[SE] [Training] you know in the end, I'll always be there

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Longheat in the Greatwood had been rife with wildfire and smoke, but this particular day had dawned clear of either. While it was blisteringly hot, Liam had departed home for his daily training with a spring in his step. With any luck, he would find no fire to fight deeper in the forest nor smoke to clog his lungs as he trained.

But training would do him no good if he died of heat stroke in the process, so he and his companions made their way through the ever-shifting woods until they found themselves on the banks of the Stone Symphony. It was about midmorning, by his estimation, and the sun beat down unwaveringly upon the water of the river. Without preamble, Liam stripped off his shirt and rolled up his pants, wading into the shallows with a small sigh of relief. The two young dragons, content with the heat, began to play in the shade of the nearby trees, tumbling here and there as they partook in their own form of training.

Keeping a watchful eye on the dragons, Liam unsheathed his sword, careful to keep the blade above water, and began to work through a series of battle dances. Perhaps it wouldn't be fun to many other people, but to Liam, finding a new way to train was supremely satisfying, and working in the water gave him a new challenge while simultaneously cooling him off.

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

"Sol!" The dragon rushed off, seemingly drawn by something Zavien hadn't seen or heard. Already very much lost, he didn't much like the idea of straying farther from the path home, but he wouldn't leave his companion to travel alone, and he rushed quickly into the thick foliage. 

His arms braced against leaves and vines, pushing between trees and bushes that grasped at his clothing. Squinting his eyes to protect them from the assault, he pushed through, following the golden thread of a bond through the forest. It guided him until he stumbled over a rock and into the open space of a river, already preparing to scold his companion. 

Zavien stopped short, finding a shirtless man instead of a golden dragon. He blinked, recognition casting a friendly smile over his face. "Liam! What a pleasant surprise." A quick sweep of the area revealed that Sol had joined two other dragons that were unfamiliar to him, even if his companion's tail was wagging like they'd been best pals for years. Tilting his head, he saved the chastising for later to ask in surprise, "Are those yours?"

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

With the splashing from his training, Liam didn't notice someone approaching until his companions trilled greetings of their own. Prim bounded towards the golden dragon, excited to make a new friend; Vale sat up from where he'd been playing with his sister, cocking his head as he approached in a more sedate manner. Liam paused, turning, expecting to find a stranger but pleasantly surprised that he recognized the approaching man. "Zavien!" he called, a friendly smile springing to his face. "It's good to see you."

Splashing his way out of the shallows, the ex-soldier sheathed his sword before reaching out a hand to his friend. "Yeah, I found them during LongNight; the green is Primrose, and the brown is Vale." Gazing at his companions affectionately, Liam shook his head. "Never thought I'd find dragons out here, but I suppose the Greatwood is full of surprises."

Birds chattered overhead as the dragons began to play. Prim was, of course, the instigator, darting forward to tag Sol with one small paw before bounding away, clearly hoping that the golden dragon would join them in a game. Liam snorted, shaking his head at the youngling's antics before turning his gaze back to Zavien, smile fading as he grew more serious. "How are you holding up?"

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

Accepting the hand and the excited greeting, Zavien chuckled and watched as Sol chirped. His chubby golden body bounced around, membranous wings fluttering as they caught the air, the sunlight glittering against his scales.

Content to let his companion make friends with the dragons, he grinned at Liam. "Strange circumstances aside, congratulations." He was always happy for other to find companions, although recent circumstances had shown him how it might not always be a blessing. But at least the man seemed happy, and Zavien liked to celebrate the little things right now. 

Like Liam had read his mind, the question arose, the heaviness of the topic attempting to steal some of the joy. "As well as can be expected," he said with a reassuring smile. His still ached for home, waking up expecting to be in Stormbreak, feeling like he had more work to do than he did, missing the familiar streets. It sometimes threatened to overwhelm him, but he strove to keep going, to do what he could for the Breakers who still needed him. 

Shrugging his shoulders, he added, "I just got back from seeing what was left. There wasn't much..."

Not sure he wanted to talk much about how that had felt, Zavien nodded his head to the water and lack of shirt. "What are you up to out here?"

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

"Thank you," Liam said warmly, affectionate gaze flicking to his companions. "It's been strange to get used to, but I wouldn't trade them for the world." It was funny, how life worked: he'd always wanted a dragon, but hadn't found them until giving up on the idea. So, too, had he given up on love before Maea walked into his life. Now he was happy, well and truly, though he felt, perhaps, a bit guilty given the strife that lingered elsewhere in the world.

Speaking of, Zavien answered Liam's question with grace, though the ex-soldier thought he could recognize a wistfulness about him. He could admire pushing through the pain, though, and rather than press for more information or attempt to get Zavien to open up, he merely nodded. "If there is anything we can do, please don't hesitate to reach out," he said. "And the Greatwood would gladly welcome anyone who wishes to relocate here." Hadn't the forest taken him in when he'd needed it most? And hadn't it healed him in a way he'd never considered possible? Perhaps it could do that for others, too.

But that was enough for today, the offer of help or a home given. Liam turned instead to the matter at hand. "I was training," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I figured the water would be be a relief from the heat. Besides, it makes it more challenging when you're trying to balance on ground you can't see very well," he added, grinning, clearly delighted by the prospect. "If you're not busy, you're welcome to join me."

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

Zavien nodded, completely understanding the sentiment. Sol had been with him for years now. If he hadn't found the little dragon, he didn't think he would have been able to bear the traumas since, whether it was his death, their exile, leadership, Lena's death, or the fall of Stormbreak, Sol had been his rock, the one who calmed his emotions and reassured him when his own optimism was fading. He didn't know what he would do without him. 

Liam's offer of assistance was met with an appreciative smile. "Thank you. Everyone has been so supportive." And although the Greatwood wasn't at the top of people's list for places to settle, he knew at least one skyship had made the trip. It was comforting to know they'd be welcomed in their new home, just as he'd been welcomed during the time he'd spent here. 

Looking to the river Liam had apparently been training in, Zavien felt the familiar surge of excitement, his muscles beginning to tense and release in preparation of exertion, anticipation clear in the set of his shoulders. "That'd be great. I could use a good workout." He grinned then moved to match the man's attire by stripping off his shirt and setting aside his shoes. His puckered scar and thick muscles were on full display, glistening with sweat as he stepped into the cool water, rocks slick beneath his feet. Adjusting the scabbard at his hip, he glanced to the man and clarified, "Are weapons okay?"

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Liam grinned in response. "Great. It's always more fun with a partner." He waited patiently as Zavien prepared, taking a moment to stretch out some of the muscles that had tightened in the brief interlude. Then he followed back into the water, wading in until the river lapped at his calves, the rocks slick beneath his bare feet. The following bout would certainly be a unique challenge, and he couldn't wait to get started. "Definitely," he said, and casually drew his sword.

Once Zavien was ready, Liam began. Raising his sword to a guard position, he hesitated for only a moment before feinting right. His blade flashed in the sun as he lunged to the left, sword arcing up and around towards the ex-Commander's side. Zavien had been a good soldier; there was no doubt in Liam's mind that he would manage to block the strike. Still, he was prepared to pull his blow, just in case something happened. He didn't want any blood on his hands today.

---

1/4

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

Sharing in Liam's smile, Zavien walked further into the water, looking for a spot that didn't feel like he'd fall and break his neck. He looked down for a moment, scoping out the sloping of the riverbed, assessing the larger rocks and the ones that might be less secure. When he'd picked the place he would hold his ground, he planted his feet and turned to face Liam. Unsheathing his Starblade, he rolled his shoulders and dropped into the familiar comfort of his fighting stance. 

He gave an indicating nod that turned into an incoming attack. The man's sword swung through the air arcing above before rotating in towards his side. Stabilizing his feet, he reacted with a twist of his body, intercepting the blade with his own and knocking it away. Then he tightened the muscles along his abdomen, guiding his weapon up and over to aim at Liam's opposite, similarly maintaining his alertness so as not to injure the man with the fire imbued in his sword. 

---

1/4

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Liam's sword swung neatly through the air, carving down towards Zavien's side. He kept his grip light; had he intended, his strike could have been truly devastating thanks to his sword's ability, but given that this was a friendly match, he wasn't inclined to activate it on the first blow. Still, he needn't have worried. Zavien's block was quick and efficient, their blades clanging together in a flash of steel in the light of the sun.

Then his opponent was moving, parrying with an arcing slice of his own. Liam sidestepped quickly, regaining the balance he'd lost in his attacking move, as he reached to block the blow with his Oakblade. Steel struck steel again. Liam grinned fiercely, excited to have a capable opponent with whom to spar. Careful of where he placed his feet, Liam did his best to take a step into Zavien's space, driving his blade in a stabbing move towards the man's stomach.

---

2/4

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

The parry was unsurprising, a grin spreading as his body moved. It had been a minute since he'd really sparred, since he'd enjoyed himself and just got lost in the feel of a weapon in hand, a worthy opponent in front of him, sweat coating his skin. And as they broke apart again, Zavien let a bit of laughter slip out before he was tensing for the next attack. 

He moved his foot back and to the side, trying to recall where the next flat surface was. Luckily, he found it easily enough, settling into his new stance as he let the sword pass him. Unwilling to let Liam push the advantage, Zavien blocked the path to his abdomen with his blade then stepped closer, drawing his Starblade towards the man's leg. 

---

2/4

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

It seemed they were both enjoying themselves. The longer the spar went on, the more Liam found himself relaxing into the rhythm of blocks and parries. He was careful: he didn't want to slip on the river bottom, nor accidentally hurt Zavien or be hurt in return. But their friendly spar was exactly what he'd needed, it seemed, and he continued to grin widely as Zavien sidestepped his stab. Then the other man was aiming for Liam's leg, and it was his turn to step back and to the side, away from the Starblade, swinging his sword to attempt to knock the blade away from his leg.

Then Liam kept moving, circling cautiously through the water and finding fortune in the placement of his steps. His hope was that he could force Zavien to move and put the man off balance; lunging forward, he sliced towards Zavien's side in a quick pass meant to force movement.

3/4

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

Happy to see his Starblade blocked rather than burning into Liam's exposed thigh, he let the sword be pushed into open air, twisting his grip to redirect the momentum so he wasn't dragged off balance. Light caught the blade, the celestial blessing brighter in the beating sun as he angled it, too focused and entertained by the spar to be distracted by its brilliance. 

His body turned carefully in the water, appreciative of the cool ripples brushing against his legs but becoming ever more concerned for his stability as he was forced to move. At the moment of Liam's attack, his feet had just found purchase, and yet they struggled to hold it, his jaw clenching around the smile as he raised his sword to block the strike. When it hit, he dug his feet in and pushed back on their interlocked swords, hoping to push him off balance enough to create an opening. 

---

3/4

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Blades ringing against each other had long been a soothing sound to Liam, who found that sinking into a good training session was far more relaxing than other, more trivial pursuits. Where some might wish to lounge about or sleep in or any number of other idle pleasures, he had always been driven to be better, to do more, to find solace in activity. It was inaction that had led him down darker paths in his youth, and now he was determined never to tread those again.

Liam's strike was blocked, but rather than parry, Zavien chose to lock blades, digging in and pushing against Liam's onslaught. It wasn't an unexpected tactic, but at that moment, Liam stepped on a particularly slippery rock and stumbled slightly, catching himself at the last moment but immediately realizing that he'd given Zavien an opening. Redoubling his grip on his Oakblade, he used its ability to increase its weight, driving towards Zavien's Starblade with a devastatingly quick strike that he hoped would cover up his momentary misstep.

---

4/4

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Zavien

I think all things,
in their way,

Liam stumbling was enough for Zavien, and other than the natural swing of his blade, he didn't pursue the opening his attack provided. However, the instinctual retaliation of his opponent turned out to be stronger than he expected, the sword moving with surprising speed and weight to impact Zavien's Starblade. He attempted to dodge, but the path had become treacherous, bare feet sliding over the smooth stones. 

Surprise broke across the smile, his mouth forming in an 'O' as he began to lose his balance. His foot stepped back, meaning to catch him, but in doing so, the flat of his sword came loose from Liam's, drawing across the man's forearm with a soft pressure. 

Realizing the impact the contact could cause, Zavien fumbled to a stop, only hesitating so he could regain his footing on the slick stones. Then he was lowing her sword, the spar forgotten in light of the injury as he rushed forward through the rippling water. "Shoot. Are you okay?" Green eyes scanned the wound, concern and guilt creasing his forehead. 

---

4/4

reflect heavenly truth,
the imagination not least.