[Solo.]



*Whap!*

My hand caught his wrist mid punch. I lifted my free arm and brought my elbow down to his extended, locked arm. As a cried out and dropped, I lifted my knee up and slammed it into where it hurts. The white haired boy crumbled to the floor. Then, the healing started. White and yellow light warped around his body as he stood up again, pain leaving his features. He was well again, like the fight never happened.

Meanwhile, I lifted my hands and bent into another fighting position. He just nodded to me, lifting his arm and giving a thumbs up.

"Good job, Fel."

A fell at ease. I dropped to my knees then. My body crashed against the cold ground. It took a lot to get me this tired. I had lost track of time who knows how long ago? I just knew that I practiced my skills, fought with my teacher until I dropped, then got refreshed. A nice bath, a long time to sleep... Only for not a moment to have passed by, athough it felt like a long, lazy evening to me.

Yes, I was truly exhausted now. My body felt icky and grubby. I was coated in uncomfortable, wet sweat which stained my clothes. I could tell I stunk too. Still, I did not want to quit...

"One more time!" I pleaded with the boy in front of me. Much to my disappointment, he shook his head.

"No. You need to rest up." He smirked, "You know we have all the time to kill, right?"

Yeah, I knew. I looked up. Where the roof for a building should be, there was endlessness. It seemed like stars, swirls of colors and shapes, and uneasy light filled the vacuum of void about us. It took me a bit of, well, time I guess to get used to it. At least I did not suffer vertigo anymore. As the vastness collected in marvelous display up there, old timers and grandfather clocks floated close to us.

This was his realm. Within another realm.

I looked below us. It was sort of like glass. It was invisible, yet, I knew where it was. It was solid, firm, and allowed traction. There was no slipping or losing footing here. Below the clear yet visible flooring, the space of colors and shapes continued into infinity.

I take it back. I was feeling sick again.

I closed my eyes, trying to keep my head from whirling. I paid attention to the sturdy ground below me, holding me up. Then, I felt the glowing energy of him grow closer. I looked up to see his hand extended to me. The long haired being smiled softly. His eyes were like pools deep like the nethers surrounding us, but safer.

"You're improving."

I took his hand. As he pulled me up, I felt my old energy rapidly returning. The vigor flooded through me like a roaring river broken free from a dam. I sighed in relief. Of course, my hair was still wet from all this training. Plus, my friend was covering his nose.

"Go get cleaned up." He tilted his head towards a lone, silver door near the end of the platform. I nodded and started towards it. Yet, the distance was impossible to predict. I could not tell whether or not I got there in five hundred steps or just five. I turned the nob, looking back for a moment to him. He had wings spouting from his back once again. Human feet were replaced with bird like talons. I could not help but smile. He preferred his Thayne form, but changed to human form to spar with me, nurture me...

I turned back to the door and casually swung it open. Unlike the platform, the place inside was a pocket of thick, light colored clouds. The floor was like rainbows. In front of me was a massive, long bath. It was more luxurious than anything ever found on Althanas. I closed the door with my bare foot, a feeling of familiar awe overcoming me.

Eager to feel better, smell better, I swiftly pulled my soaked sparring outfit off and jumped in. I began the pathway towards true reinvigoration once again.

I don't know how long we had been doing this. I was just thankful that this weird bird time entity had actually noticed me.