"Lloyd?"
Lloyd rolled over in his sleep, pulling the blanket tighter around him.
"…Lloyd."
He closed his gaping mouth. "'s cold…" he muttered in his sleep. He and the man over his bed were the only two in his room at the inn. The sun had yet to rise on the sleepy town.
Azure eyes took in the sleeping boy a moment longer, then closed themselves exasperatedly. "Lloyd!" he said simultaneously with dragging the sheets off the bed with Lloyd still on them.
"Wha – no! 's not!" Lloyd half shouted, struggling with his blankets. After a moment he realized where he was and he looked up at the tall man in puzzlement. "Why am I on the floor, Regal?"
"Because it's time to wake up." Regal answered simply, extending a hand to help him up. "I believe it was you who stated he would like to join me in my morning exercises?"
"Oh tha–!" Lloyd broke into a yawn. "That. I'm pretty sure that was Genis." He lied, bypassing Regal's outstretched hand and grabbing a pillow from his bed to pull down.
"It was you." Regal corrected. "Get up, we're going out."
"Regal it's still dark out!" Lloyd objected, sitting up and looking out the window to see a dark city sleeping peacefully before him. "Is this why you wanted to room with me? I thought you just thought I was cool."
In the dark Regal's mouth broke into a rare smile that showed teeth, the Bryant-equivalent to someone else's uncontrollable laughter. When he managed to return the smile to its stony default he spoke. "No. I wanted to keep this process from waking the others. Now let's go."
Lloyd resolved himself to keeping his word rather than the childish "you can't make me" argument he might've resorted to a few months ago.
He'd grown a lot, he realized as he donned his red jacket, then tossed it aside as he realized his state of cold would only last until he started moving. It was an interesting comparison – exspheres to life, but in reality trying or challenging experiences really did cause people to grow.
He followed Regal downstairs past the college students in the lobby, some sleeping on their open textbooks, some staring at one spot on the page, bags under their eyes signifying they hadn't gone to sleep yet, and out the front doors.
Blowing into his hands to keep them warm Lloyd stayed behind the large man, hoping he'd break some of the cold before Lloyd passed through the same area – like an ice breaker on ships. It didn't work, but Lloyd liked to think it had the same effect.
He continued thinking. Just like with the exspheres, trials that challenged the very character of a person had two outcomes: one that broke the person, or the other that further defined them, developing them even more. He'd seen his friends overcome one obstacle after another, growing stronger every time. They'd all experienced loss, and when the time came to either be lost or continue forward, they'd all persevered to become stronger and more resilient than ever before.
Lloyd knew he wasn't even close to being done growing. Not that he welcomed those difficult decisions that lacked a "Right" or a "Wrong" option, but he knew every time someone did they had grown in a way that made them unique and stronger in a sense than anyone else who hadn't.
"We're here." Regal said, turning. Lloyd looked back, Sybak was a little ways away, barely visible in the dim. He hadn't noticed where Regal was taking him, having been so focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not sprinting back to the inn back to his semi-warm bed. Its heat was being wasted.
"So… What now?" Lloyd asked. In response Regal dropped down, spreading his legs to either side and stretching. He stopped when he reached perfect splits. He pointed with his chin silently to have Lloyd do the same.
"Wow uh, can I skip?" Lloyd asked, rubbing his bare arms. His black undershirt and usual pants did little to keep him warm when his own body was freezing. "You know how flexible I am, Regal…"
"I know exactly how flexible you are, Lloyd." Regal answered, placing his hands behind his back and putting his forward weight on the top of his head, rolling it side to side and stretching his neck. Lloyd stared at him. "Which is why," he continued, bringing his legs together and kicking off the ground, flipping over his head and landing before Lloyd, "you need to work on it."
"Man teach me that!" Lloyd exclaimed, forgetting his cold and waving his arms excitedly.
Regal smiled. "In time. Right now," he brought his hands up in front of Lloyd's face and pointed down, "Splits."
Lloyd's enthusiasm diminished slightly but he got down, spreading his legs as far as he could. Regal walked around him, placing his foot under one of Lloyd's ankles and pulled it out an inch further. "First thing about your body." Regal said, ignoring Lloyd's groan and attempt to recall his limb. "You can always push it further than your brain tells you it can go."
Lloyd thought for a moment, taking his mind off the pain in his groin. "But my brain doesn't know when to quit, my body does."
"Then the possibilities are limitless." Regal said, smiling as he moved his foot another two inches further from Lloyd.
"Your range is limited by your flexibility." Regal said, holding the tree branch at head height. Lloyd's foot grazed the bottom.
"Regal I don't even kick!" Lloyd panted in the afternoon sun. The sunlight in the clearing of the Iselia forest was hot, the rich vegetation of the forest made it humid. Sweat ran freely down Lloyd's torso, he didn't even bother wearing his undershirt to train today.
"The fate of our worlds may hang on your ability to stretch." Regal said with a straight face. It was difficult to tell if he was kidding. But Lloyd assumed that had been a joke when his expression got even more serious. "There's no benefit to being inflexible. It limits your potential."
"But when am I ever going to use it?" Lloyd asked, bringing his leg up again. He gasped when Regal caught it with his free hand, holding it up to the tree branch.
"Sorry. I figured with your being able to touch the branch now you needed a bigger challenge." Regal explained, heavily muscled arms unwaveringly holding Lloyd's leg up. "As for your question: that depends entirely on you. You may very well not. But I'm giving it to you as a tool to add to your toolbox. If you need it, it's there."
"This is uncomfortable." Lloyd commented, letting his arms fall to his sides. "And when will I ever need the ability to do this?" he asked, gesturing to his leg.
"It's a funny world we live in, Lloyd. Just a little while ago I knew for a fact that there was just one world in this universe. I knew a very wide range of trees and herbs, and here I know close to none." He said, looking up a nearby tree trunk while continuing to keep Lloyd's leg stationary. He looked back, "Other leg."
"Oh come on–!" Lloyd started but was cut off as Regal extended one foot behind his ankle and brought his leg up to meet his massive hands, replacing Lloyd's left foot with his right. Lloyd exhaled in frustration.
Regal continued, "I don't presume to know what I will know tomorrow. What I do know," he returned his gaze to Lloyd, "is that I'll be ready for it."
Lloyd nodded reluctantly. "Alright I get it…" he waited a few moments before Regal let his leg down.
"That's all for today." Regal stated wiping a thin layer of sweat from his brow, heading back towards camp. "You've been doing great Lloyd, joining me in my morning routines, working with me during our breaks–"
"You haven't let me sleep through the sunrise for a week now…"
"I think you'll find your physical body moving around much easier than it used to." Regal continued as though he hadn't been interrupted.
"When do I get to do the stuff that gets you ripped?" Lloyd asked, picking up his shirt from a low hanging branch and drying himself off. He gestured to Regal's abdomen. "Like that, when do I get that?"
Regal smiled knowingly. "Time and routine." He said simply. "The human body responds with the lifestyle it's put through. Throw a rock at a man's head every time he wakes up in the morning and every morning he's going to be very alert and agile."
"Did someone throw rocks at you when you woke up in the morning, Regal? Is that why you're so quick?"
"No, you're missing the point." Regal said before continuing. "Working the human body is no different. Put it through constant strain and it will start shaping in a way to adapt to that strain."
"Why?" Lloyd asked, looking up and down his arms.
"That's how life works. Organisms adapt to suit their lifestyles and environment." Regal explained, running his thumb along an overhanging tree leaf. "I'll let Raine lecture you on the specifics if you're interested, but the important part is that you train your body to be ready for anything. When a change in environment occurs, your body is ready to survive."
Lloyd nodded, mind wandering elsewhere as Regal continued, following him back to camp.
"…serves as an indicator for…selection…which is why Zelos maintains…"
He kept himself nodding, taking note of a passing butterfly as they entered their clearing. He followed the butterfly to a stump and watched it for minute before…
"Did he really? Well then of course! I'd love to lecture on Biology for the next few weeks. An excellent suggestion Regal."
"Wait what…" Lloyd muttered, shaking his head to find Genis and Raine scowling and beaming at him, respectively.
"I'm proud you're considering it as a career, Lloyd. Once the worlds are reunited we'll need more people like you." Raine said approvingly. "I'll go prepare study materials right away."
Lloyd was speechless as Raine moved away to her bags. Past her he could see Regal sampling some flower buds. "Interesting…" the large man murmured to himself, picking a few more and moving to his own bags for cooking supplies.
"I appreciate you wanting to get in shape Lloyd," Genis commented seriously, "but why do we need to pay for it? Biology? You know I hate that stuff."
"Man, I made one comment that I wanted to be ripped like him and it's become this total lifestyle change." Lloyd complained.
"I think that's the point." Genis said in his "Duh!" tone he usually saved just for Lloyd. His older friend appeared crestfallen. "You've been at it for one week! Give it more time." He added, slapping Lloyd's arm.
"How… How much…longer?" Lloyd gasped, arms visibly shaking. He was on his toes and forearms in the plank position, keeping his body locked back straight, hips level, "like an arrow"… over the river running rapidly below them. Each elbow and foot was on the end of a wooden pole sticking out of the water three feet below. "Regal!"
"Hips down, or you don't get the full workout." Regal replied calmly, using a stick to push Lloyd's lower back closer to the river. He turned from where he squatted on two poles. "Thank you for letting us use your village's training grounds!" he called over the roar of the river.
"Welcome!" Sheena shouted back, watching from the river bank.
"Regal I don't have any more in me!" Lloyd said, dipping his head down. His abdomen felt numb it hurt so badly. Why did people willingly put themselves through this?
"And yet there you are." Regal commented, using the stick to prop Lloyd's head up again, tapping the boy's upper back to show what his position change was to focus on. "And so it hurts less later." He answered Lloyd's unasked question.
"Wha–?" Lloyd managed, looking to him as a distraction from the pain running from his ribs to his hips.
Regal pushed his cheek with the stick, tapping his back again. "Everyone asks themselves that question around your point. We put ourselves through hardships under controlled scenarios so we don't hurt ourselves during the real thing. That's what all training is."
Lloyd was going to ask if Yggdrassil was going to put him over a rushing river in the plank position with wooden poles digging into his forearms but he couldn't muster the energy. He grimaced and faced ahead, watching the bend in the river before it disappeared into the sunset over the distant mountains.
"That's good, you're realizing how much strength talking uses." Regal said smiling, extending the leafy end of the branch and rubbing it under Lloyd's nose. "And stop grimacing. It'll get stuck that way."
Lloyd changed from trying to blow the leaves out of his face to laughing, causing him to dip uncontrollably towards the river.
"And… Stop." Regal said, closing his eyes as water splashed across his face before he could pronounce the "p."
"Regal I'm… Beyond sore." Lloyd said shaking his head at the approaching man, unable to raise himself from where he'd collapsed in an armchair at the Hima inn. "Not today, please? We've been at it every day for the past month!"
Regal smiled. Collette moved past him to whisper something in Lloyd's ear. Behind Regal, Raine and Genis stood confidently. Collette drew away, Lloyd could have kissed her.
"Muscles! Grow!" Lloyd shouted desperately as Regal moved past the retreating Collette towards him. "Muscles need time to grow, train too much and they overexert-thingy!" he articulated a little better. "We learned it in class!"
Regal paused, looking thoughtful. Then he stooped forward and dragged Lloyd out of his chair by his legs. He backed up, readjusting Lloyd so he was being held upside down against the larger man's chest. Lloyd hung there helplessly facing his chair.
"Touch my nose." Regal commanded.
"Regal, I'm too tired! We've been doing planks for a week! It hurts to think about turning!" Lloyd whined, arms dragging on the floor.
"Lloyd you can either touch my nose now or we can hike to the bottom of Hima where I will spend the next two hours reminding you of our first lesson." Regal said coolly.
Lloyd thought hard for a moment and decided this would be an easier exercise. He strained every muscle in his body, even some he didn't know he had before, and brought himself high enough to where the tip of his finger could graze the man's defined nose. He fell back limply and was promptly lowered by Regal to lie out in front of the armchair beside the fire.
"Good man." Regal commented, nudging Lloyd's foot as he turned over. "You're learning the disproportion of physical being. Ten-percent," he stated, flattening his hands under his muscled neck and moving them down his body, "Ninety-percent." He finished, pointing to his own head. "But that ten percent does have its limits, and I appreciate you pushing yours to their furthest limits Lloyd. You can have a few days off, let the muscles rebuild, soreness die. Then we'll move onto resistance training." He said smiling. "I think you'll enjoy those."
"Can't wait…" Lloyd muttered into a pillow Collette pushed under his head.
"Baby." Zelos chuckled, stretching with his arms posed. Sheena jabbed his stomach on her way out to the main lobby causing him to double over. "Hey don't be jealous!" he called after her.
"Get some sleep, Lloyd." Regal said, tossing a blanket to Collette who was still over him. "Muscles rebuild fastest when you're resting."
Lloyd made a muffled sound of acknowledgment into the pillow.
The three days of rest did wonders for Lloyd. Not only did he feel refreshed he felt more comfortable with his body than he ever had. Every day he could work out an area of muscles longer than he could the day before. He didn't ever really consider himself out of shape before, but it didn't compare to how he was now. He shook his head as a sweat drop rolled down his cheek and into his eye.
But perhaps he shouldn't be thinking like he'd already achieved perfection, he pondered to himself as another bead of sweat ran down past his brow. There was still a lot to learn, as Regal reminded him every day.
"You're doing very well." Regal commented from the other side of the tree, sitting with a cup of tea. "I'm impressed."
Lloyd had been holding himself upside down against the tree trunk for at least five minutes, hands on the ground feet just below the lower branches. "Heh…" Lloyd said red faced, "Cake."
"Indeed." Regal said, frowning at his tea before taking another sip and standing, placing the cup on his tree stump. He walked around the other side and checked Lloyd's posture. He wasn't sure what he was looking for but… "Ah." He said. He reached down and popped Lloyd's exsphere out of its crest.
"Hey!" Lloyd said, looking up at him. He was going to object further but he immediately felt the strength in his arms slipping away.
"I thought you were up for a long time for your first day." Regal said, pocketing Lloyd's exsphere. "Part of training Lloyd, no exspheres."
"I thought we were supposed to train however we were going to be fighting?" Lloyd grunted, locking his arms out to stop himself of dipping.
"We're not training to fight; we're training your body. There's a difference." Regal said, tapping Lloyd's inner elbows with the tip of his boot. "Don't lock your elbows, takes the strain off the muscles."
"That was the idea." Lloyd muttered, arms starting to shake again. He started to grimace before he caught Regal's eye and straightened his expression.
"The only person you cheat if you're dishonest with yourself is you. Either do the real thing or it's the same as not doing it at all." Regal said, leaning against the tree. "You know that Lloyd."
"Yeah… It's just harder to remember some values when we're under stress." Lloyd said, arm muscles slowly pumping up and down to move the strain around as Regal had taught him.
"An excellent observation." Regal agreed, sliding one of Lloyd's hands further away with his foot. "Different muscle groups." He said, addressing Lloyd's questioning look. "The human body is really quite amazing. A simple change in position and you're using a whole new set of muscles."
"Then why am I still tired?" Lloyd asked. It was true he felt lighter as new muscles picked up the weight, but he still felt like he'd been holding himself upside down for five minutes.
"You're noticing how connected the body is." Regal explained. "Some people think of it as divided into different parts, but you are one organism. Nothing happens in your body that isn't felt everywhere."
"Yeah?" Lloyd said, trying to take his mind off the burning in his shoulders and triceps.
"I think you'll find your swords, as extensions of your body will benefit from your increased physical fitness." Regal said nodding. "That's enough for today." He said, letting Lloyd fall forward onto his feet.
A rustling in the brush could be heard and Zelos emerged from behind a tree. He spotted them, threw on his usual smirk and made his way over. "Damn Lloyd, you're gettin' yoked!" he exclaimed, eyeing his up and down.
"Really?" Lloyd asked with renewed hope, looking up and down his body.
"No, I'm still more ripped than you. Let's go dinner's ready." Zelos replied, moving away back in the direction he came from. "Collette won't start serving without you."
"Pay him no mind." Regal said picking up his empty cup as Lloyd dried his face on his spare shirt. "The only person you have to think about when you're working out is you. You're the only objective and the only person who decides what to do with your body."
"Yeah, thanks Regal." Lloyd said. "I am getting stronger though, even if you can't see it. I can feel it!" he said excitedly.
Regal smiled, leading the way back to camp. "That's what matters Lloyd, that you feel it. Our Chosen is much more interested in the appearance aspect of fitness."
"Why?" Lloyd asked blankly. "Oh, because it looks cool?"
"Hey ladies, who wants tickets to the G-G-Guuunnn Shoowwww?" Zelos shouted in the middle of camp, flexing his lanky arms.
Regal opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Yes. That's probably why."
The Triet sun beat down on Lloyd's back, sapping all strength he had before they'd even started working out. Today Regal was teaching him all things Push Up.
"Unfortunately the only one I am able to demonstrate for you is the triangle," Regal said, dropping down and doing so. "But I will make sure your posture and positioning is correct to maximize the effectiveness."
"Thanks." Lloyd said, sweat running down his sides. The entire time Regal talked he had been forced to stay in a push up position. Regal said it was a good warm up. After ten minutes of talking Regal let Lloyd drop his weight finally before beginning.
It was brutal, and it was clear that Regal enjoyed pushups greatly before getting his shackles. No sooner would Lloyd finish one set than Regal would start explaining the next one, adjusting Lloyd's arms or legs slightly to work a new set of muscles.
Sweat layered the larger man's face as he watched Lloyd work in the peak afternoon sun beside the oasis. After almost a full hour he announced a break. "The sun can be very dangerous to you when you exercise, be sure to stay hydrated." He said, dipping his cup into the oasis and handing it to Lloyd.
Lloyd drank it and refilled the cup twice. The heat reflected off the sand and doubled the suns intensity. The air swam around him. His brain felt overheated and his body shook in the heat. He crawled to the shade where Genis sat reading a book.
"Bit warm out." The boy commented lightly, turning a page. Lloyd stared at him. He couldn't muster a comeback and just lay flat out on the slightly cooler grass, trying to lower his body temperature.
"Alright Lloyd last part of the workout." Regal called to him from the pits in the sand where Lloyd's hands had been sinking deeper and deeper during the pushups.
"Already?" Lloyd said meekly. "I just took our first break!"
"For half an hour." Regal added, recalling Lloyd from his haven. He filled up the holes Lloyd had made with sand and motioned for him to come back.
Lloyd sat up without using his arms, sensing he'd need every ounce of strength he had left in them if he was going to survive the day.
"I want you to use any and all of the techniques I showed you today to perform as many pushups as you are capable of." Regal instructed.
"How many is that?" Lloyd asked, shaking out his arms and massaging his triceps tenderly.
"Until you are physically unable to do any more." Regal answered, nodding to the ground. "I will be with you the entire time so you do not feel I am being unfair."
"Wouldn't dream of that…" Lloyd said, taking in a few deep breaths and another cup of water. "Alright, as many as I can, that's it?"
Regal said nothing, sitting cross-legged beside Lloyd and closing his deep eyes. Lloyd sensed Regal knew that they would be here for a while.
He dropped to his knees, arms, and began.
Lloyd didn't know how much he had in him, he'd never tried to do as much of something as he could just to see when he couldn't anymore. Every time his muscles would overheat, he'd drop onto his chest and feel the wave of pain across his chest. He'd look to Regal hopefully. Not opening his eyes the man would shake his head. And sure enough in a few minutes Lloyd would be able to squeeze out several more.
"Is that good enough?" Lloyd asked after almost another hour. His arms were in agony and his chest felt like an accordion.
"Is that the best you can do?" Regal asked, lock of hair blowing past his face in the sandy wind.
Lloyd stared at him, then back at the ground. He grunted, heaved and pulled on more muscles than he thought he had to continue in the afternoon sun.
The sun leaned towards the horizon. Regal opened his eyes, Lloyd happening to be at the top of a pushup saw this and watched him questioningly.
"Move." Was all Regal said.
Lloyd looked down and saw his hands had pushed so much sand aside that his chest was barely off the ground, resulting in half pushups. He groaned and moved a few feet to his left, the gap between his face and the sand seemingly infinite.
"Continue." He instructed, closing his eyes again.
While the change in position meant Lloyd was using different muscles than before his arms still felt like lead weights he had to keep pumping.
After some time he dropped his weight after he barely managed to lift himself off the ground. He spoke in Regal's direction, trying to keep the sand out of his mouth.
"That…" he swallowed, trying to ignore the pain throughout his body. "That good enough?"
"Is that the best you can do?" Regal asked, opening his eyes and looking down at him.
Lloyd gritted his teeth and changed his arm positions, drawing on some shoulder muscles that he hadn't used in a recent rotation.
Their shadows stretched over the oasis pond with the palms, one stationary as a stone, occasionally heaving like a great beast to inhale a deep take of air before resuming stillness; the other flat along the ground, every few minutes rising feebly to lock its arms out before dropping its weight clumsily and falling back to meet the sand again.
Lights had begun going on in the windows of the buildings nearby, families cooking dinners, going about their evening duties. Genis had already headed back to the inn, wishing Lloyd luck and that he wondered what Raine was cooking for dinner.
"Re…gal." Lloyd murmured into the sand. He turned his head. A painful action. "I… I jus' can–…"
"Don't." Regal interrupted, eyes popping open. "Don't ever say that word, Lloyd. That's the brain talking. You're putting a limit on yourself, and that's exactly where one's potential ends."
Lloyd didn't bother arguing. Instead he looked up, moved his arms slightly, and concentrated every thought on making them push. In response they simply shook in place, as if saying "No, no, no!" He couldn't even feel them anymore, for all he knew they might've just turned to stone.
"Tha…Good 'nough?" he mumbled into the sand, eyes closed.
"Is that really," Regal asked, kneeling beside Lloyd and watching him closely as the sun disappeared over the desert to the west. "the best you can do?"
Lloyd's eyes fluttered open. He looked at the man leaning over him, wishing he could slap him. Maybe that was Regal's plan all along, to protect himself.
"Yes… That's the best I can do." He managed, moving his head back to lay out on the sand.
"Then yes, that's good enough." Regal said conceded. Without waiting for Lloyd to hurt himself he put his hands under the boy's arms and brought him to a standing position. "You'll need a few days to recover from that one. I can't describe how proud I am of you Lloyd."
"Uh…Huh…" Lloyd said numbly, arms handing unnaturally at his sides as he walked with Regal back to the inn.
"You'll want to do some stretches tonight before going to bed. Might want a warm bath too, it can help loosen some of the muscles. Then a cold dip, to reduce inflammation." Regal advised, moving to open the door before Lloyd. "I must confess… You won't be happy with me tomorrow. Or the day after that."
"M'kay…" Lloyd answered, following Regal to the kitchen where their party was preparing dinner.
Regal wasn't joking. Lloyd's arms awakened the next morning with full feeling. It was painful to consider moving them. The next day was worse. It was always hurt the worst two days after, Lloyd had noticed. He wasn't sure why.
He had asked Regal to never make him do that exercise again.
Regal responded that he never "made" Lloyd do anything. He suggested it to build a better body and Lloyd undertook his challenges.
Even though Lloyd had mocked irritation deep down he already knew that. It was his choice to continue with Regal's teachings – he could stop at any time. But he enjoyed becoming stronger and healthier, physically and mentally. Regal had the know-how and the desire to teach, Lloyd felt it'd be stupid to not take him up on it.
Then again, at moments like this he felt more stupid to try.
"Pick your feet up, you're landing on your heels again." Regal drilled, jogging beside Lloyd. Lloyd exhaled doggedly and corrected himself, ignoring the pain in his calves. "This is a leg exercise, and a more efficient running technique. I'm surprised you haven't learned it yet."
As usual Lloyd only focused on keeping himself moving.
"And stop." Regal said, slowing down. Lloyd walked it off, putting his hands on his head as Regal had taught him and taking in deep breaths. Regal walked over to a large stone he'd found prior to the jog and knelt before it, "Come."
Lloyd remembered this exercise and dipped his head, walking briskly over to where Regal was squatting. He stood in front of him, a few feet between them. When Lloyd was ready Regal rose, pushing the rock off his chest and thrusting it into Lloyd's.
The young man heaved, squatting with the weight and rising, throwing it back to the standing Regal who repeated the motion.
After minutes Lloyd felt like he was going to throw up. He brought a hand up to signal a halt. "Regal I think I'm gonna puke..." he said doubling over.
"Breathe." the older man instructed, dropping the stone. "That's your body telling you it can't go anymore." he said, putting a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and bringing him back up. "Your body doesn't own you. You tell it what to do, not the other way around. Breathe..."
Lloyd stayed upright but leaned against a tree for support, closing his eyes and thinking only about breathing.
"Control... It's all about control. The second you lose control, you have nothing. If you can't control yourself you can't control the situation." Regal lectured, walking over to Lloyd and straightening his shoulders. "If ever you feel like you're losing form, losing control, you slow down. Keep pushing past that point and you'll only hurt yourself. Training without control is pointless. Fighting without control is suicide."
"Okay..." Lloyd said, taking a final deep breath and moving from the tree. "Okay. I think I'm good." he said.
Regal nodded and went back to squatting with the stone.
"Alright Regal – I got another – question for you." Lloyd said, breathing out each time he sat up carrying a large rock over his head, handing it to Regal whose legs were interwoven with his.
"What is it–" the older man responded, taking the stone over his head and laying back in the sit up position before rising again and handing it back, "–Lloyd?"
"Well," Lloyd took the stone and laid back before bringing himself up again, passing the stone back to Regal, "I wanna know – will all this conditioning – help me get chicks?" he asked, speaking as he came face to face with his partner, receiving and passing the stone.
Regal smiled momentarily with a light sheen of sweat on his face before they both descended behind their legs. As he rose and handed the stone back he answered, "I think you'll find – the physical body isn't what draws – the people closest to your heart." He rose a final time to take the stone and set it aside, tapping Lloyd's legs. The boy flopped back, stretching his abdomen and laying on the ground. It wasn't a winding exercise, just exhausting.
"If you were looking for just a pleasant evening like our esteemed Chosen, then yes. I suppose your new body would aid in that endeavor." Regal continued, grabbing a towel hanging from a nearby tree branch and wiping his sweat away. He looked up, taking in a deep breath and admiring the sunset beyond Gaoracchia forest. "Come, let's begin to head back to the village before the light dies. We wouldn't want to be found alone out here..."
"Yeah, right." Lloyd said, looking towards the forest and feeling the eyes of countless predators, waiting for their arch nemesis to set and allow night to fall. "So nothing I'm doing will help me out in...that regard?" he asked pointedly, following his mentor up the path back to Mizuho.
"Well you're not going to find a mate who doesn't appreciate you taking care of your body." Regal answered, squinting up the path to the entrance of the village to where Sheena could be seen dawdling, "but it's your character and sense of self, how you treat others and hold your values that will determine who finds you attractive."
Lloyd nodded, kicking a rock Regal had stepped around on the ground. "Then can I get your advice on how to...go about that?"
Regal smiled, throwing a glance back at Lloyd walking up the path. "I'm flattered you're coming to me for advice, but I'm afraid every love is different. Some are born out of opposites attracting one another..." he said as they passed Zelos following a conservative looking younger woman through a field of crops on the outskirts of the village, offering to carry her basket to which she was politely refusing. "...As rare as that turns out. Others are born of a childlike infatuation, some realized, some not." He continued, noting where Genis and Presea sat by the stream that ran into the village. The girl was staring into the bubbling water, the boy lying back and looking at the stars beginning to appear. He waved as he spotted Lloyd and Regal out of the corner of his eye.
Regal nodded back to him, "Personally..." he said quietly, as if thinking it to himself before speaking, "I think the closest bonds are born from companionship. A relationship that is built after time is spent just being close to one another, not seeking anything more than friendship. Then over time, something more builds between them. These days everyone seems to have the order reversed... They try to jump straight to the romantic involvement and ultimately end up in loveless marriages." He sighed deeply as they came to the village entrance. "That, is my advice. Be patient, true things come out of opportunities." Regal clasped Lloyd's shoulder and walked past Sheena who had been leaning against the poles marking the entrance to the village. "Enjoy your evening." he said with a wink.
Sheena cleared her throat, waiting for Regal to move some distance away before addressing Lloyd. She was able to look at him until he met her gaze, then quickly turned to the ground and surrounding area. "So I've been learning a bit of massage recently, and I uh... I could use a partner. To practice on." She added quickly, "I mean you've been working hard lately and figured it'd be good for both of us. Regal can't do certain positions because of the handcuffs, Genis and Presea are too small to work with, Raine doesn't like being touched and don't get me started on Zelos."
Lloyd laughed. "Well it's good to know I wasn't your first pick. Is Colette missing or something? Should I try to find Kratos?"
"What?" Sheena asked, "N-no! I meant–" she stammered, face flushing. "Look, I just thought you might enjoy a break from working out. And Regal mentioned once it was good for the muscles to relax and rebuild. So... So are you interested or not?" she asked, voice indignant but eyes anxious.
"Okay, okay!" Lloyd chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, I could use a good massage. I'd appreciate it. Thanks Sheena." he said smiling.
A relieved grin crossed her face as she turned, "Alright then, I'll come by your hut later. I'll try to borrow you a pair of shorts to wear."
Lloyd watched her go before looking back to see the sun setting. Torches were already lit in the village and he headed to where he'd be sleeping that night, a hut set aside from the others. Originally he was supposed to be sharing it with Zelos but it looked as though he might be sleeping alone tonight.
A light knock on the wooden door announced Sheena's arrival. Lloyd had already bathed and changed into the shorts she'd brought him earlier, and was sitting by the small fire pit with a warm flame when she entered.
"You ready to get started?" She asked, smiling at him.
Lloyd stretched with his arms over his head and nodded, still feeling the workout of the day. "Yeah, I could definitely use some work. This was a good idea." He lay down on the padded mat she took from the side of the room, groaning as he used his abdomen to move. "You really don't fully realize how much you use a muscle group until it's sorer than the rest of your body." he commented.
"Tell me about it." She responded, removing her shoes and taking off her sleeves. "The first years of training for us are purely physical. Builds great cardio. Oh you'll need to take off your shirt." she added, noting his black undershirt.
Lloyd nodded and sat up to take it off, tossing it to the side and failing to see Sheena's eyes on him.
She shook her head out of a daze, loosened her hands and began.
Sheena worked from the feet up the legs, putting Lloyd's legs in a variety of positions that stretched tendons and pulled muscles from different angles. Occasionally a new position was met with an intake of breath from Lloyd but he didn't complain. None of it was painful, just extremely sore.
She took his leg to one side, sat down before him and planted her feet in the bottom of his thigh, kneading it gently before putting more pressure in. Lloyd held back a laugh at out unbelievably sore his legs were when he didn't even realize it.
"That pressure okay?" she asked, eyes uncertain at his reaction. "I can go lighter if you want."
"N-no, keep it like that. That's perfect..." Lloyd said, closing his eyes and enjoying the feeling of every point of tension releasing in his lower body.
She switched his legs, doing the same on the other side. When she was done with that she moved over him, "Alright I'm going to do something that may feel a little strange at first but it'll help. You ready?"
Lloyd nodded, trusting that she knew what she was doing and relaxed himself. His legs were placed side by side and Sheena leaned in, placing her hands on his inner thighs and pressing all her weight down. At his uncertain look she smiled. "Wait for it..." she said simply. When Lloyd was just about to say something about the growing tingling in his legs she moved back, letting the blood flow back into his legs.
"That's a femoral artery choke, it holds the bloods back in your pelvis and forces your body to exercise less-used vessels in your legs to improve blood flow." She explained, moving to his side and starting to work on his abdomen. "A lot of the stuff we do requires knowing about the human body." She said, working her fingers around his ribcage. "If you had a heart problem or blood disorder, that could've easily killed you."
"That's... Discomforting?" Lloyd said, feeling her fingers working around his stomach. Even with the defined body he'd grown into over the past few weeks it still felt vulnerable.
"What? I no – I didn't mean – like for, for targets! Not you! This is..." Sheena stumbled for words, hands faltering. They seemed unsure whether or not to keep going.
"Hey, hey." Lloyd said opening his eyes, "I was just joking, I trust you Sheena." He placed his hands on hers, smiling, "Please keep going?"
She flushed red and nodded, clearing her throat and moving further up his side. She instructed him to flip over and took one of his arms to begin working on his hands. The room was quiet save the quiet crackling of the small fire. Sheena took a deep breath before speaking, moving up to his wrist tenderly.
"Of course the other side of what mentioned can be true." She said, "Because massage can be so...intimate, with another person, it can be easy to uh... Let the mind wander..." she finished, fingers running over his forearms.
Lloyd's eyes were still closed but he noticed her touch becoming a bit more shy, hands slowly making their way up his arm. "Is that a problem you usually get? People getting the wrong idea?"
"Uh, no not really." She said, shaking her head quickly again, focusing on what she was doing. "It's just easier to forget what you're doing when uh... The other person is someone who matters to you. And distracting." She pressed her hands into his triceps and he groaned in pleasure. She smiled, "Flip over."
He did so, and she moved up the other side of his arm, palms working into his biceps and shoulders. It hit her in an instant that this wasn't a good idea. She had bitten off more than she could chew this time. She thought she could keep it professional, keep it friendly. Just another way to get closer to Lloyd. But as he lay there, allowing her to feel him from head to toe, she felt herself losing control. She'd always liked him, and knew she didn't do a very good job of hiding it. But in the past few weeks he had grown so much, in maturity and physically. And now he was here, with her. All hers. Irresistibly hers.
She prayed to Martel to forgive her for her moment of weakness as her hand slid across his bare chest and she leaned over him, one hand on his arm and other now pressing on his pectoral as she lowered herself...
Lloyd's eyes shot open as he felt lips pressing against his. Unsure of what to make of the situation he instinctively felt his free arm come around to rest a hand along her cheek. As if a mental dam broke inside his mind it suddenly all made sense. Regal's confusing words, Sheena's hints, the friends, the relationships...
Regal sat beside his campfire in quiet meditation, thoughts running deep. He took the tea kettle from the fire and poured himself a steaming cup. Placing it on the bench to let it cool he returned to his thoughts.
Running footsteps caught his attention and his eyes opened in time to see Lloyd fall through his door. He took in the boy's expression as urgency and waited intently to hear what was going on.
Lloyd scrambled to his feet, half-clothed, and caught his breath. "Regal! You were..." he panted, bending double, "You were right!"
Regal stared at him, blue eyes blank. "Is... everything alright Lloyd?"
"Y-Yeah! I mean," he breathed heavily, "The friend thing – and relationships!" He beamed at Regal, like a child that had just finished a race in first place, no idea he wasn't making any sense.
"You... Found a relationship?" Regal asked slowly, trying to put together the rough puzzle pieces he was given to work with.
Lloyd nodded, still beaming.
"And it is... Sheena?" he deduced, having overheard their plans earlier.
Lloyd stood tall, nodding again and catching his breath fully. His grin looked permanent.
"And she is...where?" Regal asked, taking in Lloyd's attire and winded state.
At this Lloyd's eyes widened and his smile disappeared, realizing where he was. Without throwing a backward glance at Regal he bolted out of the hut as quickly as he'd come.
Regal stared after him in amazement. In all their training he hadn't seen him move at that speed. He shook his head, stood to go close the door before a draft came in and recovered his tea.
"Some things you can train for..." he muttered to himself, taking a sip and nodding with satisfaction at the Sylvarant ingredients he'd used, "And some things we just have to learn ourselves..."