Hidden among the machines was a small raised platform. Sand covered the flat surface, and Kael could see the runes and magical oddities that must be hidden somewhere on the construction in his minds-eye. Memories of a time that felt long lost but had only been made a short time ago dampened his excitement. The anticipation and joy of recovery and return to physical training he had felt when he first saw the building was gone. Washed away by regret and shame.
How long had it been since Barbara had taken him down into the basement of the restaurant? Even in comparison to the extensive amount of machines here, what lay hidden beneath the tame exterior of his former home was impressive. That was without considering the second, magical part of the gym. And while a part of his mind was drawn to the mystery of why a restaurant needed such an extensive gym, most of his attention was spent remembering her tour of the place.
How much of his time had been spent between the implements of physical fitness? Most of his time with Martin was spent in those same walls. Spotting for one another. Eeking each other on or making a game out of the workout. The training was never easy, but they had made it fun. Then there was the culprit of his relapse, occupying the center of the room. The magical fighting arena.
The haze of anger and regret that had clouded his judgment for those last few days after the attack had dissipated, giving Kael a clean view of his behavior. They had tried their best to provide an outlet for his feelings, but the pain had been too deep. There was so much that he had not dealt with, then and now. He needed to apologize. Regardless of the outcome, he had to try and make it right by the few people that had treated him like a human being. They did deserve better.
The thump of a door closing announced the arrival of Sarah. She, too, deserves better. She saved my life, Kael thought. She could have just dumped him into a hospital and been done with it, but what did she do? She took me in and provided me with the care, time, and space to recover at my own pace. He vowed that regardless of what would happen in the future, he would make sure to return the favor. So instead of showing her his troubled expression, he put on a small smile and turned to face her.
"Ah, there you are. So, what do you think?" Kael had no trouble responding to her enthusiastic and excited voice. "Very impressive. Thank you for bringing me here, but... is it ok for us to be here? There is no one else here." And he really meant what he said. While the gym below the Feathery Delight might be even more impressive, this was far better than any public gym he had ever seen. "Ah hahaha... yea, it's fine. This belo..." Her voice got quieter as she spoke and turned into an incomprehensible mumble by the end. Flustered as she appeared to be, Sarah quickly turned around and began to drag Kael farther into the room.
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"Never mind that! Let's get going, yes? You should feel honored, you know. This is the first time I let someone outside my family train with me. Hmpf!" Kael fought hard to stop himself from laughing at her cute behavior. In the end, he failed. Seeing her standing with her arms akimbo while looking proudly at him was too much. "Maha! Alright, princes. I will make sure to treasure this experience for the rest of my life." The exaggerated bow he tried to underline his response with was sure to look miserable, but she played along nonetheless. "As long as you know. Come, servant. I require someone to carry my towel."
It felt great to be laughing again, Kael decided. They played a few more minutes during which he acted as the faithful servant and she as the cute but incompetent princess. It was adorable, cringy as fuck, and more fun than he had had in weeks.
"Thanks for that." Kael said while they were resting between training sessions. They had stopped acting a while ago but were still having fun moving their bodies. "No problem, but..." she turned serious for a moment, "that... princess business. It never happened. Is that understood?" - "Loud and clear. Come on, resting time is up. We still have endurance left." The moment of seriousness was over as fast as it had arrived "Nooo! Keep the evil time and energy eater away from me!"
That evening, as an apology for keeping her on the treadmill longer than she wanted, Kael prepared a spread of dishes he knew she liked best for dinner. He had not been able to stop himself from going all out on the revolving belt. The offering seemed to subdue the beast a little, and he only got a few reproachful looks and biting remarks about her hurting feet that day.
After dinner, she joined him for tea in the garden. Nestled in a cradle of nature and below the setting sun, they sat silently sipping their drink. "Thank you for saving my life." A low and calm voice disturbed the silence. Kael was not even looking at her when he spoke his piece. "Sorry for taking so long to say it. There is so much going on, and my mind is still well. But thanks to you, I am on the path to recovery. So, thank you for everything you did. If there is any way I can repay you I" - "You can stop talking now." She interrupted.
"You helped me beat that asshole Jason and his pet and got hurt because of it. With the circumstances as complicated as they were, leaving you out there for some mundane medic to find would have been the same as not saving you in the first place. I could save you. So I did, end of story. Nothing I did was because I expected you to repay me in any way whatsoever. Live your life to the best of your ability and I will be satisfied." Her monologue sounded calm, collected, and most of all, certain. Still, Kael could feel the underlying weight and emotion that gave her such certainty.
There was nothing more he could add. So they spent their time in silence, enjoying the companionship the other provided. Maybe, Kael thought as he watched the sun disappear below the horizon, maybe I can have that confidence one day.