We stayed there until the sun rose, my arrows barely even hit the target, even after many times of Sply correcting how my arrow should be placed many times in order for it to hit the target, I still missed.
As soon as the sun rose, Sply stopped me, making me sling the bow over my shoulder and making me follow her back into the building.
Sply put the bow back and we stepped outside, back on the other side, the side leaving the building completely.
Sply begin to stretch again, making me follow what she did, my legs were the part of the body that felt the least amount of pain, because I just stood still, my arms on the other hand felt shaky.
We began into another jog.
Sply and I followed the same path that we took before in order to get to the house, leaving the dirt path to begin our steps onto the cement steps, more people stepping out of their houses, to either get to work or to socialize.
We passed the same houses people nodding at us, I nod back, but I trip on many of those occasions, tired from waking early and getting weaker without strength to keep me up.
Sply gives me a slight look back. Making sure that I'm following her, then looks forward again, she's small but very athletic.
We pass the colosseum again, and out of the corner of my eye, before the my the eye patch over my left eye stops my vision I swear I catch a glimpse of the same woman that was going to take Marcilene.
I stop in place and turn toward the colosseum, the bow sling back and forth over my shoulder.
There she is, Jahar, the same woman that was about to take Marcilene, along with many other children, to sell them into slavery.
My face contorts into anger, and I feel my eye able to peek through the patch, the outline of her soul, black.
My eye burns with anger as I stare at her.
Spot stops a few feet in front of me, after not hearing my footsteps, Jahar looks at me, and with a smile, chains holding her as a guard brings her into the coliseum, she waves at me.
Sply walks to me:
"Who is she?"
I don't look at Sply.
"She's the same woman that nearly took Marcilene from us."
She looked at Jahar's back as she fades into the darkness of the door to the colosieum.
"Do you want her dead?"
I nod, not giving the idea a second thought.
"Then train, and continue to train, become strong. So that you can defeat any opponent in the path to your victory."
I turn to Sply, a faint sting in my eye, from when I could see through the patch.
Sply's voice sounded genuine, she knew what I needed to hear, or maybe she just wanted to push me to become stronger.
The pain in my fingers have just slightly subsided, not to much though.
Sply turned and begin into a jog again, each foot in front of the other, this time just a tad slower.
I followed her, making sure to keep her pace that she didn't change once after.
She was calm her breath was strong and she didn't even look like she broke a sweat, me on the other hand was the complete opposite.
As soon as we got into the village, my head was covered in sweat, the sun beamed down to us and my forearms, up to my shoulders were wet with sweat and my legs hurt, aching from the run.
I continued and as we passed a familiar house, Rez's house, I saw Wes along with Rez outside practicing sword play, with wooden swords.
I looked but didn't stop to say hello, they didn't look over to us, instead just continued with their sword play.
Rez was good, and fast but, every move he did wasn't to fast, just enough to counter and shoot his foot, arm or torso a small tap.
Sply doesn't stop, I keep up with her.
Soon we end up in front of our house, my breath gone, and my heart pounding in my chest from the 'jog'.
"Tomorrow, be awake at the same time."
She says as the front door opens and Steel comes out, followed by India right in front of him, her hair disheveled as she gives him a kiss goodbye.
And waves to me as she heads over and pats my head as she gets past the gate.
She waves to me next.
'She better not have had to do anything with that hand… or atleast wash it after she did.'
I think as I wince from the idea.
I look up to Sply, a quick flash of anger.
"Stupid bastard, married to three wives and still can't keep it in his pants."
I squint at her, for two things, she's angry, and because Steel has three wives.
"Are you married to Steel?"
I ask.
She looks down at me, and now back to her monotone voice and face:
"I'd rather cut myself from neck to navel."
I nod with sarcastic enthusiasm.
"Take that as a 'No'."
Steel spots us and looks and walks toward us.
"When did you leave?"
He asks me as he gets closer.
"Three to four hours ago."
I pause:
"Why was she here?"
I say pointing toward the slowly disappearing India.
Steel looks down to me with a smile like he was reminiscing on memories.
"She wanted to learn more about me."
I nod:
'Yeah, that's what was happening last night. They were LEARNING!'
I hold back a chuckle.
"Oh, okay."
I say to feign innocence.
I open the gate, but as soon as I touch the gate my fingers feel the most painful sensation ever experienced by myself.
Not even the dying felt this bad.
The small bleeding from inside my fingers that stung so bad were striking all in unison.
I stifle the biggest scream and release the gate, letting it swing back closed.
Steel sees it and checks my fingers, Sply looks at me, as if she understood the pain.
"That's a very common sensation to feel, you don't have to worry too much about it."
Spot says as she grabs my hand and points it palm up.
Showing the bleeding from under my skin. The micro cuts.
"What the hell Sply?"
Steel says, loosing the smirk on his face.
"He will be safe, this is a very necessary step to become stronger, you had to go through the same thing in order to become as strong as you are as well."
Steel opens his mouth to say something but stops, understanding that what she said was the truth.
"Are you okay Lazuli?"
He asks turning to face me instead of Sply now.
I nod:
"It hurts but I know the pain will subside."
Sply lets go of my arm.
Steel nods at me:
"Okay, as long as you're fine with it, but if she puts in another position that endangers you…"
I stop him:
"I won't let her, I promise me Marcilene for my safety along with hers, I'd never get hurt like those times again."
"Okay."
Steel says, sounding happy that I wouldn't just follow her orders without understanding the dangers of doing so.
"Okay, go into the room, get some rest."
And that's exactly what I do, as Steel stays behind, beginning to talk to Sply as I walk up the pathway toward the front door, opening the door, dropping my bow in the same place I dropped it on the same place as before.
Beside the couch.
I leave the livingroom again and head toward the stairs around the wall and up the stairs.
My feet just dragging up each step, feeling like genuine spaghetti.
'God, I'd kill for some good spaghetti right now.'
Soon I reach the top and enter the room again.
Marcilene is splayed out on the bed, I go to the side I was in before and softly push her to her side of the bed, before I lay back down and fall right back to sleep.
~~~
After what feels like less than a second I wake up again.
Steel shaking me awake.
"Lazuli. The sun is nearing its peak."
I slowly wake.
"If you don't hurry, the little elf girl won't train you."
I sprint awake, my mind flashing to Apatite.
I slide my legs back toward the edge of the bed and drop down the small gap, between my feet and the ground, as soon as it makes contact, I feel my legs give out for a second, with a mix of just waking up and the muscles tightening in my thighs.
Before I fall I grab at the bed and hold myself up.
Forcing myself to a stand I feel the energy jump from my brain to my legs making them functional.
"Are you okay Lazuli?"
Steel asks.
I look across the bed, not finding Marcilene, then I look at Steel.
"Yes."
With a good first step I begin to walk, step for step, my legs guiding me forward.
"I'll be fine."
Walking past Steel, I leave the room and down the stairs, Steel right behind me.
Marcilene is at the table, food in her mouth, as I go to grab my bow once more from the side.
Steel follows me.
We both leave the house, Marcilene doesn't question it.
The door closes behind us and we head in the same direction that we have took, twice before, heading to Warren Forest, after leaving the gate.
As we reach the edge of Warren Forest, I step into the shrubs brushing away annoying little leaves and then going through the trees.
Steel walks behind me, until I stop, the darkness even now, being a nuisance to me.
Steel bumps into me from behind, pushing me slightly but grabbing me before I fall forward:
"Can't see?"
"Nope."
I say in a serious, yet sarcastic tone.
Steel begins to step around me, I can tell from the heavy steps and the crunching of twigs beside me.
He then holds my wrist, not to tight but just enough to guide me.
"Follow me."
Steel walks in front of me and pulls me to guide me through the darkness.
Until we finally get out of it, into the same clearing as I've been in a good amount of times now.
Steel lets go of my hand and walks out of my way to let me forward, leaving me behind as he turns and walks right back into the darkness.
I give him a wave, but am not sure if he turns back to give me one, so I just turn toward Apatite. Who's sitting on the hill of the clearing, her eyes closed and hands holding what seems to be her wand. Shes chanting in tongues again.
I lift my patch to see the beautiful display of Soul Energy again, the same one that put me in awe as before, before pulling it back over my eye and calling out to her:
"Hey Apatite?"
She looks at me, and gives me a faint smile.
"Good you came, starting to think you wouldn't come."
She gets up off the ground, still holding her wand.
"Let's begin your Soul training."