Adrenaline pounded through Aila's body, coursing through her veins like a drug of which she couldn't get enough. She was shaking in her combat boots, the anxiety from having to engage in combat with a dragon hitting her hard.

There was a chill in the air, and the grass below her feet was damp with morning dew. Ember had flown them down to the field below, which was only now beginning to brighten as the sun started to rise.

"Relax," Ember smirked, stretching lazily. Aila regarded the sword he held in his hands, and fought the urge to run away. "Oh this is going to be so much fun."

She unsheathed her own blade and braced it in front of her warily. Her eyes widened in fear as Ember conjured flames that ran along his steel, before he too poised it ready to fight.

He thrusted forward without warning and Aila sidestepped quickly, parrying the blow. She suddenly registered a waterball being hurled her way, and directed it away from her with a burst of her air powers.

She gritted her teeth in concentration, matching each of Ember's strikes with one of her own. He pushed relentlessly, whirling his sword around her as if it were an extension of him: another arm, leg, or wing. In the meantime, he'd also conjure waterballs, earthballs and fireballs, sending them her way to pose a further challenge.

Sweat gathered on her brow, on her neck, under her arms. She panted as if there weren't enough air in the atmosphere, as if she were running a marathon, as if she were in a narrow, lightless cave.

It annoyed her that Ember wasn't anywhere near the same state. Sporting a smirk, he moved as if it were a dance, a rapid waltz.

As Aila blocked a series of blows, she suddenly conjured a fireball and hurled it the dragon's way. He blinked in surprise as he was pushed back a few hundred metres, which gave Aila some space and a few seconds to breathe.

She put up a shield of air around her, which shuddered against Ember's retaliation, as he again attacked with his own implacable powers.

When Aila couldn't hold the shield anymore, she dropped it and used the air to knock them out of her way instead. She realised that a waterball was approaching too late, and she spluttered as it collided with her, soaking her down to her boots. With a sharp tug of her power, Aila saw herself engulfed in flames, and released a breathy sigh as her clothes dried.

She hefted her sword higher and advanced, an intensity blazing in her eyes. An opportunity to hand the dragon's backside back to him.

Ember grinned and met her halfway, their swords clashing as they each sought to disarm the other.

For minutes, the pair simply moved their weapons in what looked like a rehearsed dance. Thrust, parry, riposte, block, advance, retreat, repeat.

When Ember again pulled the trick where he set his blade on fire, Aila jumped back in fear and dropped her sword. She groaned in frustration as the dragon took a satisfied step back, allowing her to pick it up again.

"You are doing well," he commented.

"It's hard to concentrate with everything," Aila panted, sitting down on the grass and patting the space next to her for the dragon to join her.

He obliged her and ran a hand through his hair. Leaning back on his elbows, he stretched as he regarded her with tenderness.

"I know, Spark. I'm trying to prepare you for anything that can happen. If you are in a fight where you do not have to focus on everything, you'll find it easy. If you are in one where your opponent has magic, or you are against multiple people, this practice will make that easy too."

Aila nodded and leaned back, feeling comfortable in the bed of grass beneath her. She watched the sky above them, observing the fact that it was now mid-morning and the sun was cutting a steady path across the open blue.

"Have you ever tried to fly beyond the atmosphere?" She asked, turning to face Ember and grinning at his baffled eyebrow raise. He now lay on his side next to her.

"Do you realise I need oxygen to survive too?"

"Yes."

Ember shook his head lightly and looked at the ground.

"No, I have never tried to fly out of this world."

"Have you ever thought about it?"

A small smile met the dragon's lips and Aila perked up as he began to tell his story. She couldn't get enough of hearing about his childhood, his family, his history.

"I've thought about life on other planets before. Splint and I used to play a game where we pretended to be from another world."

Aila smiled as Ember spoke of his memories with a fondness and passion that brought a light to his eyes. It made her think of her own past as a child, and the mischief she used to get up to with Castor.

Pain flashed in her mind as she remembered the way they had broken the palace wall as children, they way they had snuck out together, the way they used to steal food from the kitchens, the way they used to bicker and banter.

"Spark? Are you okay?" Ember poked her arm, evidently noticing the frown that now pulled at her brows. 

"Yes," Aila shook the thoughts out of her head. She grabbed her sword and leapt to her feet, pointing the weapon at Ember. "I'm ready, let's go again."

"Spark."

Aila conjured a waterball and threw it at him, soaking him completely. She created another and held it in front of her, daring him with a forced grin.

Ember took his sword into his hands and got to his feet. He used his powers to dry himself and gazed at Aila with emotion in his eyes.

Pain, for her. For what she had endured.

"I'm here for you if you ever want to talk."

Aila's heart softened. She nodded, feeling a fraction of her grief dissipate with the dragon's steady presence. Her shoulders felt lighter, and she knew that by the end of the day, Ember will have made it subside.

"Again," she breathed, allowing a more genuine smile to touch her lips. 

Ember, satisfied, charged her with his raised sword.

The combat recommenced.

Howdy! Hope you are all doing well!

This chapter was so flipping hard for me to write. I have no idea why - I suppose I just had some kind of a mental block. I procrastinated it for weeks but it's finally here! I'm not completely happy with it but hey ho, I'll keep editing! :)

The next chapter has a time jump of four months, just to let you know in case you're reading offline or skip the pictures at the top! 😉

~ MaddyWilson 💙