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Ax was lying in his bed; it was noon, and it had been two days since he met Baron. The training had begun for Ax, but right now... he had his friends over.
Ace was lying against the bed, sitting on the floor with Hamz''s acoustic he brought with him. Hamz was playing video games on Ax''s console. Ace played his guitar while Nasri sang along, Ax and Hamz humming to the tune.
She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak.
I''ve been locked inside your heart-shaped box for weeks.
I''ve been drawn into your magnet tar pit trap.
I wish I could eat your cancer when you turn black.
Hamz knocked at Ax''s foot, "Psst."
"What?" Ax whispered back as he sat up.
"This is... remember when we first met?" Hamz asked Ax, still whispering.
"Yeah, how could I ever forget?" Ax replied with a soft smile spreading across his lips.
"Right, after they''re done, there''s something I should probably tell you guys," Ax said as his smile dropped.
***
Your advice,
Your advice,
Your advice.
Nasri finished the song, her face having a somber expression. Ace poked her with the guitar headstock.
"Ow!" she exclaimed as she looked back at Ace, who had a smug expression.
"Guys," Ax called out to everyone. Catching their attention.
"What''s up?" Ace asked, confused.
"My aunt is back for a few weeks. I''ll be going to a different part of the country for like a month, in a week, of course. So I have to start packing up soon," Ax explained; he needed an excuse to vanish for like a month, and his aunt would come and take him for a vacation at least once a year.
''Oh? Auntie''s back? Tell her I said hi when you meet her," Ace mentioned.
"Oh, I''ve never met her, but... tell her I said hi too!" Hamz added.
"You have an aunt, and she''s never here?" Nasri questioned.
"Oh yeah, she has a work thing, so she kind of just lives abroad," Ax was trying to explain.
"Why didn''t she take you with her? So she just left you to live alone the past few years?" Nasri kept asking, her voice rising with each word uttered.
"He specifically asked to live alone; drop it," Hamz cut in, interrupting her.
"Right, it''s still dumb, but if he chose to... I guess I can''t really say anything..." Nasri''s voice trailed off.
***
The three of them stuck around till 7pm; they hung around the area and made Ax promise to keep in touch when he''s away.
After Ax was left alone, he went through his closet. Grabbing whatever clothes fit him, a few jackets, and stuffing them all in a backpack. Grabbed his gear and put on his scratched-up boots and summoned the door to Nexus.
"I wonder..." Ax muttered to himself.
"To... The Prometheus Foundation!" he declared as he twisted the knob. It didn''t budge.
"Alright... then to... The Dragon''s Kiss!" he declared, the door opening this time.
As he walked through, he entered the tavern; he saw a dark-skinned woman with pointy ears behind the counter.
"Hey, Lyxian, right? Do you know when Valve starts his shift?" Ax asked her; he wanted to ask Valve some questions.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
"Hmm? Oh Axton, no. Actually he doesn''t even work here; I just drag him here because he''s good company," Lyxian answered as her fangs poked out of her lips.
"And we also need protection from the Numans sometimes," she added.
"Numans are the guys who tried to rob you guys, right?" Ax asked again.
"Oh yeah, Numans are humans born in Nexus without Oddities; they are an old-fashioned sort, clinging to the days when the other worlds didn''t migrate here," she explained.
"How long ago was that?" Ax asked as he grabbed the stool and sat down, dropping his backpack on the ground next to him.
"A few hundred years ago," Lyxian finished, and she prepared to take his order.
"I''ll just have apple-flavored ale, non-alcoholic. I just need something quick," Ax ordered.
"Coming right up!" Lyxian said as she started pouring ale into a mug.
***
After drinking, he walked to the castle to his room and searched for Baron, to see him sitting by the green court, going through his phone.
"Did it take me long?" Ax asked as Baron looked up.
"No, actually, I just sat down. Ready for the training?" he asked Ax with a grin, grabbing his baseball bat.
"First things first, put your guns away. Let''s spar; I want to see what I''m dealing with," Baron said as he walked into the grassy court.
"Just a bat...? Really?" Ax scoffed as he followed him.
"Ready when you are," Ax said as he unsheathed his sword, holding a stance.
As Ax blinked, Baron was already within striking distance and tapped his head with the baseball bat.
"Wha- how did-", Ax was fumbling over his words.
"Focus," Baron said as he walked back, raising his bat. This time in a defensive stance.
Taking his cue, Ax held his sword with both of his hands and ran to strike Baron in an overhead cut, however. Baron blocked it, both of them ending up in a guard clash.
Ax, with all his might, tried to overpower him, exerting as much force as he could against his bat with his sword. Baron, however, was holding it with one hand, barely breaking a sweat. He slowly exerted more and more force, making the bat touch Ax''s head again. Ax dropped his guard, breathing heavily.
"You... are freakishly strong," Ax commented on his strength as he raised his sword once more.
"I fight others for a living, Ax; I know how to fight. That being said, I know you''re stronger. Show me," Baron commanded as he raised his guard once again.
"Again!" Baron commanded.
Ax charged once more, trying to strike Baron as fast as he could, but with his bat, he swatted the sword away.
***
Again and again, Ax and Baron kept sparring till Ax was out of breath, gasping for air.
"We can take a break for now if you''re that tired," Baron proposed the idea, looking at Ax''s breathlessness.
"No, one more." Ax pushed the idea aside, asking for one final try.
"Alright, come at me." Baron raised his guard once more.
Ax took a deep breath and raised his sword with one hand once more and swiftly ran to strike Baron; he swatted his sword again once more.
"How many times are we going to—" Baron was monologuing, but he stopped as he felt something on his waist; he looked down to see Ax holding the back of his dagger against Baron''s waist.
Baron grinned once more, "Well, well, well. You really are full of surprises; you caught even me off guard. That''s saying a lot. That being said, take a break. We''ll continue later," Baron recommended.
"I''ll take over from here, Baron." Both Baron and Ax looked up at the gallery to see Valve standing above them.
He leapt down onto the grass and walked up to the both of them.
"Like hell you will; I scouted him out first. I''ll train him," Baron protested.
"He can still join your Order; I just need him to be strong enough to pass the trials," Valve explained.
"Why?" Baron asked, prompting Ax to stare at Valve.
"Because... he hasn''t been strengthened by the Codex yet," Valve explained, causing Ax to sigh in relief.
"How do you plan on doing that? How is your training any different from what I plan on?", Baron asked.
Almost as if on cue, Ela walked to the courtyard with a basket of golden apples in her hand.
Baron took a glace at the basket and looked back at Valve.
"A bit extreme... isn''t it?" He questioned Valve, his face contorting with concern.
"It is... trust me," Ela interrupted, reinforcing Valve''s side.
"Alright, Ax I therefore transfer mentorship to Valve or whatever; don''t give up halfway," Baron said as he walked off.
"Good, now Axton. Follow me," Valve commanded as he grabbed the basket off of Ela''s hands and walked off.
"Oh, and Elaine, if you want to. You can join us; you''re good company, and a sparring partner would be convenient," he added.
"Where are we off to?" Ax asked.
"The forest," Valve answered bluntly.
***
"fourteen... FIFTEEN!" Ax screamed out as he fell over to his side, staring at Valve standing above him. He was gasping for air.
"Why did you make me run to the city and back here? And then make me do push-ups," Ax asked as some of his hair was clinging to his face.
Valve dropped an apple into his mouth. "Get up," he commanded.
Ax got up as the bite rejuvenated his body.
"Is this where you tell me why you''re making me do this over and over again?" Ax asked rhetorically. Valve stood silent.
"Elaine! Come here," Valve called for Elaine, who was lying against the tree watching him train.
As Elaine walked towards the two of them. Valve took his helmet off.
A large cloud of white steam surrounded all three of them, blinding Ax and Ela.
But then it simply vanished within a moment''s notice. As Ax opened his eyes, he finally got a good look at Valve''s face.
He was a tall, slender, but athletic man. He looked European and had black hair and pitch-black pupils.
"Huh, you''re a lot more handsome than I expected," Ax uttered sarcastically.
"I know, right? I expected a massive scar across his face." Ela agreed with him, also sarcastically.
"...", Valve stood silent.
"Also, where did the steam go?" Ax asked him curiously.
"It''s my oddity; my body exudes an odorless and tasteless steam. However, I can alter the properties of it by giving it two conditions," Valve explained.
"Oh, I see. So that''s why I heard bullets just drop down instead of breaking something," Ax pondered.
"A smart one, yes, that''s precisely why they did that. However, right now. The two conditions are to be invisible and to be noise-canceling. So that no one else can hear us," Valve finished.
"Why though?" Ax asked as he was confused.
"It''s to do with Loki, Ax. He caused a prison break, releasing all the other gods," Valve explained.
Ax''s eyes opened wide; Elain stood silent.
"Loki wants to kill you."
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