“You’re late,” whispered someone coming from behind Jin, “Those are training dummies, when fully charged I must say they are quite hard to beat,”
The pure shock of fright was like an injection of fright and surprise. As a survival instinct kicked in, the surge of adrenaline had him reaching for the scabbard of the sword hanging from his waist. Quickly following the sound with his eyes, Jin's vision found a woman.
With her thin, gentle arms relaxed by her body and her long black hair falling over her shoulders, she remained still. Her profound black eyes showed no sign of empathy. An almond shaped stare cold as ice which made Jin feel increasingly uncomfortable as he stared at that apathetic presence.
"Who are you?" Jin asked, his eyes wary on any sudden moves made by her hands.
The woman, however, did not flinch a muscle, “You’re late,” she loudly repeated from where she stood.
Suddenly her arms moved, and with that Jin gripped firmly to his sword.
The distrust of the woman leaking from his eyes. After what Tristan had done to him, Jin was starting to realize. People had to give him reasons to be trusted, not the other way around. They were leagues away from any friendly faces or reputable High Elders, so no additional precautions taken seemed enough.
“Come at me with all you have,” she daringly said with a bell-like voice.
To that, Jin's confidence warmed his reflexes like a torch to a hand. Clenching his fists after hearing such an undeniable invite, he positioned himself against her. Both arms tightly gripped to the steel, all it would take was a swift slice.
“You don’t have to ask twice,” Jin confidently replied as he rushed towards the motionless woman.
He had already faced a minotaur not too long ago. And deservedly claimed an improbable challenge. If he had to demonstrate his combat prowess to a Disciple, then the one who would have to worry about surviving certainly wouldn't be him.
The attacks launched by Jin however were easily deflected by the girl, who had no problem reading every offensive slash coming in her direction.
“Your movements are stiff, your swings awfully predictable,” she sharply said as Jin was suddenly brought down to the ground with a low kick he never saw coming.
In the blink of an eye he found himself slumped to the ground. Stunned, his head throbbed in pain as if he were feeling constant pinpricks rising from his neck. On his back, he found himself stunned. The trust he carried with him had in moments been stolen as it had never been there from the start.
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“You brandish steel like a child wears diapers. I'm surprised you survived the Hall of Trials bearing action above thought,” said the female in a disappointed tone of voice. Crossing her arms, she turned and looked up. While on the ground, still feeling confused by the girl's agility, he flexed his arms. His fingers pulling the grass from the soil. Regaining balance, he slowly rose to his feet with confidence in his criticized abilities.
“The lack of technique you just showed me back there,” the girl spoke out with uncertainty, her eyes still gazing at the skies above her, “You haven't trained at all since you arrived, have you?”
Jin shook his head, “My nucleus awakened not that long ago,” he uttered, “I’d appreciate if you could enlighten me by giving an introduction into the elemental training instead of breaking me down with effrontery ,” Jin said.
She sighed, “I will not have you stall any longer than you already have, in that case... if you wish for improvement then I will guide you.” the woman said, her penetrating gaze almost freezing Jin in place.
“Grab a sack and start jogging through the endurance road uphill. Once you reach the stone bridge, turn back and it is going to be ten kilometers total. If you manage to return in sixty minutes, you will earn the right to hear the official course of introduction,” she firmly stated while pointing to a bag of textile fiber packed with items.
The woman took her eyes off the skies and sat cross-legged on the grass. Reaching to her belongings looming close beside her, she picked up a thick book and brought a brush in between her fingers.
"Name?" she asked with indifference.
"Jin, son of Lord Alaric," replied Jin.
The girl quickly exchanged a brief look with Jin. But as soon as their eyes met, she promptly turned back to the book. With a brush being held gently between her fingers, she touched the surface of one of the pages and quickly filled the white page.
“Jin, son of Alaric, your time is running out,” she said, refusing to turn her eyes away from the book and look at her elemental trainee a second time.
"Sorry I didn't catch your name, what was it again?" Jin asked. She had forgotten to give him a name to call her.
“You need to go through the Endurance Road before you earn my name. Only then you shall become worthy of being my apprentice,” she coldly said waving him off.
Jin quickly approached the bag and gripped the support flap with both hands.
"What is inside?" Jin asked, surprised with the weight that he was suddenly carrying.
He wanted to peek to see the contents he would carry immediately as he approached the sack, but considered it unwise. Hesitantly lowering his eyes to where his hands were. It was of utmost importance for Jin to establish a harmonious relationship between apprentice and the woman before him. Ultimately, If she were to become his master, he needed to avoid confrontation. That was the least he could for someone that would help him become stronger. For all Jin knew, the very nature of the training offered and the content of that sack could have been one of Sanctum’s greatest secrets.
To Jin's surprise, the girl kept no secrets regarding the first exercise. With a harsh, distant face, she replied while fixing her gaze at the clouds, “Inside the bags are numerous potatoes, but remember this exercise is not more about speed than it is about concentration. I will not tolerate the loss of a single apple, furthermore I counted them all before you arrived,” the pale girl threateningly said, "Jin, son of Alaric you should hurry considering you have fifty-nine minutes remaining!"