Training ended when the sun hit its peak. Lunch was good paired with the devil's soup and water that tasted like iron. No one spoke much. Kira sat between Nirro and Sapphire, picking at her food. Kealor babbled away. Nirro didn't talk. He just slid more of his food onto her plate when she wasn't looking.
A few minutes of rest. Then Ryven called them through the rune on their hands.
"Laps. Then punch drills. Move."
They ran. Dust kicked up around their boots. Punch drills came after—pairs trading hits, learning to take them. Lucian ended up with Jex. Again. Jex still flinched before every swing.
Lucian was mid-pivot when his boot caught a loose stone. He slipped. The ground rushed up to meet him.
He braced himself.
A hand shot out.
He grabbed it without thinking. For one second, relief hit his chest. He had been caught.
Then he looked up at the person's face.
It was Kira.
_glitch_
His eyelids twitched.
Her appearance flickered.
Grey skin. Eyes of one color, black like ink spilled into water, swallowing the whites whole. From her skin, dark shapeless hands crawled over each other, climbing up her arm, fast, reaching for his hand like they wanted to pull him in.
Fear hit Lucian like a blade. His vision went sharp, then white.
He ripped his hand back and shoved her with both hands. Hard.
"Don't touch me!"
Kira stumbled. The ground was right there—
An arm caught her back before she hit the dirt. Eoman.
"Now… now, that is not how we treat comrades," he said. Eyes closed, curved up in a smile like he'd just heard a good joke.
Then he opened them.
Blood-red orbs. dark streak across his pupils. They locked on Lucian and stared. Looked down at him like a predator measuring prey.
Lucian couldn't hold the gaze. His throat went dry. He dropped his eyes to the dirt like a scolded dog.
"Hmm. Interesting," Eoman snickered. He was still holding Kira, one hand steady at her back,
"We meet again. My lady." He said, looking back at Kira as she stared at him. Eoman then stood her back. Crouched.
His hand shifted to tap her head. He began twisting a strand of her hair around his finger like he was playing with a doll.
Ryven's voice cracked across the yard, heavy as a hammer.
"What are you doing here again?"
"Calm down, raging bull. You'll scare the children," Eoman said, eyes never leaving Lucian.
Eoman didn't look at him. He kept smiling at Lucian. Kept playing with Kira's hair.
"I asked a question." Ryven stated. not ready to play guessing games.
Eoman sighed, putting up a sad facade "I came to say hi to the children. Is that really a bad thing?" On the last sentence he tilted his head back staring at Ryven, who was now behind him.
Ryven's face remained calm except the tensing of his muscles and the whitening of his knuckles hidden beneath his folded arms.
"You grasped that opportunity a long time ago," he replied
"Why are you here?" Demanding once more, the strain and deepness in his voice as he tried to curtail his anger and fist.
"Such boringness. If I'm here things will be more interesting"
Ryven caught onto the hint. His eyes decreased to a thin line.
"What are you implying?"
A false smile creeped on Eoman's face. "I will be spending more time with them"
"The month is not over," Ryven said.
"You have had them for almost a year. An intrusion into the remaining couple of days won't hurt." Eoman lamented,
"Don't worry I won't interfere with your teaching" Eoman assured, but who could ever trust him.
"As if you haven't already done that," Ryven said,
"Leave the children. They haven't finished—"
Eoman's hand shot up in mock surrender. Grinning at Ryven, showing he wasn't touching any of the children including Kira. Even though he still remained crouched in front of her.
'I want to kill him'
Ryven's thoughts read out loud though he didn't say anything.
One last look at Eoman. He walked away.
Eoman chuckled,
Kira watched him with interest as she had only met him twice. Eoman turned to her and offered a smile, the smile Lucian could confirm it didn't feel evil. With even that he wasn't comfortable under the presence of this man.
"I will be in your care" Lucian had no idea who Eoman was talking to but he was staring at Kira when he said that. He then got up and followed after Ryven.
"Get back to training," Ryven said.
Skies tinted orange as dusk fell. They had all eaten dinner and were left to themselves. The only place they could roam about was their sleeping quarter.
Kealor jumped on his bed so hard that the spring force recoiled, nearly causing Kira to bounce off. If not for Sapphire catching her mid flight.
"Kealor be careful" Sapphire said as he sat Kira down on his bed before Kealor's.
Kealor limb spread wide open, covering his bed.
"oh sorry Kira" Kealor apologized, He was just happy all of them were back together.
Then sprang up to a sitting position so fast, that Lucian who was about to sit on his own bed besides his got startled. In anger Lucian flung his pillow square on his face.
Kealor laughed. Lucian huffed then sat down, his back to the wall, legs fully on the bed, arms folded.
"What do you guys think of our soon to be new instructor?" Kealor asked, Sapphire thought about the question.
"I hope he is not like Instructor Ryven" Kealor continued
"A disappointment of hope" Lucian uttered.
"Why do you think that, Luc?" Kealor asked.
Lucian paused, "It's a bad feeling" was all he said, shifting his legs so Nirro could take a seat. Nirro's bed was after Sapphire's, too for him to be engaged in the conversation.
"Was it also a bad feeling when you pushed Kira?" Sapphire asked.