Both Atlas and Altair stood a few feet in front of some practice dummies, gripping their newly acquired wooden weapons.
Atlas swung his wooden katana in wide arcs, testing its weight, while Altair twirled her wooden daggers, occasionally fumbling with her grip.
Neither had proper training yet, and it showed in their unsteady stances and awkward movements.
Aira stood off to the side, watching with an amused but observant gaze.
"Your grip is too tight, Atlas. Loosen up or your swings will be stiff. Altair, keep your elbows in when you lunge—you're leaving yourself open."
Occasionally, Aira walked up behind them, adjusting their posture and demonstrating the proper way to hold their weapons. Once they started moving more naturally, she began calling out scenarios.
"He's using a longsword and swinging overhead!"
Atlas quickly raised his wooden katana, angling it to the side in a defensive stance before sliding the imaginary blade off his and lunging to his left. In a smooth counter, he brought his weapon across the dummy's midsection in a slashing motion.
Altair reacted just as fast. She sidestepped to the right, using a powerful push-off from the ground. With both wooden daggers in hand, she lunged toward the dummy's back, aiming her left dagger at its neck.
Clap Clap Clap
"Good, good! Not bad for your first day," Aira said, pleased with their adaptability.
Both twins panted heavily, their small bodies drenched in sweat. Aira glanced at the sky, noting the deepening hues of orange along the horizon. It was time to wrap up.
"Alright! We'll pick this back up tomorrow, and maybe…" she smirked, "we'll also have a little sparring match."
The twins' eyes lit up despite their exhaustion. They nodded eagerly before putting away their equipment—well, most of it.
Atlas refused to let go of his wooden katana, and Altair clung to her daggers as if they were an extension of her hands.
On their way down the mountain path, they spotted an easier route than the treacherous climb they had taken earlier. Both children shot their mother a betrayed look, but they were too tired to complain.
As they walked the night fully set in, fireflies danced around them, and the calls of owls and crickets filled the air. A creeping fog trailed behind, swallowing the path they had just walked, making it seem as if the mountain itself was closing behind them.
When they reached the garden entrance, they realized they had looped back onto the same path they had taken earlier in the day. They hadn't even noticed until now.
Walking through the garden, they arrived at the front door of the house. Sitting on the stone patio, Maxwell was propped up with one knee raised, his arm resting on it, head in his hand. He was snoring loudly, fast asleep.
Aira gently tapped the twins on their shoulders. When they looked up at her, she put a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet. The three tiptoed past Maxwell and into the house, suppressing their giggles.
Walking into the house they had a quick shower, ate dinner and got ready for bed.
~
1 o'clock in the morning, Maxwells eyes slowly flittered open.
Looking around at the dark garden with nothing the the moonlight to luminate the surroundings, he had a confused expression.
'What am i doing out here?' He thought confused.
Rubbing his eyes he slowly stood up and made his way back inside and headed to the bedroom.
~
The next day, after another round of meditation and weight training, Aira stood between her children in the training field, arms crossed, a proud but expectant look on her face.
"Alright, you've had some time to get used to your weapons. Now, let's see how you do against each other. Remember, this is training, not a real fight. No reckless moves. First to land three solid strikes wins."
Atlas and Altair exchanged competitive grins before stepping back, their wooden weapons at the ready.
"Begin!" Aira called.
Atlas took the initiative, surging forward with his wooden katana. He aimed a quick diagonal strike at Altair's shoulder, but she twisted to the side, narrowly dodging the attack. In retaliation, she swept low with one of her daggers, forcing Atlas to hop back.
Not wasting a second, Altair lunged again, aiming for his ribs. Atlas barely managed to parry, their wooden weapons clacking together with force. The vibration traveled up his arm, and he realized just how strong Altair's attacks were despite her smaller frame.
Altair smirked. "You're too slow."
Atlas narrowed his eyes. "Let's see about that."
He feinted a high strike, tricking Altair into raising her dagger to block. At the last second, he redirected his attack downward, tapping her side of her abdomen with the flat side of his wooden katana.
"Point for Atlas!" Aira announced.
Altair huffed but grinned. She adjusted her grip on her daggers and stepped forward aggressively. She faked a thrust with her left dagger, drawing Atlas's attention, before spinning and delivering a light tap to his back with her right dagger.
"Point for Altair!" Aira called.
Atlas clicked his tongue. He needed to be more aware of her tricks.
They circled each other, scanning for openings. This time, Altair acted first.
She darted in low, forcing Atlas to swing down to intercept—but that was exactly what she wanted. The moment he committed to the block, she twisted and slammed her foot into his knee, making him stumble.
She took full advantage, pressing forward with both daggers and landing a swift tap against his ribs.
"Second point for Altair!"
Atlas groaned, rubbing his side. Altair beamed. "One more, and I win!"
Atlas exhaled sharply. "Not yet."
As soon as Aira signaled for them to continue, Atlas charged, his wooden katana slicing through the air.
Altair raised her daggers to block, but this time, Atlas used his strength to push forward. She skidded back, barely maintaining her footing.
Then, before she could react, Atlas pivoted and swept her legs from under her. As she hit the ground, his wooden katana lightly tapping in between her shoulder and neck.
"Point for Atlas! That makes it two to two!"
Altair gritted her teeth but grinned nonetheless.
"Alright, big brother. Let's finish this."
Both adjusted their grips, their eyes locked. The tension in the air thickened as they dashed toward each other simultaneously.
Altair feinted left. Atlas saw through it and countered, aiming his katana for her torso. But at the last second, Altair dropped to the ground and rolled beneath his swing, coming up behind him.
She thrust her dagger forward—
—just as Atlas spun and brought his katana down.
Both weapons stopped an inch away from their target.
Atlas's blade aimed at her head, hovered before her forehead.
Altairs right dagger stopped right above his chest while her left was in a reverse grip and hovering above his stomach.
Silence.
Then, Aira laughed. "Well, would you look at that."
The twins blinked at each other, then at their mother.
"It's a tie."
Atlas and Altair lowered their weapons, breathing hard, before breaking into grins.
"Guess we'll have to rematch later," Altair said.
Atlas chuckled. "Yeah. Next time, I'll win."
Aira smiled as she watched them. "You both did well today. Now let's head back, go wash up—dinner will be waiting when you get done."
As the twins made their way inside, they exchanged playful shoves, already discussing strategies for their next match. Aira watched them go, proud of how much they had already grown in just two days.
~
After washing up, the twins eagerly sat at the dinner table, their plates piled high with steaming rice, stir-fried vegetables, and roasted meat. The scent of spices filled the air, making Atlas's stomach rumble.
Maxwell, learning his mistake from yesterday had waited inside. Seated at the head of the table, he smirked and asked. "So, how did the first spar go?"
Altair taking a big bite of her food before answered. "It was a tie."
Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A tie, huh? That means you both have things to improve."
Atlas swallowed his food, flowed it with some water and nodded. "Yeah. I should've been more aware of my surroundings. I let Altair get behind me too many times."
Altair grinned. "And I should've been ready for that sweep. I got too focused on attacking and forgot to watch my footing."
Aira, sitting to the left of Maxwell, sipped her tea with a smile. "You're both analyzing your mistakes. That's good. What would you have done differently if you could fight again right now?"
Atlas tapped his fingers against the table in thought. "I'd use more feints. Altair fell for one of mine, but I didn't take full advantage of it. I should've kept up the pressure."
Altair nodded. "And I should've aimed for more precise strikes instead of just attacking where I saw an opening. If I had been smarter with my dagger placement, I might've won before we tied."
Maxwell chuckled. "You two really don't like tying, huh?"
The twins exchanged competitive smirks.
"I'll win next time," Atlas said confidently.
Altair playfully bumped her shoulder against his. "We'll see about that."
Aira smiled as she watched them. Their hunger for improvement would take them far.