"Time's up." After barely fifteen minutes of eating at the table with Derek and Rosa, Faye appeared behind Damien's shoulder. "Come on." So Damien slowly stood.
"Wait, you can't just make Damien leave." Rosa protested, standing up and coming around the table with both of her hands on her hips. "He has free will."
"Rosa, it's fine. Really." Damien said, putting a hand on her arm.
Faye was glaring at Rosa, her eyes like cold shards of ice. "I'm his mentor. We have lessons when I say we have lessons." Faye leaned over and looked down at Rosa, but Rosa didn't back down. Instead, she stretched up onto her tip-toes, her little shoes almost falling off her feet.
"Who are you anyway?" Rosa demanded. "You look like a girl, but you don't dress like one. You're dressed like a man. What real lady does that?" Rosa tried to look triumphant, but Faye just laughed.
"Why would I want to dress like you? How could I fight like that?" Faye scoffed. "If someone attacks, who's clothing is going to catch fire faster? And who won't be able to run because she's wearing slippers? And who will be fighting to save someone else's butt?"
Rosa's eyes widened and she looked like a deer caught in crossfire. She sank back onto her feet as her eyes began to water. Then she turned and fled the hall.
"Faye, don't you think that was a little mean?" Damien asked as she led him out of the hall down a different hall than the one Rosa had taken.
"Of course not. She had to hear it. Better sooner than later. I mean, what good is she going to do around here? And with the way she dresses, she's going to be hard to get out of here." Faye sighed. "And I can't think of anything she could do to make a contribution."
"But she's my friend." Damien sighed.
Faye laughed. "I'm pretty sure she wants a little more than that." Damien's face got red and he stared at his shoes as they kept walking. Faye kept laughing. "You two would make an adorable couple. And it certainly helps that you're a little over a foot taller than her."
"Oh so you think I should be with someone closer to my height?" Damien raised his eyes to Faye's face.
"Definitely." Faye laughed.
"Like you?" Faye's face became slightly pink and her eyes hardened. She glared at Damien out of the corner of her eye. "Oh come on. You walked right into that."
Faye responded by picking up the pace and began walking away from Damien down another hall. "Oh, come on Faye!" Damien protested, still laughing. She turned sharply and opened a door. She ducked in and shut it behind her, leaving Damien alone in the hall.
He opened the door after her and followed her through. They were in a large room with mats lining the floor. One wall was lined with kinds of weapons, all sorted by what they were. And Faye and Damien were not alone. Burne was leaning against one of walls, watching Damien. Faye sank down onto a wooden bench against one of the walls.
"Damien, we're going to start training with some basic fighting skills. You've learned to connect with the earth, and now you need to draw on the strength of the earth when you fight. Burne is going to help." Faye explained.
"Burne's an Elden?" Damien asked, confused.
"No, Burne isn't an Elden." Burne snorted, coming over to the two of them. "You've already learned how to connect with the earth, so now you need to get used to fighting with the earth. It will make you stronger."
"How do you know so much about Elden warriors?" Damien asked.
"My fighting partner is one." Burne gave Faye a fleeting glance. "I need to know as much about them as I can."
"Oh." Damien looked at the floor awkwardly.
"Well, let's get started." Burne smiled and grabbed two swords that hung next to each other from the wall. He tossed one over to Damien, who snatched it out of the air easily. Then Burne charged. He swung his sword at Damien, who blocked again and again as Burne kept attacking. Damien was retreating to the far wall, and when Damien's back was against the wall, he started fighting back.
He swung at Burne as hard as he could, and eventually, he started forcing Burne back. They slowly made their way across the floor. When they were about halfway across the floor, Damien did something instinctively. He raised his left hand and jerked it forward.
Suddenly Burne was flying across the room. He slammed into the back wall and dropped his sword with a clatter.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Faye yelled, jumping up and jogging over to where Burne lay against the wall. She helped him to his feet and they both looked at Damien. Burne looked infuriated as he held one of his arms close to his chest. Faye looked approving and she smiled and nodded. "It looks like training may not be as hard as I thought."
He opened the door after her and followed her through. They were in a large room with mats lining the floor. One wall was lined with kinds of weapons, all sorted by what they were. And Faye and Damien were not alone. Burne was leaning against one of walls, watching Damien. Faye sank down onto a wooden bench against one of the walls.
"Damien, we're going to start training with some basic fighting skills. You've learned to connect with the earth, and now you need to draw on the strength of the earth when you fight. Burne is going to help." Faye explained.
"Burne's an Elden?" Damien asked, confused.
"No, Burne isn't an Elden." Burne snorted, coming over to the two of them. "You've already learned how to connect with the earth, so now you need to get used to fighting with the earth. It will make you stronger."
"How do you know so much about Elden warriors?" Damien asked.
"My fighting partner is one." Burne gave Faye a fleeting glance. "I need to know as much about them as I can."
"Oh." Damien looked at the floor awkwardly.
"Well, let's get started." Burne smiled and grabbed two swords that hung next to each other from the wall. He tossed one over to Damien, who snatched it out of the air easily. Then Burne charged. He swung his sword at Damien, who blocked again and again as Burne kept attacking. Damien was retreating to the far wall, and when Damien's back was against the wall, he started fighting back.
He swung at Burne as hard as he could, and eventually, he started forcing Burne back. They slowly made their way across the floor. When they were about halfway across the floor, Damien did something instinctively. He raised his left hand and jerked it forward.
Suddenly Burne was flying across the room. He slammed into the back wall and dropped his sword with a clatter.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Faye yelled, jumping up and jogging over to where Burne lay against the wall. She helped him to his feet and they both looked at Damien. Burne looked infuriated as he held one of his arms close to his chest. Faye looked approving and she smiled and nodded. "It looks like training may not be as hard as I thought."
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