Chapter Eight: Training

Two weeks have passed since Aura and I have started our training in Silver Vine city, and she is learning her family's elven arts fairly well. I have team training with her in the afternoons with the maids joining in as a way to get used to working as a team and also I join her for archery in the mornings, the only difference is that our bows are very different while I am using a mechanical compound bow she uses a wooden one inlaid with magic stones of different elemental values so she can imbue the arrows with different effects. I am progressing quickly in my unarmed combat training as well as the dual wielding training. My katana skills have improved greatly, and I enjoy the throwing knife and axe training, now I'm heading over to the Noir Spiral training facility.

"Welcome new students, today we will have you begin warming up with some stretches, and a few laps around the outside of the gym." the instructor for the dark spiral school states "Also if you feel the energy flow within your body change during these stretches, don't worry that just means you are cut out to use the chain whip second form."

"Yes Ma'am!" the three other students and I say in unison as we begin to follow the instructor's lead in warming up. I have noticed that this school's warm up is vastly different from the other fighting styles I am training in, but I enjoy it as it seems more comprehensive than some of the others. I feel it, my mana just started to flow differently through my body now as I focus the energy condenses as it moves throughout my veins, the room around me fades away and Rexis hums in my head feeling pleasure I absently look down at my arm as the stretch makes me move it past my face and I see the veins are changing a dark grey color, it freaks me out a little, but I keep going subconsciously knowing that this is going to make me stronger and help to understand the way of the chain. After we finish stretching the teacher begins to show us the stances for first form of the chain, amusingly enough there is no spiral action which one of the other students brings up.

"So you want to run before you crawl, then... the Noir Spiral school teaches you how to use a chain as well as your tails. Yes I actually did read you applications, all four of you are actually here to learn how to use your tails as weapons, except for you Hunter, while learning for your tail is important you also are cut out to train to the second form, and probably even higher, but its more because you wanted a mid range crowd control weapon." the teacher lectures and also questions

"Yes Ma'am, crowd control is the biggest reason though, its hard to think tail while using my hand to control the whip." I reply bowing having already reached the conclusion during her explanation. then she makes us take three laps around the training center before going back into lectures and practice. The day just seems to drag on, but since this was my last weapon for the day, and I thought it was the coolest, I enjoy learning about it.

Later that night when I get home and showered, Aura comes to my room looking exhausted. "I hate being a half noble!" She complains

"Why this time?" I ask already guessing the answer

"Because I just don't want to learn all of the policies in case I might have to run the family business here, because after training with you I go to etiquette classes, and because eating meat will make me feel terrible even though I am craving a steak the size of Bear's biceps, like together!"

'Yep I nailed it,' the steak thing really made her the most angry, so "Well there isn't anything that I can do for you right now about the training or city running school, and aside from suggesting you doodle in your notebook for etiquette class will get you in trouble, how about we go out for steak tonight?"

"But it will make me feel bad, I don't know why though it seems like the elves don't eat meat."

"Your grandfather does, and a little will count as training, because there will be times when you don't have veggies to eat."

We go out to eat at a small restaurant and as soon as Aura enters the whole atmosphere changes. It is very weird, but I'm not one to turn down a free meal. After dinner we get back to Aura's home and get to bed.

The next two weeks flash by, and soon enough our one month period for training is over, and tomorrow morning we will be going on our first hunt.