"Okay Mrs. Blake, we're going to be doing some... Advanced lessons today." The pale-blue haired Miqo'te grinned towards the young Au Ra woman beside him as the two walked along a dirt path near a lush green field beyond the Free Company building towards a nearby forest.
"Uh Alvin, do y-you really think I'm ready for advanced lessons?" Juria asked.
"I'd sure hope so if I were you, because if not then you're probably going to have a bad day today." He chuckled while readjusting his glasses. Juria softly sighed to herself trying to calm her nerves as her vision became darkened by the shade of the towering trees now hanging over them as they progressed deeper into the woods.
"So where is Malik today? He's usually the one to train with me and help give me tips." She asked.
"Today is a special lesson for you so you're the only one invited. You should feel honoured, it's not often I give my underlings private lessons like this." Alvin answered.
"Oh okay, so what are we doing? Long distance target practice or something like that?" Juria inquired once more.
"No, no, this exercise is special, I have something else in mind." Alvin explained before pulling a peculiar object from one of his pockets and blew into it, a strange whistling sound echoed throughout the forest for a moment before giving way to a calm silence once more. This silence was short lived however as distant thuds began to grow ever louder, soon accompanied by the sound of creaking trees, their leaves rattling furiously and birds cawing frantically as they collapsed one by one while something drew closer towards the pair. Suddenly a giant purple creature burst through the nearby trees, crushing the trunks and knocking wooden debris away with a mighty roar before snarling at the Au Ra girl below.
"A b-behemoth?!" Juria shrieked as she looked around frantically for Alvin.
"You better draw your bow, I've made sure to keep this little beast nice and hungry so he's no doubt eager to play with you!" Alvin informed her. Juria quickly peered to the direction of his voice to find the Miqo'te perched high above on a nearby cliff watching over her. Her attention quickly returned to the monster in front of her however as it quickly raised it's claw and slashed down towards her, barely leaving her with enough time to jump back and dodge the attack.
"This is insane!" She yelled out.
"What's the matter? I thought you had newfound determination to fight for your friends, so I wanted to test it." Alvin grinned. "I'll make you regret ever interfering with my plans." He chuckled to himself. There was little Juria could do but run for her life as the beast charged after her, knocking over everything it it's path as it pursued it's prey. The bard tried to retaliate and fire at the creature whenever there was enough distance between the two but the Behemoth seemed to just shrug off any of the arrows that struck it, barely penetrating its strong flesh.
"What can I do? This is hopeless! I wish Leo were here for me..." She began worrying to herself whilst avoiding the attacks before a memory suddenly flashed through her mind. Leo stood beside her out in the training field near the Free Company building. The two had only been together for a couple of months yet they had already formed an inseparable bond between them. Leo was assisting Juria with her training while giving her combat advice and monitoring her progress for the day.
"Remember Juria, always know your limits. Never rush recklessly into battle and always try to understand what both you and your opponent are capable of. There are times when you'll be faced with a great foe and your very life may be in danger. A company task isn't worth dying over, there's no shame in running, But if you are never given that option or you wish to stay and fight, then you'll need to learn to push past your limits and fight with the true power hidden inside you." Leo instructed.
"B-but I'm not strong like the rest of you, I don't have any hidden power inside of me. I'm not even that good of a fighter I'll always only ever slow you all down, there's no way I can do something like that." Juria replied grimly, her expression filled with worry.
"That's not true. You've always had great potential. Gaius saw it in you and invited you to the Company, and I see it in you too." Leo said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to comfort her and looking deeply into her eyes. "You'll be an excellent fighter I'm sure of it. You just have to look inside yourself, find your hidden potential and break your limits. Then you'll be capable of anything." Leo finished with a smile, the last thing Juria remembered from her sudden flash back before the raging Behemoth in front of her brought her back to her senses.
"Aah!" Juria squealed as she quickly jumped back from the monster's massive claws that managed to shred off a piece of cloth from the Bards clothing due to her narrow escape. "I-I... Don't need Leo..." The girl said to herself as she reeled back an arrow in her bow and released it, quickly striking the Behemoth once more but with little impact. The beast swung around, lashing out at her with its tail and knocking her backwards as she rolled across the ground. Juria was covered and dirt, with bloody cuts and scratches all over and her clothes in tatters but her expression seemed undaunted and determined. She got back to her feet and drew her bow one more time before concentrating.
"I will become strong enough to protect my friends... To protect Leo... I won't be a burden anymore!" She shouted with a strange, powerful echo. Juria loaded an arrow once more and pulled it all the way back. Suddenly a golden shine began to envelop the arrow with a blinding light. She took aim, not at the beast that was once again about to strike but at the sky above and let go as the arrow shot up into the air and out of sight. The Behemoth began to charge forward at the girl who stood there, staring fiercely at it, preparing for their one final showdown. The beast was about to pounce when all of a sudden a blinding golden light illuminated the forest from above like a rising sun as hundred upon hundreds of golden arrows rained from the sky down onto the Behemoth which swiftly collapsed to the ground mid-air, it's entire back covered in hundreds of these arrows before they dissipated into a golden dust that blew away in the wind. Juria collapsed to the ground in a sigh of relief, panting and gazing triumphantly at the monster she had slain.
"Leo, wherever you are... I did it." She muttered to herself happily as she closed her eyes and sank her head between her chest and her knees for a moments rest.
"Well that was unexpected, I'm almost impressed." Alvin congratulate with a clap as he slowly approached the woman who was unmoved by his response. "Now it's time for part two of your training." He grinned.
"Wait, what?" Juria looked up suddenly in confusion, but before a response could be made a figure caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Juria turned to find a silver-haired warrior holding a lance in his hands, ready for combat. "L-leo, is that you?!" She blurted out in shock, but the man didn't answer. Gripping his lance tightly, Leo leaped forward and thrust his weapon towards her, the shocked Au Ra barely given any time to dodge the attack. "Leo, what are you doing, why are you attacking me?!" She screamed in terrified confusion. Just then she felt another presence behind her and turned to find another Leo brandishing a large broadsword, ready to attack her at any moment.
"Well Mrs. Blake, can you fight against your loving husband, or better yet, two of them?" Alvin chuckled at Juria's expression of confusion and conflict that spread across her face.
"W.. What is this? What is going on?!" Juria screamed at him before quickly dodging to the side as she was interrupted by the sword wielders attack. The two copies began attacking her relentlessly, Juria managed to avoid each attack but couldn't bring herself to fight back against her husband, even if there were oddly two of them. While avoiding them she noticed something odd. Their attacks, while powerful, were aggressive and sloppy, not like Leo's swift and precise strikes at all. Not only that, small details seemed to be missing from the two men. Neither of them had a scar across their lips, nor did either of them wear the wedding band that both Leo and Juria carried. Pushing back her concerns and fears for a moment, Juria drew her bow, her heart pounding with every movement her arms made. The Au Ra hesitated for a moment before dodging the Dragoon's attack and countering with a swift shot the pierced the man's chest. He fell to his knees, completely silent while gripping at the bow lodged in his chest. After a moment his image began to fade, leaving behind a stiff wooden mannequin with an arrow lodged in it.
"They're... Animated dummies? So, those copies of Leo were just an illusion..." Juria muttered to herself in surprise. Swiftly readying another arrow, Juria drew it back and released it, piercing the other Leo's stomach and dispelling the illusion over the mannequin as it topped to the ground like the other. She gave a relieved sigh before turning towards her instructor.
"Why would you make me try and hurt my husband? T-that's going too far, I'm reporting this to Gaius!" Juria announced angrily at him.
"Oh I don't think so, you're not going anywhere yet." The Miqo'te replied as a pair of glowing white daggers formed in his hands. He quickly dashed forward and lunged one of his daggers forward towards the girl's stomach with great speed, leaving her with no option back to leap backwards onto the ground to avoid it. The man walked over and pushed the woman back onto the ground with his foot before standing it on top of her stomach as he scowled from above.
"I've had enough of you running your mouth little lady. And besides the fun's just getting started." He smirked menacingly as he spun a dagger around in his hand.
"After today, you'll regret ever joining the Dragon's Scales. But most of all, you'll regret ever crossing me!" Alvin laughed maniacally, taking a moment to wipe away a tear from his eye before his laughter was suddenly cut off in a sickening gurgle as an arrow penetrated his throat. Wrapping his hands around his neck the Miqo'te struggled to breathe as he collapsed to the ground. Juria stood up, terrified at what she had just done as she stared at the body below her. Suddenly she felt a great force take over her as something clung to her neck and pushed her back, slamming her against a tree and knocking her bow out of her hand.
"Now, that wasn't very nice." Alvin growled as he lifted her up against the tree by her neck. As she gripped at his hands and struggled to free herself, Juria turned her head to notice that yet another mannequin now lay where Alvin once was.
"You had the nerve to contact Leo against my orders and dared to make a mockery of my carefully calculated plans? I will not be made a fool of." Alvin growled under his teeth as he tightened his grip on the girls neck. "Everything I do is perfectly strategised, no one ruins my plans and get's away with it. Mark my words Mrs. Blake, I will make you pay." He glared as his raised a dagger up to her eye, Juria's eyelid began twitching furiously as it got only millimeters away.
"Alvin, that's enough!" A strong, strict voice shouted from only a distance away. Quickly dispelling his dagger, Alvin released his grip on Juria and turned to face the two figures in the distance.
"Ah Mr. Nassau, here to spectate young Mrs. Blake's training and progr-"
"No more." Gaius said bluntly, cutting Alvin off. "This has gone far enough, I tire of your dangerous and insane training regiments. And worse yet you dare to harm one of my family members?! Gather your things and leave at once." The Au Ra shouted sternly.
"I'm afraid you can't do that Mr. Nassau, we had a contract." Alvin chuckled. "If you break it, then I'll make sure the Grand Company sees your Free Company here disbanded almost immediately." He threatened.
"Unfortunately for you Mr. Ballard we had taken counter measures for just such an event in case this were to ever happen." The small Au Ra girl, Rose spoke up from Gaius' side.
"When Rildein informed me about you and recommended your services he also told me about your past and your insane methods. I had faith that you would be an asset to the company, and wanted you to assist us but it turns out you've become more of a hindrance than anything. And so knowing your past I added specific terms to the contract that you may have skimmed over. Once such being that if you were to ever put one of my members lives in danger without my approval I am given justified reason to relinquish your services. I'm sure Juria can vouch for that." Gaius explained.
"This isn't possible." Alvin growled to himself.
"I'm afraid it is, I will only ask once more for you to leave." Gaius replied. He half expected the Miqo'te to lash out but instead his scowl turned back into his mischievous grin as he began to chuckle to himself again.
"Very well, I will take me leave. But know that this is not the last you will see of me, I swear it." Alvin grinned before ending the sentence in a serious tone. With a bright flash a large suitcase filled with his belongings appeared in his hand as he began walking off into the forests in the distance. Gaius glared at him with various concerns running through his mind before turning his attention to his cousin stranding nearby, rubbing her throat.
"Juria, are you alright, do you need any medical assistance?" He asked caringly.
"I-I'll be alright. Sorry, I feel like I caused this mess." She answered and apologized grimly.
"None of this is your fault, if anything it's mine for trusting this mad man. Come now let us return to the company building, from the look of that giant corpse over there you've more than earned your rest." Gaius said as he looked over at the remains of a once terrifying behemoth and led Juria home by the shoulder.