Inside of Ariel's home, Her friends were making themselves at home, Maribel was leaning on a wall, while Nero was munching on food that did not belong to him. laying and sitting on random places.
Harken was walking around staring bored at the surroundings. "Ariel, you want to see something cool? it's a new weapon I've been working on."
She came closer to look at what was inside his sack. "Show me, and make it quick." If this drew out he would spend the next ten minutes ranting about how cool it was.
As she got close, a confident smile formed on his face. "Behold. One of the greatest inventions from my family to date."
She looked inside the bag, but didn't see much. But as she looked closer, something black and round, glossy came into view. Then multiple of them, eight in total.
Something jumped out at her, blue, with six long legs, and tendrils coming from its mouth. She jumped back screaming. "Someone! Kill this thing!!"
Maribel chuckled, while Nero was in disbelief, putting and hand over his head as the small spider like creature chase her across the house.
Jairo wasted almost no time picking up a sword on display before shoving it through the arachnid, its skin cracking as it died.
For the first time, she was afraid. But nothing dangerous was happening. It just seemed Ariel had arachnophobia.
"Are you alright?" He said, staring at a panting Ariel, who upon noticing him looking, began regaining her composure.
"Yes. Of coarse."
Harken was on his knees, he had laughed so hard he'd almost coughed up a lung. he was leaning on a table, regaining his breath, not knowing that Ariel was quickly walking towards him with hostile intent.
she jumped onto him, tackling him as she choked him by the neck with both hands. "Don't say anything you bastard. That was not funny."
Maribel had a completely straight face as if she were not laughing just moments ago. "Why would you even do something so stupid? You want us to help you now I assume?"
She then turned to Jairo. "What do you think? Should we help him?"
"No…no he can wait a while." Jairo said with a smile.
It was fun while it lasted, but they eventually pull Ariel off of him.
Nero looked at Harken who was struggling to breathe. "I guess that was you're way of telling her you missed her?"
"Silence, it was not serious and I'll take that to the grave."
They would soon go out to hunt. But firstly, Nero was about to train him in the blade.
They walk along the balcony once more, Before beginning. Jairo was beginning to have enough of these guys. He wanted to attack first.
He swung, and Nero blindly dodged. Such a large body and fast speed. "Not ideal, but I'll see what I can work with."
He then caught Jairos hand with ease. He must've done something similar a million times.
He then surged his body into a massive punch.
The fist came to towards his face, stopping just short of it.
Jairo caught his breath. "For a second i thought you were going to take my head off."
Nero shook his head. "Then Ariel would have mine. First, we need to train you in strength, and the blade."
The blade word felt so right. As a human he saw all these stories about a powerful hero who held a blade of legend. Surely he would be one of those.
Right?
Ariel took two blades from inside and tossed them to the two.
Jairo was shocked. He always pictured her father as some scary powerful dude. Was he chill like that? "Ariel, will this be alright with your father?"
This caused everyone else to laugh.
Harken chimed in from behind.
"Everybody here is highborn besides you my friend. What would he do to us besides inciting wars he cannot hope to win alone? And over a blade no less?"
Ariel raised a brow. "This may be correct, in fact I'll repeat what you just said to him. I'm sure he'd agree."
This caused harken to nearly choke on his words.
"Now now, I am right, but you don't need to state the obvious. We'll just put the swords back before he notices."
Something tells him that it wouldn't be so clear cut. Regardless, they carried on.
Nero chuckled before coming forth with his new blade. Jairo matched him. At least he tried, blocking, shifting the blade away from his body before going in for another strike, but Nero caught him with his free hand.
"Good. But you need to be much faster."
Faster he says. He would be lucky if he could even stay in the fight another minute or two.
As of now his arms were burning as he held on tight, trying his hardest to keep it in his hands.
Clashing blades with Nero felt like swinging wooden a bat at a wall made of steel. It felt pointless.
All the while he knew Nero was holding back. It made one wonder why they were doing it in the first place.
Then again, it was probably just his inner loser talking. It was obvious why. He wanted to live. Beating him didn't matter, all of this was to prepare himself for when their was no second chances.
the tired and seemingly annoyed expression he had gave was to a more calm one, and Nero was of the first to take notice.
'What happened to him? It seemed like something changed.'
Jairo didn't answer, looking for anything to take advantage of, a foot out of place anything to help. However no Matter how encouraged he felt, To someone as unskilled as him, Nero might as well have been perfection, the pinnacle of fighting itself.
He tried to go for a swing at his chest and
His blade was swatted from his hand. But as he snapped out of focus, he realized how numb his hands felt and his arms began feeling the same way. He had definitely track of time. And gone beyond what he had set out for himself.
Without realizing it, a smile formed on his face.
He was finding his resolve little by little. Slowing forging the ability to fight until he physically could not go on.
"What's he smiling for?" Harken said aloud.
"Shut it, he did good for a first try. But since you're still smiling, take a short break. Soon it'll be time for strength training."