left to attend to their duties, so the group was left to a fairly quiet breakfast. Bren agreed to their plans for the rest of the day, not having planned anything himself. The royal couple did leave them a brief note. They had already reached out to several of Kat’s former instructors requesting assistance with Ann’s training. Several had agreed readily and had wanted to meet that morning before the rest of their schedules got in the way.

“Well, that changes the timing on things,” Ann mumbled around a piece of ham. “Guess I should go meet them first. No need to wait up for me, though. You should go have fun, Rosalyn.”

“Nope,” Rosalyn decided. “Would much rather have you there with me. Well, all of you. Just, you know, people and stuff, and nerves, and freaking out a little at the thought of… however many people this place fits. It’s a lot. Definitely a lot.” The Druid shuddered, the anxiety of her imagination taking her over.

“Well, then whoever wants to come watch me try to punch some people, and probably get punched, can come watch?”

“I will refrain,” Bren sighed. “While your training is important, you will have ample supervision from Katlyn and the instructors. There will not be much for me to provide. I will spend the time catching up with my own mentors and resources. I should be able to return by lunch.”

“Sounds good. Anything you’re stuck with, Kat?” Ann asked, taking a long swig of water from the glass cup.

“Nae, can tag along fer this. It’ll be good tae see some ol’ faces,” Kat said, scooting her chair back, finished with her meal. “Wonder if I can drag Ilana outta ‘er stuffy meetin’s tae hang out. She had fun watchin’ in the past.”

“Go for it,” Ann encouraged, wanting her girlfriend to reconnect with old friends. Not to mention just to see how Kat was around someone she knew besides Bren.

“All right. ‘Ere, this is a map tae the courtyard ye’ll be meetin’ at. Rosalyn, there’re seats an’ benches around the edge, an’ a couple under some trees if ye wanna relax. Meet ye there?”

“Sounds good. See you soon, sweetheart,” Ann said, grabbing the front of Kat’s shirt and deftly pulling her in for a kiss.

With a happy grin, Kat sauntered from the room.

“I will head out as well,” Bren informed them. He stood, scooting his chair back in before pacing towards the door. “Good luck. For most, a change in fighting style is an arduous thing, but with your natural weapons, I doubt it’ll be too difficult.”

“Oh, right, should I wear my armour?” Ann asked before he got to the door.

“No, no. You will likely be fighting bare handed. No need for the basics. Leave that decision to your instructors, however.”

“Gocha, thanks!” Ann called, waving as he left. “Phew, I wasn’t expecting things to happen so fast,” she sighed, looking at Rosalyn. “Guess they really want me trained up for these Seeds.”

“It makes sense,” Rosalyn muttered around a piece of toast slathered with cranberry preserve. “You’re a Champion of a Goddess, and you’re hanging out with a fight crazy princess. They need you to be able to hold your own. I’m kinda surprised they’re not putting me up with tutors or something. Maybe they don’t have a Druid or something like that available? Though, that seems odd. Seems like a place with all these resources would be able to find a couple, even if we’re a rarer Path.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Ann shrugged. “I’m going with the flow right now. Until we can get our footing here, it’s probably for the best. All right,” she let out a heavy breath, pushing her own chair back and standing, stretching her lanky frame, “let’s go watch me get my ass kicked.” She helped Rosalyn up, and they followed Bren’s hastily drawn map to the courtyard.

They arrived in a wide cavern. To call it a clearing didn’t really feel right with the constant sky of stone above their heads. Halls marked by columns had been carved into the perimeter of the circular space, connected by simple railings with arched decoration. A sand pit dominated the centre of the area, smoothed and well maintained, with several boulders dotted throughout. It was a training arena if Ann had ever seen one, which she really hadn’t outside of video games.

Arrayed was a gathering of what looked like well-built men and women. Every race from Indol, to Thrundol was present. Mulsfar and Grrn weren’t included, probably because Ann herself was smaller, and the Grrn were made of rocks.

“Ho!” called a woman from the deeper in the crowd. “Good to see you again!”

“Polaris!” Ann cried back, rushing up to the large Thrundol with Rosalyn in tow. “Or, General Polaris, I guess. Candalaria?”

“Eh, call me what you want. Figured I’d poke my nose into the palace to see how you three were doing. Looks like you did pick up a fourth. The pleasure is mine, miss?”

“Rosalyn,” Rosalyn introduced herself meekly, dropping a curtsey.

“Rosalyn. Don’t tell me you’re here for combat training, too?” Polaris chuckled, sizing up the Druid.

“Gods, no, absolutely not,” Rosalyn cried, holding up her hands. “No, I’m a caster. That’s not my thing.”

“Fundamentals can help anyone, but that’s fine. So, it’s the wolf who’s the student today. How’re you feeling, Ann?”

“Alright, maybe a bit nervous,” Ann admitted, glancing at the group of warriors that had shown up to instruct her. “A recent skill’s causing me to change my fighting style, and the weapons are still being made. I know some basic hand to hand fighting, but feel like I should be starting from square one.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s rough,” Polaris sympathised, patting her shoulder with a meaty hand. “Bright side is, your body is the thing you know best. I’m a spear user myself, so I won’t be the best fit for you. Let’s see who we’ve got.”

Polaris took a few minutes, walking through the instructors, trying to get everyone onboard. “That Bultrong would normally be who I’d recommend. Name’s Oshard and he’s one hell of a fighter. Problem is, he’s really used to fighting up, and hasn’t had much experience teaching people besides the hard way. Same with Glory over there. Indol, good with her fists, and short weapons, but same configuration problem. We’re gonna be looking for a Human, Vulhardrin, or Thrudol, considering you’re not much shorter than we are.”

“I guess that makes sense. Wouldn’t it also be good to learn how to fight someone smaller than me, though?” Ann asked as they walked.

“Oh, definitely, but that’ll come during sparring. To make sure you can do what you need to do in Seeds and all that, you need someone who’s familiar with you, your body, and how you can fight being as tall as you are. Ah, Remmi, how’re you doing?”

Remmi was a Human, a little taller than Bren, but still only came up to Ann’s chin, slightly shorter than Kat. She had red hair in a pixie cut that framed her severe features, with high cheekbones and a slim jaw. Her body was slim, toned, with clearly visible biceps, triceps, rippling forearms, and shoulders that she proudly showed off in her sleeveless shirt. Sparkling red eyes looked up at Ann, giving away some heritage outside humanity, and sent a shiver of intimidation down Ann’s spine. She was dark-skinned, a couple shades darker than Ann, but not to the point she could be confused for a Vulhardrin like Rosalyn.

“Greetings,” she said, extending a hand.

Ann grasped it. Immediately she was trapped in the vise-like grip, knuckle bones grinding against each other as Remmi tested her grip. She tried to match the strength, but couldn’t, deciding to slacken her hand and slip it free.

“Ah, a dexterity based fighter. You’ll be fun. So, Annita, here for some training?” Remmi asked, grinning up at her warmly. “Can’t say I’ll be gentle, but you’ll be more familiar with how to punch or kick the hell out of something than most ever will be. You being a dexy bitch means we’ll be focusing on how to hurt with less impact.”

“Oh, ok, thank you,” Ann nodded. She was impressed that Remmi had gotten all that from a simple handshake.

“All right, you louts, clear out,” Remmi yelled, waving her hands. “Give us space to work or go back to whatever you were doing.”

Quiet chatter echoed through the cavern as the instructors either made themselves scarce or retreated to a respectful distance to watch Ann’s lesson. Rosalyn found a nearby boulder, clambering up to the top to observe.

Remmi grabbed Ann’s hand and pulled her in close, whispering. “Hey, lot of these people are here to see how you handle yourself. You being with the princess and all.” She pulled back, running her hands over Ann’s stomach and sides in a clinical manner, assessing her body. “You’ve got phenomenal genetics for this. Well balanced, but a bit lanky. Gives you extra reach that’ll help in any fight. Unfortunately, means that your center of balance is higher, giving your already shitty balance with those feet of yours another knock.”

“Kat’s been working on helping with that,” Ann said as Remmi squeezed her thighs, checking the muscles under the kilt. “I swear she tries to trip me more than hit me most of the time we spar.”

“Then she’s got a knack for training. It’s what I’d do,” Remmi muttered. “All right, that’s enough of that. You’re strong, have good build and form, but favour your right hand. We’re going to work on that over these next weeks. Being able to throw a solid left or right at any time could be the difference between life or death.”

“No kidding,” Ann huffed, shaking her arms and legs, hopping around to loosen herself up. “I do still have a gun, and that’s probably sticking around, by the way.”

“Ah, well, you can use that as a backup, or to deal with things at range. Should be a good complement to your style, so no worries there. We’ll talk about skills later when we’ve got more privacy. For now, let’s test what you’re like as is. Take your stance and come at me when you’re ready,” Remmi instructed. The woman fell back, repeating motions Ann was familiar with, getting ready to fight.

Ann dropped into a familiar stance she’d learned from a karate class she’d taken a while ago, body angled to provide less area for her opponent to attack, and keeping her hands up just below her face. She bent her knees, lowering her centre of gravity to account for Kat’s frequent tripping, and took a step forward.

Remmi responded instantly, dropping into a relaxed stance and mirroring her step. She didn’t engage quite yet, patiently waiting for Ann to make the first move.

They shuffled a slow circle in the sand, Ann’s wagging tail fanning some of the dust they kicked up. Her ears were pointed forward, alert and focused on nothing but Remmi. She saw Remmi’s eyes track it once or twice. The next time the woman’s eyes shifted, she lunged in, striking out with her left fist in a jab.

Remmi caught the blow on her forearm, directing it past her as she stepped in, to deliver her own blow to Ann’s stomach.

Ann felt the breath forced out of her as she stumbled back, clutching her gut.

“Good,” Remmi said, bouncing on her feet like a boxer. “You’re faster than I expected, and you know how to watch your opponent, even if the hints were kinda obvious. Again,” she demanded.

Growling, Ann steeled herself and feinted in with another left jab. Remmi caught it, going for the same move she did before. Ann stepped deftly to the side, allowing the fist to graze her right side, before kicking at Remmi’s feet. When she made contact, it felt like she’d kicked a concrete pole. Wincing, she pulled back, re-assessing the situation. Remmi didn’t give her time, though, and pressured her. Fists whistled past her head as the height difference seemed to evaporate with Remmi. She tried to push aside strikes, but felt the same unmovable force as when she’d kicked. She focused entirely on dodging, ducking left and right, sidestepping, and keeping a hair's breadth away from contact. A couple hits made contact, bruising her forearms as she blocked. This kept up for a full minute, before Ann felt her legs abandon her, swept by Remmi’s left leg.

She hit the ground hard, instinctively covering her face with her forearms, before a thundering crash echoed next to her right ear. Parting her arms slightly, she looked up at a grinning Remmi, whose left arm was planted next to her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the crater of sand, then stone, beneath the woman’s fist.

“Good fight,” Remmi chuckled. “You did damn well, considering our level difference. Feels like you’ve had training before.” The woman stood, offering her a light palmed hand to help her up. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs NoveIＦire.net

“A little, back home,” Ann admitted, taking the hand. “It was mostly basics and stuff to keep me active.”

“That was better than that. Don’t downplay experience. In a fight? Sure, make them underestimate you, but we’re here to improve you,” Remmi chided. “How’re you feeling now? Anything too hurt to keep going?”

Ann took a moment to look around, stretching and feeling her body. Her arms hurt, and she was still catching her breath, but overall felt fine.

She spied Kat, who had apparently found Ilana. The Alfhindur and brightly colored Avian had climbed up with Rosalyn and were watching attentively. Kat gave her a thumbs up, grinning with that slightly crazy glint in her eyes.

The rest of the would-be instructors were also nodding, chatting among themselves. There were a few that looked unimpressed, but that wasn’t really what Ann cared about. She needed to get better. Stronger. She’d take some derision to get to that point.

Calming her breath, she met Remmi’s eyes again. “Ok, let’s go.”