Compared to the time and effort that Phloria had put in swordsmanship her whole life, Lith was still a beginner. During the years they had spent apart after the academy, the gap between them had only grown larger.
“Wow, for someone who has to train Light Mastery, bloodline powers, and everything you still keep a secret from me, your skill is impressive.” She said after whooping his ass and moving onto Protector’s.
They could speak freely because the array also Hushed them, keeping the members of the Queen’s Corps and everyone else out there from overhearing them
“Thanks, I guess.” Lith watched at every one of Phloria’s movements as her estoc barely touched Ryman’s mace and yet managed to alter its path so that it became harmless.
Three moves later, she moved back to the children while Protector spat a mouthful of snow.
“Why do we have to do this boring stuff?” Lilia asked, tired of doing what looked like a silly dance to her. “Why can’t we practice as you do?”
“Swordsmanship is about three simple things. Wrists, footwork, and moving your sword, no matter if to block or attack. Yet by combining them, you can achieve endless possibilities.”
Phloria performed the “silly dance” over and over again, adding one more movement with each repetition until the kids’ mouths hit the floor.
“Practicing the sword is identical to the study of magic. If you don’t master the basics, you can’t move forward. Also, if you ever decide to enroll in the academy, you need to learn how to defend yourself.
“Remember your uncle’s stories. There are a lot of bad guys on Mogar.” Phloria said as the kids nodded, eager to start practicing again and reach the level of their respective role models.
While Lith and Protector fought against her or each other until exhaustion, for the children it was just a light training that lasted around one hour before dinner. At that age and without Invigoration, anything more intense would have crippled their growth.
Lith gave everyone homework, but he wouldn’t check it unless requested nor would he force anyone but Ryman to study. Magic had to be a passion before that a profession, and he wanted the kids to take their time discovering what they wanted to do.
‘They are too young to make any important decision. Whatever path they take in life, it must bring them happiness, not just make them live up to someone else’s expectations.’ He thought.
‘Strong words for someone who worked his ass off ever since I got memory.’ Solus chuckled.
‘I wasn’t a kid back then. I’ve never been one.’ He replied.
Solus couldn’t practice outside with the others without revealing her existence so she did it in the living room by following their every move through a window and her bond with Lith.
“My son has truly ruined you.” Elina sighed, watching at the young woman in her stone doll form that spent her free time doing more training and studying.
Before the class returned home, Elina always prepared a hot bath for the kids, warm towels for the grownups, and hot chocolate for everyone.
“No, he didn’t.” Solus shook her head. “This is much better than wasting my time doing n-”
Elina’s compassionate gaze cut her short, making her realize how much she sounded like Lith.
“I stand corrected. He ruined me.” Despite her words, Solus didn’t stop. Her fight in Kolga had shown to her how lacking her body coordination was and she wanted to be able to stand by Lith’s side once she regained her human body.
The door suddenly opened up and the class walked in. The adults had worked up quite some sweat and the kids quite an appetite. They devoured the biscuits and gulped the chocolate as if they didn’t eat for days instead of hours.
“I must say, for someone without much free time you made a lot of progress.” Protector and his children had gone back to their home, leaving Phloria as the only guest in the Verhen household.
She felt like time had turned back to when they attended the academy together and she came to visit him during the fifth year. She smiled a lot more than during the lessons, feeling at home again.
“As most of my achievements, I couldn’t have made it without Solus. She has a perfect memory that together with the ability to shape the tower at will allowed us to replay your lessons.
“On top of that, she can conjure as my sparring partners small golems that move exactly like you.” Lith replied.
“Really? Then you must be as good as I am already.” Phloria admired Solus’s mind and was a bit envious of her ability to learn so quickly.
“I wish.” Solus sighed. “The tower golems move like you because they reproduce my memories whereas my stone body is nowhere that skilled. To make matters worse, the only time I had my human body, it didn’t have any muscle memory, remember?”
“You’re right.” Phloria’s smile became even more radiant now that Solus looked more human and less like some kind of perfect being.
“I’ll use the bath in my room. Phloria, you can use that in Tista’s room. See you later.” Lith disappeared behind the door of his quarters, leaving them alone since Elina had already brought the kids to the big bathtub.
“How are you holding out, Solus?” Phloria asked after Hushing them.
“What do you mean?”
“Being forced to hide like a criminal can’t be pleasant for you. I guess that the more freedom you gain, the heavier the limitations that you have left become.” Phloria replied.
“Well, yeah, but at least now I can always share the meals with the others and I’m not limited to speaking only with Lith or Tista anymore.” Solus replied, dodging the actual question.
“Yeah, look, I know that we had a really rough start and that even now we aren’t exactly best friends. Yet let me give you a piece of unsolicited advice anyway. Don’t do that.” Phloria said.
“Don’t do what?” Solus’s eyes turned to a shade of purple.
“I know that Lith is now single and I can’t even start to imagine how messed up your feelings must be, but don’t try to catch him on the rebound. Leave him some space.” Phloria said.
“I know that you are right, but I’ve waited for so long, and with all of our dead friends we’re closer than ever. It’s hard to do the right thing instead of what I want.” Solus replied.
“It took Lith years to start trusting even the members of his family and it was all thanks to you, Solus.” Phloria knocked on Tista’s door, entering only after she made sure that there was no one inside. “First he trusted you, then the rest of us.”
“If you make your move while he’s at his weakest, if you betray that trust, sooner or later it will backfire and there will be nothing left to salvage. Friya told me how badly Lith reacted to girls hitting on him while he was down after I broke up with him.
“Even after all this time, he still despises them. In your case, it would be much worse since at your next fusion, he would discover the truth and there’s nothing you could say to change his mind.”
