Chapter-XXIII

Trystan wrapped an arm around Twyll despite her protests saying she was fine.

"You just had a panic attack Twyll and a big one at that. You are not fine." Trystan snapped at her, irritated at her adamance to act as if everything was fine.

He had spent almost his entire life with people who pretended and hid behind facades. He didn't want Twyll hiding anything from him which was rich coming from him when he himself was hiding things from her.

"I don't know what just happened, but I am not some simpering damsel in distress so just let me stand the fuck by myself. I appreciate your concern though." Twyll said with conviction and surprising courtesy.

Trystan slowly let go of her but held on to her hands and entwined them. She tried pulling away but he refused to let go. She gave up after a few more tries and Trystan smirked in triumph.

Twyll gazed up at him for a few moments, truly taking in his features. His nose had a little bump on the bridge and his cheeks were hollowed and his cheekbones were sharp and high. His nose was straight with a slight bump on the bridge and his lips were sharply bowed and the bottom lip was slightly plumper. The corners were turned downwards. Trystan's eyes were the most prominent feature in his face aside from his cutting jaw-line. They were a melee of blues and oranges with small flecks of pink and green. His pupils were a cobalt blue and his eyelashes were just on this side of long that he didn't look too pretty.

"It's rude to stare líçé. Though you already have seen it all before, have you not?" Trystan asked with a slight tip of his lips.

"Yes well, one cannot have too much of a pretty face Pierce."

"Oh, that is something I can agree on. I haven't had enough of you yet so it must be true about pretty faces." He replied smoothly in his silken voice.

Twyll's cheeks bloomed an attractive peach. That was another thing Trystan liked about her. Her embarrassment wasn't blatant but very subtle, like the change of spring to summer. Her cheeks always blushed a peach instead of pink or red. She looked like the start of fall and the end of summer. That go-between where sunshine felt endless and the chill crept in, unbidden. Trystan looked down at the flawless skin of her hands and again wondered how she couldn't have even the slightest bit of roughness to her hands or any part of her body. She knew how to handle weapons and well from what he had seen yesterday, but something wasn't right and Trystan needed to find out what it was.

They walked into the arena just as he finished that thought.

...

Twyll could feel his gaze on the back of her neck like a soft kiss that one never wanted to end. Twyll also felt his puzzling touch as his hands slid against her deceivingly smooth skin. Another lie on her body that she had pushed to the back of her mind. Being around this closely knitted group of people Twyll's mind filled with unwelcome thoughts, Even with her shields up they came into her mind.

The arena looked different today. The ceiling was domed and lined with stained glass windows. The edges of the room were cloaked in shadows and a spotlight shone on a dozen barrels that were filled with water and Earth. The floor was also packed Earth and raw sheets of metal lay piled up. Bren and the rest of them were already dressed in leathers and Trystan's suit transformed into fighting leathers in a shrug of his shoulders. "How did you do that?" She asked. "It's a little complicated to explain. I just imagine the cloth changing itself into another consistency and design and then it changes. Go on, you try. Just imagine your clothes changing into leather and metal. And then release your energy." Twyll closed her eyes and released the mental leash around the crystal energy inside her. She imagined every thread and stitch rearrange themselves into a tight-fitting leather and her cotton trousers into a thick blend of leather and canvas fabric. She slowly felt her clothes change their form. Sweat slid down the side of her face as the crystals in her pocket burned hot. The air felt humid and sticky as the fabric changed. Suddenly, it stopped. She opened her eyes and found all of them staring at her. Their expressions were varied. Trystan and Bren looked pleased, Shalom looked astonished, Karsyn looked as if she knew what was going to happen which didn't surprise her since she could've. Kyan and Cadence looked bored as always. "Very good Twyll. Now we will start the official training." Bren announced to the room at large. Then turning to her she continued," You will be partnered with Trystan. For some reason your energies are stronger together, we should take advantage of that,". Twyll nodded in assent and walked over to Trystan as Cadence was partnered up with Kyan and Shalom partnered up with Karsyn.

"I want Shalom and Kars to grab one barrel of water and Earth. Shalom will be on attack and Karsyn on defence. Kyan and Cadence will be fighting hand-to-hand all the while trying to burrow into the other's mind. Trystan and Twyll, follow me." Bren rapped out each order in quick succession.

They all broke apart and started on their individual training. Twyll grabbed two barrels in each hand and dragged it to Trystan and Bren.

"Wielding is as natural as breathing or walking. It's the control that you have to maintain while wielding where you have to concentrate. You have admirable control Twyll, but your wielding is fast and impulsive. Your display in the limo was impressive but frivolous. You wield only when you absolutely have to. It's careless to waste your energy reserves. Also, I would advise you to get your crystals stitched into your Bavmeč, it will be easier to channel your energies through them. Now, I and Trystan will spar and you will observe how we fight." Twyll bristled at Bren's superior tone and again nodded.

They circled each other, their eyes never wavering from the other. The Earth at Trystan's feet rose and closed on his feet, trapping him in place. Trystan seemed unbothered and flicked his wrist and the Earth fell away. He stretched out his hands and twirled them in circular motions. Ropes of water collected before him in a whirlpool of sorts and enveloped Bren in a cocoon of water. Twyll just laughed from inside, "That all you got muscle head?" She teased. Trystan just shook his head as the water came around her tighter, but the next second it turned to steam and a phantom wind blew it away to reveal a damp Bren whose hands glowed, heat emanating from them in waves that even Twyll could feel. Trystan laughed, "You look a little hot there Bren," Before another wave of water rose into the air and doused her. Bren looked wet and extremely murderous. She growled low and deep as the floor shook with the low range of her voice and Trystan lost his balance. She walked forward, raising her hands and pushing them forward. With each push forward flashes of light shot forward and Trystan blocked them each time with walls of earth that immediately sank back inside. The flashes left burnt marks behind as they struck the walls. Bren's eyes had started glowing by now and black descended on Trystan like a dome. He pushed at the sheet of it. The spaces glowing red which she guessed meant he was trying to burn out of them. Then the dark started to bulge and heave as something rose within. Bren's mouth tightened with strain at containing whatever was inside before her hands fell to her sides and the beast inside was revealed. It was a large muscled thing with a scruffy neck and Horns on its head. Its face, Trystan's face was wolfish with a grey snout and canine teeth. His eyes were the same orange melting into the blue. The rest of him was hard, beautifully cut muscle. His every movement caused them to ripple and surprisingly his legs were still covered by his trousers which she found really ironic. He shrunk again and his face again transformed to his normal face and his muscles still as impressive fit his body proportionally. His shirt had torn when he had transformed and so left him bare chest-ed, all his glorious tattoos on display. Twyll felt herself lick her lips and immediately regretted it since Trystan had found her eye-fucking him just then. He grinned cockily and puffed his chest out just a little more. Bren had already started rotating her arms, her legs following her movements as gusts of wind flew around her; lifting her wine-red hair into the air like snakes. Her eyes were glowing a neon white and her face looked even more beautiful if that was possible. As she rotated her arms, even more, dirt flew at Trystan's eyes and blinded him for a minute before Bren released her whip fashioned from air at him. It thwacked against his chest and a line of red formed before vanishing. Trystan growled. He raised his hands, his eyes still watering and knives of flames flew at her one after the other and Bren just blew them all away with her whip. Trystan's wings were starting to form and Bren also exuded dark energy. It seemed as if this was all happening in slow-motion when in reality it was happening at lightning speed. Bren's whip lashed out one last time before it whacked into Trystan's chest and he went flying back, but before he could hit the wall his wings flared and he stopped mid-air. He gracefully landed before tucking in his wings.

"I don't understand. What am I supposed to be learning from this?" Twyll asked, a little indignantly. "You noticed how Trystan only summoned his wings when he needed them the most. He could have easily just sprout them out, but he saved his energy in defending my attacks and his counter-attacks. He also kept his elemental wielding to the least because he knows that wielding them will drain his energy more than shapeshifting." She looked towards where Shalom and Karsyn were training and continued, "Over there, Shalom's affinity is to the mind, but Karsyn has the power of anticipation. She can anticipate his moves minutes before he himself has planned them. Shalom knowing that makes that move and then changes it at the last second. He has trained his mind to think thoughts or plan at his leisure. Karsyn's hand-to-hand skills are not very sharp. She is more of a thinker than a warrior so she will most likely keep other attendants' attention off of us." Then she turned to Cadence and Kyan who were engaged in combat. Kyan's forehead was dripping with sweat and a vein was popping out, while Cadence looked as though he were in a trance. His eyes were focused yet glazed over and his pupils were large. "Cadence is burrowing into Kyan's mind and Kyan is trying to protect it. Looks like he is not succeeding." Bren pressed her fingers to her throat, "You can all take a break now!" Her voice came out magnified and echoed across the arena. Sound modulation. Huh.

They all gathered around Bren and Twyll. "You all did well today, but I still want you all to practise. Tomorrow is going to be a real testament to your abilities. The Dictator will be very hard to distract, but not impossible; so just be careful." Turning towards Twyll she continued, "You and Trystan will start your training together." Everyone nodded and went back to their areas as Twyll and Trystan followed Bren to the barrels again. "What are your strengths Twyll?".

"Light, illusions, water, air and mind." Twyll immediately answered. "What about metal and minerals?" Bren questioned. "Not as natural as the others. I still haven't mastered blood and death and shapeshifting is still something I struggle with."

"Okay, let's start with your strengths and then move on from that."

Trystan and Twyll circled each other in deliberate steps. Trystan's brows were down low and his eyes were glowing. He swiped his hand out and jabbed her in the throat hard enough to choke her and then swiped her legs out from under her, but his legs swept through empty air and Twyll materialised behind him and grabbed him in a chokehold. He easily slithered out and looked at her in surprise. "You can manipulate light to turn invisible?"

"Yes." She answered before she again vanished. Trystan's eyes were constantly moving as he tried to discern where she was. Meanwhile, Twyll kicked and punched him, tapping him in a teasing manner meant to confuse him. She succeeded and before he knew it a wall of water was coming for him and he didn't see it until the last minute. The water surrounded him and Trystan easily flicked it out of his way until he realised it was just a distraction for the vines that were crawling out the floor. Lengths and lengths of them that slithered from the ground and wrapped themselves around his legs. He tried shifting to break out of his bonds but the vines just expanded to accommodate his size. He then shifted into a butterfly and flitted out of them. Twyll just smiled serenely as she raised her hands and clenched them into fists. The air around Trystan vanished. There was no wind to support his wings and no oxygen to breathe. It was excruciating. He shifted back and gasped in a lungful of air. As soon as he shifted Twyll again bound him in vines. He again shifted and again Twyll released her cage. And then again. And again. And again. Trystan's forehead was tense and shining with sweat and exertion. Twyll on the other hand looked as though she were just returning from an evening walk invigorated.

Trystan dropped to the floor on his knees. "I give up. I. Give. Up."

The room was deathly silent. Trystan never yielded. He never stopped, never quit. Twyll's repetitive assaults had tired Trystan. Shifting into large beasts was easy, but shifting into something small, shrinking was the most tiring thing. Twyll had taken Bren's advice to heart. She had saved her energy focusing it on less exhausting methods of wielding.

"You Twyll Merrick are a menace." Kyan complimented. Twyll just laughed. A twinkling sound that resounded in Trystan's ears.

I could listen to that sound for the rest of my life.

Trystan's eyes widened at that and he abruptly turned around. A hand clasped his wrist in a soft yet firm hold. He turned around and came face to face with gold eyes as bright as the sun. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. There was a sort of... solitude in her gaze that settled Trystan's racing heart. His world felt calm and at peace when he looked at her. He felt in control.

Was it a complete cliché to say that she felt different?

He pulled at his hand and she let go. Don't let go.

He cringed at the thought and turned away from her because he didn't know what to say.

"Alright! Let's go over our plan." Bren announced brightly and everyone sighed in relief and gathered around a table with some sort of plans and blueprints.

Twyll's eyes never left Trystan's.