Chapter 19: Ingrain

Next day arrives. Drac arrives late to the training area. Last night was taxing for him, physically, and mentally. He promised to meet Marina. Drac rushes on Mist, wondering whether she is still there. Drac reaches the Flatland to see Marina in the middle, arm wide.Three balls of fire circle around her. They orbit around her faster. Three becomes six. Faster and faster. Marina then pushes. The balls shoot around her and at Drac. He creates a copy to shield himself. The copy took the blow but dematerialised soon after. 

Drac! Oh fuck i am sorry!

"No, no I am sorry. I shouldn't have left you here waiting for an hour. And to apologise, I brought something." He gets a package from his horse. "A gift for you. Simple make, I know. But if we practise more I will get you better ones." Marina unwraps the package. Steel Gauntlets. The sun shines on the metal. Its palm brown leather. Marina takes the right hand gauntlet and wears it. She closes the gauntlet into a fist. Overjoyed, Her smile was large.

"Got the hand size from Bob. Why he carries your gloves for you, I have no idea but it was a great help. Come on put the second one"

Excited, Marina put on the last gauntlet. 

"Today's lesson we're starting from scratch. As you have demonstrated in your last lesson that you have no talent for swords at all, I was thinking of teaching a technique perfect for your personality. Marina. I am going to make you a Pugilist."

Marina turns her head to the side. "A What?" 

"Again! One, one ,two! One, one , two!." Marina throws two jabs and a straight. Again and again. The same motions are repeated. Marina is sweating profusely; clothes drenched. She has been doing the same combination for twenty mins, three mins of exercise and a break for one. Her arms shake as she tries to get out one more straight. 

"Stop. It's enough for today."

Marina collapses on the ground leaning back on the ground. "Bastard. Just - a lil' - more - huh?" Marina gasps for air between words. 

Drac sits cross legged on the floor meditating. "I told you we will start from the basics. You need basic stamina. So please try your best. You will look back and not regret this training."

Marina sat up to rest her arms on her knees. "I sort of get it. What i don't understand is why i gotta do the boring moves again and again and again and again and-" 

"These boring moves need to be ingrained in your body. How do you think I got to this level? Where I can split a man's head from body without a thought. Hard. Work. 

But I did the hard work.

You ARE me so it counts. 

"Now apply it to your magic. Before you could make a massive fire ball or a Murus that can cover several metres, you started with a single flame." 

Marina thinks for a moment. She nods.

It is a weird feeling. Being a teacher.

What do you mean, Hood? I am the one doing the work.

Shut up. 

Drac stretches out of his meditation position. "Alright. Let's go back. Last day here so go relax."

Drac's in his fighting stance, facing two of himself. His sweat rained on the ground. 

Slowly but surely you're using the magic without my help. Levitation flows better. Aura is stronger and more stable. Good teacher that girl is. 

The lessons Drac had with Marina expanded his possibilities. The more he learned the more he could do. He wanted to learn a lot more, do a lot more. Be more.

Copies disappear leaving Drac alone in the training area. He has been here since Marina left. Practising spells. Meditation and having many sparring sessions with himself. Drac looks up at a lone cloud in the black starry sky. Few weeks ago a lonely farmer with nothing but books and animals. Now he fights like the heroes of his favourite stories. 

Drac looks at his Sword. Hood's Heilong. Is it now his? These talents and skills, are they his?

Drac sheathes Heilong. A whistle and he rides away on Mist back to his inn room to rest. Tomorrow, the group will continue their journey to the Capitol. 

A few hours before. Marina was outside on a bench. Bob right beside her. Stern as always. Nobody would know from his stone face that he spent the day and night healing the refugees. Marina's ever present boulder to lean on in trouble. Both looked upon the kids playing together. The kids she saved. 

She can really do it.

"Miss." Karl gestures for her to come over. "A gift. For you."

Her interest perked, she followed Karl to the large parcel.

She looks over the parcel wondering what could possibly be inside. Food? Books? She hopes dearly that it's alcohol. It is heavy so it's likely. 

She carries it using her new gauntlets up the stairs to her Inn room. Once inside, she unravels the parcel. Greaves. Shiny armour meant for shins. And a breastplate. Gleamy steel worthy of a warrior. A note lies in the parcel fabric. 

Another Gift from a friend.