Chapter 19: Training!

Shimmer was hot on my heels as our group, minus Jolt, followed Amber towards arena seven. I was trying to avoid talking to Shimmer, because I knew what that would entail, but the not so subtle nudges and frown that she was giving me were hard to ignore.

As we grew closer to the arena, I knew that things would only worsen if I left them as they were, so I gave a quick call to Amber.

"Hey, Amber, I'll catch up with you in a second, Shimmer and I need to talk for a minute."

She stopped and turned around just enough for me to see the confused squint of her eyebrows.

"What? Why?"

"We just need to sort something out, it's nothing you need to worry about."

She shot a disbelieving glare my way, but shrugged and motioned for Phyl to follow.

"C'mon, we can start going over what you know while they talk or whatever."

Phyl nodded quietly and followed after Amber, turning back once to give Shimmer a quick wave with his tail. Once they were far enough away, I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.

"Alright, let's talk."

Shimmer simply pointed the tip of her tail harshly towards Amber.

"Why is she here? She's rude, pushy, and grumpy! I thought you got her out of your hair when you talked to her yesterday."

I took a quick glance around to make sure no one else was within earshot and responded quietly.

"Yeah, I did, and you're not wrong, but I felt like I didn't have a choice but to allow her to tag along."

Shimmer looked at me skeptically, but before she could chastise me for thinking that, I held up my hand to stop her and explained.

"Look, remember that thing Jolt almost spilled when we were talking yesterday? The thing I made him promise not to tell you?"

Shimmer gasped and perked up, leaning in a bit closer than I would have liked.

"Yeah…? What the heck was that all about?"

I grit my teeth in preparation for the earful I was about to get and avoided Shimmer's eyes.

"Well… Jolt accidentally took me into the female locker room and I saw more than I should have. That's why I let Amber join us, ok? I felt bad about it and didn't know what to do."

I braved a glance back at Shimmer and instead of an angry glare or a disapproving scow, she shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Shortly after that, a small smile grew on her face. I felt my cheeks begin to burn with barely concealed exasperation as she gave me a strong nudge with her wing.

"Are you serious? Sheesh, Jolt really needs to pay more attention sometimes..."

Shimmer set her tail in front of her mouth to try and stifle her laughter, but it didn't work very well.

"Just imagining you in that situation is pretty funny. Knowing how uptight you are, I can only imagine your face when you realized what was going on."

She continued to smile for a few seconds before her mirth faded, leaving me feeling no better about the situation.

"...I guess that's a fair enough reason though, even if I don't like her. I'm just glad that you're trying to do the right thing."

She sighed softly, and then glanced up at me curiously.

"So, Jolt took you into the girls locker room? How'd you miss the sign?"

…Ugh. I didn't want to bring this up today.

There was an awkward pause as I tried to think of a reasonable excuse. Nothing came to mind, and I didn't want to lie to her, so reluctantly I told the truth.

"…I can't read anything here, Shimmer."

Her expression slowly morphed from curious to confused, her head tilting slightly as she narrowed her eyes.

"Wait, what… ?"

I turned my head away.

"Let me get this straight; This whole time you had no clue how to read anything, and you didn't tell me? I could have helped you, Kiran!"

I almost grit my teeth together.

"I know… but I figured I wouldn't stick around long enough for it to matter. I'm hoping that's still the case, but it might be a good idea for me to start learning, if only to avoid running into a situation like that again"

Shimmer kept her eyes locked on me and reached a claw up to pat my back.

"I know you don't like asking for help, but I think we've moved past that. As long as you're ok with it, I could get a few things put together and help you learn the basics."

She took her claw back and huffed.

"Then I can talk to Jolt about paying attention. Again. Ancestors know that he needs to focus more on what's in front of him."

"Don't be too hard on him. It was an accident, and I think he deserves a bit of slack, y'know?"

Shimmer's eyes met mine and she gave me a sly smile.

"Hmm… Kiran asking me to be nice to someone else…? Sounds to me like you're making friends, despite saying you weren't going to."

I rolled my eyes at the accusation and started walking, and Shimmer followed along right behind me.

"Don't count on it. He's just a bit of a goofball and was trying to do something nice, which deserves a lighter lecture. I just want to be fair."

"Uhuh, sure, big ol' Kiran is too rough and gruff to make friends, I know."

I rolled my eyes, but that didn't stop Shimmer from sticking her tongue out at me. I felt the edge of my lip curl into a smile and quickened my pace to keep it hidden.

By the time Shimmer and I caught up to the other two, Phyl had taken out several of the books that he had stashed away in his pack, laid them on the ground in a semi-circle around himself, and was poring over them while Amber was quietly leaning against one of the walls a few paces away.

"Hey, we're back. Whatcha reading there, Phyl?

Amber's head swiveled towards us, and Phyl's head popped up, but his eyes lingered on the book.

"...just… a few books that describe and explain some earth techniques… I'm refreshing myself on some of them because… it's been a while."

"Great. Just let us know when you're ready and we can get started."

Phyl nodded his head, and I moved to lean up against the wall by Amber, while Shimmer sat down by Phyl. Amber watched me the whole time and looked like she wanted to say something, but I assumed she decided against it because she slunk further into the wall. We were quiet as Phyl studied his texts, and it took a few minutes before he was ready, but when he was, he moved closer to the center of the arena with a book in claw, and motioned for us to join him. We all gathered around him in the center and I tried to get a peek at the book he was holding.

"So, what are we going to start with?"

"Uhhh, well... I guess we can start with a quick summary of the ways in which dragons harness their magic, followed by examples of things you might see tomorrow. I'm not particularly the best at this sort of stuff, especially the more offensive techniques, but I can give you an idea. At the very least, you might develop a counter strategy based on what we do today."

I smiled encouragingly.

"Information is key when you approach a fight, so anything you tell me now is helpful."

Phyl smiled, flipped a few pages in his book and took a quick glance before clearing his throat.

"So, as most of you probably know, the magic that dragons have access to is used to control the element a particular dragon is attuned to. In rare cases, some dragons can use multiple, and then there are a few that can use several, such as Spyro and Cynder."

Amber's expression soured at the mention of Cynder.

"Right, Shimmer's explained some of that to me before."

"Ok, great. Then let's skip to the application; Dragons are able to use this magical energy to create, send out, or manipulate their element using their own bodies as the conduit and source. Anytime a dragon uses magic, it will originate from themselves, rather than a gem or enchanted item that the other races sometimes use. This means that when you're facing an attack from a dragon, the magic will always originate from their bodies in some manner."

That's good, and it lines up pretty similarly with what humans can do.

"Ok, gotcha."

"Due to the fact that dragons draw the power from within themselves, there is a finite amount they can use before they run out, which I'm sure you know. This means that you might be able to outlast your opponents if you are patient and nimble enough.

Fat chance. If they're anything like Shimmer, then that's not happening.

Phyl closed his book and looked up at me expectantly.

"Well, if you don't have any questions, we can move on and I can show you some actual techniques."

I shook my head no, and Phyl's took a few steps away from us.

"Cool, then I'll start with something simple."

His face wrinkled with concentration and his paw started to glow green. He set it down onto the ground, and I watched in fascination as the earth adopted the same glow and then rose up, molding over his paw and leg, encasing it in rock. I couldn't help but wonder how strong it actually was and wanted to see if I could break through.

"Mind if I test it?"

"Go ahead, but hurry because I can't hold it for too long."

I moved up to him, set a hand against the earthy surface, and found that it was jagged and rough. Carefully, I pressed my hand up against it to see if it would budge, but I wasn't able to make it move. I then gave it a hard hit with my fist, which resulted in my hand feeling like I had just tried to punch a mountain.

No way I'm breaking through a defense like this easily. Dangit, I really wish I had learned how to make a wind blade without my sword… because I don't know if I can break through otherwise… if Onyx can do this, I'll be facing a problem in my fight.

Phyl took a slow step, grunting when he lifted his earth covered leg.

"Like I said, you'll have a hard time breaking through this, even if you had access to our elements. It puts you at a disadvantage, but there are some weaknesses."

Phyl's leg stopped glowing green and the rock fell away in chunks. He shook his leg clear of the debris and turned to me.

"Maintaining a technique like that uses up a lot of energy. If you force your opponent to keep that up, it won't be long before they're out of stamina and can't use it anymore. That, combined with the fact that it slows you down, limits the usage. If your opponent resorts to that tonight, it will become a battle of endurance, which I'm sure you can win. You just need to make sure not to get knocked out or subdued during that time."

Does it use that much energy…?

"Are you sure about that? When Shimmer and I sparred, she was able to throw ice around for hours before getting tired. Does earth magic drain your reserves that much faster?"

Phyl and Shimmer gave each other a quick glance, Phyl looking at her quizzically while she smiled apologetically. They whispered to each other, and Amber leaned a bit closer with a furrowed brow, then turned her ears forward in an attempt to listen in. After a moment, Phyl sighed and turned back towards us.

"Uh… well, Shimmer has a lot more stamina than most dragons. Magically, that is."

Shimmer slowly raised her head up and beamed with pride.

"Yep! I'm just that awesome!"

That warrants further discussion.

"Ok, sure… but why?"

I saw Shimmer's eyes nervously flick over to Amber, who was raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Yeah, a few hours? I haven't heard of any dragon that can go at it for that long."

"W-well, Kiran might have exaggerated a bit…"

Shimmer glanced at me worriedly.

…That's the first time she hasn't wanted to brag about herself. Why would she be worried about it though?

I sighed internally.

I guess I'll have to prod her about it later. Maybe it has to do with her not getting along with Amber.

I stared back thoughtfully at her, making her shift her gaze to her claws. Amber lifted a paw out expectantly and huffed.

"So? Were you exaggerating?"

I sighed softly and cleared my throat, drawing Amber's eyes away from Shimmer.

"Yeah… I guess so. Regardless, let's get back to what we were doing. Shimmer's endurance isn't all that important right now."

Shimmer's face relaxed instantly and she shot me a thankful smile while Amber shrugged.

"Whatever, I guess."

Glad that had been resolved quickly, I motioned towards Phyl.

"So, moving on, what types of techniques do you think Onyx would know?"

Phyl picked his book back up and started flipping through the pages, nodding his head every so often.

"Well… it's hard to say, since there's so many... Could I just show you what I know?"

Not quite what I was hoping for… but I can settle.

"Yeah, that works."

Amber sighed and shook her head angrily.

"Ok, no, I'm going to stop you right there. If you try to go over every possible move a dragon can use, we'll run out of time and you'll miss what he actually needs to know. I've seen Onyx fight, so why don't I just tell you what you should show Kiran?"

Phyl's eyes popped up from his book and he nodded in agreement.

"Ok, yeah, that's a great idea. It'll spare me from spending all of my energy today and save time, so I'm all for it."

The corner of Amber's mouth twitched into a relieved smile, and she stepped closer to him.

"Ooook, then give me your book for a sec…"

She snatched the book from him, much to his surprise, and skimmed through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Shimmer's eyes narrowed at her, but I ignored that as Amber pointed to a spot on one of the pages and placed it in front of Phy.

"You should start with the earth flail. That's a staple move of his."

Phyl gave a quick nod and then motioned for everyone else to move with his left wing.

"Alright, everyone stand back. Once you're all clear, I'll start."

The group moved to flank Phyl on each side, with Shimmer sitting between myself and Amber, and Phyl took a deep breath before beginning his demonstration. His muzzle scrunched up with concentration, and a rope of green energy slowly formed before extending out from his mouth. Once it reached several feet in length, a large orb manifested at the end, growing in size until it was about twice the size of his head. Then, several large spikes extended out from the ball, glowing ominously. With a twist of his head, Phyl heaved with his entire body and swung the flail, smashing it into a nearby wall and then the floor with a heavy thud and crunch. He repeated this motion a few times, leaving visible gashes and craters in the ground, and then let the magic fade. With a heavy sigh, he fell back onto his butt and leaned back to catch his breath.

"Ancestors… I'm not used to doing that…"

I surveyed the damage that was left behind by the spikes and grimaced.

Ok, so earth is a lot more… direct than ice. Thank goodness Shimmer and I spent most of our time improving my ability to dodge because I can't afford to be hit by something like that.

Amber snorted a bit and rolled her eyes.

"Some dragon you are. Tired after one move? Really?"

Shimmer smacked her tail against the ground and snapped at Amber.

"Hey! He's doing great and helping Kiran out, so if you have something to say that isn't helpful, keep it to yourself!"

Amber's fur bristled, and she frowned.

"No need to get snippy, frosty, I'm just making an observation."

I could practically see one of Shimmer's eyes begin to twitch angrily, so I interjected before things could escalate further.

"Hey, chill, both of you. Instead of getting into an argument, why don't we move on to whatever Phyl has next? We're here for learning purposes, right?"

Amber and Shimmer eyed each other warily, and I could tell that they weren't listening to me too closely. I sighed and said my next few words with a tone that indicated I wanted them to agree.

"Amber, what else can Onyx do?"

Amber's eyes shifted towards me and she slowly responded, while Shimmer silently kept an eye on her a few feet away.

"...Earth spikes, earth walls, and lots of rocks and boulders. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to legitimately impale you."

I sighed at her dour tone and half-heartedly waved toward Phyl for him to continue. He blinked a few times before nodding and turning away from us.

"Uhm… Right, let's try some spikes and walls."

Phyl covered his paw in the green aura again and placed it against the ground. From his paw, the ground in front of him buckled before a large spike rose up, extending from the ground until it stood taller than me. It was wide at the base and jaggedly rounded out until it ended in a relatively sharp point that looked like it could easily pierce me through.

Satisfied with his work, Phyl turned about ninety degrees, repeated the motion with his paw, and did something new. The ground buckled and tore a path in the dirt away from us until a second spike erupted from the ground several feet away. Phyl smiled eagerly and pumped one of his paws excitedly.

"Yeah! Still got it!"

Amber shook her head, eliciting a small growl from Shimmer, but I ignored them both.

"Is that about as fast as a spike like that can travel?"

Phyl opened his mouth, but Amber responded before he could.

"Not even close, Onyx's will be much faster. What Phyl just showed us doesn't measure up to what you'll be facing."

There was a loud huff and Shimmer's tail thumped against the ground.

"Was that really necessary? Ancestors, you're such a pain in the tail!"

Amber moved her paws to her hips.

"Yeah? You got a problem with me, frosty?"

Shimmer took a step towards her.

"Uh, yeah, I do! You're condescending and rude when there's no reason to be! I don't understand why you're here if you aren't willing to get along with us!"

"Have you not been paying attention? I've been giving Phyl and Kiran some direction, which is actually helpful. As it turns out, the most useless person here is you, because all you've done is whine and complain."

Shimmer's eyes burned with indignant rage, and Phyl didn't look happy at the comment either. Shimmer took another step forward and stomped at the same time, while also hissing out a small icy haze.

"I have not! I've been calling you out on your crap, which I guess no one else has done before!"

Amber rolled her eyes.

"What, are you bothered by the things I've said about your boyfriend? I'm not wrong, am I?"

Amber crossed her arms and flicked her tail back and forth behind her. Phyl moved to stand by Shimmer and laid a paw on her back, which calmed her down marginally. He then looked at Amber with concern mixed with confusion.

"I don't understand, do you have a problem with us? We haven't done anything to you, so why the hostility?"

Amber rolled her eyes again and shook her head.

"Dragons have done plenty to lose any respect that I could have had for them. If you don't understand that, then I don't feel like it's worth my time to explain it to you."

Shimmer sighed in exasperation, and let her head sag slightly to the side.

"Seriously? You're going to say something like that and not even bother to explain? If that's the case, you're worse than Kiran..."

"Hey!"

Shimmer looked back at me apologetically.

"Sorry!"

I gave her a flat stare but used the small break in the conversation to interject.

I can't believe I'm having to play referee here, but I can't let this continue.

"Look, Amber, let's talk for a minute. Shimmer, Phyl, take five."

Shimmer gave me a lazy wave with her wing, and Phyl nodded before they skirted off to the edge of the arena. I turned back to look at Amber, who was attempting to burn a hole in the ground with a dissatisfied glare.

"What?"

"I know you have your opinions, but are you trying to get into a fight?"

Amber sighed and I saw her shoulders fall slightly.

"No, I just-"

She stopped, and her mouth curled into a frown.

"Look, if you can't keep it to yourself, you can't stick around. I'm not going to put up with the clear dislike you have for them."

Amber slowly looked up at me, still frowning, and responded softly.

"…I only made comments. It's not like I was purposefully trying to make them upset, it's just… they took it the wrong way, I guess."

I instinctively put my hand up to the bridge of my nose.

"You not trying to make them upset doesn't matter. What you're saying is more critical than it needs to be, and If you can't get along with Shimmer or figure out how to talk to them differently, leave. We'll figure this out with or without you."

I watched Amber as her jaw clenched and her paws grasped her elbows tightly.

"…Fine. I'll… reign it in."

I narrowed my eyes, keeping them locked on Amber until she looked at me, and then looked away.

"…then I guess you can stay, but if you cause any more problems, you're gone."

Another nod from her and a sigh from me as I turned to get Shimmer and Phyl's attention. Phyl spotted me first, waved back, and gave Shimmer a quick nudge. She looked up, smiled, and practically shoved Phyl forwards as she hurried back to the middle of the arena. Phyl protested until he managed a pace she was happy with, and as they neared, I caught the tail end of their conversation as they neared us.

"Shimmer, you brought the crystals, right?"

"Yup, got them right here!"

She dug into the satchel slung across her shoulders and tossed Phyl a green crystal that he absorbed quickly with a relieved smile.

"Thanks, I needed that."

Shimmer's tail bumped up against his.

"Which is why you should train with us! I've gotten way better ever since Kiran and I practiced in the woods, and it would be good for you to get more exercise! You're always cooped up in the house going over books with your dad…"

Phyl raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

Shimmer smiled and kissed his nose.

"Noooo, I'm just trying to make sure that you stay fit."

"Mhm, sure. I'll try to ignore the fact that you just called me lazy."

I listened as the pair bickered back and forth, wondering if the green crystals that Phyl had used worked similarly to the red ones, barring the fact that they restored chakra instead of wounds. Once again, the question about Shimmer's stamina popped into my head and my curiosity grew. With a softer voice, I interrupted them and asked her about it.

"So, Shimmer… why didn't you need crystals at Farleigh? Are your reserves that much larger than Phyl's?"

Shimmer looked down at her bag of green crystals and sighed.

"I'll tell you, I promise. But not right now… maybe after you win your match tonight?"

"Alright, that seems fair to me."

She nodded, and I waited a moment before meeting her eyes.

"You good? Not feeling rage building up deep inside, are you?"

Shimmer groaned.

"No… But she's being unbearable. Is she going to be sticking around?"

"Yes, and I know what you're going to say, but I'm giving her one more shot before I give her the boot. Try to keep it together, just for now, and remember that If she doesn't change her attitude, I've told her she has to leave."

Shimmer brightened a bit and smiled.

"...ok, I can live with that."

She moved forwards, grabbing both me and Phyl at the same time, and ushered us back towards the middle.

"Ok, back to training you two! We've got work to do!"

"Hey! No need to shove, Shim!"

Now that Amber was acting less abrasive, we were able to pass through several more techniques without issue. Amber continued to direct Phyl as he showed us how earth dragons could create mud pits to capture opponents, slide the ground in specific directions to put someone off balance, shatter the ground itself to make a haphazard battlefield, toss any shape and size of rock around at his leisure, and even burrow through the ground by manipulating the earth around himself.

Although Phyl wasn't particularly skilled and wasn't able to do everything well or on a large scale, it gave me more than an idea of what to expect tonight. Any type of earth manipulation that I could imagine was possible, and Amber let me know that Onyx was well-versed in several of the techniques that Phyl showed me. The magic that the dragons used reminded me of ninjas from the land of earth, who were well known for their ability to use earth jutsu, and I couldn't help but compare the two as I watched.

Phyl had to absorb the energy from a few more crystals before we finished, and by the time we were done, he was panting heavily and holding his stomach gingerly. Shimmer pulled him aside and helped him make his way to the spectator stands where he laid down and groaned softly to himself. Shimmer gave him a few nuzzles before flying back down to us.

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's just tired, using that much magic in such a short time can take a toll on a dragon. Add in the fact that he was absorbing and then releasing even more magic alongside that, and… he's expended more than he would normally be able to. I'm glad he's not feeling worse."

"So, you can't keep using the green crystals without eventual side effects… Good to know."

"Then he should rest, he's already helped out more than he needed to."

Shimmer smiled proudly while somewhat nodding her head.

"You bet! He's great like that, even if he needs to learn not to push himself so hard."

"Yeah, I don't want him getting sick on my account. If we do this again I'll make sure to have him tap out before he gets to this state."

Shimmer nodded and looked over at Phyl.

"Same, I'll keep a closer eye on him next time so he doesn't end up like… that."

Phyl must have seen us looking because he made a point to groan loudly, flop onto his side dramatically, and then let his tongue hang out of his mouth. Shimmer rolled her eyes and then turned back to me, catching the smile that I wasn't bothering to hide.

"Seems like he's having trouble. Maybe you should go give him some attention."

"Oh hush, he'll be fine. So… what are we doing next? Or is that it for today?"

I thought for a moment, lifting my hand up to my chin.

"Well, I'm not sparring today, so unless you or Amber have anything you'd like to do, I think we can call it."

Amber and Shimmer both seemed disappointed to hear that.

"Aww c'mon! How about just a few minutes of practice...? I won't even use that much ice, I promise!"

Amber agreed with Shimmer for once and also tried to push me to do it.

"A few minutes wouldn't hurt. Besides, a warm-up before your match tonight could loosen you up and get you ready."

Sorry, but I'm not going to risk making Amera angry.

"Not happening."

Both of them looked disappointed.

But-"

And just like that, they both perked back up.

"-Amber, I know you wanted some advice, so if you'd like, I can point out some things I noticed about our fight. Then, you two could have a spar of your own, since you both seem so eager to do something today."

Shimmer approved of the suggestion with a sudden, gleeful smile that seemed a little too eager to me.

"Great idea, Kiran, I'd love to spar with her!"

Amber didn't look nearly as enthused about the idea but didn't immediately turn it down. Instead, she slowly nodded and stepped up to me.

"Ok, I'm all ears… as long as it's good advice. I might be up for a spar with her too."

"Great, then let's talk about our fight yesterday. Shimmer, why don't you sit with Phyl for a minute while we chat?"

"Ok, just call me down when you're ready!"

Shimmer jumped up and flew over to Phyl, leaving me with Amber. I motioned for her to step up in front of me.

"So, what did you notice? Aside from you being better than me?"

I held back a sigh and shifted into a relaxed stance.

"Think back to our fight yesterday. What was the biggest disadvantage that you had?"

Amber thought quietly for a few moments, before slowly answering.

"...you're a lot faster than I am."

"Right. Barring a few other things, that was the biggest problem you faced, and you didn't adapt to overcome it. Instead, you tried to push your way through with nothing but determination, but that didn't work, so let's talk about what you could have done instead."

Amber's muzzle pressed into a thin line and her eyebrows furrowed.

"What was I supposed to do? I tried my best to get a few hits in, but I wasn't even able to do that."

"Right, but you were predictable. If I'm faster and able to guess your next move, I should theoretically win every time. If your opponent is reading you, you'll need to be able to recognize that during a fight and change things up."

Her angry expression absolved into thoughtfulness as she digested my words.

"...Predictable, huh…?"

She sighed.

"Ok, I can accept you saying that I was predictable. But even if I change that in the future, I don't think I can win without improving myself first. I don't see how I stand a chance when you're that much stronger and faster than I am."

I was grateful for her shift in attitude and gave her the smallest of smiles.

"Let's look at this from a different angle then. What advantage did you have at the start of our fight?"

Her tail flicked back and forth behind her as she thought about her answer.

"...I had my staff."

"Right, and when you swung your staff at me, what was your goal?"

Amber raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"My… goal? I was trying to hit you. What else would I need to be doing?"

I pointed a finger at her.

"That's the mindset that you'll need to change. You're not thinking about how you're going to do something, you're just doing it. You'll need to develop a plan, or devise a method of attack that will catch your opponent off guard or force them into a position where you're in control."

I could tell that the gears in Amber's head were turning, and she followed my hand as I pointed toward the wall behind us.

"Think back to the moment you lost your staff. The entire time I was backpedaling, I was buying myself time to think, and lured you in that direction for two reasons; I wanted you to take away the reach advantage that you had, and I wanted to bait you into making a mistake."

Her eyes widened.

"So, I didn't have you on the defensive… Damnit, I should have realized that."

"Maybe, but don't beat yourself up about it too much. I noticed that you were desperate to score a hit, so I created what looked like an opportunity for you and baited you to chase me. Once you over-extended and smacked the wall, I counterattacked and took advantage of your poor positioning."

Amber's mouth opened slightly, and her eyes narrowed.

"You're kidding, right? Who comes up with that much of a strategy in such a short time?"

I shrugged and held back a grin.

"I have a lot of practice thinking on my feet in… I'll call it stressful situations. I'm assuming you don't have that same experience, which would explain why we think differently about fighting."

Amber's mouth started to turn into a frown, before returning to a neutral state.

"I have experience, but I haven't had to fight against someone like you. You don't fight like any cheetah or ape I've ever seen, and it caught me off guard."

"Fair enough, but what are you going to do if you are matched up against someone that does something unorthodox, or isn't doing what you're expecting? Are you going to lose in that scenario, or are you going to adapt?"

She reflected silently, lifting a paw up to her chin as her head tilted to the ground, and huffed quietly before answering.

"Okay, yeah, you're right. I guess I was caught up in the heat of the moment and didn't take the time to think, which I should do from now on."

Her head popped back up and she crossed her arms.

"Not that it would have mattered against you anyway."

Dangit, Amber, stop being so stubborn and prideful. I'm trying to help you.

"Really? Not at all?"

She glared at me and I shook my head.

"Then you're underestimating yourself and what you're capable of. I think if you had kept your distance and waited for me to approach, you would have stood a much better chance of winning."

Amber moved her hands to her hips and scoffed.

"The hell? What kind of fighter would I be if I did that?! I'm not a coward!"

I shook my head.

"Doing that wouldn't make you a coward. Besides, what matters, especially If your goal is to beat dragons, is winning your fights. In my mind, you'll have to fight in a way that will push every advantage you have if you expect to win, even if it means you fight in a way that is unintuitive or unpopular."

Amber's expression darkened.

"That defeats the entire point though. I'll never change their perspective if they view me as anything other than a proud warrior."

I shrugged.

"Then you should consider your cause lost because you won't win unless you change. If you truly want to prove to others what you believe, that you can stand toe to toe with a dragon, then you'll have to make some sacrifices."

Amber scowled angrily, her jaw clenching to the point where she almost ground her teeth, but I raised a hand to stop her protest.

"I know it's hard to hear, but I'm telling you this because I'd rather see you succeed. Dragons have an inherent advantage because of their access to their elements, their flight, size, claws, and teeth… all of this adds up. If you try to fight them head-on, with nothing but brute force, you're going to lose."

Amber's muzzle twisted around angrily.

"I know, I know what they have! I've had a few spars with them and they're-"

She almost spat out the next words.

"They're strong. Most of them are more than I can handle… but I'm going to improve until that's not the case anymore! I won't give up until I've made a difference."

I put a hand on her shoulder and received an annoyed glare.

"Strength will only take you so far. Honestly, the whole idea of proving yourself alone is almost comical, because I would almost never consider getting myself without my-"

I felt a shard of ice run through my chest.

"W-without m-my team. At some point… you might find yourself unable to do something alone, a-and…"

Amber huffed and rolled her eyes while bumping my hand off of her shoulder.

"Says the guy that kicked my ass yesterday. I hardly see you relying on anyone for help."

There was a few seconds of silence as I struggled to move past what I had felt. I felt my jaw trembling slightly, and Amber in turn shifted her weight from leg to leg uncomfortably.

"Hey, Kiran, are you-"

I took a deep breath and threw a hand up to my brow to cover my eyes.

"Fine, I'm fine."

I took a deep breath to center myself, ignoring the eyes that I assumed were watching me. I mustered the strength to continue and cleared my throat as best I could.

"Just think about what we talked about, ok? In the meantime, we can work on your staff skills next time we train. There are a few things I can show you that will cement what I've been talking about."

I was prepared for a snarky response but didn't receive one. Instead Amber sounded marginally optimistic.

"If you're willing to do that? Sure, I'll mull over things."

I gave her a quick thumbs up and smiled wearily.

"That's the spirit."

Amber glanced down at my hand and then pointed at my thumb.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"With your finger. What does that mean?"

I looked at my thumb and withdrew my hand, smiling sheepishly.

"Oh, that's just, uh… it's a positive thing. It means… good job, or approval, usually."

"Oh."

Amber slowly lifted her paw and then gave me a thumbs-up as well.

"...like that?"

"Yeah, just like that."

Amber practiced the motion a few times until she was satisfied.

"Well… thanks for the advice today. Unless you have something else to rag me about, I'm ready to spar with Shimmer."

"Nothing here. Let's see how you do against Shimmer."

I gave Amber another thumbs-up, causing her to raise an eyebrow, and then whistled, grabbing Shimmer's attention. She had been laying next to Phyl, with her head on his shoulder, and I saw her head pop up and turn to look our way.

"We're ready for you!"

"Okay! Coming!"

Shimmer said something to Phyl and then quickly flew back over to us. She landed with a quick flair of her wings, sending some dust into the air, and stood up as tall as she could manage.

"So, is someone ready to get their butt kicked?"

Amber rolled her eyes and growled.

"Hardly. I'm more than ready to kick your scaly ass."

"Riiiiight. You've got me shaking on my claws."

Shimmer pretended to tremble and then laughed cheekily, which only enraged Amber further. I put my hand up to the bridge of my nose and groaned.

"Really, Shimmer?"

She half stuck her tongue out at me and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, sorry… I got carried away."

"Let's just hope that overconfidence doesn't bite you in the tail. Anyway-"

I made sure both of them were paying attention and crossed my arms.

"Are you both ready?"

Amber and Shimmer nodded, and they both took up positions on opposite ends of the arena. I took a spot in the middle to watch, raised my hand, and then glanced over at both to make sure they were ready.

"Alright… I'll act as a ref and watch to see if there's anything I can give advice on. When I lower my hand, you two can…"

They both readied themselves as I lifted my hand up a little farther, and then threw it toward the ground.

"Begin!"

Shimmer and Amber continued to spar for what seemed like hours, taking rounds over each other as they fought to prove their superiority. Although Amber was generally at a disadvantage due to not having ice, she discovered that Shimmer was terrible in close combat and took advantage of that as much as she could.

As a spectator, it became obvious to me that every round would be decided by whether or not Amber could close the distance. I thought this would be difficult for Amber, considering Shimmer's raw power, but Amber surprised me by showing off a keen ability to react to and maneuver around Shimmer's attacks.

More often than not, Amber would close the gap between them and beat Shimmer down with her staff until she yielded the round or forced her back. This led to frustration on Shimmer's part, which was only satisfied when she landed a lucky hit or managed to freeze Amber in any sort of capacity. The single time Shimmer managed to freeze Amber from the waist down, she celebrated with a small dance and cheeky grin that was quickly dashed in the following round when Amber literally wiped it off of her face.

As the session neared its natural end, Amber could barely hold herself up anymore because she had been reduced to a cut-up, cold and disheveled mess, whereas Shimmer was sporting bruises all over, could barely form an icicle anymore, and lacked the ability to even keep one of her eyes open fully from how swollen it was. I was silently hoping they would call it quits, but both of them had been determined and refused to yield, preferring to continue the fight or go another round in order to prove that they were better.

Seeing as they weren't to stop, I decided that now would be a good time to step in and end things for the day, before they ended up injuring each other further or collapsing from exhaustion.

"Alright, that's enough for today, you both look like you're about to pass out."

They both glanced at me before glaring back at each other, and then almost fell over at the same time. Amber fell onto her back and sprawled across the ground, while Shimmer let her front half fall forwards, shortly followed by her back half, and flattened against the ground so well that she resembled a shiny blue pancake.

Phyl, feeling much better than before, hopped down from the stands and made his way over to Shimmer. He gave her some water and started helping her get up, so I gave them some space and walked over to Amber.

"So, how are you feeling?"

Amber grunted and slowly got into a sitting position, bracing her arms behind herself for support. She was covered in small cuts and bruises, and her fur was all over the place, giving her a wild and desperate appearance.

"Great, never better."

I offered her my hand.

"You did pretty well considering Shimmer's practically a walking blizzard."

She took my hand and I pulled her up.

"Sure, but 'pretty well' doesn't mean much to me. I need to be able to consistently beat her and other dragons, Kiran."

"I'm aware, but you can't topple a mountain in a day. Don't be discouraged by not accomplishing your goal today, you've got time."

"Yeah yeah, philosophical crap and all that."

Amber let go of my hand and went over to grab some water from a small bag she had brought with her. She grabbed a small wineskin and drank a considerable amount before pouring the rest over her head and walking back to me. She then messed with her fur and shook it out while talking.

"I might need a day or two to bounce back from today."

She sighed heavily and crossed her arms.

"I feel like I've been run over by a wagon, and I know better than to push myself further."

I lifted a hand and rubbed the back of my neck.

"I know the feeling. Shimmer's a lot tougher than she looks."

Amber grunted but didn't say anything else as she continued to run her claws through the fur on her head and neck. I stood there, feeling out of place until a question formed in my head.

"Hey, I've been wondering, isn't there someone else that could train you? There's gotta be cheetahs that would be interested in helping you out, right?"

Amber laughed quietly, but it was bitter and toned with irritation.

"You'd think so, but people are afraid of upsetting the balance of power, and the few that are willing to tackle it want to approach the problem from a different angle. The problem is, they've been trying this stupid political game for years, and almost nothing has changed. Dragons are on top, and they don't want to have a cheetah, mole, or ape change that by making waves here or anywhere else."

She shook her head while staring at me.

"I'm surprised they're even letting you have matches against dragons, considering you have a real chance of beating them. It's not going to go over well if you win."

I shrugged, despite feeling a tinge of worry.

"Well, if Strongfang and Ruby didn't have some kind of political goal in mind, I probably wouldn't be able to. I'm not sure what their goal is, and I don't really care as long as Strongfang keeps his promise. If people are going to be upset by some dumb arena matches, then they can."

Amber smiled.

"Heh, I don't think you'll be saying that when trouble starts coming for you… but I wish you luck. It'll be nice to see someone finally knock the dragons down a few pegs."

"That's not really my goal, but thanks."

Amber tossed her wineskin back into her back and then stretched by tossing her arms up above her head, and groaned softly. Her tail flicked around haphazardly, and as she stretched I quickly found a great interest in the ground until she was done.

"Guess I should head on over to Amera's office, I don't want to be late."

"Alright, I need to take care of all of these cuts first, but after that, I'll be heading to your arena. I don't want to miss anything. "

I gave a quick, curt nod.

"Aside from my match, I guess we can meet up sometime tomorrow to talk about when we'll be training next…?"

Amber adopted an enthusiastic grin and gave me a quick jab on the arm.

"Sure thing, coach."

I gave her a deadpan stare in response to the nickname.

"Don't call me that."

"Hm? Why not?"

"Because I'm not your coach. I'm just giving you some advice."

Amber's smile remained and she shrugged her shoulders slowly while leaning in closer.

"Isn't that what a coach does?"

The only response she got from me was a disheartened frown, to which she chuckled and whirled around. Her tail whipped past my face, making me flinch, and I watched as she scooped up her bag and walked away. She lifted a paw and gave me a thumbs-up, without turning around.

"Good luck tonight, don't die out there!"

"I won't, don't worry."

Amber turned back just enough to let a smile at the corner of her mouth be visible and lingered for a moment before she left. I sighed with relief, glad to be done with that part of the day, and turned back to see how Shimmer and Phyl were doing. They were a bit busy… nuzzling, leaving me feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, so I made a quick exit myself. I called back to Shimmer, telling her that I'd see her tonight, but didn't bother to see if she heard me for fear of what I might see and made my way towards Amera's office.

Hey everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We're just about at Kiran's first fight, so buckle up because it'll be a hoot for sure.

Lil' B - Once again, thank you for your feedback! I'm sure you know, but I thrive off of any comments I get, whether good or bad. (Yours are always good, which is nice though.)

I'm glad you like Ruby. I'm personally not that fond of her, but hey, to each his own, right?

The story won't devolve into a punch out scenario, but there will be a lot of conflicts as certain elements develop. This is just the most structured form that we'll see. *!*

I'm glad you enjoy both the character-building and the scenes that I'm placing in the story. I've spent a lot of time making sure that every element I place, or every chapter I post has some sort of purpose, whether it be building up for the future, placing small hints about the story, developing characters, or what have you. Each character that's getting screen time is there for a purpose, and I'm glad you like Amber and Kiran; They're going to be important to each other for various reasons later.

Amera is based.

Jolt is adorable, and Phyl chose his life. Why? I don't know, but he seems to... enjoy it?