The day was incredibly sunny yet the heat wasn't unbearable. It had now reached that time of the year when the sun could be out and about yet you wouldn't have to worry about becoming a sun-dried treat.
With the clear skies above it was the perfect time for any outdoor activities or even a picnic. Unfortunately for Tibaut, he had just gone through the former.
There Tibaut was on the ground, bloodied and out of breath. He was covered in so much black and blue, that you wouldn't be wrong for assuming he was of another species.
Sadly for this black, blue and red man, he was human. Chained to his chest was a circular weight that looked similar to a 45-pound weight plate.
"Is that really all you have?" Elizabeth asked him.
Seeing as he wasn't talking or moving since he hit the ground a normal person may have called it quits or started or called a physician. Elizabeth then looked around to ensure nobody was around and started healing Tibaut.
In an instance, what had once been a stretch to call human was restored, and he instantly backed away from his abuser.
Once able to speak again Tibaut instantly made his complaints known.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!! Who the hell just starts wailing on someone out of the blue? A little warning would have been appreciated!"
Elizabeth looked at him unbothered. Worryingly she responded, "Don't worry, I can tell you from experience you'll stop complaining at the tenth attempt." She then began heading his way.
A cold sweat then broke out on Tibaut. As he weighed his options while facing the approaching danger, he realised running away would be the best option. Unfortunately for him, the weight on his chest was not a 45-pound weight. By his estimation, it felt close to his own body weight.
"Christ, what the hell is this made out of!?" He cursed in his head while looking at the plate. For the record Elizabeth currently had no plates on her. In her words "this training is strictly for your own growth." How so very kind of her.
While Tibaut was occupied in thought Elizabeth decided to give him something. It was a haymaker. It looked like the healing not only restored his body but some of his stamina which was the only explanation for him dodging the punch by ducking.
Unfortunately for him, the weight mentioned earlier on his chest made jumping up and backing away in time seem like a pipe dream. Elizabeth was easily able to slug him with her next hand which sent him sliding across the dry dirt.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
The weight was one thing but the fact it wasn't evenly distributed across his body is what made it such a pay in the ass to dodge with. Tiabut got up and wiped the blood off his nose.
"Hells bells, I'm gonna die before I get anything useful out of this." He thought while approaching her. You may be wondering why he wasn't using magic. Well, each time he did it in his earlier attempt she closed the distance and pummelled him each time he tried.
Due to his lessened mobility, there was no way for him to comfortably use his magic. He was now in favour of using martial arts. If he could get even one hit in he would be satisfied.
They soon approached each other although a spectator could easily tell who was quicker.
Elizabeth soon began her onslaught with Tibaut being forced to defend.
"My lady above, you really have been a lazy bastard recently, haven't you? This wouldn't have happened if you had just read the defensive magic book or learned how to summon ki."
"Why the hell are you telling me this now, you harpy!?" Tibaut decided not to let leave his throat as he was already getting his ass handed to him.
He was now in a defensive position biding his time. He knew she wasn't a hand-to-hand specialist so his time would come soon. Each punch she landed felt it bored a hole directly through him.
Her strength was absolutely unreal; the only thing he could be thankful for was that she didn't formally know any martial arts that used punches. The thought of her using the techniques of a martial art with her strength made Tibaut almost want to cry.
Eventually, he spotted an opening and took it. It was a clean uppercut and his fist felt as though he just punched a boulder. By most standards, it would send an opponent crashing to the ground at least. Elizabeth stood still after taking the punch.
"Maybe this is one of those scenarios where she got knocked out on her feet?" He hopefully thought to himself.
After a few seconds, she turned her head towards him. The look in her eyes made her seem like a viper eyeing down its prey.
"Not bad…Unfortunately, that wasn't the point of doing this" she told him before sending his face crashing into the dirt.
After healing him, Elizabeth decided it was time to take a break.
"I have to say, I didn't expect you to get a hit on me this early." She told him in genuine amazement.
"Why didn't you go down?" He asked, sounding defeated.
"Unfortunately for you, if there's one thing my master's training gave me too much of, it'd be durability."
Tibaut then began analysing her current and previous statements during the training.
"Don't tell me you went through this too?"
"Pretty much." She responded nonchalantly. "Well, this was a long enough break, let's continue."
"Hold on, no water, snacks? How bout we stretch a little first? You know I think I hear Vanessa calling for us." He began pleading as Elizabeth made her way towards him.
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Meanwhile in a location in the parish unknown to most. There were various people gathered doing what appeared to be praying while one man in front of them was giving a speech.
There was nothing remarkable about the people gathered.
They wore standard clothing that was common in the parish and they had no outlandish scars or tattoos that would help identify them as part of a particular group.