Trouble

Avic held the iron sword firmly in his hands. It weighed down his hands but he did his best to hold it as firmly as possible. His muscles quivered and his arms quickly grew tired. However, he had to endure.

Custos stood a few feet in front of him, also gripping an iron sword. However, unlike Avic, he held the sword effortlessly with a single hand, ready for battle. The two were about to go head to head in a battle to determine their compatibility with the weapons they were given.

Custos calmly slid one of his legs to the back while simultaneously moving the other to the front. He held the sword upright with his right arm while keeping his left arm close to his chest. His stance was a little intimidating. It was almost as if Custos was already adept at using swords.

"Now remember," began Amon. "You're not sparring to defeat one another. This is not a competition. This is simply to test how compatible you are with the weapons I've given you. The battle ends when I tell you to stop. Do you understand?"

"I understand," agreed Custos.

"Custos, I'm gonna kick your ass! Just you watch! Acting all perfect as if you're so good at everything! It's time you learned who the best is around here!" Proclaimed Avic.

"Avic, didn't you hear what Mister Amon just said?!" Argued Eliisabet.

Amon sighed, "If only he was this motivated when it comes to work..."

Before Amon could even say begin, Avic charged toward Custos. He came down with a powerful swing of his sword, forcing Custos to respond. Custos quickly caught the attack on the flat of his sword before using it to push away Avic's blade. This caused Avic's hands to be thrown above his head, throwing off his balance for a few seconds, creating the perfect opening for Custos to strike.

Custos then dived towards him. His sword cut through the air with a sharp whistle before slamming into Avic's blade with a clank. Fiery sparks gashed to life as Avic's sword was sent flying from his hands, crashing into a nearby wall.

"Well, it seems Custos is quite skilled with a sword. Based on how you fought, it's fairly safe to say that your compatibility with a sword is quite exponential," Praised Amon. "On the other hand, Avic, you looked like a child swinging around a stick, pretending to be a knight."

"Man, this is so unfair..! All I do is get my ass kicked! I swear Custos is a part of some secret society that we don't know about! His skills go beyond talent!" Argued Avic.

Custos laughed awkwardly, scratching his head of blonde hair.

"Sorry, Avic. But on the bright side, we'll be on the same team. It's good to have strong teammates, right?"

"Hmm... I guess you're right. If my teammates are strong then I won't need to lift a finger to fight! I can take it easy and relax on journeys! You're a genius, Custos!!"

"Seriously, Avic? Don't tell me you only want to create a group so you can be lazy all day..?" Muttered Eliisabet with a bothered sigh.

"Hey, what's so wrong with that? Having people doing all your work for you is like living in paradise! Sometimes I wish I had an affinity that allows me to clone myself. You could sleep all day without a care in the world while your clones do everything for you..! If that's so lazy then I consider laziness an art!"

"Your clones would probably be just as lazy as you..."

Amon then clapped his hands to regain their attention.

"We should continue. Custos, are you okay with a sword being your main weapon?"

"I don't mind it. I think it's just right for me."

"Good. As for Eliisabet, you can try testing the dagger I gave you on a puppet. They're located further down the room. You can also try other weapons if you don't feel very comfortable with the dagger."

Eliisabet then agreed before promptly doing as Amon had instructed. This left Amon alone with Avic and Custos.

"What about me? I think it's evident that a sword just ain't my style. I need a weapon that's compatible with me!" Murmured Avic.

"Hmm... What about a bow?"

"A bow? I was thinking more along the lines of a pillow..!"

"Avic!"

"What..? Like, let's be honest. What's more compatible with me than a pillow?"

"Sigh... Avic, I believe it's time you took a break. If you're not going to take this seriously then it makes no sense for me to waste my effort."

Avic immediately stopped joking around as soon as he saw the look of disappointment on Amon's face. It was clear that Amon was serious.

"I was only joking around to get my mood up... I never said I wasn't taking the training seriously..."

"Then if you're taking this seriously, how do you look when you're messing around? Because to me, it seems like you take this for nothing more than a game, Avic!"

A frown quickly began forming on Avic's face as soon as he heard this. He felt insulted by Amon's words.

"Hey, I know that it might not seem like I'm taking this seriously but I'm genuinely trying here. Especially when I was trying to improve my Hemo Control. I gave it my all but I just couldn't keep focused, no matter how hard I tried. I know you all think I'm joking when I say this but it's really just how my body works..!"

"You say that now but before you sparred with Custos, you blatantly disobeyed my orders and turned this into a competition. This is training, Avic! If you want to become a Sicarius then you have to work hard for it and stop messing around! I thought you understood that!"

Avic's face grew dark and he tightened his fists with frustration.

"I know it wasn't the best time to make a joke about kicking Custos's ass but I never meant any of it. Sure, it was a little reckless but we're both newbies using swords for the first time! I would never push it as far as to take it for granted, fully knowing we could both end up hurt! I did give it my best shot against him but I just wasn't good enough with a sword!"

"Avic, I'm tired of hearing your excuses. As I said before, I'm finished training you for now. Go take a break outside until you can take this seriously. In the meantime, I'll put more effort into training Eliisabet and Custos who seem to be much more willing than you are."

"But I really was trying though..."

Custos opened his mouth to say something as he felt a little sympathy towards Avic. However, no words came. Before they knew it, Avic turned around and walked towards the exit that opened and closed behind him with a rumble.

A few seconds later, Avic arrived in the tavern before walking out into the streets. The sound of horses, carts, and the chattering of hundreds of people immediately pierced his ears. It was already noon and the sun shone down on him like a beacon. The air was hot and dry, causing sweat to sparkle against his skin like tiny crystals.

Avic kicked a small rock to the side of the road in frustration. He felt annoyed not only with Amon but also with himself.

"Damn that, Old Geezer... If only he knew what it was like living inside my body, he wouldn't say stuff like that so easily..! It's not like I can help what little focus I have... Just damn it all..! Why does no one ever understand me..?"

Just then, screams echoed across the streets of Initium like wailing sirens. Heavy footsteps ran, stomping the ground like thunder. Horses nayed, carts crashed, and stalls were wrecked in the resonating confusion. A crowd of people scattered and ran in panic as if something was about to kill them. Women, men, and children alike did their best to scurry to safety.

"What the hell's going on here..? Is the town under attack or something?"

This was when Avic noticed a young girl sitting in the middle of the panicking crowd, crying. If she was left there, she would surely be stomped flat.

"Damn it! I swear I better be rewarded with a proper nap and some food for this!" Cursed Avic as he ran towards the little girl.

Avic dashed past people in the panicking crowd one by one. He dodged, jumped, shoved, and fought to keep his balance. Some hands accidentally caught him in the face while many stepped on his shoes, rattling his toes with pain. However, after a few seconds of perseverance, Avic reached the little girl in the crowd.

"Hey, kid! You can't stay here!" Shouted Avic, trying to keep his voice above the panicking crowd.

"I lost my mommy! I don't know where she went!" Cried the little girl.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find her!"

Avic then grabbed the hand of the little girl, quickly picking her up. However, as soon as he did this, he noticed something odd. The sound of panicking grew distant in his right ear. He then looked to his left to see that the panicking crowd had run past them, leaving them behind.

"This is probably stupid of me to ask so late but what were they running from anyway..? Sigh... I can tell that as soon as I turn around, there's going to be a big ass monster ready to make me into a five-star meal..."

Slowly, Avic turned his head to the right, expecting to see some strange monster standing above him. Fortunately, to his relief, nothing was there as far as the eye could see.

"Phew..! I thought this little girl and I were about to die..."

As soon as these words left Avic's lips, two massive talons sunk into his shoulders.