It was early in the morning, they were right back on schedule to Michael's routine training.
Stefan paced around as Ellis sat beside, both of them watching intensely on Michael's duel with Mave.
Michael found it extremely hard to focus while Stefan continuously remarked on his poor footwork. He never won against Mave though the time in his duels had been steadily increasing by the day, that was the only commendable achievement they could give him. Though at the end of every duel, his face always smacks to the floor or he bleeds.
Each loss only fueled his burning desire to win even if that sounded insane.
They were both fighting with wooden swords made dulled for the purpose of training. It didn't hurt when the sword grazed across his skin but Mave swung hard, with no bother how swollen the lumps on Michael's body became. That was one of the things he respected from her. She knew Michael had to learn and she wasn't going to hold his hand the entire way.
Michael needed to build his experience from all of his losses because there were no second chances in real battle. If he was dead, there was no getting back up.
Stefan clapped loudly from the side, shouting random phrases as if Michael was really listening to him.
Michael thought his entire body was in overdrive. He could've been sweating a puddle since they've started fighting. Mave was fast but she wasn't too fast to the point he couldn't read her attacks. Michael moved his body carefully away from the reach of her sword.
She was several inches taller than him and her limbs were farther than his. He wasn't complaining about his height differences though it was difficult for him to find an opening.
Mave swung her sword continuously, sparing no room for the small boy to react. Her voice was gritty and irritated, obviously annoyed at how Michael still managed to keep his ground against her.
She thrusted her blade, aiming to pierce right through his guard and into his stomach.
Michael caught notice of her arm quickly pulling back, moving his sword into position and parried the attack. He turned and raised his own sword. She was completely defenseless with the sudden surprise that her attack was shrugged off.
But Mave could hardly lose to something like that. She moved her blade into a block from above, cutting Michael's brief moment in the offense. She dragged her sword away and swept his legs from below.
Michael couldn't register her attack in time. She flowed so smoothly, it looked like she moved all in one motion.
He hit the ground with a hard thud, falling on his back. He tried to quickly recover his ground but stopped. There was already a blade pointing right to his chest.
Mave pulled her wooden sword away and exhaled.
Michael sat up, disappointed with his loss again.
"That was awesome!" Stefan still rooted. "If I knew you two were fighting like this, I would've watched every single session!"
Mave wiped her forehead. "You take pleasure in watching the boy lose?"
"No, he's getting better. It's fascinating to watch."
Michael doubted that he was getting better. Mave was still a stone wall that he couldn't climb over. Even if he was starting to last longer in every fight, the feeling of defeat was more bitter to the taste.
It was like every time that Michael had lost, he was dying. Mave was right. How could he ever think he was good enough for a fight if he can't even manage to land one attack on her?
Ellis walked over and handed them glasses of water. Mave grumbled that she asked for a lemon. Michael just poured the water over his head.
Stefan picked up a stray wooden sword. "Alright, my turn!"
Mave headed back inside.
"Wow, really? How about you, kid?"
Michael shook his dripping head. He's been fighting for about three hours since he woke up.
"I'm going to make some breakfast," Ellis told them before following Mave. "Don't forget to do your other exercises like Mave said, Michael."
Michael nodded. He wasn't uncomfortable by those mediocre exercises that Mave gave him about swinging a sword. He was uncomfortable because he was alone with the one person he would be weary about.
Stefan sat across from him, twirling the wooden sword in his hand.
Michael thought the silence was more tense than ever. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Stefan drew along the ground. "So, where is she?"
"Where is who?"
"Don't play dumb, kid, I'm talking about your sword-girlfriend thing. Are you too scared to talk about her?"
Michael tried to swallow back his frustration. It turns out he didn't enjoy anybody talking about Evelyn to other people.
"I'm just curious," he dragged the sword around more. "Is her face like a part of the sword or something? When she talks, does she—"
"What do you want?" Michael interrupted him. "Are you trying to make fun of her?"
He noticed the sharp change in Michael's tone. "No, I'm not. I just never saw anything like it in my twenty-three years of living. Anybody changing into a sword literally goes against the laws of magic. Is she some type of mage that can shapeshift? Now that is something I can believe—"
"No, she's not."
"Then how?"
"She's an ego sword."
"Kid, I have no idea what the hell that is."
"She's a sword," Michael said. "That can turn into a human."
"Is it a magical artifact?"
"It?"
"Oh, sorry," Stefan scoffed. "Is she a magical artifact?"
"I don't know."
Stefan studied him. "You really are one strange kid."
"You can't tell anyone, okay?"
"I told you that your secrets are safe with me."
Michael looked at him with uncertainty.
"Oh, come on!" Stefan spread his arms. "What type of person do you take me for? You can trust me, kid, I won't tell anyone about your little sword-girlfriend."
"Not even Mave or Ellis?"
"Do you want them to know?"
Michael stared off. "I'm…not sure."
"Alright, then," Stefan looked around. "Where is she? Did you hide her somewhere?"
"She's in the attic."
"You left her there?"
"She doesn't like to watch whenever I train with Mave."
Stefan's face recoiled. "She can watch you as a sword?"
"She can—" Michael gestured his hand in the air. "She can watch everything when she's a sword."
"So…she's been tagging along with us from the start? That sword on your back was her all along?"
Michael nodded.
"That's seriously creepy."
"I've gotten used to it."
Stefan looked around again. "Is she with us right now?"
"No, she's in the attic."
"Let me get this straight," he stopped. "She can turn into a sword and turn right back into a human?"
Michael nodded.
"Anytime she wants, she can change between the two?"
Michael nodded again.
"Is she even human?"
"She's human."
"Then, that means—" he pointed with his finger. "When you're in your room…"
Michael felt chills climb onto his neck. "Uhh…"
"How old are you again?"
"Fifteen?"
"Oh, then did your parents teach you about…you know?"
Michael exasperatedly waved his hands. "What are we talking about right now?"
"You're telling me all those times you've slept with your sword, you never had her—"
"No, I don't—" Michael stammered. "Why are you asking me about this?"
He shrugged. "I just figured that might have explained the noises I hear in the middle of the night."
"Wait—what?"
"You do realize the attic is right above my room, right?"
"What?!"
Stefan bursted out laughing. "And I was starting to think the house was haunted!"
Michael rushed to the door, desperately trying to escape the conversation.
"Hey, I'm joking!" he shouted. "Come on, kid—"
Michael shut the door behind him. He wasn't going to let himself get embarrassed like that. The one thing worse about finding out about his ego sword was talking about his relationship with her. The bond with Evelyn was something he found personal so it was obvious that he'd feel uncomfortable when someone else mentioned it out loud.
If Stefan wasn't afraid to pry into his feelings about Evelyn, what else could he possibly damage in the future? Michael didn't want every conversation to be about her. The entire idea was to keep her a secret, away from the public eye so they wouldn't find out about his magical sword. Michael wasn't ready at all. He never prepared himself to have Evelyn meet other people.
Was he just being selfish again? He's been so controlling about what she does and who she could meet. Would she really want that? To stay strapped to his back and have her time spent only with Michael when she was a human? Evelyn didn't even sound bothered when he mentioned revealing the ego sword to the party.
It was Michael's own fear that was holding everything back. Could they really keep something like that a secret?
Ellis caught him by the door and ordered him to eat breakfast. Normally, Michael would go back to the attic after the end of every training session.
Michael munched on his bread silently to himself. He didn't even feel hungry anymore despite his appetite for free food. Ever since Stefan found out about Evelyn, his stomach has been turned upside down.
"The guild is doing a celebration," Mave said. "Apparently we moved up in the rankings."
"Yeah, thanks to us." Ellis gestured with his fork. "You think we would be even remotely acknowledged if it wasn't for our quests?"
"Either way, we're most likely being honored."
"I guess we have to go."
Michael gulped down his food. "Where are we going?"
"To the Adventuring guild here in Aldoria." Ellis answered. "You've been there before, remember? It's where we all first started on our journey."
Michael always thought their guild being called Adventuring guild was very vague. There had to be other guilds that sounded clearly more intimidating.
Stefan popped by the archway. "We're seriously going to celebrate with those people?"
Ellis let out a small laugh. "I never thought I would hear you say that. Has becoming sober cleared up your mind?"
"I told you that I quit drinking."
"How many times have you said that already?"
"We're going." Mave decided. "More recognition means more assigned quests. I don't want to be stuck scraping off the guild's quest board and I reckon neither of you guys would either."
"Umm," Michael stopped eating. "Do I have to go?"
"Obviously. Did you forget you're in this party?"
"Uhh…"
"What, you got somewhere to be?"
Michael tried to ignore the chuckle behind him.
"What's that idiot doing?"
"I'm not doing anything!" Stefan drew back his smile. "I think we should let the kid go wherever he wants—"
"I'll go!" Michael suddenly shouted. "I can go!"
Mave stared at both of them with confusion as Stefan covered his mouth.
Ellis shared her stare. "You two clearly have problems."
"Clean yourself up," she sighed. "You're not going to show up looking like that, are you?"
Michael finished his plate and cleaned himself in the bathroom. The amount of times he's been pushed to the ground has accumulated enough dirt on his body. He didn't know who they were being presentable for. He thought the Adventuring guild only consisted of people who couldn't take care of themselves. It was heavily ironic but it wasn't like he was going to show up dressed in trash.
He climbed up to the attic and strapped on his leather armor. The marks of stretch and weathering had made him look like a generic adventurer now. He looked totally different from before ever since he had stepped foot in Aldoria.
Michael grabbed his sword by his bedding.
The sword flashed in his hand. "Took you long enough."
"Sorry."
She noticed his armor. "Where are you going?"
"To celebrate? I don't know—hey, stop that, Evelyn—"
She felt around his cheek. "Does it hurt here? Why do you keep training with her when your face gets like this?"
"Because it's training."
"Do you like her hitting you?"
"No—what?" he pulled away her hands. "It doesn't hurt, really, you don't have to worry about that."
"Are you at least winning?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did your voice get so high?"
"Uhh—hey, ow!"
She punched him again. "Does it hurt now?"
He could have sworn her punches felt softer when he started to laugh. He even saw her smile through his arms as he tried to shield himself.
She tugged him back and forth. "Are you bringing me too or what?"
Michael held her still. "I'm always going to bring you."
"As a sword?"
"Do you want to be there as yourself?"
"I don't think I wanna be next to any of those people—"
"Hey, kid!" Stefan shouted from downstairs. "Whatever you're doing up there, hurry up and get it over with!"
Evelyn's face was annoyed. "What's his problem?"
"It's nothing," Michael quickly responded. "Are you ready?"
She held his hand. "You won't be fighting anyone, right?"
"I…don't think so?"
Her eyes glared at him.
"Really—there won't be any fighting," he stammered. "I think it's just the guild trying to throw a little celebration for us."
"Why would they do that? I thought they all hate each other."
"I have the same questions as you."
Evelyn looked into his eyes. "Don't do anything stupid, okay?"
Michael nodded. The sword flashed back into his hand and he climbed back downstairs. They were already waiting for him by the door, wearing their usual fit of armor. He thought they could've just worn their commoner attire but since adventurers were probably too judging so it'd be disrespectful to show up looking awkward.