"Come on, you can do better than that!" Gwili said playfully, dodging another strike from Thorsen.
"You're faster than you look, but not fast enough," he chuckled, deflecting a strike aimed at his torso and riposting with one of his own. Thorsen, growing mildly frustrated with his antics, lurched forward and grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm, using the pommel of his blade to pry the weapon out of Gwili's hand. "Argh, you…" Gwili cut off as the air left his lungs from a swift knee to the chest, causing him to slump to the ground in a heap.
"You talk too much, friend," Thorsen said with a chuckle as he watched the elf gasp for air. "Noted," Gwili wheezed through a cough. "I tried to tell him that when we used to train, but it seems that even after all these years, he hasn't learned his lesson," Bernar said, approaching the fallen elf to help him to his feet. "You alright?" he asked wryly.
"Oh, I'm fine. My stomach and my pride; not so much," Gwili managed, graciously accepting the extended hand, noticing Leona stifling a chuckle just behind Bernar as she trained with Aurae. "How's she handling her training now that she has the Authority?" Gwili nodded in her direction.
"Quite well, actually. It's obviously a challenge for her, but since Thoma and the others left nearly a week ago, she's been trying her best to grow so she can impress them when they get back," Bernar smiled proudly. "What about you? Have you and Ren figured anything out?" Thorsen asked, taking a step forward.
"Kalia, apparently, taught him a few things about Wraith mana that he's been trying to teach me. The odoruki technique, or at least that's what she called it, definitely isn't as easy as Thoma or Ysevel made it look. I've made some progress, but I haven't been able to reach their level with it yet," Bernar chuckled to himself.
"Well, there's no point in standing around here wasting time. We don't know when Erumon will be back with a mission for us, so we'd better make sure to use this time wisely," Thorsen gave him a supportive pat on the shoulder. "I know, I know," Bernar gave a wave of his hand. "Just make sure he doesn't bite his tongue, alright?" he continued, jutting his thumb toward Gwili. "No promises," Thorsen shrugged, causing Gwili to glare at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked worriedly, raising both his eyebrows in concern, but Thorsen didn't verbally reply.
Just do your best not to talk, and you'll be fine, Bernar sent him with a wry smile. I can't help it. He's too fun not to taunt, Gwili replied in a similar tone with a mental shrug. It's your funeral, he replied, mimicking a gesture as if to show he was dusting off his hands before returning to Ren.
As he did so, Thorsen regarded him warmly, but it soon shifted into a look of concern as he recalled the events that took place in Harut. "What's on your mind?" Gwili asked, noticing something was wrong. "Bah, it's nothing," he waved a hand dismissively. "I know that look, big man. What is it?" Gwili prodded his elbow into Thorsen's side, urging him to speak his mind, which prompted him to give a relenting sigh.
"It's Unni. She's been on my mind lately, and I'm worried about Jashad being there with her," he admitted. "I wouldn't worry about them. The Mouth is there to help guide him, and I gave some of those Elite guards instructions to take care of her if she ever stepped out of line," Gwili said smugly, causing the giant to raise an eyebrow.
"You told them what?" he asked bluntly, not bothering to hide his concern. "It's fine! She helped us in the battle, sure, but until she can prove her worth to Jashad, she'll be watched closely," Gwili gave a dismissive wave. "I'm not sure I feel much better at all about that," Thorsen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What are you so worried about? Anders and Trina are now in charge of Hjalfar. Didn't you tell me you trusted them with your life? There's no way they would let her even set foot in that country again," Gwili patted him on the shoulder. "I trust Trina with my life, since she's my cousin. Anders, however, is another story," Thorsen corrected him.
"Meh, same thing," the elf shrugged. "Come on. Let's see how far Bernar and Leona have come to take your mind off of things," Gwili suggested, trying to give the giant a shove in their direction, but nearly slipped on the loose dirt when Thorsen didn't budge.
As the two approached, they watched as Aurae gently guided Leona, who was sitting with her legs crossed in a meditative position. "Remember, you're not looking for perfection; you're just trying to create a more stable construct than you have before. Try it again," Aurae said gently, sitting directly across from her in a similar position.
Leona, who had her eyes closed, nodded a short response before her consciousness entered the translucent Wraith realm. She couldn't help but marvel at its vastness and felt comforted that Aurae was already there waiting for her with a warm smile.
They greeted each other with a wordless nod, as Aurae repeated the motion she had throughout the week. Gently and deliberately, she beckoned the scarlet mana down toward her, forming a small, elegant dagger in her hand before gesturing for Leona to do the same.
She did as directed and mimicked the smoothness of motion Aurae had to the best of her abilities, feeling the mana begin to flow from the large, swirling orb in the sky down to her hand. As it began to form the shape of a dagger, Leona suddenly felt a sense of unease, which caused the dagger to dissipate immediately as her consciousness returned.
"Damn it," she hissed frustratedly, seeing a few motes of scarlet mana rise from her hand. "I almost had it this time, but I still don't understand how this Authority is meant to help me," she admitted, causing Aurae to give her a warm smile as she placed a hand on her core. "It's only natural that you still fear the unknown," she began, causing Leona to look into her mismatched eyes.
"As Erumon explained, the Authority is meant to help you better understand the fundamentals of the mana you're using. Since Wraith mana resides between the realms of life and death, the Authority allows you to see that line more clearly, in a sense. However, rather than fearing it, you should embrace it," she explained, still holding the warm smile from before.
"But how can I not fear that line after already having come so close to it?" Leona asked after taking a moment to digest her words, but Aurae chuckled and shook her head. "That's where I think the problem is. You fear being close to that line, when in reality, it puts you in a better position to understand it than you realize," she began, causing Leona's eyes to widen.
"What you felt that day in Harut is no different than what you'll feel now, but since it's already known to you and you're in control of it, there's no need to fear it. I can only guide you toward it, but you have to be the one to embrace it," she continued with a slow nod.
It's so different from Ethereal mana. Just how the hell did Thoma reach such a high level with it? The Authority has undoubtedly helped me reach the Wraith realm, but I feel like there's a difference in experience that's much larger than I anticipated, Leona thought, furrowing her brow as she tried to wrap her head around the concept.
It's alright, Leona. I'll be right there with you, Aurae sent her, causing her to flinch in surprise. You heard that? Could you always hear my thoughts? Leona asked, getting a chuckle from Aurae. Of course, but now's not the time for me to explain how it works. Right now, you have a task to complete, and I'll be here to help guide you through it, she replied encouragingly.