[Training] nature offers a violence

Deimos

before bones, before dirt, before even light
this is who we were

Truthfully, Deimos didn’t expect the next reaction. Maybe he should’ve; but he also didn’t know all her inner workings, sentiments of arrogance, pride, presumption, or anything of the like. He ceased immediately once she lodged into some surrender form, pulling his sword into his grasp, brow arching, surprised by the bizarre turn of events.

But when the explanations came with all the signs of physical, and potentially mental exertion, he sighed. “Perhaps that is the first issue. This should not be about winning or losing. You are learning.” Had he known she wanted to spar into conquest and glory, he wouldn’t have even humored her prior letter. That hadn’t been the point of the exercise. His rumble took on a more calm and composed distinction, eyeing a few gawkers who immediately vanished from the scene. “You should not be able to keep up with me. You do not have my experience, and I hope you understand that is a good thing.” It meant that she’d missed out on the many horrors of war. “But you have already achieved much in this short spar.” And simply because he’d seen the clever bouts a mile away, didn’t mean others would do the same.

Taking another long and deep breath, he finally glanced back at her quiet and dismal form. He was half-tempted to roll his eyes at the antics, but opted for the more distinguished approach. “I did not realize you believed this was a victory or defeat situation.” Shrugging, because it wasn’t, and he’d never offered the roles as such, the Sword persisted in explanations. “I never exceeded my instructors either. That was the point. Why learn from someone easily trounced?” Unless it was to bolster her ego, and in that case, remained wholly unlikely by his standards. “There has been no failure, for there was nothing to lose, except perhaps opportunity.” Like now, if she would rather wallow in self-loathing. “But we can stop here if you prefer.”

[FIN]

this untamable expanse
churning proof that we have always been deep, restless souls