Days blurred together, as Tiso and Oro fell into a routine

First Tiso would complete any tasks Oro wanted him to do that day, next was training and exercises, and finally a quick fight with wooden swords by the end

His master seemed to believe in repetition, and he had Tiso doing exercises over and over until he got them just right. The ant in question wasn't really a fan of this at first but grew to appreciate the routine eventually. In a weird kind of way, it was a nice change of pace after wandering the wastes. Knowing there would be a roof over his head when he woke up and a meal by the end of the day

There was a time when he would scoff and say such things were unfitting for a true warrior, but now he wasn't so sure anymore, plus he knew better than to annoy Oro at this point

Which was admittedly quite difficult, since his master was extremely easy to annoy

As for the daily sparring sessions with Oro, well, he still got his thorax kicked more often than not, but at least the bigger bug didn't go as hard on him as the first time

And he was improving too! When they first started he could barely parry Oro's blows, now he was somewhat proficient and the art of nail, though he wished his master would pay more attention to his shield too

Nevertheless, he continued to improve, and every fourth day he was free to do whatever he wanted, as long as it wasn't ''something stupid'' as Oro put it. Usually, he went out exploring the surrounding area, as there wasn't much to do around his master's hut and he'd rather not be in the company of the said bug if he could help it

Oro might have been his teacher, but it didn't stop him from being as insufferable as ever, sometimes Tiso wondered if his master was even capable of processing pleasant thoughts at all

Oro almost didn't recognize the insides of his hut these days

Ever since that ant moved in, the whole place started to change in front of his eyes, If Oro didn't know any better, he could have sworn his pupil has been a maid back at his colony

Oro obviously knew that Tiso wasn't doing anything for free and that the price he had to pay for having a clean house was teaching that overproud fool. But still, he couldn't help but feel a bit of... appreciation when thinking about it

Which was both a foreign feeling and silly of him, he had never paid attention to the state of his home, why should he start now? Or perhaps he simply grew accustomed to the stains and thick layers of dust on every surface. Either way, he shouldn't get attached to this stranger who will leave as soon as he gets what he wants

But while he was still here… Why not use this opportunity for some… larger projects?

Oro wasn't taking care of his hut properly for a long time now, and the consequences of this were much more far-reaching than dusty surfaces and stained curtains. Some of the support beams were completely rotten through, and cracks started appearing on the walls. The moisture encouraged fungi growth and sometimes the roof leaked. How the last one was possible underground was still a complete mystery to Oro

He was meaning to do something about this for a while now but never could actually get to it. Now that he had an extra pair of hands at his disposal, why not get it over with quickly?

Yes, that was a good idea, he'd fix up his house, and furthermore, check if his pupil had the willpower to pull through when times get tough

He'd have to go get the supplies immediately

The Nailmaster marched outside, where Tiso was training with his nail. Oro had to admit, he didn't expect the ant to get the hang of it so quickly, considering he only ever used shields before, or at least for a very long time

And yet, despite his first impression, Tiso had the willpower to turn his potential into skill. What he had already achieved made Oro feel a bit proud… of himself mainly, for being such a good teacher

But he supposed the ant did deserve some of the praise… it was a funny feeling, thinking about it…

But it wasn't a time nor place to get all touchy-feely, Oro informed his pupil that he'd be out for some time, but didn't tell him what for, why spoil the surprise?

After a short journey through the white canyon and black caverns, with those infuriating suicide bombers (seriously, how does a species like that even survive?!) Oro finally arrived at the city of tears. It was just like he remembered it, wet and miserable, and crawling with bugs who looked harmless, but would attack you when you least expect it

So, not that different from what it was during Pale king's reign.

Oro wasn't called a Nailmaster for nothing, however, and he moved through the city with ease, dispatching any husk that wandered into his path. He wasn't here for sightseeing, and soon arrived at his destination, a store selling construction material

Back in the day, Oro would consider this shop too expensive for his tastes, but its current owner was not very… reasonable at the moment, so after dealing with him Oro simply took whatever he wanted and started heading back

Demonstrating his superior strength, Oro carried the heavy materials back to his hut, of course, it took more time to get back because of this and it was already nightfall when he finally arrived

Tiso has already finished his training on his own and was sound asleep, Oro quickly checked if everything was still in place (a little bit of distrust never killed anyone) and started heading for bed himself

Ha cast a quick glance at the sleeping ant

~ Rest up, Tiso, yer gonna need it tomorrow ~

And he did, he truly did

First thing in the morning, Tiso was informed that the next few days would be a little different than usual. He would be halting his training in favor of helping Oro fix up his house, to be exact

To say that Tiso wasn't thrilled by this development would be an understatement, but of course, he was not given a choice in the matter, in the end, he figured it was better to get it over with quickly and return to his training, arguing with Oro would only extend his suffering

Okay maybe suffering was a bit too strong of a word here, but it was at times like this that Tiso regretted coming up with that idea of service in exchange for training

They started with replacing the rotted support beams, and Tiso was relieved to see that Oro was going to work beside him this time. With both of them on the job, the work was going swiftly. To Oro's surprise, Tiso displayed unexpected amounts of construction knowledge, to the point he suggested some improvements in the hut's project. When asked about it, he just shrugged and replied that ''All ants know a thing or two about architecture''

In the end, the whole thing was over in less than a week and not as big of a deal as it seemed at first. Still, by any means, it wasn't easy.

When they were done, Tiso was still a bit annoyed, but mostly just tired, but for Oro, it was one of those brief moments when he was feeling content, maybe even...happy?

His house wouldn't be leaking for the foreseeable future, and on top of that he gained a new appreciation for his pupil, Tiso may have been full of himself and arrogant, but at least he had something more than words to back up his bravado

Oro had told himself he wouldn't let it happen, and really tried to hold onto this promise, but in the end, he couldn't help it, he became fond of this weird ant, just a tiny bit

And maybe he deserved some kind of reward for his hard work

Tiso was surprised when Oro commanded him to help in renovating his hut

He remembered of course the terms of their agreement, but that old grouch was really pushing it sometimes

They finished it rather quickly, and Tiso was even more surprised when he was offered entire three days ''free of duty'' as a reward for ''Job well done''. When asked about the reason for this sudden surge of goodwill, Oro simply stated that he could appreciate hard work

The big bug had a bit of niceness in him after all, who knew?

Not being one to inspect a gift-stag's antennae, Tiso accepted quickly, lest his master changed his mind

Now of course the question was, what to do with so much free time? At first, Tiso considered sleeping in but eventually decided to do some exploring instead. The kingdom's edge was pretty big after all, and he only got to see a small part of it. He was curious to see what else he could find and also he didn't want to spend his free time cooped up with Oro

That, but he was also hoping to finally meet up with Gold again, even if chances of that were slim.

He hasn't seen her since they met for the first time, not like he was looking forward to it, but she did promise to help him train, and after spending so much time alone with Oro, Tiso really needed to talk to someone, anyone else

They really should have organized their meetings better, hindsight is a bitch

No specific location, no time, nothing. Why didn't they think of that when they parted? Tiso guessed he just wanted her to be gone and stop using him as an entertainment source, and she was too busy doing just that to think of it

So here he was, wandering through the land, slicing any beast that dared approach him with his new nail, he still preferred his trusty shield, but he had to admit, nails weren't so bad after all. He was looking out for the familiar gleam of her red armor but wasn't having much luck so far. Then again, chances of finding her here were slim at best. Hell, for all he knew, she could have found herself a new source of amusement and forgot about him, or maybe she was dead

Either one sounded equally possible

Finally, he wounded up at the same stream he had been washing Oro's things in, the ant listened to the gentle hum of the flowing water, passing between rocks

~ Yea, it would be so cliche if I found her here of all places ~ He said to nobody

~ Then perhaps your life is just one giant cliche? ~

Startled, Tiso spun around to see the red-clad bug standing there, her sly smirk practically radiating through her gladiator's helmet

~ Oh you have to be kidding me ~

It went without saying that God Tamer was a busy bug

Managing such an establishment like the Colosseum of fools was not easy, especially all by herself, she used to have a few bugs under her in the past, but nowadays all that remained of the staff was currently hanging upside down in the entrance hall, at least she didn't have to explain the rules to every fool wannabe!

It was monotonous and time-consuming, but lately, her schedule grew even more strained. She had to be present for every Trial of the Fool, just in case somebody comes through and she has to whip the floor with them. It used to be simple before that weird bug came to the colosseum

When Tamer saw him for the first time she thought he was a kid, until she witnessed him cleaning out the arena with cold, methodical precision. The guy, she was not even sure if it was a 'he' anymore, was like in a trance, slashing and dodging, running circles around other contestants

She couldn't make out his species if her life depended on it and not once did he hear him produce even the faintest of sound, but the worst part?

He just kept coming back

The first few times he got overwhelmed in the arena, then she was the one killing him, and yet he was back for more every time

At first, she thought it would be exciting, a novelty. But it was just freaky, that thing should be dead at least six times over! Eventually, it stopped coming back, maybe she finally managed to banish whatever it was back to wherever it came from? Or maybe it just got bored of the constant carnage, either way, God Tamer was just happy it was gone

She went out for a walk as soon as she had a bit of free time, to take a break from the confines of the colosseum. Taking Diabol with her, since he too deserved some leisure time

As they wandered through the caverns of Kingdom's edge, God Tamer recalled her meeting with Tiso, she wasn't able to find him for a second time so far, even though she technically knew where Oro's hut was. Partially it was due to the sudden spike in her duties lately, but she also didn't want to get too close to Oro if she didn't have to. The nailmaster didn't think very highly of her she'd be lying if she said the feeling wasn't mutual

Lost in thought, she allowed her pet to carry her wherever he felt like going, and by some crazy coincidence they ended up close to the same stream where she found the blue bug the first time

And by even crazier, borderline impossible coincidence, the said blue bug was here too, just standing around with his adorable hood on

She was so excited, she almost forgot that she had Diabol and her main nail with her, after taking out the smaller one from the saddlebags, she sent her friend home (he knew the way) and proceeded to sneak up on Tiso

When he stopped acting upset about being startled, they got right to business

~ Is that a nail I spot on your back Tiso? Have you finally decided to join The Nail club with the rest of us 'mundane' warriors? ~

Tiso looked at his new weapon somewhat reluctantly, but she could swear she saw the tiniest flash of a smile under his hood

~ Oro made me learn how to use it, as long as my shield is… undisposed, I guess it will be my main weapon ~

He showed her the nail, and god Tamer was happy to see the weapon was sturdy and well made, nothing over the top, simply a good nail, she gave it back, took out her own nail, and assumed a fighting stance

~ Okay then Tiso, come at me! ~ He looked at her with uncertainty ~ Oh don't give me that look! You should know how this works by now, if I'm to help you train I need to know what you're capable of so take your nail and come at me before I come at you! ~

That was all the encouragement he needed, and Tiso launched himself at God Tamer with his nail. The fight was very fast-paced, and Tiso launched attack after attack at his opponent

God Tamer for her part was simply defending herself, blocking his nail with her own. Soon however she spotted a flaw in Tiso's technique and stopped using her nail all together, opting to simply waltz out of the way and dodge his attacks instead of deflecting them

After a while of this she knew enough to formulate a training strategy and asked Tiso to stop, by this point, however, he was too frustrated with failing to hit her even once, and wouldn't stop when asked to

Well then, she just had to ask him really nicely

with a few quick blows, she knocked the nail out of Tiso's hand and him on his ass

~ You calm now? ~ She asked as she offered to help him get up

Predictably he didn't take her hand and stood up on his own. Grumbling something under his breath

She snickered at his poor sportsmanship, which of course infuriated him even further. By the wyrm, she didn't realize how much she missed teasing him

She began analyzing all she learned during their sparring session, initially, she was nervous she wouldn't know what to do with Tiso, but now she had a better idea of what they should work on

She was lost in thoughts when she heard Tiso saying something to her

~ Gold! Gold! HEY GOLD! ~

~ Oh yeah, that's me hehe… sorry I was a bit distracted, what is it? ~

~ Well… Do you know everything you wanted to? ~

~ Yep! ~

~ ….Could you… tell me then….? ~

~ I could! ~

~ By all the gods you are infuriating ~

~ Alright, alright calm down? ~ She laughed at his ire ~ Okay, listen. You've been training with Oro these past few weeks, correct? So, my theory is, your body adapted to your opponent, in that case, a humongous bug, are you following me? ~

He clearly wasn't, so she continued

~ Oro's much bigger than most bugs, he can't move as fast, but he can take a lot of hits and swing pretty hard. Your style now mirrors his, you put a lot of force into your attacks and neglect mobility. Limiting yourself to his style is not gonna always work in your case. You don't have the privilege of his size or strength, so you must go back to your own style. Enhanced by Oro's lessons and mine, of course, but yours, not mine or his ~

Tiso narrowed his eyes and thought about it for a few seconds ~ Huh, that's actually… not bad? I didn't think this would be worthwhile to be hones- ~

~Your words wound me, Tiso ~ She interrupted him ~ Be careful so I don't wound you in a more literal way. Now pick up your nail and let's try this again, I'll be correcting you as we go ~

And so, they began