Elise ran along the dirt trail, winding around trees and moving uphill as a large dog ran after her. Dirt flew behind as feet crunched along. A turn to the left and she quickly ran off trail across the grass, the dog barking.
“Yeah yeah I know Alto I know, quit yell- quit barking.”
Elise jumped as she came up over the next hill, sending herself right over an opening that went down into darkness below the dirt. Her feet stepped down and continued on for another hundred meters, where they then halted with a skid.
“Heh- hee- oof, h-how, urk, how was that?” she huffed breathing a little raspy.
Stumbling across was a no longer transformed Alto with fur flopping off of him, “Guh, oof. My God, you run like mad-”
“Stamina, strength, and determination. Hoof though I’ve never done that,” she coughed.
“So many kilometers, God.”
“Hahaha. Pacing is everything man.”
“Oh shut up. How did you even do that without training for such a run?”
“Heh, who knows. For once though I outdid you Alto.”
Alto collapsed with a cough, down to his knees.
“Whoa. Haha, after being pushed by you for so many weeks this feels rewarding.”
“Glad you’re enjoying it,” he coughed again.
“Come on Alto, let’s get on with the next thing.”
“Crap.”485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4JXVjNn31
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUmmIwTwdI7
To the left she jumped as branches fell continuously to the ground from above. Alto leaped from branch to branch in his transformed state, swinging claws to lash right through though unable to completely keep up as he huffed. With another roll Elise turned round and hurled a large rock up into the trees.
A yelp cried out and then a thud not more than a moment later. Alto lay on the ground with fur falling off and his limbs changing.
“Yes.”
“Ugh, what the living Hell is with you?”
“I’ve had to practically eat dirt for over a month. Now it’s your turn,” she laughed turning towards a tree.
With a hop her arms wrapped around the trunk. Up she scooted quickly as her arms loosened up going into a straight climb up. Alto’s eyes followed with slight freight, “Elise?” Elise flipped off and landed upon a branch as Alto’s eyes followed. He gulped as a branch came down at him.
CRASH
With a yell he rolled off to the side, “What the heck?”
“Sorry Alto,” she yelled hopping from branch to branch sticking close to the trunks. Alto’s eyes followed yet again as she moved, his expression one of bewilderment following her movement until she was no longer in sight.
“Oh crap,” he muttered charging after, “Wait up!”485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn9kBgz42oI
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrtqIT8gV5
Her fists swung, blocked hit by hit by Alto’s palms. He ducked as she swung wide, next blocking a flurry of kicks and a round house.
“Louder!” was the only thing he said, shouting it out.
In response Elise let out a yell of her own and struck again. This time Alto took a slight step back before continuing to catch the strikes. She ducked as the air swooshed above her head, proceeding to next flip backwards several times as Alto sent off a flurry of kicks. She flipped once more and landed on her feet looking to him, “Harder!”
Alto leaped forward with a grin and swirled around with a spin kick. The connection was heard as a thud, leg blocked by both of Elise’s arms. As Alto began to step down his kicking leg was grabbed by both of Elise’s hands, her feet shuffling as she heaved with a yell. Alto yelped as he spun and flew off into a tree trunk, “Ah man, my back. Damn, not bad at all Elise.”
“Heh heh heh, yeah I know.”
“Just a month and you’ve come so friggen far.”
“I’ve always had it like you said. I had it from a lifetime of servitude and manual labor.”
“That’s astounding, truly. You’ve still got sword practice though.”
“Bring it, I’m ready.”485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBK22K6cmB
485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgGR5rjI1e
Elise flew back and crashed against a tree as Alto’s weapon had made contact. The strike acted much like a swat, more than enough to push her back it seemed. She ducked right dodging another thrust. The clapping of wood present as their two weapons hit.
“You might be good at countering but you have yet to land any decisive blows. Get it together.”
“I know, just shut up!”
Alto stepped back with a glare sent to her, one quickly shocking her as she viewed it, “You’re weak like your brother has said, you know that? You let your docile fear control you and it is that fear that’ll get you eventually killed, you know that?”
“Just shut up!” she barked clashing again.
A grunt heard yet again though this time as Elise was sent off to the right with a crash, Alto’s leg up in the air. Again he launched himself at her slamming his weapon down against her own. Her arms quivered as she pushed against.
“Try all you want but you won’t do it the way you are. You’re not getting it. If you want to be great you need more than just the need, you need to have the want as well.”
“I do want it!” she spat swinging back to block.
Crackling of wood could be heard on that last block as both stumbled apart from each other though only for a moment as Elise closed in swinging away. A thrust to the lower left of Alto’s torso, quickly blocked. A wide swing across the middle, also blocked by a quick turn of Alto’s weapon. A final thrust forward at the chest, blocked by the broad side of the weapon.
She pulled back, to which Alto switched to go for a thrust as well. Her eyes shifted as she pulled back and quickly swung with both hands at the side of his weapon, “I need to become stronger!”
Alto’s eyes widened as the blow turned him with a slight stumble, his own stance temporarily disabled. Elise quickly spun round and kicked up, foot connecting to Alto’s chest now open. With a mighty yell she pressed, leading to a loud yowl from Alto who flew back and crashed onto the ground. His wood sword skidded away as he stood, now face to face with the tip of Elise’s wood sword. His eyes drowned, hers burning. At once a chuckle came from Alto, to which a smile appeared on her.
“Heh, looks like I’ve been surprised finally.”
“You purposely ticked me off so I’d get aggressive, not cool.”
“True but it proved my point. You can’t be constantly defensive or you’ll never win.”
A pause came up between the two as the sun continued to set. Alto glanced around and sighed as Elise glanced at the ground. Alto looked back to her for a moment before continuing, “Anyways, I think that’s enough for today. Let’s just say Day Five of your training is complete despite it being early. You’ve come far with dodging and awareness though you’ve still plenty to learn about actually fighting.”
“You still didn’t have to push it like that.”
“Elise, you’ve spent the last few weeks unable to do anything but block until I got too aggressive. Against a real opponent you’d have died many times over due to your own pacifism. It’s alright to not want to fight as has been pointed out but ultimately you still need to be able to defend yourself and fight for your beliefs. If you don’t do that then you are lost.”
“I will bare that in mind.”
“I’ve helped you with the basics of fighting and you’ve learned the rest on your own through reading. With that brain of yours, you’ll do fine against a good few opponents so long as you stratergize.”
“Strategize and I know.”
“Well, this’ll be our last meeting for awhile now I’d venture to say since I’ll be out of town. You had best not go out too much unless it’s during the day, even to train.”
“With the Priests on the prowl that is probably for the best.”
“And on that note I urge you to be careful. And with that, I wish you luck I well.”
“I will, and thank you.”
A smile crossed Alto’s face as he gave one final nod, standing, “Very well, adios then.”
With a turn he began to walk, “Keep on training Elise, always.”
“Thank you Alto, truly. When we next meet I hope to be able to kick your butt without aggression.”
“Ha, what an oxymoron.”
“Oh shut up,” she laughed as Alto walked through the trees, disappearing before long.
This left Elise to sigh and glance down, placing the wooden sword against her where it latched. With a turn she faced the trees herself, “{I have a long road ahead of me. He only helped me with the basics. I’ll need experience if I am to progress any further. Guess that means it’s time, time to talk to Father.}”485Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXRQQjV1iN
