Any Suggestions?

Chapter 2:

"Oria!"

Oria snapped her head up and looked at the old man glaring down at her, "Sorry…" She muttered, rubbing her eyes. She had barely gotten any sleep last night as a result of the banquet.

"Well." Her history teacher muttered under his breath grumpily, "When you make a fool out of yourself in front of your father because you don't know the battle of the Ancients, don't blame me."

Oria frowned, "Why on earth would I ever need to know that?"

He paused, opening his wrinkled mouth before closing it. Then, he scowled at her, "Now young missy," He chided, "You need to stop…"

Oria tuned out, just looking at his wrinkly face and wondering how this boring man could have ever been a kid.

She looked up at the clock and said loudly over the teacher's boring voice, "I'm going to leave."

He looked at her with a scowl as she stood up and walked out thirty minutes before she was supposed to. He couldn't do anything to stop her except complain to her father, and no one would be caught dead complaining in front of Mevolent.

She walked out of the library and into the dimly lit corridor. She walked down it, her boots clinking against the smooth stone.

She passed a servant girl scrubbing the stone ground and she gracefully sidestepped her. Oria felt the girl's eyes on her as she left, and she felt a little flutter at being the center of attention.

She walked on until she got to an oak door. She opened it and walked out into the fresh air, and she sighed. She stepped out onto the gravel and looked around.

The place had a large fountain that gushed pure, cold, clear water. Beyond that was a large lawn of grass, lined with aspen trees. The air was cold, and the whole scene was coated with a light layer of frost.

She walked across the carefully clipped grass, ignoring the signs that said not to step on the grass. She basically owned the place anyways. The only person that could make her stop was-

"Oria!" Mevolent thundered.

Oria winced and raised her shoulders protectively, slowly turning around to face him, a guilty, sheepish smile on her face.

"What are you doing on my grass?" He asked, his voice surprisingly calm. He was dressed head to toe in black, his milky skin matching the bleak sky. A large, woolen cloak was draped from both of his shoulders, making him look burdened yet powerful.

"Sorry." Oria muttered, "I didn't see you." She slid down the grassy slope with her steel heeled boots, sliding to a stop at the icy gravel in front of Mevolent.

He looked down at her, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, "Oh? And when I'm not around, you walk on the grass?"

Oria shuffled her heavy boots guiltily.

Mevolent chuckled icily, and Oria looked up at him with surprise. She had never, never heard him laugh.

"Well, I have something to tell you. I wasn't expecting to see you so early, I was informed you had history." He said, staring pointedly at her.

Oria smirked, "Well, I decided I had learned enough." She said.

Mevolent narrowed his eyes and gave her a disapproving look before continuing, "However, since you're here, I might as well tell you."

Oria looked up at him expectantly, already guessing what he was about to tell her.

"I have found a general willing to train you. It is, in fact, one of my best." He said, keeping things formal.

Serpine right? Please let it be Serpine! She thought, Or Baron. He was nice enough, just not…

"I have decided that Lord Vile will be very good at teaching you all you need to know." He finished, a final tone in his voice.

"What?" She said loudly, disbelief in her voice.

He looked at her coldly, all signs of a fatherly figure gone from his steel face, "Is there a problem Crimson?"

"I'm just wondering," Oria said cautiously, noting the change in his demeanor, "Why can't I be with Serpine? I think he'd be a better teacher for me." She said.

Mevolent looked at her his eyes draped with dark shadows from his eye sockets, "Because Serpine isn't the best. And I don't have time to teach you myself, so second best, Vile, will do. Besides," He added, starting to glide past her gracefully, "I know what's best for you Oria, never forget that." Oria glared at his back as he walked away, saying over his shoulder,

"Your training will start at eleven in the arena." Oria turned on her heel and stomped off. It was 10:45 right now and the arena was on the other side of the castle. It would take all of her free time to get over there.

As she approached the arena, she noticed a large clock on the eastern tower. She cursed as she realized that in the time it took her to walk to the arena, she lost twenty minutes, making it 11:05.

She started sprinting towards the entrance to the arena, not wanting to already lose her position as an apprentice.

She rushed into the arena, her cheeks flushed. The empty stands loomed over her, blocking out the bleak sun. The dirt floor was damp and compact from the rain and numerous fights that had already taken place that day.

Vile stood by the entrance, his armored hands crossed over his chest plate. He was standing by the racks of various weapons, all used by common guards and soldiers. Oria's sword hung by her hip comfortably, it's golden sheath glinting in the bleak sunlight.

"Sorry for being late." Oria said, still a little resentful that she couldn't train with Serpine.

Vile stood there, not moving, not even a little.

"Mevolent told me to meet you here." She said, feeling a little unnerved at his lack of reaction.

He continued to stand there, and Oria looked around the arena, feeling awkward. The arena was empty, no training equipment or anything.

She glanced back at him, and saw that he hadn't moved an inch.

She cleared her throat and inquired hesitantly, "So, are we going to train?"

He kept still. Oria sighed with frustration and turned to leave. As she turned her back to him, Vile sprang forward, sending a wave of shadows at Oria's back.

The shadows smacked her forwards and she landed on her stomach, the wind momentarily knocked out of her.

She scrambled to her feet and glared at Vile, "What the hell?" She shouted, "Are you trying to kill me?"

Vile flicked his hand and the shadows twisted like shapes, forming dark words.

A good warrior never turns their back on an enemy.

"You're not my enemy!" Oria yelled, feeling a sudden rage pulsing like her body like adrenaline, "You're supposed to be my teacher!"

The shadows swirled around like ink in water, You can't tell who you're enemies will be, always keep your guard up.

Oria growled and put her hand on her sword hilt, "Alright, you want to fight then?"

Vile nodded and drew his dark sword, the shadows dissolved and Vile lunged forward, sword pointed straight at Oria's heart.

Oria quickly yanked her sword from her sheath and parried, knocking his blade away from her chest.

He quickly stuck again, barely giving her time to think. She twisted her body to avoid the slicing blade. She jabbed at his left side, her golden sword was blocked by his dark one.

They kept at this for what seemed like hours, locked in an intricate and dangerous dance, both refusing to step down.

Oria switched from defense to offense as Lord Vile became slower and slower at blocking her strikes, and although her arms burned with exhaustion, she pushed on, keeping her form as precise as she could.

She would not lose to him. He'd already humiliated her once today, and now it was her turn to return the favor.

She could feel his blocks getting unstable, and with on more swing, she knocked him to the ground and hit him with the butt of her sword, sending him stumbling back. She followed up with a thrust kick to his stomach, causing him to fall to the ground.

Breathing heavily, she stood over him, glaring angrily, sweat dripping from her chin, "Is that good enough for you?" She snarled.

Vile nodded and stood up slowly, then walked away, leaving Oria in the arena, wondering what to do next.