Training

The next morning, it was a struggle for both of them to crawl out of bed.

All the stress of the past days had finally caught up with them, but new challenges were already waiting.

Despite every temptation to simply run away, they somehow managed to drag themselves to the training grounds.

“You’re late,” Marcthain noted, arms crossed, glaring sternly.

He wore a heavy chainmail armor, making him look even more intimidating than in the simple cloak he’d worn the day before.

“We, uh…”

But before Lucius could even explain, something shot toward him with explosive speed and raw animal strength.

Claws slashed past his face, and he barely managed to dive aside.

Blood dripped down his cheek from a scratch he hadn’t been able to avoid.

For a split second, he thought it was Melissa, but she stood right beside him, equally stunned, glaring furiously at the attacker who landed several meters away, crouched low on all fours.

“Your reflexes are decent. That’s a good start!”

It was Liviana, the waitress from the inn.

She wore a tight-fitting outfit of black shorts and a vest, her tail flicking back and forth, catlike ears twitching atop her head.

Lucius wiped the blood from his cheek and stared in shock at Marcthain, who still stood there like a stone statue, his stern expression unchanged.

“What the hell is your problem?!” yelled Melissa, already transforming into her beast form, ready to charge.

But before she could launch herself at Liviana, a fireball slammed into the ground beside her, sending her flying and singeing the fur at the tip of her tail.

“Melissa!” Lucius shouted.

Behind them, perched atop the jagged stone wall surrounding the training yard, stood a young halfling, barely the size of a human child, yet crackling with wild magic.

His round face, flushed red from the fire’s glow, was framed by unruly blonde curls tumbling over his forehead.

Bright, curious eyes gleamed, reflecting the dancing flames he held in his small hands.

“What is this supposed to mean?!” Lucius shouted, demanding at Marcthain.

Marcthain simply replied, “I already told you, your training starts today. You already know Liviana. And over there is Tagunel. They’ll be your sparring partners.”

”Are you kidding me? They nearly killed us! I didn’t sign up for anything like that!”

Tagunel wore a green-brown robe with wide sleeves and a long dark cloak and around his torso was a belt crammed with small vials of colorful Essences.

Sparks flared as he downed another Essence and, with fierce determination, unleashed another fire spell.

“Ignar suain incendia!”

Melissa dodged the fireball and leapt up onto the wall, charging straight for the halfling with a furious gleam in her eyes.

“Training, huh? If that’s how you want it, then I’m not holding back!” she shouted, her grin showing she was actually starting to enjoy the challenge.

But before she could reach her target, Tagunel gulped down another Essence in a lightning-fast motion.

“Scath draiocht cruthaigh simulac!”

In an instant, his body split into four identical halflings, each dashing in a different direction.

Melissa lunged after one of them, but her claws only tore through thin air as the illusion vanished.

“Damn it!” she snarled, just as another fireball nearly scorched her hooves.

Meanwhile, Liviana was back on the offensive, darting toward Lucius with feline agility.

All he could do for the moment was run for his life, dodging her rapid swipes as best he could.

“What kind of training is this if I can’t even defend myself?!” Lucius shouted in exasperation.

Without a word, Marcthain tossed him a wooden practice sword, which landed in the sandy dirt at Lucius’ feet.

Lucius stared at it in disbelief, until Liviana’s renewed assault left him no choice but to snatch it up and brace himself against her claws.

“Even as a mage, you can’t always rely on your formulas alone. Physical skill matters just as much!” Marcthain called out, sounding like a drill instructor.

Then he turned to Melissa, who was still having a hard time dealing with Tagunel’s magical attacks.

“Your strength and speed are formidable weapons, but there are opponents out there where brute force won’t be enough. You have to learn how to make the right decisions in battle!”

And with those words, the mission for the day was perfectly clear and the following hours were set.

Melissa kept rampaging across the training ground, her hooves kicking up the sand as she tried to catch Tagunel, who kept her at bay with a barrage of spells and bursts of flames.

Even when she managed to grab hold of him, her attack would vanish into a cloud of smoke, followed by mischievous laughter echoing from a different corner.

Meanwhile, Lucius dashed back and forth across the field, gasping for breath, while Liviana pounced at him again and again with feline persistence.

She knocked him to the ground, peppered him with shallow scratches, or tried to slap the wooden sword out of his hands.

Every time Liviana lunged, Lucius’ body moved before his brain caught up.

Think, Lucius…

But all he could do was swing wildly and try not to get hurt.

Marcthain stood at the edge of the field, arms crossed, watching everything with a stern gaze.

Now and then, he stepped in, barking sharp commands or correcting mistakes.

Only when the midday sun was casting its golden rays over the training ground’s stone walls did Marcthain finally call a halt.

“That’s enough for now!” he bellowed.

They collapsed into the sand, exhausted. Lucius was gasping for air, his shirt soaked through with sweat.

Melissa wiped blood and dust from her lips, yet her amber eyes were glittering dangerously.

“Enough… I need food… and wine…” she panted. “That dwarf… he’s got some serious tricks up his sleeve…”

Tagunel, leaning heavily against the wall and breathing hard, scowled.

“I’m no dwarf!”

Liviana flopped down beside Lucius, stretched out her legs, and licked her hand once before smoothing down her cat ears.

“Don’t worry,” she said to Lucius. “Mar’s like that with everyone at first. He just wants to see if you’ve got what it takes. Besides… chasing you around is kinda fun.”

Marcthain eventually returned from inside the barracks, carrying a wooden tray stacked with simple bowls of stew and slices of bread.

“Here. Eat. All this training’s useless if you’ve got no strength left.”

Liviana snatched a slice of bread, took a hearty bite, and spoke with her mouth half full.

“He’s right, but we’ve still got a lot of training ahead before the mission starts.”

Lucius paused, confused.

“What mission?”

The commander hesitated for a moment, as though weighing how much he should reveal.

“We’ll talk about the details tomorrow,” he finally said. “What matters now is that you all learn to coordinate your fighting styles. When the time comes, you’ll be working together as a team.”

Melissa and Lucius exchanged puzzled looks.

If we are being trained this hard, this mission can’t be anything simple.

They glanced over at Liviana and Tagunel, who looked like, as if they’d known all along.

And for the first time, one thought occurred to Lucius.

What if I can’t do this?