Venali simply nodded once, speaking as he took a break from the food balanced in his hands, "I suppose I can show you a crash course of how to fight…normally I'd need weeks to teach you much, but I can make do with this. Are you more concerned about fighting with weapons or hand to hand?"
He shoveled another bite into his mouth, staring at the wall with focus. There was too much to teach her about fighting. Not only was it a broad topic, but he didn't know what she actually knew how to do. With his luck, she would be a beginner and he would have to go over everything, plus whatever else for this second trial. He would have to remember to ask Eldon for even just a hint, which wasn't something he was going to enjoy doing.
"I know how to fight with weapons. And a bit of hand-to-hand," Serena responded. Knives, swords, needles… those were easy to practice with alone. Hand-to-hand, on the other hand… that was difficult. Her father had taught as soon as she'd turned eight, but with no one to practice with, she'd gotten rusty. "But it's been a while since I fought with someone else. I only had Alaric; we didn't travel in groups."
When the Fae looked away from her, she focused her stare on her food as well. Learning how to fight would be difficult. Extremely, and she knew that. Not in such a short amount of time, but she could learn. She had to, not just to pass the trials. Scythe needed to go down as well, and she'd take him down, even if it killed her.
"I know the basics. I've just gotten rusty."
"Hand-to-hand is easier…or at least there's less variety like with weapons," He replied, still staring off at the wall before blinking and looking back at her, "Tomorrow we'll start you with hand-to-hand. Today, you just need to get used to training with me and I'll have to gauge how hard I can push you and your side."
Venali ate the rest of his food silently, then glanced over at Raine, waiting patiently, "As soon as you finish that is." He sighed, standing up straight and pausing before speaking once more, "I'll go have someone bring you another set of clothes for training. Hopefully, by then, you'll be done." He waited for a minute longer for her answer, not in any big rush, though a small part of him was nagging him to get moving.
"I'll be done by then."
Serena turned her attention back to her food and started eating again, this time slower. It was still surprising at how much she was being fed; knowing Eldon, he would have had her practically starved. But then again… Venali was in charge of her food. He wouldn't keep her starved.
But her life was linked to his, so of course he would make sure to keep her fed. There was no other reason. Still… it was alarming how the king would bind the life of his nephew with a human like her. She almost asked him, but stopped at the last second.
Why did she even care? She didn't. It was none of her business.
So she resumed eating.
Venali had walked off as soon as he heard her response, speaking to one of the nearby servants and arranging for them to bring her a clean set of clothes fit to work out in. Then, he just calmly walked off. Both to take care of his bowl and to get ready on his own.
He didn't know why he was so ready to get training, it wasn't going to be a harder training session than normal and he was going to have to deal with keeping Raine alive, but he was ready to get training. A small part of him bright up the idea that it was because he would have someone to train with for the first time in weeks, but the rest of him disagreed. Whatever it was, he didn't care to find out. All he needed to focus on was getting ready.
Before long, Venali appeared back at Raine's cell, knocking on the wall outside of her door. Dressed in a simple cream colored shirt and caramel colored bottoms, he matched the attire that most guards wore when working out. "Ready to go, miss monster slayer?" He called, being ever the gentleman as he waited outside for her response.
Serena pursed her lips as she tugged on the shirt she was provided with. She was so sure it would be bigger on her, but apparently she'd managed to get some meat on her skin while she was here. Again, that was because of Velani, as much as she hated to admit it. But it wasn't that she felt awkward it; it was the style of the clothing. It was too… extravagant for her. All she'd settled here with were shirts and sweats, but this was… Serena tugged at a sleeve; the looseness was probably to ensure it didn't hinder her movements. She wasn't the most flexible person. The shirt was supposedly tucked into… pants And she was wearing boots. Those, at least, she was used to. Still, she knew she looked out of place. She certainly felt like it.
Thankfully, she could still wear her headband; it was one thing she couldn't ever not wear, even if it was rather torn and dirty despite being washed.
"Ready to go, Miss Monster Slayer?"
Stopping her tugging at her clothes, Serena turned around to look at Venali, her lips pursed at the name he'd addressed her by. She ran a hand through her hair.
"I thought I told you to stop calling me that," she said with a scowl, unconsciously tugging her pants up by their loops. "However, I'll accept it when I kill Scythe."
"You earned the title the minute you killed that damn thing in the arena, and from the curse-fest that my uncle unleashed after that happened, I'm going to continue to call you that," Venali replied, hesitantly turning his head to make sure she was dressed before turning around fully, "If only to spite my uncle and no reason more."
He looked her outfit up and down, frowning when he saw her hair. Letting out a sigh, he motioned to the red mess, "You need to tie your hair back before we go anywhere. I don't care how or with what, but it needs to do anything other than be in the way." Preferably, he wished that she would either discard the scrap of fabric she called a headband, or use it to deal with her hair, but he knew his wishes were going to be the last thing dealt with. A small price to pay to keep a human alive.
Crossing his arms, he waited patiently for her to do what he asked, refusing to open the door until she did so. It gave him time to deal with his thoughts, and that he did. Most of his thoughts ran to the topic of Raine though, specifically how to train her, how to keep her alive, and why in the damn world he was finding himself putting in extra time to care for her. It wasn't just the bond. That only stated that he had to be the one to make sure she was fed, it was a different emotion that was leading him to actually put in the time to train her.
Whatever the emotion was, he didn't like it. And he didn't want to put the time in to figure out what it was either.
(Sorry it's so short):
Her hair had grown in the time she spent in her captivity, though Serena had paid it no attention. It had been a while since she last cut it, finding no need to do so since she wasn't outside any longer. Frowning at him through the gap in the door, she tugged at a few long strands. Then, with a sigh, she gathered her hair in her hands, gripped her knife, and cut straight through it without wasting a second.
"Better?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, cut hair clenched in her hand. Had it become uneven? Probably. Did she care? Not really.
(All good don't worry about it)
Venali watched her with a look of faint surprise. He hadn't been expecting her to do that. Still, he quickly masked his surprise and just frowned, rolling his eyes before nodding, "Yes, miss drama queen. That's better."
If he was honest with himself, he would've done the same thing, but to see her actually do so instead of just tying her hair back was still surprising. Most humans he'd met didn't want to part with their hair and he assumed it was because it was one of the only things they had control over. Plus humans were vain, almost as much so as Fae were. No sensible Fae would cut their own hair and walk around with a choppy mess unless it fit their style and the land they lived in.
He unlocked the door moments later, glancing at the strands in her hand, "I would suggest not bringing those with. Just set it down and one of the servants will come by and clean it up. Now, let's get going." Venali nodded his head towards the hall, waiting for her to step out of her cell, "I'm not going to bother with chains if you're waiting for that."
Serena rolled her eyes and set down her chopped hair onto the small table, then dusted her hands free of small strands. Usually, she'd ask Alec to do it, but she didn't care if it was choppy. Hair was hair.
"I wasn't waiting for the chains," she replied with a mutter, then moved to follow him out the door. "Will we be training in the grounds, or somewhere else?"
She didn't really know if he was supposed to be teaching her, though. Then again, she didn't think he'd go against his uncle to teach her how to fight, even if his life was at risk. The fae king would have killed him regardless, so there would be no point.
"The royal guard has the training rooms, so you have a choice as to where you want to train," He started, walking down the hallway as he spoke, "The grounds are open, but from the look of the clouds, it's going to rain. The other option is the training arena that is attached to my rooms."
Venali spared her a glance as he wandered along, clasping his hands behind his back. The guards didn't even bother to stop him as they walked, though it didn't stop the scowls and sneers from coming in their direction once they had passed. Secret about it or not, it was clear neither of them were fan favorites among full-blooded Fae. Due to his position though, they didn't dare do more than glare at them, at least while he was around. When he left, who knew what would go on between the Fae about him and now about Raine as well.
"You're not very well liked around here," Serena noted, knowing how obvious that was, but just wanting to see if she would step on some toes. "I thought you were supposed to be a prince."
She followed after him, her arms crossed around her chest as she did so. She wasn't very keen on fighting alongside the other Fae; they'd done that once and she'd hated every second of it. So, she hoped he'd pick something less crowded for them to train, just so her terrible skills wouldn't be talked about. Not that she cared what others thought of her, but she needed to make sure they didn't think of her as weak.
Venali wrinkled his nose and rolled his eyes, "I am a prince, but that doesn't stop Fae from disliking me. I'm a half-blood that holds a higher rank than they ever will, they just try to do their best to contain their dislike." He shrugged, pausing in his steps before turning towards the palace grounds. It wouldn't hurt Raine to get some sun while they trained, even if a storm was guaranteed to roll in soon.
"I should also probably take into consideration the fact that I am now training and caring for a human. That can't help my reputation at all," He replied with a shrug glancing at her with a teasing expression, "We make a perfectly horrid pair in any Fae's eyes."
Serena blinked at the teasing look he had on his face. Usually they were always on each other's throats, and he did make fun of her often, but he'd never looked at her quite like that. A small smile graced her lips, but she bit the inside of her cheek to keep it in. She couldn't fight back her amusement, however.
"They're afraid a little human and a half-Fae would ruin things for them," she said, pretending to look around to hide that, too. "Guess they're not as high and mighty as they claim they are."
"You catch on quick Raine." He held the same teasing expression while glancing at her, rolling his eyes, "As much Fae as I may be, Fae are far from high and mighty."
Venali led the way out of the palace, past the set of guards stationed at the entrance to the gardens. It was quite overcast out, and there was the smell of rain in the air, but he didn't seem to care as he led them through the flowers. He only stopped when they reached an open patch of grass, finally looking at her again.
"We're only going to be training out here for a little bit before the rain comes in. I figured you could use the fresh air though, and as far as I know, humans don't melt in the rain, so if you tick me off, you might end up spending the whole training session out here. How does that sound?"
Serena rolled her eyes at him, letting out a snort and crossing her arms.
"Yeah, right. We both know I could say one word and you'd be ticked off," she said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other and looking at him up and down. Then, to test out if he was as smart as she appeared, she added, "Besides, I'm allergic to rain water. Has all those chemicals you lot produce in it."
Of course, that was a lie. She was not, in fact, allergic to rain water. If anything, she very much liked the rain, and wouldn't care if she had to spend the entire day training in it. So, her win either way.
Venali rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Ah yes, you must be allergic to the intelligence and self-preservation we put into the water, like all other humans."
He gave her a dead stare after that, motioning to the large open space around them, then to the flower beds. "Before you say something back, start your warmups. Then two laps around the flowers. If you're quick, you might even be able to start the actual training before the rain makes the grass slippery."
It didn't seem like he was going with her while she was warming up, as he simple sat down and started stretching, watching her calmly.
Serena scowled at him, contemplating flipping him off. Which she, in fact, did. With both hands. Once she was sure he'd gotten the message, she began to warm up for a couple of minutes. Honestly, it wasn't that she wanted him to run with her, absolutely not, but she didn't want him to watch her do it.
Knowing if she'd say anything, he would assign her more laps—not that she cared, really. She had good stamina. Being on the run did that to you. Without sparing him a glance, she started her lap around the flowers, the familiar sound of feet against the ground filling her ears. And then in that moment, it was just her and the wind against her face.
He wasn't even phased by the gestures, just looked between her hands and her face, rolling his eyes as he stretched. Venali wondered if she thought that was an insult to him. After years of being the brunt of jokes, insults, and more, being flipped off was the least of his worries.
Touching his toes, he stretched out, then stood, rolling his shoulders and loosening himself up. A loud rumble of thunder rolled through as he did so. Yet, no rain touched the ground.
Venali glanced over at Raine, watching her run. It was almost mesmerizing to watch her settle into a pace, but before he could let himself think more on the subject, he called out, "Hurry up, we don't have all day." Cracking his knuckles, he waited for her to return, looking up to study the darkening sky.
(Small boop for both of our rps)
(I'm so incredibly sorry for disappearing again! I hadn't meant to be gone for this long)
When Serena ran, the thumping of her feet against the ground quietened the screams in her head. With the wind against her face, every other surrounding disappeared, even that annoying Fae she'd bound her life to. What had she been thinking, really? She could have found another bargain to make with the King. She could have offered to fight in the trials without being bound to Venali. And yet, out of all the choices she'd had, she chose to be bound to him till the last years of her life. If she survived this, she would—
No.
She let that thought go, let every thought in her head go, and let herself run free. The mind that always buzzed with her paranoia suddenly felt lighter. She felt the straining of her muscles with each step she ran, but it was welcome. It felt like freedom to her, running with no threat to her life, running for the sake of running, and a smile broke out her lips–
"Hurry up! We don't have all day."
And the spell broke, Serena's smile dropped, and she reminded herself just how stupid it had been to lower her guard. She could have been killed for this. And this wasn't playtime; it was preparing herself for the next trial she'd have to fight and win.
So Serena finished her laps, panting, slight sweat glistening her forehead, and then walked back to the Fae.
(It's ok)
Venali sighed as she finally finished, tearing his eyes away from the sky when her footsteps showed how nearby she was. If the weather set like it was, they would have no more than twenty minutes before it started pouring. Not that he cared, it was just slightly less convenient to deal with when he was teaching an inexperienced human the intricacies of staying alive in combat.
"How do you normally fight?" He asked, looking at her with an almost bored expression, "Do you take a defensive position, or are you the one attacking?"
Another rumble of thunder followed his words, the lights drops of rain starting to fall, though he didn't even move, just watched her. A part of him reminded him that the rain would be no help for Raine's health, but it was light enough now that it didn't worry him. If it did get harder though, they would have to go inside. Why he was so concerned for her health, he wasn't quite sure. Without a second thought, Venali decided it was because of their intertwined lives, nothing more than that.
Serena opened her mouth to answer when thunder rumbled and it began to rain lightly. She tilted her head back to look up, closing her eyes a little and enjoying the feeling of the rain on her face. She didn't let herself enjoy it fully, though, and turned her attention back to Venali, inhaling deeply.
Her first rain in days.
"I fight on the offense. My brother and I usually only ran into thieves; we avoid the Fae," Serena replied finally, then took another soft breath, taking in the scent of rain. "I have good reflexives. They've kept my brother and I alive for a very long time."
He set his mouth in a line as she spoke, thinking for a long moment after a nod. Her fighting seemed to be like most other styles he had come across, or he could guess it was. Any human that ran was never very skilled in fighting hand to hand, though they were always quite good at fighting dirty.
"Do you have much practice at fighting thieves without weapons?" He questioned, seeming to be unphased by the new rain.
Venali wanted to go inside as the rain started, he had never been a fan of it, or specifically, being out in it. He was quite fine with it when he was inside and away from the droplets. Going in right now didn't seem smart though, and so he forced himself to look unbothered as he looking to Raine.
Serena shook her head with pursed lips. She didn’t want to admit her weaknesses, but this wasn’t the time to feel embarrassed or ashamed. She didn’t have a lot of means to train herself. Everything she learned came from her father, and when he was murdered, there was nobody else she could learn from.
“At best, I can work with knives,” she answered. “But more than that, I don’t have any training.”
