From Real to Realm

Amarisse smirked, motioning behind Val. “I was thinking about that, so I brought some friends.”

 Val turned around to see Cyrus and his group standing there. They weren’t in their normal adventuring gear today. Instead, each of them was wearing something a bit more casual.

“I hear you’ve been training every day, all day,” Cyrus asked, arms crossed. “Gotten better?”

Zennia eyed Val. “You’ve been staying hydrated and eating, right?”

Val smiled. “I have gotten better, and yes, I have been making sure to eat and drink plenty of water.”

Dolf stepped forward, popping his knuckles. “How about we test ya, just to see?”

Irina huffed, rolling her eyes. “Of course you want to fight as soon as you see her again.”

Everyone chuckled, but Dolf’s eyes had a glint to them.

Amarisse stepped up next to Val, already holding the wooden equivalent of her weapon and shield.

Val raised an eyebrow. “You and Cyrus against us?”

Dolf grinned. “I don’t expect the outcome to change all that much, but why not?”

Siira leaned in, whispering to Val. “I don’t think they realize how much you’ve improved.”

“You’re on,” Val said, grinning.

At the time of day, the training yard had plenty of people sprinkled throughout. All of the sparring areas were in use at the moment, so everyone took the time to gather their training equipment. When one finally opened up, the four of them stepped into the sandy square. Irina, Zennia, and Siira all took seats on a bench.

Val turned to Amarisse as they walked to their side. “Don’t underestimate them. Dolf is quick on his feet, and Cyrus can be a literal wall. They barely communicate, if at all, so it’s hard to anticipate their plan.”

“You’ve fought them before?” Amarisse asked, eyebrow raised. “Why?”

“They sparred with me early on,” Val said, glancing over her shoulder. “They helped me decide on Hybrid.”

Amarisse tilted her head. “Well, why don’t we show them how much you’ve learned?”

Val nodded, grip tightening on her weapon. “Let’s do it.”

Once in place, both duos took a moment to stretch and limber up. A few of them practiced swinging their weapons while Dolf air-boxed for a moment. Only after tightening some of his fist wrappings did one of them finally speak.

“Ready?” Cyrus asked, twirling his sword.

Val chuckled. “We’ve been ready, just waiting on you two.”

Dolf grinned. “Just as cocky as before.”

“You can do it, Val!” Irina cheered from the side.

Siira was looking at Val and Amarisse in a slightly different way than before. In the beginning, she looked at them as just brand new adventurers needing guidance. Now there was almost an appraising look in her eyes, like this spar was more than just a spar.

“Alright, same rules as your first spar,” Zennia said, walking to the middle. “No one gets healed until they give in. You fight until one team wins or until no one can continue.”

Amarisse raised an eyebrow. “You sparred them like this one on two with those rules?”

Val nodded, lowering into her stance. “It was a crash course in learning how to adapt on the fly. Helped some, but obviously not enough.”

Both Cyrus and Dolf’s expressions shifted as Val lowered into her stance. Then, in turn, they took their stances, their smiles only growing larger.

Zennia glanced at Cyrus and Dolf. “Ready?”

They both nodded.

Then she turned to Val and Amarisse. “Ready?”

Amarisse stepped up on Val’s right, readying her shield. They shared a glance, then nodded together.

“Begin!”

Zennia stepped back just as Dolf dashed in an arc on Val’s left side.

“Looks like they want to split us up,” Val said, turning in time with Dolf. “Cyrus is a beast. Good luck.”

“Right,” Amarisse said, shuffling forward slowly.

Cyrus wasn’t much taller than Amarisse, but he had mass. Amarisse would likely be the more nimble of the two, but that was a double-edged blade. If she could keep on her toes, Cyrus would be hard-pressed to catch her. However, if he did catch her, then he would hit her like a truck.

Val cross-stepped to the left in time with Dolf’s arc. He was quick, she knew that, but she still needed to dictate the range they engaged. If he got in close, she would struggle to do anything. At least she had some new tricks up her sleeve this time.

Dolf slowed just a bit before turning to rush her directly. His grin had grown wider, as if he was getting more excited as this spar went on.

Val made sure not to open up too much to him. She kept her hips and knees bent while the blade of her weapon remained between them. Dolf was shifty; the dynamic between them was the opposite of Amarisse and Cyrus.

Crack!

Wood on wood echoed, but Val didn’t look. Her eyes stayed focused on her current opponent.

The moment Dolf was in range, Val thrust forward. He was quick enough on his feet to dodge it, but things were different this time. Instead of overextending like before, Val kept her balance. In one fluid motion, she used her momentum to swing the wooden blade in the direction he dodged.

Dolf’s eyes widened as he brought his arms up to block the attack.

Val felt the jolt of contact travel up the haft and into her arms. In the next second, she pulled back into her starting stance. Her grip returned to where she started, her blade aimed a little lower thanks to Dolf’s height.

Dolf lowered his arms, shaking them from the impact. “Damn, Val. You’re not the same as last time.”

Val shook her head. “I’ve been through a thing or two.”

His expression softened for just a second before he brought his fists up. “Aye, that you have.”

For the next few minutes, Val focused on keeping her distance. If Dolf tried closing the gap, she backed off using her reach to keep him at bay. Slowly, she was backed up further and further, until she bumped into Amarisse.

“How ya holding up?” She asked.

Amarisse was panting. “You weren’t kidding. He really is a fucking wall.”

Val chuckled. “I look forward to you being the same way.”

Dolf was keeping his distance. Bruising was already beginning to show up on his forearms. Val’s attacks had some power behind them now that she knew how to maneuver her body when attacking.

“Landed any attacks?” Amarisse asked, wiping her brow.

Val shrugged. “Kinda. I’m hitting him, but he’s blocking with his forearms. I’m sure it doesn’t feel great.”

Dolf and Cyrus were standing side by side again. Val and Amarisse were back where they started as well.

The air between each duo calmed as they held their gazes. Then Cyrus started walking forward. Dolf was currently hiding behind him, not willing to reveal himself.

“They didn’t do this last time,” Val whispered. “Be on guard.”

Amarisse only nodded, stepping forward slowly. Val didn’t stick directly to her side, instead opting to be to her back left. It was a guess on Val’s part. Hopefully, this meant Amarisse could defend both of them while still leaving Val enough room to maneuver around her Tank.

As soon as they were within a handful of feet from each other, Cyrus bull rushed. It caught Amarisse completely off guard, causing her to stumble backwards. Val, on the other hand, expected something like this. Without a moment’s hesitation, she stepped in front of Amarisse as she backed off. Val planted her right foot hard before swiping her halberd in a downward right-to-left attack aimed at Cyrus’ legs. Her halberd connected with his shield instead of his legs, but that slowed his rush. At that moment, Dolf slipped underneath Cyrus’s left side to rush Val’s weak side.

“Right!” Val yelled.

Dolf was sticking low, only a handful of steps away from Val. However, the sudden appearance of a tall bunny-girl swinging a wooden sword at him forced him to dodge roll to the side. Amarisse whiffed her attack, but it did the job of defending Val.

“Fuck! I thought I had him,” she said, recovering from the missed attack.

Irina and Zennia were standing from their bench. Surprise was written across their faces after what had just happened. Siira was still sitting, one leg over the other, just enjoying the show.

Val and Amarisse didn’t just train side by side solo. They’d also worked on fighting together throughout the week. They spent hours alternating positions, closing gaps, discussing ideas on formations, and how best to capitalize. That was all paying off right now as they took on the veteran duo.

“Maybe we’re going a bit too easy on them,” Cyrus said, stepping back.

Dolf joined him, shaking his arms loose. “I think you might be right.”

Val and Amarisse were back in formation, each of them in their stances. They were focused ahead on their opponents, not willing to break eye contact. Neither said a word as they waited for what came next.

What did come next was even rougher than Val’s first time sparring these two. Instead of splitting up, they stuck together, moving as a unit. Dolf and Cyrus once more blew Val away with how in sync they could be in the middle of combat. It took everything for her and Amarisse to keep up half the time.

“Fuck, this is exhausting,” Amarisse said, wiping some blood from her lip.

Val was standing on her left, panting. “They are the perfect example.”

Amarisse glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

“We should aim to be as good as them,” Val said, smiling. “To be as in sync as they are.”

Amarisse nodded. “One day we will be.”

Val chuckled. “Damn straight.”

Cyrus and Dolf were moving forward again. It was just like last time Val sparred with them. Attack after attack came without giving them a chance to breathe. It was hard enough trying to deflect or block, let alone find openings to counter.

Once more, Cyrus pushed forward, shield raised but not blocking his view. Dolf wasn’t hiding anymore, though. Now he was sticking to Cyrus’ weak side, not willing to give Val an opening. Amarisse decided to meet Cyrus head-on, swinging her sword overhead.

Crack!

Cyrus raised his shield as expected, blocking the overhead attack. As soon as his shield absorbed the attack, he swung his sword at Amarisse’s hip.

In a split-second decision, Val intercepted his attack. With as much speed as she could muster, she swung down hard. Her blade collided with his, knocking it to the side and opening him up. With her front foot planted, she pushed forward, thrusting her halberd into his stomach. However, Cyrus was no novice, so he twisted his body just enough to make it a glancing blow.

While this happened, Dolf engaged Amarisse. Punch after punch rained down on her shield as she tried to keep up with his speed. A few were able to sneak past her defenses, though. It was only a matter of time before she wouldn’t be able to continue.

With Val extended from her thrusting attack, it gave Cyrus the opening to attack from above. He swung down using his height advantage, but Val wasn’t willing to give up. She changed the grip on her halberd and shoved it into the air.

Crunch!

Cyrus’ blade slammed down on the haft of her halberd. At first, she thought it would be enough, but Cyrus’ strength snapped through the haft with his sword. At the very least, it lessened the power of his attack as the wooden blade slammed down onto her shoulder.

Fuck! Not now!

Val was on her ass once more. It had been a while since she’d been knocked down like this. Each half of her wooden halberd lay on either side as her shoulder throbbed. With her weapon broken, she was essentially out of this fight. If they were in the dungeon, she’d grab the bladed half and use it as is, but for now, she decided it was enough.

A few grunts and a solid thump were enough to make Val sit up. Across the sparring pit, she saw Cyrus and Dolf standing over Amarisse. Poor girl was on her ass too, weapon and shield on either side of her. She wasn’t getting up, but Val could tell she was winded.

“I give,” Amarisse said, waving her hands in surrender.

Val smiled. The spar went about as expected, but there was a noticeable difference from the first time.

“You’ve gotten a lot better,” Zennia said, glowing hand resting on Val’s shoulder. “I never expected such a difference.”

Cyrus offered a hand to Amarisse, helping her up and out of the sand. When she was standing, he patted her on the shoulder.

Val sighed. “Part of me is pissed we couldn’t keep up, but I understand why.”

Zennia nodded. “We are by no means the best in the guild, but Cyrus and Dolf are good fighters. The fact they had to get more serious this time shows how much you’ve grown.”

Cyrus, Dolf, and Amarisse stepped in front of her.

“Damn, he broke your weapon?” Amarisse asked, eying the two halves of the halberd.

Val nodded. “Yep. I blocked his attack, but he just broke through it.”

Cyrus glanced over at where Val’s real halberd was sitting. “I hope the new one you’ve got is sturdy.”

“The haft should be enchanted, according to my parents,” she said, standing up. “Should make it more reliable.”

Dolf was rubbing his forearms. “Fuck, your swings hurt.”

Val chuckled. “Sorry. I didn’t want to hold back this time.” She looked down. “I wanted to show you how much I improved.”

Zennia stepped over to Dolf to heal his forearms.

“Val, you’ve improved plenty,” Cyrus said, placing a hand on her other shoulder. “I think it’s about time you start working on techniques.”

Irina and Siira joined the group in the middle of the pit.

“I also think it might be a good idea for you both to take a few jobs,” Siira suggested. “Nothing in the dungeon, something else.”

Irina tilted her head. “Maybe an escort job. Something where you might need to fight something, but it wouldn’t be nearly as dangerous as the dungeon.”

Zennia was still kneeling to heal Dolf’s arms. “With escort requests, the guild will only approve something near your ranking.”

Amarisse and Val exchanged a glance.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing what it’s like outside the city,” Val said, shrugging.

Amarisse smiled. “It’s been a while since I’ve left the city. I miss the open land.”

Siira looked between Val and Amarisse. “Sounds like you’ve got your next step figured out then.”

“Wait,” Val said. “What if Stormveil tries finding us for a delve while we’re gone?”

“That depends,” Irina began, “if you aren’t back by the time they need you, then they’ll just find someone else. Probably wouldn’t hurt to let them know if you’re leaving for an escort request.”

Siira nodded. “I agree. Chapters value being kept in the loop. If you’re potentially working with Stormveil to fill in on a delve, then you should let them know if you’re leaving Phylandair for a while. You don’t want to piss off a chapter if you can help it.”

As a group, they all walked to a table away from the sparring pit. Others were beginning to circle the pit, obviously looking to use it the moment they stepped away.

“Alright. We’ll see if we can’t find an escort request,” Val said. “And if we do, we’ll make sure to drop by Stormveil to let them know when and for how long we’ll be gone.”

Cyrus leaned forward on the table. “Val.”

Val raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

He took a moment to study her face. “You’ve improved, that’s without a doubt. But don’t let it get to your head.”

She tilted her head. “Where’s this coming from?”

Dolf sighed. “You were a bit of a hot head when we first met. I mean, we get it, you were eager to get in there and fight.”

“But it blinded you,” Irina finished for him. “You weren’t exactly thinking clearly about the risks. We hoped maybe you’d cool off.”

“The dungeon had other plans,” Cyrus said. “It’s a shitty thing to go through, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Just… you’re obviously not giving up, we can see that. But be careful, okay?”

Cyrus and his crew were usually very jovial. They rarely weren’t smiling or having a good time, but now all eyes were fixed on her. Their expressions were serious, almost frighteningly so.

“I…” Val gulped. “I wasn’t smart about anything. I know that.”

Dolf sighed. “We didn’t exactly help. Cyrus and I put you through that little spar and gave you the push you needed to get your badge. We should’ve known you’d need more, but we didn’t consider it.”

Irina reached across the table, gently grabbing Val’s hands. “We’ve all been feeling this way. We should’ve done more to get you ready, but we didn’t, and then the dungeon took your friend.”

“We aren’t rookies ourselves anymore,” Zennia said, hands in her lap. “We know what this job entails, and we didn’t do enough to get you ready. We fucked up.”

Val’s eyes widened. It was the first time she’d heard Zennia cuss since meeting her. It didn’t sound right coming from her.

“Guys, there’s no need to apologize,” Val said, squeezing Irina’s hands. “I chose to go in there.”

Cyrus smiled softly. “We know that, but we could’ve done more. For that, we’re sorry.”

Each of them was bowing their heads toward her and Amarisse.

Val gulped, struggling to find the words.

“We knew what the dungeon was,” Amarisse said, hand on Val’s back. “Lucia, Mina, Elza, and I all knew what we were doing. Val wasn’t the only one going down there.” She looked into Val’s eyes, smiling. “Val was a hot head, but that’s what drew us to her. Maybe she was a bit rough around the edges, but she has drive. I don’t think any of us necessarily regret our choices, just wish there had been a different outcome.”

Cyrus and his group looked up, finally making eye contact with Val again.

“She’s right,” Val said, glancing between each of them. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything different.”

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