Chapter 110: Mara
Two days later. The training ground. Packed earth, weapon racks. Mid-morning light slanted across the space.
Fin stood near the center again. Arachne and Scarlet stood opposite him, holding wooden swords. They moved through drills – block, parry, thrust, cut – their movements practiced, efficient. The clack of wood echoed rhythmically.
Meg sat on a low stone bench near the edge of the training ground. She wore simple clothes, different from the workout gear. She held a plain wooden cup in both hands, sipping slowly from it. Her face was pale, faint bruises still visible. She watched the others train, her expression quiet, observant.
Fin called out a sequence. "Parry high, spin, thrust low."
Arachne flowed through the movements, her blade precise, her balance perfect. Scarlet executed the moves with more flair, adding unnecessary flourishes but landing each step correctly. They reset.
"Again."
They repeated the sequence.
Meg set her cup down beside her on the bench. She watched Fin, then Arachne, then Scarlet. Her gaze lingered on their hands, their feet, the way they shifted their weight. She mimicked a small wrist movement Scarlet made, her empty hand turning slightly in the air.
Fin stopped the drill. "Scarlet. Overextend less on the thrust."
She rolled her eyes but nodded. "Got it, coach."
He walked towards the edge of the training ground, stopping near the bench where Meg sat. He looked down at her. "How are you feeling?"