"Anamorsia, I understand why you want to train but why do I have to do this?"
"Because I have to. Now can we please start? And use your powers too. I'm pretty good at this."
"I'll use them when necessary."
The siblings were in the training arena and... Adelasta was mad for two reasons.
One, Anamorsia began training with her rival two weeks after he got better and was able to move again. Since their parents had to leave, again, they had no choice but to train themselves. And two, she was taking a lot of Vastarael's time. Adelasta's schedule was simple; wake up, go train with Vastarael and defeat him, have breakfast, learn from the palace teachers until lunch, train on her new fire abilities until evening, dinner, then sleep. But now, her schedule was ruined because of Anamorsia.
Now she has to watch while sitting on the arena seats, hoping that she would train with Vastarael before breakfast which never came.
And this happened for an entire month. She wanted to test her fire abilities with Vastarael as he used his water Divinity with her but never got the chance to. Anamorsia was nine years old and Vastarael's blood sister. Adelasta knew that he would rather train Anamorsia than spar with her. She inherited the beauty of her parents too with her white curly hair, golden eyes and dark bronze skin. She knew that when she was old enough, a lot of royals would try to woo her. Unluckily, they had to handle her brother in the future too, which would cause a lot of problems.
Speaking of problems...
"Here I go!"
Anamorsia summoned six angel wings and flew towards Vastarael at high speed. Adelasta narrowed her eyes as she saw Anamorsia summoning a double bladed glaive and began fighting Vastarael. The clash of Anamorsia's double-bladed glaive against Vastarael's own weapon echoed across the arena. Vastarael held his ground effortlessly, blocking her strikes with precision that spoke more of a teacher correcting a pupil than an opponent fighting for victory. Anamorsia on the other hand, was relentless. Her angelic wings flapped furiously, creating bursts of wind as she flew around, seeking openings. She swung the glaive with all her strength.
"You're overextending. Your speed is good but your strikes are unbalanced. Power without control is wasted effort."
Anamorsia gritted her teeth, pivoting mid-air to launch another attack.
"I'm trying to balance it!"
She did a downward slash at his head. Vastarael raised his blade just in time, deflecting the blow with a sharp clang.
"Trying isn't enough. You have wings now. Use them for more than speed. They're part of your body. Adjust your position."
Anamorsia frowned as she adjusted her position. She took a deep breath, focusing her energy into her next move. This time, instead of rushing forward recklessly, she hovered, circling him with cautious movements. Adelasta watched from the stands. Despite her annoyance, she couldn't deny that Anamorsia had potential. But, she was still a child and it showed in her lack of finesse. She wasn't that much of a genius as Vastarael and Adelasta were. Anamorsia flew forward again, this time aiming a series of rapid jabs with one end of her glaive. Vastarael blocked each strike.
"Better, but you're still relying too much on your weapon. What happens if you lose it?"
Anamorsia hesitated. Vastarael seized the opportunity, sweeping his blade in a quick arc that knocked the glaive from her hands. The weapon clattered to the ground, sliding several feet away.
"Exactly. You're fast Anamorsia, but speed alone won't save you. You need to adapt."
Anamorsia growled in frustration, summoning her essence to retrieve her glaive, but Vastarael raised a hand to stop her.
"No. Fight without it."
"What? That's not fair!"
"Neither is combat. Now come at me. Use your wings, your fists, your Essence, whatever you can. Show me what you've learned."
Adelasta raised an eyebrow in surprise. Vastarael's teaching methods were harsh but effective. He had a way of pushing others beyond their limits, whether they liked it or not. Anamorsia hesitated for only a moment before launching herself at her brother. She aimed a punch at his chest but Vastarael sidestepped effortlessly.
"Good speed, poor aim," he said, twisting her arm gently but firmly to redirect her momentum.
Anamorsia gritted her teeth, spinning to use her wings as a shield. Vastarael backed off slightly, giving her just enough space to recover.
"Better. Now, use your Essence. Combine it with your movement."
Anamorsia closed her eyes briefly, summoning her energy. Her wings shimmered with a golden hue as she focused her power into a burst of light.
She flapped her wings hard, creating a blinding flash that forced Vastarael to shield his eyes.
"That's more like it."
Taking advantage of his temporary distraction, Anamorsia flew low, aiming a kick at his legs. Vastarael sidestepped again but this time, she followed up with a quick flap of her wings, propelling herself upward and away before he could counter.
"Not bad. You're learning."
Anamorsia landed gracefully a few feet away.
"Of course I'm learning. "I am your sister, after all."
"Fair enough. But don't get cocky. You've got a long way to go before you can challenge me properly."
"We'll see about that."
From her seat, Adelasta huffed, crossing her arms tighter.
"Maybe if she wasn't hogging all his time, I'd be the one learning."
Anamorsia froze mid-hover. Her wings folded behind her as she turned to face Adelasta with an expression that was equal parts mockery and triumph.
"Oh, I heard that. Jealous much? I mean, it's understandable. I am his sister. Blood always comes first, you know."
"I'm not jealous. I simply think you're wasting his time."
"Wasting his time? Please. You're just mad because you're not the one sparring with him. Admit it. You want him all to yourself."
"Unlike you, I don't cling to him for attention. I'm content to wait my turn. Patience is a virtue, one that you clearly lack."
Vastarael sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Ever since he started training his sister, he realized something. Anamorsia does not like Adelasta. In fact, Adelasta isn't liked by Anamorsia, Leones and Milliania for some reason. He didn't know why and he didn't want to find out.
"Adelasta, Anamorsia, do we really have to do this now?"
But Anamorsia ignored him.
"Patience, huh? Is that what you call it? Or is it fear? Maybe you're just scared you can't keep up with him."
Adelasta leaned back in her seat.
"You're mistaken if you think your taunts will rile me up. You're a child, Anamorsia. I don't waste my energy on petty squabbles."
Anamorsia's grin faltered for a moment but she recovered quickly, crossing her arms.
"Child or not, I'm the one he's spending his time with. What does that say about you?"
Adelasta didn't respond immediately. Instead, she stood gracefully from her seat and descended the steps toward the arena. When she reached the edge of the training floor, she stopped, fixing Anamorsia with an icy stare.
"It says that I don't need constant reassurance of my worth. Unlike you, I know my place in his life. And I don't need to flaunt it to feel secure."
The words hit their mark and Anamorsia's wings twitched slightly, betraying her irritation. She opened her mouth to retort but Vastarael stepped between them, raising his hands in a placating gesture.
"Enough. Adelasta, you'll get your training time. Anamorsia, stop provoking her. We're supposed to be allies, not rivals."
Anamorsia huffed, crossing her arms and muttering under her breath, "She started it."
Adelasta gave Vastarael a small nod, her cold demeanor softening just enough to show her agreement.
"I'll hold you to that promise."
Vastarael sighed again, glancing at Anamorsia.
"And you. Focus on the training, not the drama. Understand?"
Anamorsia pouted but nodded reluctantly.
"Fine."
As Adelasta returned to her seat, she cast one last glance at the arena. Her expression was as composed as ever but there was a glint in her eyes.
"Anamorsia, what is your Boon and Bane?"
Anamorsia landed lightly on the ground, folding her wings back after she heard her brother's question.
"Why… do you ask?"
"Because I want to know if you're using it in combat. You're learning way too fast and it's… concerning. Also, mom told me to ask you."
Anamorsia glanced away, biting her lip. She didn't expect this question from him.
"What about yours?"
"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. Fair?"
She hesitated. Boons and Banes were deeply personal, often guarded secrets. Sharing them meant opening yourself up to potential manipulation.
"Fine, but only if you go first."
"Alright. My Boon is… my looks."
Adelasta, sitting on the edge of the arena, raised an eyebrow.
"Your looks? That's it?"
"Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous but it's more useful than it seems. My appearance gives me an edge in almost everything. Charisma, influence, even distracting enemies. I can gain allies faster than most and get people to trust me before I even speak. It's not exactly flashy, but it's practical."
Anamorsia tilted her head, studying him with a mixture of skepticism and intrigue. "And your Bane?"
"Women."
"Women?"
"Women will always accompany me for better or worse. It's not something I can control and honestly, it's more of a complication than a help. Betrayal, manipulation, conflict, they all seem to revolve around it."
"Well," Anamorsia said finally, clearing her throat. "I guess that makes sense. It's not hard to see why people… react to you the way they do."
"Your turn, Anamorsia. What's your Boon and Bane?"