Inside the training hall, Nyx and Luna stood before the sword rack, filled with wooden and metal blades.
The room centered around a square of hard-packed dirt, encircled by a small wooden fence. Four high pillars stood at its corners, each supporting a rack of swords—a collection of different kinds and makes.
The wooden floors complemented the cold stone of the walls. The pillars connected high above, holding up the roof and forming arches that swept across the training area to meet other pillars around the room.
The very air was thick with the smell of sweat and blood, the accumulated essence of hundreds of people over the years working their bodies to perfection. A single lamp floated near the ceiling, illuminating the whole room in a pool of warm, yellow light.
It smells in here, Luna thought, covering her nose as she looked around.
Nyx swiftly grabbed the small wooden sword, polished to the point of reflection. He slowly knelt and handed it to Luna. "Now, take it. And remember the stance I showed you last time?"
"...Yes?" Luna said, letting go of her nose. I really don't know what you're talking about, she internally added.
"Then hold it," said Nyx, standing up and walking in front of her. "Do it as I showed you back then. I'll see what you remembered."
Did I forget it? It's like a hole in my memories. I don't remember anything before the ball I attended.
Sweat slowly poured down Luna's cheek as she said, "Do I swing it from top to bottom, or how?"
"Ah, I showed you… Well, go with the vertical technique." Scratching his cheek, he sat down on the ground, observing Luna's movement.
How do I even do it? I mean, I have a feeling how to, but I don't know… Well, let's just trust it.
Luna placed her right foot behind her and her left in front, stabilizing her position. Gripping the hilt, she extended her sword above her head. Taking a deep breath, she slashed at the air.
The trajectory went perfectly straight, stopping right before the dirt ground. The action took a lot out of Luna; sweat trickles down her face. Stabbing the sword into the ground, she wiped her face as she looked straight at Nyx.
Nyx sat on the ground with a faint smile and his eyes wide open.
"Nyx?" Luna asked.
"Ah." Nyx shook off the feeling "as the corners of his mouth twitched, curling up and down.
"No, nothing." He gripped his shaking hands as he slowly stood up. "It's perfect," he said with a smile as he walked up to Luna.
"I'm confident that you know more than enough about swordplay as your foundation. From wherever you learned it, I won't pry into it." He gestured for Luna to give him her sword. As she did, he walked back and placed it into the rack, saying, "Then, as you know the basics, we need to work on your stamina. Father will most likely have the duel with you next month, so we have twenty-four days to spare."
"We'll do 10 days at least running around to build your stamina. After that… Well, we'll see." Nyx turned to Luna, then turned right back and walked up to the doors. Opening them, he called out to Theo, who stood behind the door. "Sir Theo, can you bring Aisha here?"
Theo turned right to Nyx and bowed, saying, "Yes, Young Master. As soon as it's possible, I'll bring her."
Straightening his back, he walked away to find her, his cape swaying and his black armor clanking with each step.
Nyx watched Theo walk away, and couldn't help but pry into his own thoughts. I… I wasn't wrong about Luna. No… It's far better than I expected.
Her skill is far better than what she showed me before. Now her arms nor her hands didn't even shake.
Father will be pleased.
Nyx turned back to watch Luna pull out the sword and playfully swing it horizontally and diagonally while chuckling.
I really don't have time to waste. Her stamina is terrible, ehh… What can you expect? Since that incident she was bedridden for months at the very least.
He walked up slowly to her as she swung vertically to the right in a perfect arc, then made a slow slash to the left diagonally. She turned the sword toward the top right and swung with all her might, perfectly stopping it just as it reached her side, her arm extended fully.
She dropped the sword as she gasped for air frantically, sweat and tears coming out of her eyes. She fell to her knees as her legs gave out.
Seeing it, Nyx's eyes widened and his mouth grew agape with every second. He was stunned by the sight of what Luna performed. "How?" he mumbled.
Shaking off the feeling, he chuckled as he walked up to Luna and sat right in front of her. "Really, that dress doesn't suit you for this movement," he said with a smile.
Still gasping for air, Luna looked at him with tired eyes, narrowing with each second. "It's… comfortable in it."
"I guess it is!" Nyx said as he looked at her with eyes that saw her but somehow looked past her, a hint of melancholy stirring in them. He sighed and stood up, turned back, and walked toward the sword rack.
Luna kept looking at Nyx as she sat on the ground, murmuring, "Nyx?"
The smile Nyx had on his face had disappeared. His eyes and his mouth dropped while his eyebrows frowned. He reached for the wooden sword just as three knocks sounded on the door, catching Nyx's attention. It brushed away his feelings.
Without a beat of a second, the doors flung open. Someone stepped in with a cheerful smile from ear to ear and her eyes closed. It was Aisha.
She barged into the training hall, saying loudly, filled with happiness in her voice, "My Lady Luna!"