[ Chapter 9 ] Spar

Anathea finds herself back in the area in her head. The scenery was the hill and sunset just like last time. Anathea stands staring at the sunset feeling the wind blow on her face.

[ Anathea ] ¨I´m… back here…¨

Anathea takes in the familiar sight. A voice is then heard, it is the same voice from last time. Anathea turns back seeing the black woman figure again. The white smile is prominent on her face.

[ Woman Figure ] ¨Look who is back? The [Redacted].¨

The word goes blank to Anathea, like a glitch.

[ Anathea ] ¨I don´t know what you said.¨

The woman figure white smile drops a bit.

[ Anathea ] ¨Ah, I forgot. I´m not allowed to say that. Not like saying it matters when you can´t hear it.¨

Anathea's head turns in confusion.

[ Anathea ] ¨Not allowed? What does that mean?¨

The woman figure sighs at Anathea.

[ Woman Figure ] ¨I can´t answer that. I´m not allowed to.¨

Anathea's confusion burns higher.

[ Anathea ] ¨What do you mean not allowed to? I don´t get it.¨

[ Woman Figure ] ¨It doesn´t matter really. You´ll figure it out eventually. Someday you will hear that word.¨

Anathea stands there taking in the woman figure´s words.

[ Anathea ] ¨Figure it out… eventually?¨

The figure walks closer to Anathea.

[ Woman Figure ] ¨I have a bad feeling today… No reason why. But I have a gut feeling. I´m only here to warn you Ana.¨

Anathea only gets more confused by her words

[ Anathea ] ¨Bad feeling? Why? How do you have one?¨

The Woman Figure darts to look at Anathea.

[ Woman Figure ] ¨I feel like something is gonna happen today. Whether it be bad or good.¨

[ Anathea ] ¨Should I be cautious?¨

The Woman Figure nods no.

[ Woman Figure ] ¨I wouldn´t say you need to. But just be safe, be wary.¨

Anathea thinks for a second taking in her words.

[ Anathea ] ¨Okay… You know… I still don´t know who you are… can you remind me?

You said I forgot who you were.¨

The Woman Figures form gets surprised for a second then a big smile appears.

[ Woman Figure ] “My name…? I forgot you don’t remember me.”

The Woman Figure turns facing to Anathea.

[ Woman Figure ] “I am [redacted]”

The name of the woman glitched out also.

[ Woman Figure ] “Seems like you can’t be allowed to hear that yet.”

Anathea gets slightly angered with confusion.

[ Anathea ] “Why!? I don’t get it! Why aren’t you allowed to?! Who are you?! What is this place!?!”

Anathea's pitch was high and desperate. The Woman Figure’s demeanor dropped a bit from the sudden tone change.

[ Woman Figure ] “You aren’t allowed yet to learn many things. I can only answer one of your questions. This place, this place is your conscience, your mind, what you are seeing in your head. Your… internal monologue.”

Anathea takes in the words unable to make of it.

[ Anathea ] “If this is my conscience why… am I talking to you?”

[ Woman Figure ] “That is one I can’t answer, well I can say it, but it gets blocked.”

Anathea touches her head from confusion.

[ Anathea ] “I don’t get it… this is hurting my brain.”

[ Woman Figure ] “As I said, you’ll learn eventually. You’re just not ready yet.”

Anathea turns to the Woman Figure.

[ Anathea ] “Not… ready…?”

The Woman Figure looks up into the sky.

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[ Woman Figure ] “Seems like it’s time to separate.”

[ Anathea ] “Wait! I still have many questions!”

The Woman Figure looks at Ana.

[ Woman Figure ] “Hearts is gonna wake you up, bringing you back to reality. So, we have no control over this.”

Anathea tries to run and grab the Woman Figure’s hand.

[ Anathea ] “W- Wait!”

As Anathea grabs the Woman Figure’s hand she wakes up, back to reality, blinking as Hearts stands over her from the side of her bed.

[ Hearts ] “Geez! You slept so long.”

Hearts point out of the window.

[ Hearts ] “It is already daytime, hurry and get up!”

Anathea gets up from the bed, rubbing her eyes.

[ Anathea ] “I’m going, I’m going.”

[ Hearts ] “I’ll be waiting outside.”

Anathea gets up from her bed, getting her gear on. Minutes pass, and Anathea comes out of the room with her usual mage clothing, putting her hat on. Anathea fixes her clothes and checks on her staff.

[ Anathea ] “All set.”

Anathea walks down to the inn’s main area where Hearts sits at one of the tables. The inn has a small amount of people on other tables. Anathea reaches Hearts.

[ Anathea ] “I’m ready now. What are we doing next anyway?”

Hearts smiles and lightly punches Anathea’s shoulder.

[ Hearts ] “We’re gonna spar.”

Anathea makes a blank derpy face.

[ Anathea ] “Heh…? you weren’t kidding…”

Hearts walks towards the exit with jolly and excitement in her steps.

[ Hearts ] “Hahaha! Nope!”

Anathea sighs and walks with her. As they are about to leave the inn, Nora chimes in.

[ Nora ] ¨Wait for a bit, please.¨

Nora goes into the employee room, coming back soon with a wooden picnic basket and bringing it to them.

[ Nora ] ¨Here, it has sandwiches in them. I made them just for the two of you.

Anathea takes it and holds onto it.

[ Anathea ] Thank you, Nora.¨

Hearts leave Anathea’s room. Anathea sits there stretching.

[ Anathea ] “Be wary huh…”

Hearts and Anathea take their leave from the in. Crimson and Nora both look at them as they leave.

[ Crimson and Nora ] “Come back again.”

Hearts and Anathea both wave to them.

[ Hearts ] “Later.”

They both leave the inn, walking towards the direction of the city gates.

[ Hearts ] “How do you feel about Straya? This is your first time interacting with a human city.”

Anathea thinks for a moment,

[ Anathea ] ¨It´s very… big and crowded. I´m not really used to it. Coming from the Elven country, it's a big contrast. But, everything I´ve seen so far from yesterday, was great. Ragna, Crimson, Nora, and you. Of course, yesterday was a tragedy with Pin and their group, but it doesn´t change how I feel about this place.¨

Hearts smiles softly at Anathea.

[ Hearts ] ¨You still have lots to explore and learn! That was only your first day. I´m sure you´ll get along.¨

Both of them make it to the city gates, leaving the city. Walking towards the sunlight.

[ Hearts ] ¨Over there. That seems like a nice place.¨

Hearts point to a grass plain.

[ Hearts ] ¨Let´s go.¨

They both walk reaching the plain.

[ Anathea ] ¨How should we do this?¨

Hearts starts stretching her legs.

[ Hearts ] ¨Something light, so we can understand each other.¨

Anathea puts down the picnic basket next to a small rock.

[ Anathea ] ¨When are we starting?¨

Hearts finish stretching, cracking her knuckles.

[ Hearts ] ¨Now!¨

Hearts rushes towards Anathea, coming with a punch.

[ Anathea ] ¨Woaha!¨

Anathea barely dodges and uses her staff to vault away.

[ Anathea ] ¨Hey! You could have warned m-!¨

Hearts rushes in again cutting her sentence off.

[ Hearts ] ¨Think fast!¨

Anathea points her staff at Hearts.

[ Anathea ] ¨Barrier!¨

A light screen appears in front of Anathea. Hearts punched the light screen, and a loud sound of vibration was heard. Hearts pulls back her arm shaking it a lot.

[ Hearts ] ¨Yeouch! Man! It feels just like metal.

Anathea says behind her barrier.

[ Anathea ] ¨This doesn´t seem very light to me.¨

Hearts sees the barrier flicker, she pulls back and does another punch to the screen, breaking the barrier. Anathea lets out a tiny squeak, backing up and forming a distance between them.

[ Hearts ] ¨Shouldn´t have let your guard down.¨

Hearts blitz in front of Anathea. Anathea was caught off guard.

[ Anathea ] ¨Oh shi-¨

Hearts uppercut Anathea´s chin, then use one of her knees to hit Anathea's stomach, sending her flying up.

[ Hearts ] ¨Shoryuken!¨

Anathea lands, hitting the floor, and jerking back up looking at Anathea.

[ Anathea ] ¨That hurt! How is this soft sparring!!!¨

Hearts rushes in again prompting Anathea to jump back for distance.

[ Hearts ] “Just gonna keep distance?”

Anathea lands from her jump looking at Hearts.

[ Anathea ] “Well, I'm a mage. Close combat isn’t exactly my forte.”

Hearts chuckles a bit.

[ Hearts ] “Oh yeah, I forgot you excel in range.”

Anathea uses her staff as a pole to vault into a kick at Hearts. Hearts also attacked with a backhand strike against Anathea’s kick. Both strikes clash.

[ Hearts ] “Atahhh!”

Anathea kicks off with her other foot, landing gracefully on the ground.

[ Anathea ] “But as an elf who lived for a long time. Why wouldn´t I devote some years to learning close combat.”

Hearts flicks her hand.

[ Hearts ] ¨Let´s see then!¨

Hearts come in with a haymaker. Anathea blocks with staff. They both push at each other. Anathea pushes Heart's arm aside, kneeing her in the stomach. When Hearts reels back, Anathea uses her staff to strike her knee bringing her down. Hearts grabs Anathea´s arm pulling her in for a shoulder bash.

[ Anathea ] ¨Oof!¨

Anathea is sent flying back.

[ Anathea ] ¨Will of Water, Aqua Whip.¨

Anathea points her staff at Hearts, and a whip of water flies out grabbing onto Hearts

leg. Hearts look at the whip.

[ Hearts ] ¨Uh oh.¨

Anathea pulls Hearts towards her.

[ Hearts ] ¨Ahhh!¨

Hearts fixes herself as she is pulled. As Hearts reaches Anathea. A blue light is seen from Anathea´s staff.

[ Anathea ] ¨Will of Water, Grip of Camus.¨

A giant water hand flows out gabbing onto Hearts.

[ Hearts ] ¨What the hell is this?¨

The giant water hand squeezes Hearts from Anathea´s control.

[ Anathea ] ¨Give up?¨

Hearts struggle trying to escape from the grip.

[ Hearts ] ¨Not yet… wanna try one more thing.¨

Hearts manages to take out one of her hands from the water.

[ Hearts ] ¨Will of Ice, Blizzards Touch.¨

Snowflakes fly from her hand towards Anathea.

[ Anathea ] ¨What is this supposed to d-?¨

Anathea's eyes flicker then she backs up getting rid of her water hand, and releasing Hearts. The snowflake that was about to hit her exploded into a spiked ball of ice. A loud sound of an explosion was heard along with cold wind blowing with it.

[ Hearts ] ¨Whatever the snowflake touches explodes into ice.¨

Anathes makes an angry face pointing at Hearts.

[ Anathea ] ¨Okay! Now that one was dangerous! You know how sharp those were!?!¨

Hearts sits down from exhaustion.

[ Hearts ] ¨Sorry hehe… Besides you would have dodged it anyway.¨

[ Anathea ] ¨That doesn´t change the point!¨

Hearts waves her hand.

[ Hearts ] ¨You win… I give.¨

Anathea walks over to Hearts.

[ Anathea ] ¨Take it lighter next time. Geez!¨

Hearts chuckles a bit at Anathea.

[ Hearts ] ¨No promises.¨

Anathea sighs.

[ Anathea ] ¨Shall we eat the food Nora gave us?¨

[ Hearts ] ¨Yeah, I´m famished.¨

Anathea goes towards the rock where she left the picnic basket. Anathea picks it up and turns to Hearts.

[ Anathea ] ¨Got the food. Now we can e-¨

In the gap between Hearts and Anathea, a figure stood there next second. It looked like a fiend mostly in silver. The armor covering its body is similar to scales but isn´t. A silver scale-like spiky plate on its face is like a mask. Completely red eyes like lava. Claws on its hand and talons on its feet. Along with a black fady scarf on its neck.

[ Anathea ] ¨What the hell… is that?¨