Shortly after the thoughtful birthday surprise.
Shin claps twice after the birthday comes to a close, swiftly going back to training mode.
"It's 5:30 pm."
The siblings glance at each other, confounded by the simple statement.
"So?" wonders Solaire.
"Time for training."
Sirella gasps and swiftly stands up to protest. "But it's my birthday! And I've just eaten a cake!"
"You won't puke. Don't worry." Interrupts Zerox nonchalantly.
How reassuring of the indifferent young man.
"How encouraging..." mutters Solaire as he dreads the incoming training regimen.
After such gruesome and lethal training before, Solaire can't help but assume the worst.
"What's it going to be this time..., Shin?" Solaire swallows with palpable anxiety as he dreads the incoming response.
"Same as the first training session you had.
This time however you and Sirella will go through it together."
Replies Shin smoothly, as if that sentence is supposed to resemble normalcy.
Solaire turns to Sirella, Sirella turns to him.
They both understand they're about to be crushed, it's barely been a week yet they'll be subject to more horrifying training.
However Solaire's motive reminds him strength is necessary.
Vengeance comes with strength, strength comes with training, triumph comes with experience, maturity, technique and competence.
I'll have to do this. If not for me then for mom and dad.
His will won't falter in the face of training, there's more to come and he knows that.
The siblings hold each other's hands, squeezing in unison as they turn to face Shin.
"Okay. We're ready." Says Solaire, representing their resolve.
"That's more like it." Shin nods in approval with his arms crossed.
Zerox gestures for the siblings to go towards the same mountain Solaire trained at in the beginning. It seems he'll be their trainer this time around.
"Come on, Sis. Just like that fight, yeah?" Says Solaire encouragingly as he leads her to the tall and uneven mountain.
Sirella huffs, offended he'd think she's afraid.
"Humph! I don't need your cheery words, I know how hard it'll be, and i can handle myself, little boy." Although she'll never admit that she's glad he cares so much.
"Little boy? I'm your older brother!" Says Solaire.
"I do not care." She says. Zero manners whatsoever.
Solaire's shoulder hunch forward as he sighs. "Whatever." He murmurs.
Finally they reach the foot of the mountain,
Zerox turns to them and speaks in his signature monotone voice.
"Today is a hard training regimen. I suggest you go in there expecting death."
Sirella glances at Solaire "Okay maybe i do care..." She mutters to him.
"You're soooooooo selfish" Solaire facepalms in exasperation. "Whatever."
Zerox takes out a magical stopwatch, only for Solaire and Sirella to stare at it with wonder, that never existed in Halia.
"Woah, what's that thing?" Solaire asks with eyes full of wonder as he leans in close, ignoring Zerox's personal space completely.
Zerox glances up from the stopwatch.
"Stopwatch." He says flatly, not elaborating further.
Zerox is probably not the best option to ask about something so technological.
"So..., What does it do?" Sirella joins in.
"Things." Says Zerox indifferently.
"...."
The siblings glance at each other, they should probably let it go for now. They won't get any answers from Zerox today it seems.
Zerox begins explaining the training regimen for today calmly, probably reciting something Shin made him memorize.
"Time limit is 1 hour, Run up the mountain, retrieve the diamond. However unlike last time you'll need to retrieve the diamond and preserve it's health. If it gets so much as a scratch then you'll fail today's training."
The siblings nod in unison, comprehending perfectly.
"So just dodge whatever mumbo jumbo you put up there and come back with the diamond in the same state we found it in?" Asks Solaire.
"Precisely." Zerox replies.
Solaire draws his sword, the same one he found in the sewers, and grips it with just one hand, it seems he's gotten used to it's weight now.
"Alrighty then. Let's do this."
Says Solaire confidently as he nudges Sirella with shoulder.
"Hey! How come i don't have a weapon!" Sirella complains as she pouts, her hands on her hips.
Solaire pauses, just now notices that, he may be observant but it seems his skill failed him this time.
"Uh....."
Solaire glances at Zerox, desperately seeking any form of assistance.
"Sirella,
You may have my dagger for the time being." Says Zerox as he extends his hand, offering a sleek, dark dagger with quite the sharp edge. Even an inexperienced person can tell this thing can cut anything easily. "It can be imbued with mana. however since you two are Tenil users i do not know whether or not you can imbue it with your essence."
Sirella takes the dagger slowly, her pout quickly disappearing as she gazes with shock at the immaculate dagger.
"It's so sharp...., and it glows...." She murmurs with wonder as she traces the edge slowly with her finger.
"Great now I'm the one who's jealous." Says Solaire with visible envy.
"Shuddup your sword is bigger!" Sirella retorts.
"Yours is sharper!" He counters.
"Cease." Zerox interrupts, still emotionless, and the siblings quickly stiffen and stand like soldiers in martial court.
Zerox gestures for them to begin their training.
The siblings glance at each other but start moving nonetheless, once they cross the trees they can't see Zerox anymore.
"Sirella, we have a time limit of one hour and trust me this is not easy at all." Says Solaire firmly, his voice unusually serious.
Sirella nods as she becomes vigilant and alert like her brother.
"Right." She says.
"SO let's run up this mountain, SIS!" Shouts Solaire as he darts for the top "And be careful because there will definitely be traps!" He adds.
"You don't need to remind me, Solaire. I'm not dumb! UGH!" She says as she trails right behind him.
The mountain's peak remains far, for now at least.
Solaire's eyes dart everyone as he sprints alongside Sirella. And like her brother, Sirella's eyes sweep the surroundings as well.
As if on cue, just like before, arrows fly at them with the sapphire hue again.
Solaire's red eye glows and he shouts at Sirella with panicked urgency. "DUCK NOW!"
He swiftly ducks as he says that, with Sirella right behind him ducking as fast as she can. Unlike her brother Sirella can't sense danger. Perhaps she'll have a different ability to assist with?
The arrows soar past them with unfathomable speed.
The siblings remain safe, atleast for now.
"Keep running because there's more where that came from!" Solaire shouts, the alarm in his voice palpable as he speeds up.
"I'll be honest, I can only run for so long, brother!" Sirella says as she pants, trying her hardest to keep up with him.
"Just control your breathing and worry about your life before you tell me you're tired!" Solaire replies with urgency.
The siblings traverse with as much swiftness as they can muster with their sweat bouncing off as they run. They might just be overheating at this point, but they cannot stop.
I have to do my best, i have to. If i want to avenge mom and dad then i have to be strong. I must!
Solaire's thoughts encourage him. He forces himself to continue no matter what. He may be exhausted, his chest may be burning, his heart telling him to stop but he won't.
This may just be training, but it's the first step of many towards his goal.
"Solaire..., I can't" Sirella says as she pants. "My lungs are burning!"
Solaire clenches his jaw, his sister is important and so is his goal and thus he does what might be expected.
Solaire swiftly carries Sirella on his shoulder.
Sirella gasps as she's lifted like a sack of potatoes.
"HEY!" Says Sirella with offense as she pounds on his back repeatedly, brimming with rage.
"Put me down! I'm not a bag of veggies!!"
Solaire keeps running, ignoring her pounding.
"Sirella, we have a time limit, once you can run fast again I'll put you down" Says Solaire as he controls his breathing. Carrying Sirella and sprinting is quite the load on the young boy's body.
As he sprints with Sirella on his shoulder a boulder rolls down with increasing speed. a looming threat.
Sirella turns her head to see what's happening and her eyes widen in alarm, her heart thumping fast.
"Solaire! DO SOMETHING!" She screams as she pounds faster on his back with more force from her fear.
"Stop punching me!" Shouts Solaire as he sprints to the side as fast as he can in an attempt to elude the boulder.
WHAT'S WITH YOU AND BOULDERS SHIIIIIIIIIIIN?!?!
Solaire panics internally as he dives just in the nick of time, successfully dodging the boulder but eating the dirt in the process.
Sirella falls from his hold, eating the dirt as well.
Sirella quickly sits upright and sticks her tongue out as she rubs it to get rid of the dirt with visible disgust. "You're so filthy!!" She says between rubs of obsessive hygiene.
Solaire winces, he absorbed the impact and Sirella's legs fell on his back.
"ngh....shut up...Sirella, be glad you're not flat flesh." He groans as he lifts himself up.
"We have to keep going anyway." Solaire exhales loudly.
"You can run now, yeah?" He asks.
Sirella glares at him, still angry about eating the dirt because of him "Of course i can!" She says as she crosses her arms, offended he'd think she still can't run. "I'm not a delicate princess!" She adds, refusing to look at him.
Meanwhile earlier today she hugged me for remembering her birthday.
Solaire thinks to himself as he recalls her enthusiastic manner of saying she loves him.
"Let's go then." He gets up to go back to running up the mountain only to find that the diamond is right in front of them. "Oh, we reached the peak!" Says Solaire, visibly proud of the achievement.
Sirella reluctantly looks and her eyes widen in awe, she may have seen diamonds before but this one is pure, glowing in the sun. Her lips part as she murmurs "It's so beautiful..."
"Right? I think so too." Says Solaire as he picks up the diamond, only for his red eye to glow as he leaps back, clutching the diamond close to his chest, narrowly avoiding a pit.
"What the hell?! He definitely wants to kill me!" He shouts in anger.
"But you're not dead, Solaire. You're better than whatever Shin is doing!" She encourages, going back to her usual self. It seems the diamond helped her forget the earlier dirt-eating.
"Okay, Okay. Anyway i think it's best you hold on to it and I'll carry you while i run down the mountain, cool or nah?" He suggests calmly.
Sirella stares at him, deadpan "Very uncool."
"..You're still gonna be the one to hold on to it." Solaire shoves the diamond in her chest as he says that.
Sirella clutches the diamond with a huge smile. "Can we keep it?" She says with awe.
Solaire pauses, wondering. "Last time i did this i gave the diamond to Shin, so you can ask him, i guess. I doubt he'll agree tho." Solaire shrugs, the boy doesn't care about a valuable diamond it seems.
Sirella narrows her eyes at him as she clutches the diamond closer. "So pessimistic." She mutters.
"Let's just goooooooooooooo!" Solaire says as he sprints down.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Sirella yells as she gets up. Sprinting to catch up to her brother.
"Be careful of the tripwires! step on them and you'll get a boulder to chase us!" Solaire shouts as he leaps above the tripwires avoiding them expertly.
"I can see them, y'know!" Says Sirella as she jumps over the tripwires, trailing closely behind Solaire.
The wind moves, tousling the hair of the siblings in the process. Sirella gasps, she took a long time brushing her hair! "Nooo! My hair!"
Solaire glances back over his shoulder and comments on her so called sadness. "It's just hair, if you're so sad I'll braid it for you."
He says as he leaps over a hole, probably one Shin made just now in secret.
"Really?! You will?!" Sirella asks with sparkling eyes as she leaps, right behind him.
"Sure, whatever." Replies Solaire.
From Sirella's joy she trips, activating a tripwire.
The air grows tense for a moment, only for....
THUD!
A gargantuan boulder lands above, gaining tremendous speed as it rolls down.
Solaire quickly lifts Sirella up as he sprints as fast as he can, sweating heavily from the load. "Sirella! I told you to be careful!!!" Solaire shouts as he sprints down.
Meanwhile Sirella screams, she's staring at the boulder with wide eyes filled with fear as she pounds on Solaire's back. "I'm SORRY! GET US OUT OF HERE!!!!!!" She screams out loudly her voice raspy from the intensity.
"Stop hitting me!!" Solaire says as he gains some speed, the momentum assisting him in this ordeal.
Finally, after panicked screaming, the siblings finally succeed in their training.
Solaire falls right at Zerox's feet, this time shielding Sirella from the dirt. How caring.
The siblings pant as they lay on the ground but together they raise the diamond, a pure diamond completely unharmed.
Zerox stares at the diamond, ignoring the siblings' exhaustion.
"Acceptable." He evaluates indifferently.
All that effort just for their result to be labeled acceptable.
"So..." Solaire pants "Tired.." his chest rising and falling fast.
"Same..." Sirella says, voice hoarse from her earlier screaming, her chest rising and falling quickly just like her brother.
As the siblings' fatigue catches up to them, Shin gazes upon them from his chair as he sips his coffee, probably expensive, savoring every sip.
"These two are quite promising. No 12 year old can carry his sister and run while a boulder chases him. I wonder what drives that boy..." Shin wonders to himself, what makes Solaire so strong, and Sirella too? How can mere children carry the endurance of late teens or young adults?
Nonetheless the siblings share their exhaustion, while Shin scrutinizes them that is.
A secret remains. Yet to be brought to light it seems.