From Real to Realm

The cleanup was about the same as before. Val carried Lynesia to the tub like last time. After taking the time to bathe once more, they both climbed into bed. They both decided to stop wearing clothes to bed, though.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Val didn’t have a nightmare. Together in a tangle of limbs, she and Lynesia slept through the night.

What woke Val up was sunlight peeking through the curtains. It couldn’t have been more than an hour after sunrise at most. Val rolled over to avoid staring directly into the light bleeding into her room. To her side was Lynesia, sleeping deeply against Val.

Where would I be right now without you?

Val kissed Lynesia on the forehead. She didn’t stir in the least, so Val slid out of bed as quietly as she could. The cool floor sent a shiver up her spine as she stretched.

Today, she planned on resuming her training. Looking back now, she felt stupid thinking she was ready for the dungeon. She’d barely spent a handful of days doing anything with her class. Hell, she went from no class to Hybrid, to the dungeon in a week. She should’ve known better.

“I’m not making that mistake again,” she whispered to herself.

With her renewed resolve, Val started getting ready for the day. Amarisse had been training from dawn to dusk every day. Today, Val would join her. Every day Stormveil didn’t contact them about a group to join, Val was going to train.

Val had most of her gear on by the time Lynesia woke up.

“Are you going into the dungeon today?” she asked, worry evident in her voice.

Val shook her head. “Not today, no. I talked with some other adventurers who mentored me at the guild. I’m not running headfirst into things anymore.” Val slid the pauldron and collar section of her armor on. “No, I’m training. I’m going to learn more about my class and how to use the halberd correctly. It’s the only way I can make good on my promises to everyone.”

The floor creaked behind her as Lynesia hugged her from behind. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you so determined. You’re beginning to look just like before.”

Val turned around. Lynesia was wrapped in the blanket from their bed. Val couldn’t help how her eyes drifted down before flicking back up.

“I promised everyone I would be more careful and get stronger,” Val said, pulling Lynesia into a tight hug.

Lynesia nodded against Val’s chest. “I know.”

Val stepped back, face serious. “I’ll be training at the guild with Amarisse most of the day.”

Lynesia reached up and started working on the straps to Val’s armor. “While you do that, I’ll try to see if I can find some work. Nothing too stressful, just something until you can get back on your feet.”

Val sighed. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”

Lynesia pulled a strap hard. “No reason to argue with me.”

Val smirked while Lynesia continued to help adjust her armor. A few minutes later, Val was ready to head out. She grabbed her halberd and started walking with Lynesia to the front door.

At the door, Val pulled Lynesia into a deep kiss by her waist. “I love you, Lyn.”

Lynesia cupped Val’s cheeks. “I love you too, Val.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. Then, after releasing each other, Val started walking down the hall. Her steps were a bit louder than normal as the floor adjusted to her armored form.

The air was still cool and crisp in the early morning. The buildings cast long shadows as Val walked through the stone streets. Traffic was sparse as Val made her way to the guild.

A low fog was beginning to fade around the square surrounding the guild grounds. There were already a handful of adventurers entering and exiting the front gate. Some looked like they had just woken up not long ago, while others looked ready to delve right now.

“Morning,” Val said, nodding her head to the guards.

Val opted to have her badge pinned to the built-in leather belt of her armor. It would be easy for others to see.

“Mornin’,” replied one of the guards.

Val made her way into the courtyard through the front gate. Once inside, she looked around for any sign of Amarisse.

She’s probably around back already.

Val walked through the courtyard toward the training grounds. Once more, she passed the east wing of the guild hall.

As soon as she rounded the corner, she saw Amarisse sitting at a table. From what Val could tell, Amarisse hadn’t started for the day.

Val waved as she approached. “Haven’t started yet?”

Amarisse stood, smiling. “Not yet. I was taking a moment to review my class. What are you doing here?”

Val took a seat across from her. “I realized I haven’t trained enough for this. I need more if I want to go back in without being a detriment.”

Amarisse raised an eyebrow. “Honestly, you’re not bad as is. But I get it, more training is ideal for everyone involved.”

“Maybe I’ll get lucky enough to get a Learned Technique,” Val said, shrugging. “Anything to round out my class more.”

Amarisse nodded. “Then what are we waiting for?” She stood up, rotating her shoulders. “Let’s get to work.”

What followed was one of the most boring days of training for Val. Amarisse was by no means a professional, but she knew more than enough. Today was back to basics. Cyrus and his group had given her a good starting lesson in basics. But a couple of days wasn’t enough, not anymore.

“Remember your footwork,” she reminded Val.

Val sighed, settling into a familiar stance. She slid her right foot back to use as a brace while her left foot planted forward. Her left hand slid up the haft of her halberd, stopping just below the blade. Her right hand slid back to provide power for her attacks.

“Would be a lot better if I knew someone who used polearms,” Amarisse said, walking around Val.

Val turned her head. “I don’t know anyone either. Do you think you’ll be able to help me enough?”

Amarisse shrugged her shoulders. “Probably not. I’d suggest reading some books on tactics and different weapons. Might find something specific to halberds, or at the very least polearms.”

Val lunged forward, driving her weapon through the air. She held her final position for a moment, allowing Amarisse to check her form.

“I could help,” came a feminine voice from behind. “I don’t use a polearm myself, but I have trained other adventurers.”

Val stood up and turned around.

“I’m sorry,” she said, holding out her hand. “My name is Siira.”

Three things stood out to Val. First were the scars on her arms. Some looked fresher than others, as if they had happened recently. Next was the emblem woven onto her leather armor. It was a ceremonial mask split down one side, revealing a skull beneath. Last was her badge. It was made of iron with three diamond shapes punched out of each corner of the heater shield design—Iron 2nd Class.

Amarisse shook her hand first. “I’m Amarisse, nice to meet you.”

Siira turned to Val. “If you stare much longer, you might have to take me to dinner.”

Val chuckled, extending her hand. “Sorry, I’m Val. What chapter are you a part of?”

Siira shook her hand. “Not bad. I didn’t expect one of you to ask me about that already.” She lowered her shoulder so they could see it more easily. “We’re called Blackreach Fold.”

Val’s expression softened. “Were you one of the people sent in to handle the two mimics recently?”

“Not directly,” Siira said. “I was part of the recovery group since I’m quick on my feet. I helped recover the girl.”

Amarisse shifted her weight. “That… was our friend.”

Siira froze. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” Val said, forcing a smile. “Thank you for recovering her for us. We were able to say goodbye at her funeral.”

An awkward silence drifted over them.

“Anyway,” Val said, stretching. “You said you might be able to help me with training?”

Siira waved her hands. “I couldn’t promise to devote much time to you. I can help some today, but I can’t be your designated trainer.”

“Any help is appreciated,” Amarisse said, smiling. “Maybe you could give Val a routine? Something she could follow on her own or with me?”

“I could do that. Did you want me to write it down? Or would you prefer learning hands-on instead?”

Val smirked. “Careful, you have to take me to dinner if you want to get hands-on.”

Siira giggled. “While that is tempting, I’m into men.”

Val rolled her eyes playfully. “Of course you are.”

Little does she know I have the same equipment.

“Alright, now that you both are done flirting, maybe we can get back to training?” Amarisse asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Val and Siira shared a laugh before nodding together.

For the rest of the day, Siira took the time to train both of them. Throughout their training Val was able to absorb more of Siira’s looks.

She had raven hair that she always kept in a ponytail. According to her, loose hair was a risk within the dungeon—something she made sure to explain to both Amarisse and Val. Not only could it get caught on something, but some monsters have tried grabbing women’s hair before.

Siira also wore clothes that were borderline skin tight. They hugged her form without being too constricting for her movements. Just like long hair, loose clothing was also a risk, according to her. Siira was petite but agile in her movements as she trained both Amarisse and Val.

“You both have a good foundation,” Siira said, glancing at Val. “If you can stop staring at my ass, you might get even better.”

Val was caught checking her out more than once. She always did appreciate a nice peach. It was hard to break such a central aspect of her personality.

Siira had focused on working on their foundations at first. Now they were ready to move on to the next step.

“Flashy moves will only get you killed if you can’t even perform the basics,” she said. “Advanced moves and Learned Techniques are branches from the basics.”

When Siira originally mentioned she trained other adventurers, Val didn’t expect her to do so well. It was obvious she had spent more than enough time training both new and established adventurers. Throughout their training, they tried to learn more about Siira.

“I’m the lead recruiter for Blackreach Fold,” she said, raising Val’s arm to adjust her stance. “I also help with training new members.”

“That makes sense,” Val said. “I figured you trained plenty of people. Especially with how easily you slipped into a mentor mindset for us.”

Things fell into a rhythm from that point on. With Siira directing them, Amarisse and Val never went beyond the most basic of strikes. Footwork first, then lowering into a stance, then strike. Repeat.

Siira admitted she didn’t know much about halberds. It was a weapon she personally hadn’t used. Swords, shields, axes, and daggers were more widely used amongst adventurers. It had been a while since she’d even heard of someone using a halberd. With that in mind, she couldn’t teach Val much about strikes, at least nothing beyond basic thrusting and slashing.

“Thinking on your feet’s all well and good,” Siira said, standing behind them. “But muscle memory’s what fills the gaps. When you don’t have time to think, your body just moves—and that’s the part that might save you, or the person next to you.”

Only after she was sure Val and Amarisse got a good grip on the basics did she decide to move them on.

“I would usually spend more time on every aspect, but I want to give you more to practice with when I’m not here,” she said, handing each of them the wooden equivalent of their weapons. “I want you to spar each other, but at quarter speed. While doing this, you’re to focus on sticking to what we’ve been doing. Focus on footwork, your stances, and foundation, then you follow through with the basics.”

The sun was high in the sky above them. With the heat beating down, they took their spots across from each other.

“How about lunch first?”

Amarisse and Val turned to see Lynesia standing there with a basket.

Siira raised an eyebrow. “Party member of yours?”

Val shook her head, smiling. “Nope, but I’m happy to see her.”

Lynesia smiled as she approached the group. “How’s training going today?”

Val leaned down and shared a kiss with Lynesia. “It’s been good. Siira here has been helping us a lot.”

“I see,” Siira said, looking between the two of them. “Makes much more sense.”

Lynesia glanced at Val, confused.

“Are you going to eat with us?” Val asked, interlacing her fingers with Lynesia.

She shook her head. “I wish I could. I need to head home today, finish packing the rest of my things up.”

Val kissed her cheek. “Thank you for bringing us lunch.”

Lynesia set the basket down on the table. “I made enough for four people since I didn’t know how many would be training with you. Should be plenty for Siira to partake as well.”

Siira approached hesitantly. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. Are you sure?”

Val and Amarisse nodded together.

“Of course. You’ve surely worked up an appetite?” Val asked.

After exchanging another kiss, Lynesia left to head home. That left Val, Amarisse, and Siira to enjoy the lunch. It wasn’t anything extravagant: dried meat, vegetables, and fresh bread. It was more than enough in Val’s opinion.

They took their time eating lunch. Val ended up making a few sandwiches with what they had. Siira and Amarisse ate their portions separately. Even after finishing their food, they decided to relax for a bit. Getting back to work with a freshly filled stomach was a recipe for disaster.

“Alright, we’ll pick up where we left off,” Siira said, standing from the table. “Quarter speed sparring, focusing on footwork, foundation, and only basic attacks.”

Val and Amarisse nodded, standing up. They each grabbed their wooden weapons before taking their spots.

The rest of the day was spent going through the motions more or less. They stuck to quarter speed as they practiced refining their technique and footwork. As they continued to “spar”, Siira made sure to step in with adjustments and advice.

Siira eventually had to leave for the day. The sun was beginning to get closer to the horizon. After stopping their spar, she made sure to talk to them one last time.

“You both have promise,” she said, smiling. “With enough training, I believe you both will become solid fighters. However, no matter how strong you get, always remember your basics. Sometimes it’s the only thing you can fall back on.”

After shaking hands once more, she left. Val wanted to move on, to learning or trying out new and unique moves, but she didn’t. Instead, she took Siira’s advice to heart. Getting better at the basics was the first step to her goal.

“Ready to keep going?” Amarisse asked, wiping some sweat from her brow.

Val nodded. “I feel like I keep retaking my first step into this life.”

Amarisse chuckled. “You didn’t have the softest introduction to this career, did you?”

Val shook her head. “No, I did not.” She got into her stance. “But I’m not about to give up.”

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