Song-- Everything and Nothing// Willyecho

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She looked into yet another room, fingers crossed for it to be the right one. As she glimpsed a rack full of exposed and sheathed gleaming metal, a smile broke across her face. Avyanna had successfully located the weapons room after half an hour of wandering like a geographically-challenged puppy.

The hardwood made a satisfying hollow sound as her combat boots tapped over them, her footsteps cautious to the gently snoring people in the other rooms.

Once Ava was at the very center, she saw that it wasn't just a weapons room, but a training chamber too. The room was dimly lit by incandescent stones at either corner and gentle rays of the morning sun filtering in through the blinds, casting shadow strips over the brown floorboards.

But this dim setting only allowed the weapons' rack to stand out more, its bright metal contrasting against the warm hues of brown. Avyanna ran a finger over the swords and arrows. All of them appeared to be in mint condition, their hilts covered in intricate engravings.

"Morning." Someone greeted her from the door.

Avyanna whipped around to see a familiar brown mop of hair. Her heart almost stopped as she thought of Bexley, for the first time in nearly a week. But she quickly dismissed that thought as she took in the boy's tall and well-built physique.

Ace leaned against the door frame as he lifted his chin towards Ava.

"Why are you up so early?" He questioned.

"Well I could ask you the same." Avyanna countered, not wanting to answer straight for some incomprehensible reason.

Ace just smiled at her response, ambling in towards the weapons' rack. He mulled over the blades before picking out a scimitar, the curved edge of the sword looking lethal enough to carve out a person's heart at touch.

He flipped the sword in his hand, the metal surface sending spots of light waltzing across the ceiling. After admiring the Turkic beauty, he looked at Avyanna, a shadow of a grin playing at his lips.

"Need a sparring partner, Miss Irvine?"

Ava cocked an eyebrow at the seemingly confident boy.

"Are you challenging me, Loughty? Keep in mind that I went full ballistic on the rebels, and you would be no exception."

Rather than scaring him off, this made Ace grin broader. He gestured at Ava's frame and spoke as though he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Well, I'd like to see how such a tiny girl could wring so much damage!"

Avyanna's eyes widened and she let out a dry laugh. "Oh, you have so said the wrong thing to the wrong person!"

She drew her eyes to the ammunition, scanning each one before gently lifting a sword with a deep blue leather scabbard. Avyanna awed at its magnificence while toying with its ends, flipping it over to examine each detail.

"Just because the sheath is pretty doesn't mean the sword is deadly." Ace scoffed.

Ava simply rolled her eyes at her unbelievably ignorant and clearly inexperienced companion. She clasped her fingers around the cold hilt and unsheathed the sword, making a dulcet sound that echoed in the space.

Avyanna reveled in satisfaction at her partner's slack-jawed, wide-eyed, stupefied expression. He pointed his index at the sword, his eyes grew so big that they were engulfing all his other features.

"I-is that- is that the-?" He faltered over his words.

Ava brought the silver beauty under his nose and replied cheekily, "The titanium blade with the tungsten carbide edge? Why yes, yes it is! Sometimes, Loughty, the pretty sheath can have a deadly sword." She simply patted his shoulder tauntingly and strutted to the carpeted area she assumed to be the sparring ring.

It took Ace a moment to recover from the shock but he strode over to the ring, smiling like an idiot. Both of them posed their weapons and circled each other twice, like venomous snakes ready to strike. When both of them stopped, an eerie silence filled the room.

Ava positioned her body at a forty-five-degree angle, her left foot ahead of her right one. She waited tersely like a lion for its prey, waiting for him to make the first move. And he did.

Ace flung his sword, attempting to attack Ava's neck. She blocked the attack with a simple swish of her blade. Turning it into a parry, she stuck her sword between the dual edges of his scimitar, pushing it to the side and aiming a blow at his shoulder. Ace counter cut Ava's attack, using this position to push her backward, putting space between them.

"Damn Loughty, you're better than I thought!" Ava exclaimed, wiping sweat from her brow.

"I'm good, but you hit like a girl." Ace taunted as he paced closer. Ava shuffled backward slowly until he was just an arm's reach away. He tried to jab at her, exposing his torso.

Ava smiled to herself at the idiocy of this move. Using the bonus of his unarmed chest, she raised her sword slightly, feinting a blow. Ace brought his blade closer to hers to block. Ava turned the sword round and pushed the butt of the hilt into his chest, knocking him a few feet back. Taking advantage of the element of surprise, she swung at his sword which was hanging by his side and sent it scattering away. Without wasting a second, she jabbed her titanium blade at him, the tip barely brushing his chest.

"You wish you could hit like a girl, you sexist pig!"

By this time, they were both breathing heavily, strands of Ava's hair falling over her face as she held the tip to his chest until he raised his hands in defeat. Avyanna dropped the sword, blowing out her hair from her eyes. Ace put the tip of his scimitar down, twirling it by the hilt.

"You never fail to surprise me. But that was a good fight."

He extended his hand and though Avyanna had the overwhelming urge to slap it away and walk off, against her better judgment she shook his hand and returned his smile.

A throat cleared in the background and gained their attention. Hector stood leaning against the door frame, where moments ago Ace had stood. He had a smirk plastered over his face as he took in the sight of Ava and Ace still holding hands. Upon realizing this, Ava immediately pulled her palm out of his grip and threw a glare at Kingsley, who was trying his best to suppress a laugh.

"Well then, I must leave now. It was an honor losing to you, Miss Irvine." Ace said, feigning a bow.

Ava and Hector made their way out of there too. As soon as Ace was out of earshot, Hector turned around and started back-walking to face Ava.

"So..."

"So... what?" Ava snapped.

"Jeez, and to think you'd be in a better mood after sparring with pretty boy over there." He joked.

"But like did you just run into him or had you planned this secret rendezvous?" Hector asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Avyanna punched his arm and glared at him.

"Oww! Aggressive much?"

Ava rolled her eyes and muttered, "Ask Bexley about that."

Hector turned back and started to walk normal, tilting his head to one side as he inquired, "Bexley? Who's that? Lover back home?"

"Oh my god, Kingsley! Is life a big love story to you?"

"Well when you can play matchmaker, why not?"

"You are very difficult to put up with. And to answer your question, no. He was my best friend and he strongly resisted my leaving Spiritfalls."

"And you still left? What a shame..."

"Well, look at this way. If I hadn't left, you would never have met such an amazing, interesting person."

"I still haven't" he said under his breath, only to be rewarded with another punch.

"But seriously though," Hector added, "How did you beat Ace Loughty? I heard he's pretty good..."

A smirk made it's way to Ava's face, as she broke eye-contact with Kingsley. Looking over at the rolling blue streams, she replied, slowly.

"Because I hit like a girl"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I love the Ava-Kingsley chemistry man [totally platonic! (i think)]

Also, thank you all soooo much for almost 1k reads!!! Oh my god! Thank you for staying with me, Ava, Bex and Kingsley for so long if you have. 

Until then,

Toodles Cinnamon rolls 😘😘!