Ria woke up. She was in her room. Pristinely kept wooden interior, her blouses and skirts neatly arrayed in her wardrobe. Her study, books stacked horizontally, quill in the ink bottle. nothing out of place.
"Are you there?" A maid opens the door. "Yes my lady" Ria : "what's my schedule? I should have lessons today." Maid : "None, my lady. Your tutors are unable to travel due to recent incidents."
Ria tried to get up. Ba dum! She started breathing heavily. The air was normal. Her thighs squeezed together. Her hand moved towards her crotch. "Are you alright my lady?" "Ah!" Ria was startled.
Ria :" I'm fine, what of the knights?" Maid : "several wounded, none dead from what I hear." Ria : "That's good." Ria got out of her bed and walked to her wardrobe.
"My fencing outfit, where is it?" Maid : "The stores. Forgive me. My lady hardly drills." Ria : "oh? Is that so? " Maid : "I'll go fetch it right away." The maid bows and leaves the room.
White wool tunic. Brown pants. Brown elbow and knee guards. Ria arrives at the drill hall. Smooth stone walls, neat racks of wooden swords, suits of armour and coats of arms.
"Good morning, Lady Ria!" A burly knight bellowed. "You are certainly a rare sight!" Ria : "Stop it." Sir Parkel : "HaHaHa! It's good that you are safe. All of the knights are out on patrol now. You now have the hall to yourself."
Ria felt a sense of disappointment come over her. Ria : "It's fine. Ahem. By the way, what are those triangular wooden blocks with straps attached?
"Umm… well… That's uh… dummy crotch armour. Umm… crotch guards yes! " Sir Parkel awkwardly adjusted his crotch guard, rolling his eyes. Ria : "Shall I take one? Sir Parkel : "That… won't be necessary … there isn't one your size I don't think…
Ria takes a stance in front of a straw dummy and draws her wooden rapier. Guard and then thrust and guard again. Guard and then thrust and then …. The wooden rapier dropped on the ground as she lost her balance.
Sir Parkel : " Need more practice I see. " Ria got up. Something had caught her eye. A pair of flat shoes in a corner of the drill hall big enough to fit a horse.
Ba dum. Ba dum. Ria's heart starts beating. She kept staring at the pair of shoes. She does not understand why.
"Blanking out now are we? HaHa. You must be still in shock. Some drilling and you'll be fine. Ah! Hello there, the drill hall angel is here!"
Ria turned her head. A wall of grey cotton flew past her. The gust of wind blowing her neatly combed hair to one side.
She laid eyes on a goddess. Upper black cotton blouse, voluptuous breasts that could feed a dragon, stunning abdominal muscles, black short shirt, thighs as large as marbled pillars, socks up to just below the knee, footsteps shaking even stone.
Hikari picked up her shoe and began burning gratings on the soles with her finger. Then she put on her shoes. stretched her left arm, stretched her right arm. Touched her toes and picked up a wooden sword the size of a sapling.
She swung it around in circles as though it was weightless. Then she did simple strokes. Sword raised vertically and down swing. Ria could feel a gentle gust of wind with each stroke. Sidewards sweeps. Diagonal cuts, thrusts, parrying stances…
Ria stood frozen in place, staring at the build and grace she could never have.
"My lady. I apologise for distracting you."
Hikari was suddenly standing right in front of her. Ria's face glowed red like a fresh tomato. She looked up and met Hikari's ruby eyes and her stern expressionless face.
"Face to the ground…" Ria heard an echo in her head. She dropped to her knees and pressed her face down onto the ground at Hikari's sock feet in flats.
The strong smell of sweat once again filled her nostrils. She held in her urge to choke and gag.
"Eh!?" Ria lifts her head. She found herself on her knees prostrating before her knight. She slowly lifted her head. For a brief moment, she thought she saw a smile on Hikari's face.
"Please stand"
Ria stood up. She was trembling. Her crotch was wet.
Ria : "Huff* Huff* Please don't speak of this to anyone."
"Of course"
Ria : "Eh!? Sir Parkel!?" Ria looked around but the drill hall was empty.
"He left. Stomach ache"
Ria : "oh that's a relief. I apologize for my indecency. But your swordsmanship and physique are impressive."
Hikari blushed. It was obvious enough for Ria to notice the slither of red on her otherwise perfect fair skin.
"If I may. Could I offer your ladyship some instruction?"
Ria's eyes lit up : "oh? That'll be most welcomed. A knight of your calibre. I only fear I might not be the most competent in martial affairs."
"Just some survival basics."
Ria : "Alright then. What do you have in mind?"
"Crawling on the ground"
Ria : "Umm…! That's Interesting. But isn't that quite., uh… unfitting for a knight. Knights are supposed to stand tall and proud, like you Hikari."
"I crawled in the trenches once. Saved my life."
Ria : "Hmmm, alright then. A knight, even a noble one, should swallow her pride sometimes."
"Let us begin then"
Ria got on her hands and knees and began crawling. Hikari walked alongside her.
"Faster. Lower, your head is too high." Hikari barked orders as Ria crawled.
Up and down the drill hall Ria crawled beside Hikari's shoe, chasing after her strides.
"Below my shoe level. It's bullet proofed. "
Ria: "Yes Hikari!"
"Face down, on your stomach!" Ria laid face flat on the ground.
"Now continue."
Ria was panting heavily after one round.
"Drink up, lady Ria." Hikari handed her her bottle while she held up a steel tank herself. Gulp! Gulp! They both drank. Ria : "Thank you for keeping me safe. " A hint of pink appeared on Hikari's face.
"Shall we continue?"
Ria : "Yes Hikari."
"Down. Crawl."
Ria got down and crawled. Soon, she crawled in front of a training dummy
"Up. Stab and down."
"Yes, Hikari." Ria drew her rapier and lunged at the dummy from her prone position. Crashed! She tripped and body slammed into it instead.
"Again."
Ria crawled behind Hikari's shoe to the next dummy. Stab! Next dummy, stab.next dummy, Ria tripped.
"Again."
Another round along the drill hall and it was time for a break. Ria emptied half her water bottle down her throat : "Ah… that was great." It was the best workout she ever had, though crawling at giant feet was the last thing she'd imagine.
Thump! Thump! Ria could feel the vibrations of Hikari's heartbeat in the ground. The shades of red on Hikari's face grew more pronounced.
Ria : "Huff* Huff* I'm rather spent right now? Could we stop?" Hikari bent over and pressed her finger onto Ria's head. Ria could feel a gentle stream of energy flow into her.
"Let's continue."
Ria : "Minor restoration? That's a light elemental skill. Whao, you are amazing, Hikari. I feel better now." Ria got back on her hands and knees. Ria : "I'm ready."
Hikari giggles at the compliment.
" One moment, let me take off my shoes"
A burst of pungent foot odour rushed out of Hikari's shoe. Ria held her breath for a second, and then breathed.
It was bad, but she breathed. The smell is so bad, but she still breathed. She breathed again. She can't stop breathing in the odour.
"Do you mind the smell?"
Ria : "mmmm…! Not at all, it smells good actually." Ria's face was now red as a stove. She couldn't believe what she just said.
"Oh?"
Ria : "Umm…! I mean, the smell of the hard work you put in. I can smell it from your shoes. Not that I like foot smells in general."
Hikari fondled with her hair
"Let's practice cover to cover. Follow my feet."
Ria : "Huff* Huff* got it."
"go."
Ria crawled after Hikari's feet. Step, crawl crawl crawl, sniff!. Step crawl crawl crawl, sniff! As she reached a foot, Hikari would sometimes arch it up, causing her to press her nose against her soles, filling Ria's nostrils with the full extent of her workout.
Slip. Ria's face slid along the slippery sweaty floor. "Ow… my nose."
"Press it against my sock"
Ria did. As her nose was buried into the damp cotton, a stream of energy flowed into her. "Whao.. she could cast minor restoration through her feet too. I could never do that." Ria thought.
"Continue."
Step. Step Hikari playfully moved her feet around, occasionally moving them too fast and far for Ria, making her chase them desperately.
"Faster."
Finally, Hikari closed her feet together. Exhausted Ria slowly crawled up to her feet and collapsed before her toes.
"That's all for today. Put my shoe back in that corner."
Hikari walks off.