"That was a worthless hit! Try again!" Dario, the pirate, yelled at his opponent. The opponent – a trainee, in fact – was trying as hard as he was able, but perhaps Hervey was trying a little too hard.

Hervey's body shook, as he again tried to swipe at Dario, but in a slowed motion, he failed once more. Quickly parrying then countering Hervey's attack, Dario moved behind him and struck his wooden sword across Hervey's back.

"Argh!" The boy yelled in distress, when the sword struck his sore back. Frustrated, he quickly dropped to the ground to catch his breath.

"What, that's it?" Dario shouted in disgust. With his sword, he poked Hervey's wild, red hair playfully.

On the ground, Hervey attempted to shove the stick away from him. "Hey, hey! Knock it off! I'm TRYING, okay?"

"Well, you're trying too damn hard. But now it's break time!" Dario added in announcement, as he gathered his things to leave.

Swiftly getting to his feet, Hervey interrupted, "No! I wanna try again!"

Annoyed, the bigger pirate sighed, "It's been, what, a week since you've joined? The Pirate's Nest here is going to be working your ass off, so enjoy the off-times you get, all right?"

"I think I'm doing EXCEPTIONALLY well as a beginner." Hervey puffed his ego. "I already have the posture down, some of the moves I mastered already 'n everything."

"Yeah, well, Sigurd's doing pretty darn well, too, y'know."

Sigurd? Oh, that's right. That snake, Sigurd. That pretty boy, Sigurd. That enemy of mine, Sigurd.

That Sigurd that just happened to be picked up by these pirates, too; just like me.

That Sigurd.

"Uh-huh." Dario continued, collecting all the wooden swords together for Hervey to stuff into their bags. "He's the first guy I've ever had to train with knives, but he's doin' good. Lot of skill, probably from previous training with his Middleport gig. But YOU, on the other hand-"

"Aw, shut up! I'll get there!" Besides, I've never had training before. I've always been self-taught with everything. I've always just been a lowly mercenary pirate. But I'll never doubt my swordplay abilities! I know I'm hot-stuff!

If Hervey could catch a thought of realization, he would wonder why his mind would change the subject so quickly.

…Stupid Sigurd. He's just so… annoying.

After a hard day of training, the new-found pirate, Sigurd, decided to take his free time by soaking in the nearby hot springs. Outside, underneath the stars and near-enough to the Pirate Nest, the exhausted man stripped and dunked his battered body beneath the warm water.

It had been a complete switch. From living a life of luxury in Middleport, where he had a comfy home, he now owned a small cot in the Pirate's Nest. It was new and exciting, and quite honestly, it was a relief to the man.

At least I know I'll never be used the way I was back then… At my old job in Middleport. He thought, woefully.

Sigurd allowed himself to be completely relaxed by the water's warmth, drenching his face with a towel he brought along. The perspiration that had lasted the entire day just washed away, leaving him feeling new and cleansed.

Training was difficult, but to Sigurd, nothing was too challenging.

As he sat in comfort, his mind wandered. Quite recently, he would think of his new "ally", Hervey. Though he wondered even how they could be considered so. At least, Sigurd would always think of him as an enemy. We may have to work together, but I swear we'll be nothing more. He vowed, inwardly.

Outwardly, he would remain calm and cool during everything, as was his personality. I guess Hervey's just the opposite of me; firey, persistent, head-strong, idiotic…

Sigurd threw his head back, now face-to-face with the glowing stars above. Ah, just thinking about him makes my head spin. …Perhaps I'm spending too much time here at this hot spring. It's getting a little late, anyway.

Drying his body with a towel, Sigurd mechanically dressed himself, before quietly setting off to the Nest of Pirates - his home.