254 Sparring Session

Frey shrugged: "I am just going to tell her that she needs to be careful."

Thomas jumped up and smacked the back of the giant's head: "She is going to die. A simple warning won't help. Think. How is she going to die? Is it because of her training method or is it because of Jackal and his goons? She is already a careful person so telling her to be careful is not nearly enough."

"Oh," Frey chuckled. "Good point. In that case…" He rubbed his chin. "We need to prevent both of those possibilities from happening. If we take her away from Jackal and stop her from training, she won't die. We just need to get to her."

"That is it?" Thomas asked. "Is that all we have to do? It seems like we're missing something. I don't think it is that simple."

'I know Thomas,' Frey thought as he peeked inside of Doevm's spatial ring and laid eyes on the cold, broken skull mask. 'but to be honest, we don't need that missing piece to save her. This is a way to save her and save ourselves. Doevm will break out eventually, and he'll heal her after he does-' His thoughts were interrupted as a sword flew past his head and sunk into the wall. Strands of his hair floated to the ground.

Alexander's glare made both Thomas and Frey shut their mouths tight and straighten their postures. "I was saying," he continued. "Training with a wall is terrible. I am who I am because of fighting in wars. I fought. I killed. I lost. I grew. That's it. There is no forbidden legendary secret or genius talent for becoming stronger. Life essence and instinct may help but it's all been hard work, a stupid amount of luck, and friends. That's how I got this far." He took a big whiff. "Get used to the smell. It'll help the both of you stand the stench of each other after your daily training session is over."

Thomas took a big whiff as well and gagged: "May the goddess have mercy. This place smells like the God of Evil took a dump and left it to rot in the sun," He leaned against a wall, trying to keep vomit down.

Alexander suppressed a smile. "What did I say about that mouth of yours?"

"I don't smell anything," Frey said after sniffing the air. "I guess I'm already used to it." He scratched the back of his head. "So General Alexander, before we start training can we make a quick stop at the Knight's Academy?"

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "You said your goodbyes, didn't you? Why do you need to go back there?"

"Y-you said Elero was going to die," Thomas took a step forward.

Alexander nodded and crossed his arms. "So I did. It's her choice of what to do given that information, whether she works herself to death or decides to quit. Just looking at her however, I already know which choice she picked, to kill herself with training. What more can you say to dissuade that? I already gave both of you a chance when I let you say your goodbyes."

Alexander shrugged. "Of course. Do you know how many knights have worn that look of blind determination? Even Jameson was no exception once upon a time. Even I couldn't talk him out of it. I pleaded with him, begged him, but nothing worked. He eventually realized on his own what he was becoming. Elero is too far down her path to change directions. That's why I distanced both of you from her. She will burn out like a dying star."

"But I can talk to her." Frey shot back. "She's waiting on someone who will never come. That's the only reason why she's so stubborn. Once she realizes that-"

"Then what?" Alexander interrupted. "What will she do without any hope of continuing onwards? I, for one, don't think that she'll quit even then. What are you even going to say, stop training or you'll die? How about that you think you know what's best for her? Will you drag her away and bind her with shackles? Feel free to waste your own time but don't waste mine."

"Then we will leave." Thomas huffed. "And we'll just walk to the Knight's Academy." He turned to leave but Frey didn't move. "Frey, we need to hurry."

Frey was still turned to the General as he asked, "How far is the Knight's Academy? We will be too late if we walk, wont we?" Alexander nodded. "You're our only chance at making it there in time but why are you so stubborn about this?"

"I can see when someone is truly determined, resolute to die for their goals. You are lacking." Alexander narrowed his eyes at Frey, as if he could see straight through him. Frey swallowed his saliva and clenched his fists. "You want my help? Earn it. Spar against me and prove that you are determined."

"You can't be serious." Frey spat. "How are we supposed to beat you?"

"Not my problem," Alexander said as he walked over to one of the many barrels in the back corner or the cavern. "You see, the Knight's Academy is not exactly a place. It's a collection of trials to push you to overcome. Every aspect, not just physically but also mentally, shall be improved; qualities such as determination and trust." He flipped a barrel over. Weapons spilled out like a waterfall. He walked around the cavern like a farmer emptying his seeds onto a field, except the barrel never seemed to become empty.

Tens if not hundreds of cracked, worn training weapons clattered to the stone ground. The pile engulfed half the cavern's floor before the general found the training sword he was looking for. In a flash of golden life essence, all the clutter was shoved back into the barrel.

"Sir?" Thomas asked, a little puzzled by the display. His voice out muffled through his shirt, which he had used in a poor, unsuccessful attempt to block the smell. "Why don't you just get a spatial ring? Then you simply imagine the item you want, so you won't have to go through all tha-"

"I know how a spatial ring works," Alexander snapped. "The spatial barrels are just cheaper and can hold a lot more." He held out the training sword, which was more of a walking stick than anything. There wasn't even a proper hilt carved.

"You said you carved out this chamber with just training weapons." Thomas said. "What kind of wood is that?"

Alexander smiled and got into a stance at the center of the cavern. "A type of wood just barely harder than stone. Now, let's see what you two got."

"Shouldn't we get training weapons?" Frey asked as he and Thomas got out their weapons and armor. Frey nodded to Thomas, who stepped behind him.

Alexander raised an eyebrow: "Boy, you think your weapons could even pierce my skin?" Gold mist rose out of his every pore. "The real challenge is for me. I need to hold back as to not kill y-"

Frey charged forward and thrust bloodwood spear at the general's face. Alexander simply tilted his head, letting the spear whistle past before his life essence-reinforced hair stretched out and pulled on the weapon. "Cheap shot. Nice try."

A blunt javelin cracked the stone floor inches from the General's feet. Alexander looked over to Thomas and shook his head. "Getting nervous isn't going to do you any good."

"My eyes watered up from the smell!" Thomas coughed as he drew another javelin.

"Thomas…" Frey mumbled as he backed away, letting Alexander take the spear. He drew his Kopis and tightened his grip on his shield. "Just use your spear. The javelins won't work on him."

Alexander frowned. "Worry about yourself." The general raised his stick like a dagger in a reverse grip, casting a line of shadow over his opponent's paling expression. Frey brought his shield closer to his chest but the stick whistled clear past it and cracked against his exposed boot.

The armor hadn't helped to dull the stinging pain nor the sickening crack of his twisted toes, which nearly made Frey back away, nearly. He leaned forward on the injured foot, pushing through the pain to gamble on a single Kopis hack towards Alexander's head.

"Kid, there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity," Alexander said as he twisted his weapon, tilting Frey just enough to lose balance and swing wide over the general's head. Before Frey had even hit the ground, the general reeled his foot back. Frey held tight to the shield and clenched his jaw. "And also, you're too distracted."

The expected kick never arrived. Instead, the general ducked under another one of Thomas's javelins and wrapped two scarred hands around the edges of the shield. Frey's world spun as he was flung across the cavern towards Thomas, who lept out of the way with life essence around his legs. Frey crashed alone into the wall, its painfully jagged surfaces pressing into his back. He slid down trying to catch his breath, the air having been knocked out of his lungs.

Thomas launched another spear, which Alexander caught by storing it in his spatial ring. "Come on. Your friend said you're bad at javelins so you must be bad at javelins, right? Use something else then!"

Thomas knelt next to Frey. "What should I do? Did you see any openings?" A javelin caught him in the stomach, forcing his eyes wide.

"Oh let me just stand here while you two form a plan!" Alexander yelled, a vein bulging on his forehead. He took a step forward and Thomas unconsciously took a step back. "Fight!"

Thomas took one last look at Frey, who was still catching his breath, and drew his rose spear. Its tip made a trail of venom leading to Alexander as he charged forth and feinted a jab at the general's arm.

Alexander didn't even flinch. The only change was his deepening frown.

Thomas cursed. He had dedicated too much momentum to the feint which then carried forward.

Time slowed to Thomas who, while inexperienced, knew that he had just messed up. He scrambled for footing and looked to his opponent. He could almost see the gears turning in the general's head as he shifted into position to execute several strikes before holding back on the more dangerous ones and coming to a decision to extend his leg, easily tripping the uncoordinated Thomas.

Thomas rolled as he fell in an attempt to get his back off the ground and make some distance between them. He rolled for a single time before a heavy boot stomped down on his chest, pushing a pained groan out of him. Alexander raised his training sword and shook his head: "Feints only work if you're convincing. You can't simply go through the motions like this is a simple training session."

'Stab,' A voice said in Thomas's head as the wooden sword descended. His hands moved before even he knew. His fingernails grew with life essence and formed a sharp point that split the wooden sword down the middle. The two halves of Alexander's training sword barely whiffed Thomas's head and stabbed into the stone, cutting shallow wounds at sections of the young noble's ears.

Frey shook his head, trying to force the rainbow sparkles out of his blurry vision. 'Forward,' a voice said, making him push off the wall. A deep focus settled his mind. 'I don't want to lose someone else because I'm caught up on lies,' he thought. 'I'm taking him down, I'll show Elero the mask, and explain everything.'

Alexander smirked at both his disciples. "There we go. Get deeper into the Flow. Now I can see some semblance of determination brimming inside, you pathetic wastes of skin!"