“Hey weakling.”441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Z1SQJUOp9
“Sup Loserlise? Hahaha.”
Mocking voices all around, laughter everywhere, people in the tunnels pointing and laughing at Elise as she walked by. Her eyes shifted to the ground as another group opened up with laughter, then right at the ceiling, “{Ugh, these- bastards!}”
“That’s enough you schmucks, get back to work! Let the brat go feel sorry for herself somewhere else.”
“Haha, like she always does? Sure, right.”
“Hahaha.”
“Ugh, why don’t you guys ever shut up?” she spat holding a book close to her with eyes zipping around.
“Because it’s fun to laugh at you?”
“Because you’re pathetic.”
“Says the one who eats literal babies like an evil sack of crap,” Elise growled back.
“Eh it’s a matter of perspective really.”
“This clan is doomed with morons like you running it, now get out of my way,” she spat.
One individual stepped quickly in front of Elise with a scowl, his hand thrust into her chest to shove her, “Morons huh? Oh, are you still sulking over Elen? Pft, should’ve slept with her sooner if you’re that way. Tell ya what, how about I just hel- ouch! My hand, whaa-”
There was a crash, rock falling and tumbling across the ground. Elise now stood in the opposite direction as she had been heading, the man laying against the wall rubbing his head.
“Ugh, my fricken head.”
“Where in the name of Hell did she learn to do that?”
“It’s called I do all the gathering around here. I carry a lot of weight back with me whenever I go collecting water. Try to do that to me again and next time I’ll plant your entire head into the ground.”
With a scoff she turned and stormed away leaving many dazed with confusion across their faces.
“Sheesh, where did she learn to do that?”441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumRdRX0deY
441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU9OIMp4OUU
“So you threw him into a wall? Haha. Wish I could’ve seen the look on their stupid faces.”
“I mean come on, you’re really going to get in my face after I’ve had a couple spitting matches with my brother? Just stupid. And then to talk of Elen like that, ooooh that made my blood boil!”
“Just keep on learning from that novel and eventually they’ll see the results, and hopefully tone it down.”
“Well they don’t know that, not yet anyways. Besides I wouldn’t say much since I only just got the thing. Though I won’t lie, I’ve already torn through a fifth of it for a skim.”
Both Alto and Elise walked down a dirt path with blossoming flowers all around, the trees shaking slightly as they gradually seemed to shrink. At Elise’s side now rested a sheathed katana and in her hand the novel. Alto tilted his head with a slight glance turned towards her, “Well you are a bookworm so I’m honestly not surprised.”
He gave a sigh after and looked up as they continued on, “Ya know, I don’t get why they won’t recognize you. Remember the Battle of Norlan Wilks?”
“How could I forget. My father placed an incompetent moron in charge that got a quarter of our people killed.”
“You told them to go left knowing it was too easy based on this and that. Left was through a mud field but it was a safer bet. Tragic that they didn’t listen.”
“And that pretty much summarizes my life.”
“Right. So, are you ready then? If we’re going to do this, we need to do this.”
“Whoa but I only just started reading this!”
“Eh, you’ll be fine. You’ve read more than enough I’m sure. Plus there’s the sword there that Holly gave you with the book.”
Elise’s eyes drifted to her side. Hanging there, a sheathed Japanese Style sword, a Katana.441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDTlx6Qpdv
441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHKmcWir4V
“Oh, welcome back Elise dear, good to see you.”441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5AVdX7oSi
“Oh uh, hi Miss Holly.”
It stood cloudy out with a bit of rain fall as she stood at the front desk with The Art of Defensive Stature in hand. Holly glanced down, her slight smile fading with an eye raising itself and the other closing a bit, “So, why are you checking out a book on fighting defensively? Doesn’t really seem like your thing.”
“Oh, uh, you know just, reasons. The world is getting to be a dangerous place, figured I should learn a little bit right?”
“Heh heh, yeah, I suppose I suppose; though I don’t quite get why you want a book. Typically fighting is something you work towards through training.”
“Well, I do chores you know and a friend of mine thinks I’m already capable, just need to practice here and there.”
“Logical, love it. You sure it isn’t because of all those Vampire sightings people have been reporting?”
“What, Vampires? Oh please, don’t tell me you’re one of those crack pots that believes in supernatural stuff.”
“You’d be amazed at some of the secrets of this world Elise. So, is that all?”
Elise glanced up and locked gaze with Holly who seemed to be giving her a look over. With a slight smile Holly nodded moving her hands over to the computer, “You know, you’ve been our number one for awhile. If you’re interested in learning to protect yourself, might I offer you that katana in the window as a gift?”
“A katana? But why-”
“Consider it as a gift to help you shall we say. Besides, customers are starting to complain that it’s too easy for someone to go grab it and use it to start an incident. And I just don’t have the wall space to put it anywhere else, nor the heart to really hide it so, do me a favor and take it please? Before the over-sensitives start asking me to remove anything else that’s offensive.”441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsjKbywjpQ
“Well uh, thanks Miss Holly, truly.”
“Happy to help,” she replied with a slight smile.441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFSUggexQd
441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQdiy7oJP7
“I don’t mean to rush you or use this against you; but if you don’t get stronger, what happened to Elen is going to happen to someone else. You said it yourself, you want to get stronger for your friends and for your clan.”
“Yeah, fine. So, how shall we do this then?”
“Well we’ll start with me chucking a couple rocks at you to get your reaction time up, then probably throw some logs at you to deflect. After that we’ll just see.”
“Rocks? Wait, logs? What the hell man,” Elise barked.
“Yeah I figured you’d say that. Stand over there if you would, I promise that this’ll be fine, heh heh,” he said pointing to the other side of the clearing. With a nod Elise walked forward step by step with a slight hum still.
“Ok,” she mumbled walking over, “So when will-”
Thwack!!
“Ow!” Elise yelled.
Forward she stumbled, tripping over a branch falling flat onto the ground with arms way out. Alto’s snicker could be heard following a brief pained sound. Pushing herself up her head turned, eyes resting on a rock on the ground and then up to Alto. In Alto’s hand, tossed up and back into his hand, was another rock. Her eyes squinted, “What the hell man!”
“Let that be your first lesson, never turn your back on your opponent.”
“Jackass, you didn’t say you were going to start without saying start!”
“Always be on guard. Now, use that anger as determination Elise. And uh, try to not make me laugh too hard if you would, haha.”
“I still have to go back to my clan later you know, don’t hit me that hard dammit.”
“Oh you’ll get used to it, trust me.”
With a smirk he launched forward, flying right through the air with a stick in hand raised high. She turned as he drew close, her eyes widening as the stick swung down.
THWACK
“Gyah!” Elise cried out, “Dammit!”
Her foot swung forward, up in the air straight at Alto’s face. He simply blinked, then came the next thwack. Backwards he flew, all in the time that he had time to blink again. With a yelp he crashed straight into a tree, his head flinging back right into it, “Ah shit, shit that was my nose. Gah!”
Elise stood up, her face red with her right foot stomping down, “I told you not hit me that damn hard!”
Alto looked to her with a grin before shaking his head. He stood as Elise got back into stance, both chuckling a slight bit. Slowly he stumbled back up using the tree for balance, backing up right into it at one point with a hand to his face. Debris fell from the tree right atop his head, pine cones mostly as he inched forward, “Ugh, y-yeah I deserved that. Didn’t expect it though.”
“Train me for real or you’re going to get my non-existent boot up your ass,” she growled.
“I thought you owned boots? Eh, no matter. Alright Elise, I’ll stop with that nonsense and take this seriously now that I know you’re for sure serious. But I’m just going to say it, be ready for hell. I won’t go easy on you.”
“Now… dodge!”
THWACK441Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJ0hZVq0Be
