Isaac/Matthew father/son drabble for Guest!

Matthew stumbled from the blow, falling flat on his back for the third time in the past hour, and found his father's training blade pointed at his throat. He grumbled as Isaac looked down at him expressionlessly. His father brought the sword away, walked a short distance and faced Matthew again.

"Again." He ordered.

Matthew rubbed his likely bruised arm as he struggled to stand back up. It felt like they had been training for days now, even though he knew it had only been an hour. His father wouldn't accept a break either. The only way the training session would end is when Matthew beat his father, which had yet to happen, or when his father tired, which rarely happened. For an old man, he sure could move.

His legs shook as he readied himself, bringing his sword up to prepare for his father's vicious assault. No matter what he could do he could just not hold him off. Isaac charged. Matthew swung his sword at his father, knowing ti to be foolish, but having nothing else to do. All he could hope was to stall for time

Isaac fixed his gaze coldly on Matthew's as he blocked his son's swings. Neither of them had ever received formal training in sword fighting, rather they had developed their own style through battles that had been forced upon them. Matthew had certainly developed a unique style over the past year.

Their training dragged on. Matthew had long since become tired, and Isaac's breathing was only slightly heavier that it had been when they started. His own lungs flared like fire with each breath and he found it near impossible to move his heavy limbs. It didn't take long for Isaac to overpower him and knock him to a position in which he would be killed in the next moment. Isaac pressed the point of the blunt blade into his neck.

"You need more practice." Isaac said.

Matthew grumbled, knocking the blade away from his throat. He didn't understand why he had to learn all of this. Weyard was safe from any threat. All of the Warriors of Vale were alive and active, and more powerful than any other Adept. He didn't know why he would ever be needed.

Isaac crouched down beside his son, obviously seeing the frustration carved into his face.

"I'm sorry I push you so hard." He said simply, his Psynergy pulsing as he worked several Potent Cures through Matthew's body, "But Weyard will always need protectors, and I want you to be ready."

"You weren't." Matthew responded, though he wasn't sure what he was trying to say in that statement.

"Exactly." His father nodded, "In the early months of my quest, I spent many days in as bad a condition as you are now, perhaps worse. The battle I fought atop Mercury Lighthouse almost killed me I was so unprepared, it almost killed Garet, and Ivan and Mia too. Our opponent was fierce, skilled, powerful."

Saturos. Matthew's mind played, remembering the name from the stories he had heard.

"I want you to be safe. A time may come when I cannot be there, I want you to be able to fight, and I want to be comfortable in the knowledge that you can." His father's eyes, the eyes he had inherited from Dora, Matthew's grandmother, shone with such emotion, "I'm afraid, Matthew. I don't want you hurt."

"Dad…" Matthew said weakly.

Isaac pulled his son into a hug. Matthew did not finish whatever words he had been meaning to say. He simply wrapped a bruised arm around his father.

"I love you, Matthew."

"I love you too, Dad." Matthew responded.

He heard his father sniff, and the realisation struck him harder than ever blow he had ever received during training. His father was crying. He had never heard his father cry. He had never heard stories of his father crying. Not even from Garet or Ivan, who took great joy in embarrassing him.

"I'll be okay, Dad."

"I know, son." Isaac nodded against him, "But a parent worries." A small chuckle rocked the two of them, "Especially a parent who saved the world and nearly died every day doing it."

Matthew let out a weak laugh, unsure if the moment really called for it.

His father pulled out of the hug, smiling to him. He tousled his hair and pulled him back up to stand, "Let's take a break for now. I think you've trained enough today."

Matthew smirked and picked back up his training sword, "No way. I nearly beat you that time."

Isaac laughs and draws his blade again.

Matthew doesn't mind sparring anymore. He understands now. And he loves his father, so he wants him to know he'll be safe.

This went through a few revisions before I was happy with it. I figured Isaac probably inherited a bit of the worry Dora got when he left for his quest all those years ago, and when he knew himself how dangerous it was, this option seemed the best to take.