Fefnir walked between the fencing circles, his two longswords clinking with every step as they patted him along the leg. He was here to learn. As he walked, he watched passionately as in each circle, there were two people, swords in hand, slashing away at each other amid flying steel and the clink of swords hitting each other. It was fantastic.
The wind ruffled the boy's hair and caused his black cloak to billow behind him. He eventually stopped and sat down on a bench, watch a particularly intense pair of fighters go at each other. There were occasional moments when nothing would happen, the two of them simply standing, swords in front of them, calculating each other's moves. But these moments of inaction were short lived, as soon after they began, one of them would lunge and the flurry of steel would continue. After fifteen minutes, neither had drawn blood from the other.
There was a tree behind him, multiple people sitting with their back's to its large trunk, staring at its leaves, the sky, or at another's fight. Looking to his left, he saw one such person.
"Hello." he said with a smile, stretching as his did so. "Good fight." he said conversationally.

Ria came here merely to visit the place, see what its lie, and if it sparks any interest to her. It was amazing to see all the people wielding swords and fighting each other in wide rings bordered with rope. Most used steel swords, but others who were still learning used hard wooden swords. She was intrigued with the fighting, and knew it would be good for her to sometime learn how to wield one, but she had never been really good with swords, but she was better with swords then magic.

Today, Ria wore a silvery dress that fell to her knees, and she wore sandals that reached to her knees, and the sleeves were long, falling over her hands in bell like sleeves. Her long black hair was draped over her slender shoulders. Her silvery eyes scanning over the many people fighting, then drew over to a fight that was still going on, and she grew curious, so she walked over to a tree were the shade was good, though, there were more people there watching the battle.

At her side, Jinx trotted by her side, as silent as ever the jaguar was.

As she stood watching the fight, turned to her, speaking.

"Hello. Good fight."

She looked at the human boy, and smiled politely. "Yes, it is." She said, looking at the fight again, before returning her attention to the boy once more. "My names Ria." Ria said.

Fefnir turned and smiled when the woman responded. She seemed slightly out of place in her flowing, silver dress, surrounded by muscular, sweat-drenched men dressed in as little as possible on this warm day.
"It's nice to meet you Ria." the boy said, smiling. "I'm Fefnir. Do you come here often?" he asked, his attention turning back to the fight. It was fantastic, the way that these to men seemed to anticipate each other's moves. A low blow, a low block. A high blow, a high block. It was as if there were completely in sync, in tune with each other. He sat there, the sun beating down on his head, taking in each move, each complicated string of attacks, of blocks. It was like a well-scripted ballet, written out before his very eyes.
He wondered things about his new companion. Was she here to fight? If she was, why wear the dress? Did she use magic? Where was she from? What did she do? Was she seeing anyone?
It was strange, but the thoughts would not leave the boy's mind alone, disallowing him from giving the fight his full attention. It was like his thoughts were trying to redirect his focus.

"It's nice to meet you Ria. I'm Fefnir. Do you come here often?"

She smiled at Fefnir, then looked at the fight. "No, I don't come here often, this is really my first time here. What about you? Do you come here often?" She asked. She glanced to her side where her rapier was. It was in a white scabbard, and the handle was white also, tinted gold, so it was barely noticeable at her side.

The young Star elf seemed to stand completely still as she watched the fight. It seemed so complicated, well, sort of. She wondered if she would be able to manage fighting well like the two in the ring, and maybe instead of learning all the fighting steps and stances they have, and sort of merge dancing into it. Though, thats only if she is able to use a sword well enough, she had so much trouble with magic when she shouldn't it might be the same with swords too.

She sighed, and reached down to scratch Jinx's head, who sat at her side, watching the fight as if he understood everything that went on in the fight, after all, Jinx is as intelligent as a human.

What about you? Do you come here often?
Fefnir laughed, leaning back once more.
"No, this is my first time here to..." It was his first time in the country to... He'd lived south, far south, and had just arrived.
It was strange, but nobody seemed to pick up that he didn't belong, that everything in this place fascinated him intensely. The truth was, he had been born in the wrong place. This was the land for him
"But, I'm pretty sure that I'll be coming here every so often... Going to need all the practice I can get..." he said, tapping the sheathed blade of one of his longswords absentmindedly. He still didn't understand how those people did it, fighting with two swords. It was so complicated, like a riddle for your hands.
He'd tried it before, and the blades had interfered, clashing against each other and flying out of his hands. He'd stick to one sword for now.
He paused, seeing the feline beside her.
"Is he yours?" Fefnir asked, looking back to the flurry of blades every so often. A good fight was nice, but company was always great.

"No, this is my first time here to..."

She wasn't to surprised about that, he looked new to the academy. The Star elf looked at the fight again, her black hair wavering in a cool breeze. She looked at his longsword when he tapped it, then she looked at the boys face, cocking her head slightly.

"So you want to become a great warrior?" She asked in her soft voice. The boy seemed so young to want to practice so much, though, he only had a hundred years to live like all normal humans, and Ria didn't quite always understand why their lifespan was so sort when she can easily live to be older then a dragon. But right now, she was only 24, she wasn't even considered a teenager yet, everyone called her a child still, most, anyway did.

"Is he yours?"

"Yes. I call him Jinx." Ria said, stroking the jaguars fur.

So you want to become a great warrior?
The question came out of thin air, as if it had been stolen out of Fefnir's head.
"No... I don't want to be a great warrior... will be a great warrior." he said, determination burning in his eyes. He had given everything up for this, for his chance to make something of himself.
It was more than the sword though. It was something far more precious than tempered steel could ever be. He would use the sword, but he would be great, with both might and magic. He'd given up his life for this, and he was going to do it well.
"Lets just say that I have something to motivate me. What about you? Are you doing this for yourself? Or for someone? Or something?"
Yes, I call him Jynx.
Fefnir watched as she lovingly stroked the jaguar's fur. Oh, how he wanted a companion, someone to be with him, always. To stand beside him, to fight with him, to defend him, to be defended by him.
"It must be nice..." he said, looking at the pair, "Having each other. You never have to worry about being alone.... Because you always have each other."

"No... I don't want to be a great warrior... will be a great warrior."

Will? May, he does seem determined... just like... She cut her thoughts of as she had nearly thought about her old lover who was said to be dead. She avoided those thoughts now, and looked at the boy, noticing how determined he looked. She looked up through the trees branches and leaves, to the blue sky, before she returned her attention to the boy once again.

"Lets just say that I have something to motivate me. What about you? Are you doing this for yourself? Or for someone? Or something?"

She looked at the fight once again. "I want to learn to fight so I can protect those who I love and need to protect." She said, sighing silently. Everyone she seemed to have known in the past are suffering because of her.

"It must be nice... Having each other. You never have to worry about being alone.... Because you always have each other."

She pulled her hand away from Jinx, and rested her hands on her hips, and took a deep calm breath. How she needed to control her emotions more. "Y-yes it is nice."

I want to learn to fight so I can protect those who I love and need to protect.

At least you have people to protect, Fefnir thought bitterly. He'd left all his loved ones, he had nobody. Well, there was one... Eliel, a Drow. He was the first one to have shown him kindness on this journey, and Fefnir would never forget it. His first friend in this crazy place.

He nodded, falling back into silence as their conversation ran dry. He could only keep thinking of things to ask about for so long, though it was a pity. She was... pretty, and she seemed nice enough. He wanted to keep talking, but the ideas came... relatively slowly, especially when she wasn't exactly holding up her half of the conversation.

The sun was bright, breaking through a few clouds that floated lazily by in the azure sky. The smell of sweat, steel, and stomped grass flowed through the air, gracing the nostrils of everyone it passed as a slight breeze carried the strange cocktail of scents around.

"So... do you live near here?" he asked, attempting to resurrect the conversation. "Or are you on a trip? Visiting someone?"

The clinking of the fighter's blades still rang through the air, but suddenly stopped. With the most imperceptible of motions, one of them stopped the fight. They stood there, swords at the ready, staring at each other, sweat glistening in the sunlight. Then, just as suddenly as they had stopped, the pointed their weapons to the ground and walked towards each other, free hands extended. They shook hands, and went their separate ways.

Looked like the fight was over.

A man, clad in shining armor, walked into the ring, looking out at everyone that had been watching.

"Who will fight next?" He called out, his voice clear and firm.

Ria let the silence pour over her, except for the clanging of weapons, but she liked that sound for some reason. She looked at the fight, watched the swords flash. She watched, basically analyzing the battle. Watching how they moved, their footing and how they kept their balance as they fought. She found it almost graceful. Her attention was drawn back to Fefnir when he spoke again.

"So... do you live near here?"

She smiled at him.

"No, I do not... but I would have loved to have come from such a wonderful place like Imythess. I come from a far land, a beautiful place it is too." She said. But that place haunts her with memories... Jaxel... She closed her eyes to regain her emotions again, and when her silvery eyes opened, they held her natural calmness again.

"You could say I'm merely traveling." She said. And she defiantly didn't look like she was traveling, by what she wore, and how she had no equipment with her.

"What about you, Fefnir? Somehow I don't think your from anywhere near here, seeing as before you said this was your first time to the academy of arms." Ria said, looking at him curiously.

"Well, you'd be right about that..." he said, chuckling a bit. "In truth, I haven't even been in this place for very long..." he said, gesturing towards Imythess in general. He'd come from the south, born to a farmer's family but cast out when he wanted to devote himself to magic and the blade.

"I guess that's something we have in common." he said with a smile. "We're both from other places... and think that Imythess is beautiful."

The armor-clad man was getting a bit angry, watching the crowd that was simply sitting in the shade, the crowd that Fefnir and Ria were a part of.

"What is the matter? Are you here to fight, or are you here to lounge around in the shade?" he yelled through his helmet, practically frothing at the mouth.

Suddenly, he stepped forward, a finger pointed at Fefnir and Ria. "You two," he said, "You're next. Get up and ready your blades."

For a moment, Fefnir did nothing, the shock of the situation not allowing him to act. After a few moments, he pointed to himself, asking a question with his face. The armored man nodded. Fefnir pointed towards Ria, the same question on his face.

"Are you two going to sit there like idiots? Or fight?"

Fefnir stood up shakily, he wasn't really prepared for this. "Well, it looks like we don't have much choice..." he said, looking towards his new companion. What a way to make an acquaintance.

Fefnir walked into the sparring ring, his two swords glistening in the sunlight. Hanging from his waist, just beside his left sword, a small hammer hung, crackling with energy. Slowly, he unsheathed one of the swords, the sound of metal ringing through the air. His sword in hand, Fefnir turned towards Ria, an awkward smile on his face.

A young man entered the outdoor arena, it was clear that he was new too since he was quite young. He had his longsword in his back and the buckler in his hand. He looked at the fighting, people training, swords clashes. The young elf had his eyes sparkling looking at them.

He was excited to see how it would go, then two new fighters got on the ring, making him Link even more curious. He ran towards the fighting area and notice the jaguar. He smiled at it and nodded. Then he got closer to see how would the fight go.

It's been awhile he did not see a fair fight. Last time it was...So long ago. He was on the tip of his feet just to take a better look at the fighters. A man versus a woman, tough none should be understimated. The young elf was expecting a good fight.