The diminishing glow of the flame (3)

She watched in awe as he unsheathed his sword and began his rigorous training. His strikes were swift and deadly, each move precise and powerful. His agility was breathtaking, performing graceful backflips and launching attacks with lethal accuracy. The warrior faced the final practice dummy. With a flick of his wrist, he activated a hidden button on his sword, transforming it into a shadow blade crackling with energy. He leaped through the air, slicing the dummy in two and leaving behind a sticky residue of dark goo. As the warrior sheathed his sword, his intense midnight gaze locked onto Starfania. His impatience exclamation cut through the atmosphere, " Finally you've arrived! I was starting to think that lady didn't fulfill her duty. "Starfania could tell that jab was toward Ren's unwavering reliability, she was quick to defend her action. Telling her father that she did her job and was quick to turn the table on him. As she asked " So, what is the reason for summoning me? "" Always direct and observant, my daughter. You never seem to miss a thing with those vigilant eyes. " His voice commanding, her full attention, listening to every word he was saying to her. She folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to continue. Why did he call her out here? Couldn't they have done it in the palace? What was so important about this talk? Then he looked into his daughter's eye and said, " You're aware that it's time for you to begin learning how to become the future ruler of our kingdom, Vulcanfire. " The weight of his words started to sink into Starfania. Despite the importance of his statement, there was doubt lingering in her mind. Their relationship had been strained ever since her mother's death. Not once did her father ever bring up the possibility of taking over the kingdom. Most of the time they were doing their separate things. They would only socialize if he needed her for something or they would be eating dinner. As Starfania looked into her father's eyes, she questioned whether becoming the next Fire Nation leader was truly her destiny or merely an expectation he had set for her.Perhaps there was another way, a far different path from assuming the role of nation leader. Starfania struggled to understand why this conversation had arisen out of nowhere. It seemed that every time she tried to have a civil conversation with her father, he would steer the discussion towards business matters. She often felt less like a daughter, and more like a tool. Frustration started to boil inside her as she exclaimed " Is being the leader the only thing you see me as, or am I your daughter! "Her outburst caught him off guard for a few milliseconds. You could see his eyes soften for a brief second, but he still kept that calm expression. Starfania felt a sense of relief at having spoken her mind, rather than agreeing with every instruction. The weight of unspoken tension, lingered in the air as she waited for him to say anything at all. His gaze was sharp but he could feel his daughter's pain in his own heart. So he turned his head looking in a different direction focusing anywhere but his daughter. Which made Starfania feel guilty for speaking out against her father. So she gave a bow and spoke in a soft voice. " My apologies Father, I spoke out of line. "Then she stood back upright and looked at him again still not looking in her direction. Sighing she decided that this talk could wait another day as she was about to leave he finally spoke. " You are my daughter, I'm fully aware of that... It's just a bit complicated at the moment. It doesn't help that we lost a lot in two years. "For once in her life Starfania could feel the honesty in his voice for a moment she saw her father before the incident happened. They both had lost something but they failed to voice out what had been plaguing their mind. She didn't want to cause any more pain but she was caught in the crossfire between the path she was forced on and the one she was destined to make.Deciding to change the subject and lighten the atmosphere, Starfania responded with a gentle laugh. Despite the gravity of the situation and her internal conflict, she reassured him with a smile, " Don't worry Father I was just joking with you - I'm looking forward to this training of yours. "Her father walked a bit closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, saying " My dear, you need to work on your comedic timing. "Starfania offered him a hesitant grin, her usual confidence wavering momentarily. "Yeah, you know me... It's not my strongest suit. "They both pulled away from each other as her father said " Shall we begin? "She nodded her head at him letting him know that she was ready.The intensity between Starfania and her father was palpable as they stood on opposite sides of the arena. Anticipation crackled in the air as they prepared to face off in a duel. Her father revealed his shadow sword again, its sinister gleam sending a chill down Starfania's spine. In response, she grabbed one of the practice swords from the barrel. These swords were used to train all the newly recruited soldiers as a way to hone their skills. They then acknowledge each other with a gesture of respect, raising their sword to the face before lowering them to their sides. Without warning, her father lunged at her, his attack swift and precise. She dodges the strike with lightning-fast reflexes, using her legs to slide out of his way. This allowed her to counter-attack as she thrust her sword forward. But her father parried her attack effortlessly, demonstrating his exceptional defensive skills.Undeterred, Starfania pushed forwards, using all her skills. Despite her best efforts, her father's skills and sheer force overwhelmed her, as she fell to the ground. Unafraid, she quickly got back on her feet, refusing to accept defeat. Drawing a deep breath, she gathered her resolve and charged ahead. Time seemed to blur as they fought, locked in a mesmerizing struggle of will and experience. Neither of us was willing to concede. Just as the battle was to reach its peak, one of the soldiers stormed into the arena, his urgent voice piercing the air and disrupting their focus.She watched in awe as he unsheathed his sword and began his rigorous training. His strikes were swift and deadly, each move precise and powerful. His agility was breathtaking, performing graceful backflips and launching attacks with lethal accuracy. The warrior faced the final practice dummy. With a flick of his wrist, he activated a hidden button on his sword, transforming it into a shadow blade crackling with energy. He leaped through the air, slicing the dummy in two and leaving behind a sticky residue of dark goo. As the warrior sheathed his sword, his intense midnight gaze locked onto Starfania. His impatience exclamation cut through the atmosphere, " Finally you've arrived! I was starting to think that lady didn't fulfill her duty. "Starfania could tell that jab was toward Ren's unwavering reliability, she was quick to defend her action. Telling her father that she did her job and was quick to turn the table on him. As she asked " So, what is the reason for summoning me? "" Always direct and observant, my daughter. You never seem to miss a thing with those vigilant eyes. " His voice commanding, her full attention, listening to every word he was saying to her. She folded her arms across her chest, waiting for him to continue. Why did he call her out here? Couldn't they have done it in the palace? What was so important about this talk? Then he looked into his daughter's eye and said, " You're aware that it's time for you to begin learning how to become the future ruler of our kingdom, Vulcanfire. " The weight of his words started to sink into Starfania. Despite the importance of his statement, there was doubt lingering in her mind. Their relationship had been strained ever since her mother's death. Not once did her father ever bring up the possibility of taking over the kingdom. Most of the time they were doing their separate things. They would only socialize if he needed her for something or they would be eating dinner. As Starfania looked into her father's eyes, she questioned whether becoming the next Fire Nation leader was truly her destiny or merely an expectation he had set for her.Perhaps there was another way, a far different path from assuming the role of nation leader. Starfania struggled to understand why this conversation had arisen out of nowhere. It seemed that every time she tried to have a civil conversation with her father, he would steer the discussion towards business matters. She often felt less like a daughter, and more like a tool. Frustration started to boil inside her as she exclaimed " Is being the leader the only thing you see me as, or am I your daughter! "Her outburst caught him off guard for a few milliseconds. You could see his eyes soften for a brief second, but he still kept that calm expression. Starfania felt a sense of relief at having spoken her mind, rather than agreeing with every instruction. The weight of unspoken tension, lingered in the air as she waited for him to say anything at all. His gaze was sharp but he could feel his daughter's pain in his own heart. So he turned his head looking in a different direction focusing anywhere but his daughter. Which made Starfania feel guilty for speaking out against her father. So she gave a bow and spoke in a soft voice. " My apologies Father, I spoke out of line. "Then she stood back upright and looked at him again still not looking in her direction. Sighing she decided that this talk could wait another day as she was about to leave he finally spoke. " You are my daughter, I'm fully aware of that... It's just a bit complicated at the moment. It doesn't help that we lost a lot in two years. "For once in her life Starfania could feel the honesty in his voice for a moment she saw her father before the incident happened. They both had lost something but they failed to voice out what had been plaguing their mind. She didn't want to cause any more pain but she was caught in the crossfire between the path she was forced on and the one she was destined to make.Deciding to change the subject and lighten the atmosphere, Starfania responded with a gentle laugh. Despite the gravity of the situation and her internal conflict, she reassured him with a smile, " Don't worry Father I was just joking with you - I'm looking forward to this training of yours. "Her father walked a bit closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, saying " My dear, you need to work on your comedic timing. "Starfania offered him a hesitant grin, her usual confidence wavering momentarily. "Yeah, you know me... It's not my strongest suit. "They both pulled away from each other as her father said " Shall we begin? "She nodded her head at him letting him know that she was ready.The intensity between Starfania and her father was palpable as they stood on opposite sides of the arena. Anticipation crackled in the air as they prepared to face off in a duel. Her father revealed his shadow sword again, its sinister gleam sending a chill down Starfania's spine. In response, she grabbed one of the practice swords from the barrel. These swords were used to train all the newly recruited soldiers as a way to hone their skills. They then acknowledge each other with a gesture of respect, raising their sword to the face before lowering them to their sides. Without warning, her father lunged at her, his attack swift and precise. She dodges the strike with lightning-fast reflexes, using her legs to slide out of his way. This allowed her to counter-attack as she thrust her sword forward. But her father parried her attack effortlessly, demonstrating his exceptional defensive skills.Undeterred, Starfania pushed forwards, using all her skills. Despite her best efforts, her father's skills and sheer force overwhelmed her, as she fell to the ground. Unafraid, she quickly got back on her feet, refusing to accept defeat. Drawing a deep breath, she gathered her resolve and charged ahead. Time seemed to blur as they fought, locked in a mesmerizing struggle of will and experience. Neither of us was willing to concede. Just as the battle was to reach its peak, one of the soldiers stormed into the arena, his urgent voice piercing the air and disrupting their focus." Cesar, one of our bases has been destroyed! " the soldiers shouted, breathless and wide-eyed with horror.They both froze mid-duel, turning their full attention to the messenger. Her father's expression twisted into a mix of concern and fury as he demanded an explanation." What do you mean one of our bases been attacked? Who would be dumb enough to attack us? " His voice laced with righteous fury. The soldier was quick to reply. " Sir, it was Lyam who launched a surprise attack on us. "The rage in his eyes flared, and he immediately issued orders to prepare for retaliation, determined to strike back with relentless force. It was clear Lyam had become a significant threat to Vulcanfire. He always stopped their plan and got in Starfania's father's way. He snarled, " It seems Lyam is trying to stop us again by targeting our outpost, but regardless we are always ready for him. "Starfania thought this would be a perfect opportunity to go out and see what the world of Avalon is like instead of being stuck here. She had always wanted to go back out and explore it just like when her mother was still alive. She then pleaded " Let me accompany you, I want to see how you handle the situation. "However, he was quick to respond his answer was firm and resolute. " You must remain here to continue your training, " he insisted. Although she felt a pang of disappointment, she didn't bother arguing and simply nodded her head in agreement. His priority was maintaining the kingdom, I knew that was the most important part when it came to running a kingdom.