It was a rare honor to see the training of a Titan shifter, and Luke could barely believe Agatha extended him the invitation so casually. Among the Lysanders, the inheritor of the Agile Titan was the second person in the entire town, only answering to the Lord himself. Only those who were trusted by the head of the house were ever allowed to have such a privileged role. Before Agatha, it was her father and Lord Dominic's brother, Otto Lysander, the man who finally defeated the Armored Titan and crushed the strongest warriors of House Fern a decade ago. Now, Agatha sought to surpass him and to achieve this goal, she had to be in perfect shape.
She led Luke to the Colosseum, which is on the other side of the manor, a large arena designed specifically for the Agile Titan to train. There were stiff targets, a few large walls to climb, and a large secluded space where a shifter could feel comfortable.
"Do you need any help, Agatha? I could bring weapons and…"
"No need, you're done for today." Agatha reassured Luke and pointed at a small waiting area behind the sturdy walls with a linear window which allowed others to see the arena from within. "Just wait there and enjoy the show, be careful not to go outside though, I'm not going to hold back."
"Yes…Understood." Luke said and went to the safe place, all while keeping his eyes set on Agatha. The woman took out a small knife, cutting her hand yet showing no signs of pain. Agatha put the knife at a safe spot not far from Luke before going to the center of the platform. Once she was finally there, the woman closed her eyes, and Luke witnessed a burst of golden aura surround her. In a swift moment, her body submerged into a mighty carcass that formed around Agatha, a gigantic yet elegant being with pale flesh, long waving black hair, and ravenous sparks in her eyes. The manifestation of the Agile Titan, and like every other case, the Titan's appearance resembled that of the shifter.
Agatha let out an ear-piercing roar before turning towards large pillars on the other side of the Colosseum. Those must have been her practice targets. Agatha would strike at those pillars in a swift fashion as if she were entrapped in the middle of a prolonged dance. Agile Titan earned its name because it could move freely on any surface and territory, and it was very quick and adaptive to all of its surroundings. This must have been a test of endurance for Agatha, a way to see how long will she hold when faced with a resilient enemy. She never stayed in a single spot; the Agile Titan moved around, avoiding the nonexistent strikes and entering a sense of rhythm. Agatha had participated in battles against other Titan Shifters before, and Luke was sure she had more than a few memories to use for this practice session. This dance continued for a while, and Luke was mesmerized by Agatha's power and elegance.
Eventually, she changed her approach. Agatha focused all of her power on her fists, allowing an azure crystal glow to overtake them. Luke heard a lot about this powerful ability that some titans possessed, the hardening. It made them almost impenetrable to the attacks of others, all while enhancing their strength. Agatha demonstrated her power the moment she crushed one of the pillars before her. What seemed sturdy and unbreakable only a few moments ago turned into a wreck in just a few strikes. The Agile Titan recoiled for a moment, but she didn't allow this to pause her exercising.
Her next target was the walls that she could climb. Agatha jumped at them and clawed into the sturdy stone. There were a few openings for her hands and legs to grapple onto, but they weren't enough, and so she had to make more on the rocky surface. She was like a spider spinning her web, completely in control, and if she maintained her speed, it would be a matter of seconds before she reached the top of the colosseum wall. It was a pure delight to watch…
Until something changed. Her movements became slower and more sluggish, which was very unusual for the Agile Titan. She reached out for the top, but her hands began shaking, making Luke feel uneasy. It was as if…No, impossible, Agatha could never lose control, not when she has done so much training and preparation with this Titan. However, Luke also couldn't deny what he was seeing right in front of his eyes. The Agile Titan grew weaker, and eventually, he noticed that her hand began to emit steam, as did the rest of her body. Luke felt his heart skip a beat as he watched Agatha let go.
The woman lost her grip and collapsed on the ground, emitting a powerful shockwave, after which she didn't make a single move. She was lying down, weakened and frozen, all while Luke watched in horror. Did she overexert herself? But how? She wasn't in her Titan form for that long, and with her training, those kinds of blackouts shouldn't happen…Not randomly. What if there was something wrong with her? She was still stuck inside the Titan carcass. What if she didn't have enough air?
"A-Agatha?" Luke called out to her. "Agatha!"
No answer.
He had to act quickly. Luke didn't know who to call, but he wouldn't dare to leave her alone without care. He had to get her out of the nape somehow…Luckily, she fell on her stomach, but he still needed something to carve into her neck and save her…There was only the knife that Agatha used to wound herself. Luke grabbed the knife and rushed towards the wounded Titan, quickly getting on her back. Her skin was hot and remarkably uncomfortable to walk on, but Luke was used to pain and inconvenience when preparing for war.
When he got an opportunity, he plunged the knife into the Agile Titan's neck. Luke didn't expect it to work, not with how tough Titan's skin was, but to his surprise, he cut right through it. Finally, he felt hopeful again.
"Don't worry, Agatha, I'll get you out of there…Just a little more!" He tried to make an opening while doing his best not to damage Agatha with his knife. He had to be careful, for her sake, and…
"A-ha-ha…" He heard a playful laugh come from the opening he carved, making Luke pause and keep his eyes wide open. After emitting a bit more steam, Agatha emerged from the Titan's nape, completely unharmed. "That was a wonderful performance, Luke!"
"You…" The man stuttered. "You weren't…"
"Come on now, you don't think I'd be able to lose control that easily? Or that you'd be able to cut through the Agile Titan's skin without me weakening that particular spot first?" She said in a tone of visible amusement.
"It was all just a trick, then? Some kind of test?!" Luke couldn't help but feel a little angry at Agatha for toying with him like that, but he had to maintain his calm. It would be unfitting to show her disrespect.
"It was your final task for today. I wanted to see how you'd react if I lose conscience…And you weren't half bad. I'm convinced that you could actually get me out of there on the field if you try hard enough." Her compliment sounded backhanded, but Luke was willing to accept it. Agatha smiled and patted him on his shoulder. "Come on, try to relax a little, I promise not to pull off any more stunts today…Come to think of it, I need a little break, too." Agatha jumped off the Titan and sat beside the steaming body, gently leaning onto it as if it were a comfortable pillow.
"Come here, Luke, sit and take a breather." She said in a mild, relaxed tone.
"If that's what you want…"
"I know you want it too, so come down here."
As Luke descended and moved towards Agatha, the woman followed him with her eyes.
"How is your family doing? It's been a while since I've seen them." Agatha wondered.
"Well, they're doing great! My mother is very proud of the accomplishments I'm making…She wishes for me to become the best elite guard there is."
"She has good reasons for pride." Agatha smiled. "And what about your little sister?"
"Sabina? She's taking a break from school now."
"Still as adorable as ever?"
"She's growing up very quickly," Luke said as he took a seat by Agatha's side. "I can still remember the days when she wasn't able to walk or speak, and now…Well, I'm glad I have her."
"Do you still play your little roleplay games?"
"Hey, what do you…"
"So you do." Agatha chuckled. "Don't worry, I enjoyed those two when I was younger…I would drive my father mad with them. Before he got the Agile Titan, that is…And now it's mine."
"I'm sure you'll be a great shifter for history to remember."
"Maybe," Agatha said somberly. "My father failed came closest to claiming the Armored Titan from the Ferns and then just…Failed at the very last step. I could've been more powerful than any inheritor before me, but…That said, it's been ten years already."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing too important. I have my own tactics for finding the Armored Titan when it resurfaces." Agatha explained. "And honestly, I'd rather be doing that than help my uncle and your father with their boorish political games. I assume you've heard about the Wayrests?"
"Yes, we're negotiating with them."
"Yes, and we're doing it over a lavish dinner evening in our manor. I have to attend, as well…But I can extend invitations." Agatha smiled once again, and Luke finally realized what she was about to say.
"Wait, you want me to come with you?" Luke said in disbelief. "To such an important event? Negotiation between two great houses?"
"And as an honored guest, as well. We'll keep each other company, won't we?"
…
It was always a joy for Sabina to help her mother with whatever she would ask. She didn't always show it, especially when the girl wanted an extra sweet, but she cared about the process as much as the reward. Today's journey to the market has been no exception. Sabina trailed her mother for almost two hours as the two of them traversed the Lysander city and got all the food that their family needed. Meat, vegetables, fruit, even some fish, and of course, more sweets. Sabina would love to try it all in due course.
She spent the rest of her day preparing for school. It was already getting dark by the time she was done with all of her job. As she expected her brother to return, Sabina turned to her favorite hobby, drawing. She had an entire array of various paintings of all the animals and majestic lands she could come up with in her mind. Unicorns, dragons, and, of course, some titans, though Sabina knew that they were not as pretty in real life as she made them. Today, the girl wanted to draw a new Titan. What kind would it be? She had so many ideas…
Just as she took the pencil, Sabina noticed a sudden change. Her heart skipped a few beats, and the reality around her became blurred. The walls of her home began to deteriorate and wither down right in front of her eyes, slowly morphing back into the field she saw in her dreams. The girl stood in front of the golden-haired hero, the mysterious figure from her dreams. He reached out towards her and beckoned for Sabina to follow…She wanted to go, but her body refused to move, refused to obey his commands as if trying to warn her that something horrifying was going to happen if she were to follow.
"Sabina?" Her mother's voice pulled the girl away from this dream, making her drop her pencil and shiver as she turned around. She gasped from a sudden change, making Valeria's expression change to express worry and sympathy. "Are you alright, my dear? You look scared…"
"I…" Sabina paused, unsure if she wanted to tell. She didn't understand those dreams. Was there any reason to think that her mother would?
"You can talk to me, sweetheart, everything's alright." Valeria approached her daughter slowly and held the girl's hands.
"I had some bad dreams recently…" Sabina admitted meekly.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Valeria hugged the girl. "Don't worry, you're safe from them when you're awake, would you like me to sleep with you tonight?"
"Maybe… I'm not sure." The girl admitted. "Those dreams are different, they're strange."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, it's just…Every time I see them, it's…"
Before Sabina could finish, she heard a loud knock on the door. Someone was standing at their doorstep, and the thought immediately made Sabina's heart jump in excitement.
"Ah, looks like Luke is back!" Valeria smiled and rushed to the door. As she opened it, the woman gasped with pleasant surprise. "You too, Emil?" Sabina rushed towards the door with uncontrolled excitement in her eyes. Both her brother and father were home, and judging by their prideful expressions, they had good news to share.
"You don't sound too happy…" Her father chuckled.
"Oh, no, I am!" Valeria was quick to reassure him. "I just thought that you won't be home until much later because of all the negotiation business."
"The Wayrest ambassadors proved very cooperative; even Lord Dominic was surprised. The Lord of the house will visit Lysanders in a couple of days, they're already on their way. We'll discuss the prospect of an Alliance during a dinner ceremony when everyone will be in the best possible mood. Speaking of the ceremony…Luke, why don't you tell the news?" Emil could barely hold back his smile.
"Well…" Luke paused for a moment as if feeling shy, but Sabina was willing to encourage him.
"What is it, brother? Tell us!"
"Agatha was really impressed by my work today and extended an invitation to the dinner ceremony as her personal trainee," Luke announced swiftly as if this was some boring official declaration, but Sabina noticed pride and excitement in his voice.
"Wow, that's… That's great!" The girl squealed, soon followed by her mother.
"Oh, that is wonderful news, you must have made a strong impression on her, my dear!" Valeria smiled and embraced her son, he hugged her in return. "Come on, I'll make dinner for you both…This invitation is worth a small celebration!"