15 Learning To Fight: Part 3

I passed out after screaming and crying for a little while. I felt like all I deserved right now was misery. I couldn't believe it. Not once did I ever think of what was happening to Xylvia. What the hell is wrong with me. I don't deserve to be by her side.

I woke up to someone slowly caressing my cheek. I was Leonna. She was startled when she saw me suddenly wake up.

"When I heard screaming, I thought it was just your hero in the game; however, when I saw you screaming and crying on the floor I...I..."

Tears were streaming down Leonna's face and she flung her arms around me and didn't show any signs of letting go. I didn't get it. Why was she crying over someone like me? We only met a few days ago.

"Hey Leonna," I said. "Why are you crying over me?"

"W-Why...wouldn't I b-be?" she asked through her sobs.

"We just met a few days ago, so why are you crying like that?"

Leonna took her arms off me stopped sobbing a little.

"Remember when I told you that you reminded me of me when you freaked out?" she asked.

Of course I remember that. How could I ever forget that? The way those wolves looked down at me like I was nothing but pebbles in the soles of their shoes. They could've killed me easily. And then the little girl... Why couldn't I just forget about her?

"I know what that kind of pain feels like," Leonna said. "The feeling of losing someone that you care so much about. It hurts so much. That's why...t-that's why...I...I don't want you to feel that kind of pain anymore!"

Leonna flung her arms around me again. She buried her head in my shoulders as she started crying again.

"I-I don't want...to see anyone like that...anymore," she said through her sobbing. "I don't want anyone else to feel that pain. I don't want to see people get hurt anymore."

She was right. This kind of pain hurts more than the bite of those C-Class wolves. It hurt more because it was on the inside. I can definitely understand why she doesn't want anyone to feel this way.

"Leonna, you're a good person," I said caressing her head. "You're way too good for someone like me though."

Leonna stopped crying and lofted her arms off of me. She backed away from me a little and tried to speak. Her face was bright red.

"I-I-I'm not too good f-for you," she stuttered. "I-In fact, I-I'm...actually p-perfect for you."

"What do you mean I'm perfect for you?" I asked.

"Oh...uh...well...y-you're perfect b-because...uhh..."

Her face just kept getting redder and redder. Her expression was both cute and hysterical, so I couldn't help but laugh.

"Heeeeey, what's so funny?" Leonna pouted.

"I-I'm sorry," I said through my laughter. "It's just that your cute expression is so funny."

Leonna stiffened up and again started stuttering.

"Y-You think...I-I'm c-cute...?"

She kept making more cute and hysterical faces, so I couldn't help but laugh as she tried to speak words.

Another day passed and Leonna immediately put me to work. This time, however, I wasn't training my fighting skills.

"Im order for you to fight, you need to keep your mind stable," Leonna said. "That doesn't mean that you need to stay calm, but you need to make sure that you keep yourself sane when you're in peril."

"Oh, ok...so is this why I'm tied like this?"

Leonna tied me down in a nearby pond. My feet were barely touching the ground and the water touching the bottom of my lips, so I could barely be able to talk. Both my hands and feet were tied to something in the water. I couldn't use the sword to cut through the rope because Leonna had it sitting next to her.

"This may not ever actually happen, but this is just to train your mind." Leonna said.

"Ok then. What do I do?" I asked.

"You need to keep your mind from going crazy while you try and figure out how to escape."

"Easier said then done."

I couldn't use fire magic to burn the rope because of the water, and my water magic isn't strong enough to actually cut through things like a knife. My earth magic isn't even powerful enough to chunk a rock farther than I can throw, so that was out of the question.

"Every fifteen seconds that pass, I will be rising the water level until you are completely submerged for thirty seconds." Leonna suddenly said.

"What?! Wait, hang on...how do I get out of something like this?!"

"Like I said, you need to figure it out yourself without losing your mind," Leonna said. "Your time starts...NOW!"

I didn't really know what to do. My arms were tied behind my back and the water level was up to the bottom of my mouth. My legs were also tied to the ground in the water.

"AQUA SPLASH!" Leonna chanted.

A huge splash of water came from Leonna's blue magic circle. The water level rose up to the top of my lips, so I couldn't talk anymore. I didn't know what to do. The sword was out of reach, my hand couldn't reach anywhere, and I was running out of time. The only thing I could think of was going under water and hoping to find something sharp enough to cut myself free.

"AQUA SPLASH!"

The water level was now almost touching my nostrils, so I had to do something now before I lost my ability to breathe. I breathed in a deep breath through my nose and submerged myself under. I looked everywhere to see if I could find something sharp, but there was nothing there. All I could see was where the rope was tied to. I could try un-tieing it, but my hands were tied to my back. I placed my feet back on the ground and stuck my head back up to the surface. I made sure that my nostrils weren't being blocked by water before I exhaled.

"AQUA SPLASH!"

The water level rose up again and it met halfway up to my face. I quickly tilted my head back as far as I could before I breathed in water on accident. I was starting to panic. I felt my heart beat faster. Images started flashing through my head. My parents. The village. The little girl. The wolves. Gleam. Leonna. ...Xylvia...

"AQUA SPLASH!"

The water covered my ears and left only a few parts of my face left exposed to the surface.

'Do you even think about what happens to me when I'm being held captive?'

I remembered what that image of Xylvia said yesterday. It haunted me throughout last night. I felt guilty for it...but...I needed to keep going. In fact, the whole reason that I've been training to get stronger was so that I could get to Xylvia. I love her, and I don't want to leave her. I don't care what tricks get thrown at me.

I love her and that's that! So what if I'm training with a girl? That doesn't mean anything! That doesn't mean that I've forgotten about Xylvia! I just don't want to freak out. If I lose my cool, then I'm not going to get anywhere! And right now, Leonna is doing everything she can to help me. She may be a little air-headed and loses her composure over the dumbest things, but she's a good person!

I can't give up now. I have to keep fighting. No matter what it takes, I will get Xylvia back! However, I couldn't do it alone. I needed help.

"Leonna!" I shouted.

She looked over as me as she was about to chant another AQUA SPLASH.

"Please help me. I can't do this alone. So please...HELP MEEEEE!!!"

If I could get on the ground and beg I would.

"It's about time you figured it out," she said with a smile. "DEHYDRATION!"

When she chanted, all of the water immediately disappeared. I tilted my head back up before I could fall over from leaning.

"INCINERATE!" Leonna chanted.

A little ball of fire emerged from a red magic circle that she summoned and burned the rope that held me to ashes. My hands were free as well as my legs.

"Congratulations," Leonna said. "You've passed this training session."