The grass hissed beneath his bare feet.
The sound of Crow's voice cut through the morning air like a whip.
"Faster, faster!"
Spectra was in pain.
The soles of his feet ached from the repeated pounding against the packed dirt of the hill. His lungs seared with every ragged breath he took.
"Push harder! All the way through!"
No matter how fast he ran, no matter how hard he pushed, the slope felt never-ending, but Crow's voice at the top kept dragging him forward.
At last, he crested the hill, gasping for breath. Crow didn't let him linger.
"Back down. Again."
Spectra glared at him as he turned and headed back down to begin his torture again.
.
.
.
.
They transitioned from hill sprints to the trees, where they did agility training.
Crow shouted at Spectra, "In and out, keep those shoulders low!"
Small stones zipped through the air, prompting Spectra to duck and weave between the trunks skillfully.
Although the forest floor was uneven, filled with roots and loose dirt that posed a challenge, Spectra felt confident in his ability to see the incoming projectiles.
Crow was grinning ear to ear while he whipped small stones at Spectra, who was busy dodging between trees in a zigzag pattern, trying to reach where Crow was standing.
'I'll wipe that grin off your face'
The smile, which used to be Spectra's favorite thing about Crow, was now the thing he despised most in this world.
More stones flew by as Spectra side-stepped and weaved about the terrain. He didn't dare let his focus wane for a moment, though small, he had felt the destructive force of them firsthand.
As he neared his teacher, sweat from his blindfold got into his eyes, causing him to blink.
THWACK
A stone hit him square in the chest, hitting the ground hard with his back. He gasped for air, the wind knocked out of him. He could hear his teacher's approaching footsteps and turned his head to look at the man grinning above him.
"And you were so close, too! What happened?"
Crow smiled as he reached down to help the child up.
Spectra glared at him, "Sweat got into my eyes from my blindfold, that doesn't count. You cheated!"
"Hahaha, I cheated? Oh, Spectra, on the battlefield, everyone is a cheat, and worse things than sweat will get into your eyes. And speaking of eyes, you could control yours, you wouldn't need that blindfold, would you?"
The boy remained silent; he knew his teacher was right about everything. "Still, it's not fair! I want to learn swordsmanship or martial arts. I am a warrior, not a rabbit." Spectra pleaded with Crow.
"This is boring."
Crow's smile thinned, but there was no anger in it.
"Because," he said evenly, "a weapon's useless if your body can't move the way it needs to. First, turn your body into a weapon. You want to fight? Then learn to walk before you learn to run. You need to build your foundation first to build a strong structure; otherwise, a single gust, or in this case, a stone, will topple you over."
Spectra did not relent, "But Uncle Crow, all I do is run. What kind of foundation are we building?"
Sighing, he began to explain to the boy, "Most Noctarii opponents I have faced have been larger and more physically powerful than me, yet I killed them all. Do you know how? Through speed, balance, and coordination, that's how. You will have to fight the same way, and I am going to guide you."
He moved away from Spectra. "Watch me, I will show you what we are building."
Spectra did as his teacher asked and watched him as he began to create space between the two before turning around and facing the boy again.
"Pay attention."
He crouched in front of the boy, coiling his frame like a snake preparing to strike. "Your body is a spring. Tense, ready, explosive." He launched forward with such speed that Spectra's blindfolded eyes couldn't follow the movement—only the faint rush of displaced air reached him before Crow was standing behind him again.
Spectra turned his head, trying to catch sight of Crow, but he was gone again, only leaving a breeze behind before appearing to his far left.
"Take it off."
Spectra hesitated, then began to undo his blindfold.
His field of vision took on new life, Crow's aura became much more vivid, and the forest around them became much clearer.
He had grown accustomed to the strain of using his eyes without the blindfold, and now he only needed to wear it when he was outside the home. He wore it during training as a handicap enforced by his Father and Uncle.
But now, without the blindfold on, he felt confident in catching his Uncle's movements, "I'm ready!"
Crow smirked.
He began again, but this time he didn't lunge; instead, he swayed, and then...
Gone!
"Huh!'
Spectra was stunned. He looked all around but could not see Crow anywhere. His aura lingered all around, but that only served to confuse the boy more.
'His aura is all around me, but I can't see him anywhere. What is this?'
Spectra was now in a fuss, looking to and fro, and was startled as Crow appeared to his right, his index finger pressed against the side of Spectra's neck.
"Do you understand now, Spectra? Everything is useless without a foundation, without basics."
Spectra put his down, "Yes, I was wrong, Uncle Crow."
Crow smiled at the boy who was putting back on his blindfold, "Don't worry, you will learn everything in due time, but there is an order. So trust me and follow, step by step."
"But what was that? How can you move like that?"
"That," Crow spoke to the boy, "is the Noctarii blood in our veins, Spectra—mine, yours too. The difference is that yours is far more potent than mine. Maybe anyone's. But, if you wish to manifest, you need to train, build a foundation, and that's just the start."
Spectra's eyes widened beneath his blindfold, "What else can it do?" The excitement in his voice was evident.
Crow's smile flattened into something unreadable. "Too early for that. Nocte, Nyxari, or Tseraka will teach you when the time comes. I'm still learning myself."
Crow clapped his hands. "Alright, enough for today. Cool down, then we'll head back."
Spectra sat on the grass, stretching half-heartedly. He didn't notice Crow's eyes shift—distant for a moment, as if replaying the conversation that had set all this into motion years ago.