<h4>Chapter 48 - 48</h4>


    Training began almost immediately the next day. Zirani had already been impatient to get things going and she only gave me time to let Misty and Sandra know that I''d be out and to let Sandra know Zirani would speak to herter.


    Once that was done, I had a quick breakfast, packed some rations in my ring, and set off. The first thing we needed was a secluded area, hopefully with a fair amount of space so sparring and techniques would be easy to do.


    It took a bit, but eventually, we found a small clearing closed in by a thick area of trees on one side and arge cliff face on the other. The path into the clearing was very obvious so we''d immediately know if someone wasing and Zirani would be letting out green pulses every now and then to check.


    "All right first thing''s first, I want to do a quick spar to test your current skills and strength, I have an idea, but it never hurts to be more urate."


    I nodded and moved to stand opposite of her. Like thest we''d spared she didn''t bother getting into a fighting stance. I, on the other hand, raised my fists and prepared for the onught and beating I was about to get. I was aware that I''d gotten stronger but I was not that naive to think that I was anywhere near her level. My skills had certainly improved, but it had only been a week. I was hopeful that I couldst longer than I hadst time, and perhaps even get a ncing blow in, as unlikely as that was.


    She didn''t wait for me to move, instead, she closed the gap in a single step, using a technique I hadn''t seen her use before. My bark armor was only half-formed by the time she was in front of me, so I chose to dodge backwards instead of trying to take the attack on one of my bracers. Her kick flew inches from my face but didn''t hit me, and I countered by rushing forward and sending a quick jab to her ribs, following it up with a strike to her face.


    She casually dodged both, moved in close, and grabbed my arm tightly. I tried to pull back but my arm wouldn''t budge so I moved in for a headbutt. I wasn''t quick enough, and a momentter, I felt an impact on my chest, followed by a quick strike to my liver. I fell like a sack of potatoes, and curled up into a ball. That had hurt badly. She''d never gone for a liver shot before.


    "Not bad," Zirani said.


    Not bad? I don''t think itsted ten seconds. Had she been holding back more than I''d realized in our first spars?


    After a minute of groaning, Zirani pulled me back to my feet. "You ok?"


    I gave her a nk look and I could tell she was holding back a chuckle.


    "Stupid question," she admitted. "So, I think we''re going to work on your fighting style first. I want to teach you the rest of the basics, and get that ingrained into you, before we move on to the movement technique and the others I want to teach you. It''s going to take a few weeks, but I want to get the foundation down as well as I can, though we might not have that long without interruptions."


    "Let''s just do as much as we can," I suggested.


    Zirani nodded and sighed. "That is the best course of action."


    "Also, are we going to be using my ive?" I asked hopefully.


    I''d been using a ive ever since we''d been asked to choose a weapon back at the academy. I''d fallen in love with the weapon. I liked using my fists just as much, but I haven''t used the ive in a long while, not even for basic practice. I was afraid I was going to forget how to use it, even though that was ridiculous. I could be rusty though.


    Zirani smiled, clearly reading my thoughts. "Yes, but we''re going to have to adapt what you have with the ive and try and teach you as many weapon types as possible. There are nature styles that involve long weapons like the spear or the scythe or the ive, but they are very limited not to mention that they won''t utilize whatever cores you have in the future. For now, we will stick to your ive, but once the foundation is set, we''re going to need to teach you other weapons as well and how to switch between."


    "You don''t need to worry about that, I may prefer the ive and sword, but I actually know how to use most weapons. I spent a lot of training with all of them to truly see which I liked best."


    She seemed surprised but d. "That will certainly make things easier."


    We began with basic practice so I could get used to ive once again, and just to jog all of my memories and skills. I''d been using the ive for years, so it didn''t take long for me to get into the motions and to get back into the groove of things. My ive swept around me in a wide arc then I pulled it back close, spinning it in a circr motion before shing upwards, turning it to block an imaginary strike, then like a viper skirting out, my ive moved forward in a blur to crave up my imaginary foe. I jumped back, flipping around, and my ive moved with me, spinning around, and protecting the areas most likely to be attacked. Most people didn''t think I was acrobatic, but that was wrong. There were many ways to fight with a ive, and I''d tried to learn them all. I ended the motion by jumping, bringing my ive around in a wide arc, and raising it high into the air, and as fast as I could I brought it down in a straight sh. The sound of the whooshing wind was audible as the de cut through the air, stopping inches away from the ground.


    Zirani pped, and I looked over to see an impressed look on her face. "I have to say, I did not expect that. You''re far more skilled than I ever expected, although it''s all self-taught isn''t it?"


    I nodded.


    "I guessed as much," She said. "I''ve seen people use ive before, and what you did is very familiar though you''ve added certain additions, and that can only happen one of two ways. You were taught by a master then adapted the style to your own, or you taught yourself."


    "So what first then?" I asked,


    "Well, I''ve tested you in hand-to-handbat, time for a spar with weapons." She made a quick motion with her hand and used aether, pushing it into the ground. Like thest time I''d seen it, a de of grass straightened then began to elongate, and shift, until it was half the size of Zirani, paper-thin, and as sharp as a de. She snapped it off from the ground and twirled it about her. It was sharp all around, but she never seemed to get cut in the slightest.


    "Now, show me what you can do."


    I felt my heart rate increase as we faced each other, and I spun my ive around as we stared at each other. Moments passed as I felt my blood pumping through my veins. I rocketed forwards, using the aether burst technique Zirani had taught me. I brought my ive around in a sweeping arc towards her legs. She blocked the blow and parried, forcing me to bring my ive around to block her counter strike. I used my weight and pushed the de to the side, then attempted a downwardssh into an upwardsh, but she was too fast, bringing her de around to block the first blow then in a quick moment too fast for me to see she moved and her de appeared at my neck.


    I''d never felt angry in our spars, not really, but having been defeated so easily while I was using a ive, left me feeling sour. I raised my hands in defeat and moved back.


    "Guess I''m not as skilled as you thought," I said bitterly.


    "Aiden." Zirani sighed and moved close to press a hand against my cheek. "I''m a four-hundred-year-old aether beast who has seen more than you can imagine. I''ve fought against people with strength that would baffle your mind, and trained with some of the best. I understand your anger and frustration, but you should not, ever, trulypare the two of us as we are now. You will grow stronger as will I and one day we will be truly bonded, and this will no longer matter."


    I leaned into her touch, and she gave me a quick kiss on the lips before moving back with a smile.. "Now, again."