Chapter 15 - Rowan

Advance Training, if I were to describe it, is a mentally and physically crushing trail of insanity, three people from combat have already been kicked from the course. Liz was hurt badly by her uncle shortly after her mom stomped her to the ground literally. She kicked Lizbeth to the ground by the back of her head. Liz doesn't remember the impact and that's probably for the best. The instructor for Fire is terrifying, she is an absolute monster and moves like she weighs nothing when moving more fire than I think I have ever seen. We no longer fight each other, only the instructors of the course, each one has two, and they help us to hone the skills we thought we had mastered in basic training. Boy, what a wrong answer, the only difference is we aren't confined to this building like the arena, and we can access the money the government has been paying us since being chosen.

So, Liz and I are going to get lunch today, I am excited about that. I cannot hold in the excitement, and feel like I am burning up inside. This girl makes me burn up in ways I didn't know possible, but I don't think she feels the same way. She has been a little more depressed since getting to this level of training, her uncle insulted her while hitting her with boulder after boulder. She has a few crushed ribs, a few other cracked bones in her arms, and one in her leg. The healers say they can only heal up the muscles, so Liz is still in a great deal of pain. She doesn't slow down, during training, it's almost like her title in school fit's her too well, Devil's Behemoth.

Rains 23

Liz leaning on my shoulder, her weight a comfort that she doesn't know exists for me, as we walk down each step of the too-tall building where we now live. She could simply ride a stone down the steps with me alongside her, but words ring in my ears that she told me her uncle told her after the last training where her ribs were broken. "Looks like I was right, that schoolhouse was bad for you, you have gotten soft."

I push the negative thoughts from my head and look at Liz, her skintight around her eyes, and a wince she is fighting from her face leaves small twitches on her lips. "Liz," I say stopping at a landing a few floors from the base of the tower. She stops with me and turns to place her back against the wall of the structure. Since we have money now, we have all gone into town and done some shopping, who doesn't like spoiling yourself a bit? She is dressed in a simple sun dress of light blue fabric, it shows off her legs more than any other part of her body, its simple tapered neck and sleeveless top showing off the gentle curves of her shoulders. But most notably her hair is pulled up into a loose bun, her long bangs pulled back except the edges, they surround her golden eyes, and a small measure of blush accents her cheekbones. The girl is a vision from dreams and fantasy alike.

"Stop if you need to catch your breath, they have been using you as a punching bag since you have been here and your body can't handle much more," I finish now that I have her attention. Her eyes relax a bit, and a stool of stone pulls out from the wall as she sits, must be Artemis's doing. The little bunny trotting alongside with Machina small chitters coming from the two. "I just need to get stronger, so they stop hitting so hard or learn to shrug off their attacks like they do mine, I have gotten soft," Liz says tears brimming in her eyes. My hand shoots to the side of her face, my palm resting against her cheek, and I move closer squatting down in front of her. My mouth started talking before I could think of what to say, "Come on, today is a day off, let's get lunch and I promise you will be the behemoth they come to respect by the time you are out of here." Liz's eyes perked up to mine, oh how I can get lost in that golden view, her voice soft and vulnerable spoke earnestly to me, "I am trying to push myself, their expectations and everything they have taught me through life is just to keep me safe. I can't let them be disappointed in me, I am all they have." I found my smile filling my face, disappointing your family, I am number one on that list. "Such a pouty girl," I lifted her face to mine and left a kiss on her cheek, the color of the blush vanished under the crimson that shot across her cheeks making her look so much cuter than the situation dictates.

The tears broke free from the dam of Lizbeth's eyelids, and the contrast of the tear-soaked eyes and crimson cheeks made me blush deeper than I ever had before, the fire in my belly rolling out into my cheeks. Liz lunged at me bringing both of us into a heap of laughs and pined grunts from her, I guess I made her smile enough to forget about the pain for a second or two. Liz pressing off my shoulders and sitting up simply smiled at me, and said, "Thank you, Rowan, what would I have done without you?"

I felt the blush come through even hotter as twin flames appeared under my eyes. The flames put there by Machina nonetheless set Lizbeth into a laughing fit, of giggles and grunts as she had to hold her ribs wincing in pain.

"Come on, I am hungry," I said turning to face away from Lizbeth. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and I felt a tug as she pulled me into a hug so tight I thought my head was going to pop off from my shoulders. Her lips brushed my ear and planted firmly on my cheek, warmth spreading through me like a rush from the cheek to my entire body. I am a proper noble I didn't squeal or jump from surprise, or you know, squeak like a mouse from the kiss. But my stupid grin from ear to ear the rest of the walk from the building into the street told Liz exactly what she wanted to know.

Hitting the air outside the building, was wonderful, the rain-cooled air followed by the early summer breeze lifted me higher than I thought possible. The raindrops that rolled off my face as I looked at the sky felt like a cleansing wave of bliss. I looked over to find Liz smirking at me with a playful look in her eyes, those beautiful eyes.

"Well Liz, I can say the rain hides the tears in your eyes pretty well," I said throwing her off guard and getting a playful grin back at her. "That's just mean Rowan, aren't nobles supposed to be kinda sweet to the people around them," she replied just as playfully taking my hand as we strolled down the street. The street around the Council building and the Arena is a massive garden for the most part and you have to walk the better part of three to four blocks just to get to the city. Its lush trees glistening with the afternoon sun and rain fill my eyes with beauty I don't get to see all that often.

Liz made small grunts as we made it to the end of the garden, and changed her tone immediately as the city below came into sight. Drawn carriages fill the streets and the bustle of life below attracts the eyes as a beautiful city made from all sorts of materials, wood, stone, brick, and metal span a mismatch and gorgeous view. The best part of the city is where we are headed for lunch, a small pub, Bits, and Bots, no one around here knows how it got its name, or how old the pub is, but the modest wooden building stands proud amongst the busiest street of the city proper.

The owner and I are not joking about this, he calls himself Papa Chops, and he has the best mead and food in the city. And Liz hasn't gotten to go there yet because she has been on bed rest the past few days, I'm kind of breaking her out of here for the day though I'm not supposed to. I look to the girl whose eyes light up like a child in front of a toy store, and say, "I know you haven't gotten to do too much since school, and I would love to take you to lunch on this date." My face betrays me once again as Liz laughs and with her grin, as bright as the sun breaking through clouds, she says one thing and it sends me almost tumbling over from shock, "Well, my dearest friend, I would love to go on a date with you." Did I say date?