Arthur's Point of View

Over the Middle Ocean

Kheri wasn’t doing as well as she expected. Although to be fair, I was trying to make it challenging for both of them.

“This is like trying to fight underwater!” Ty cried out as he rolled away from the Zugal General.

“How do you think I feel!?” Kheri grunted back.

Both were slow. Terribly slow. Slow enough that many of the other sailors would often have a laugh at their expense. Kheri had a stronger Gravity Pillar surrounding her than Ty, but I had to adjust his more frequently. Every day, the two would adjust their movements as the training went on. To keep it interesting, I would often increase or decrease them periodically.

“Keep at it. Kheri, let me know if you get tired.” She merely huffed in response.

Her strength was in her wings and ability to fly, but she had been holding on far better than I expected. Kheri’s title was well earned, given how quickly she would adjust. However, Typhon was also a little alarming. The boy was practically getting stronger in front of me. Every day, I would have to adjust the force against him far more than I would for Kheri.

Whether it was from his ancestry or not, the fact was his growth in these last few weeks has been incredible. “How do they fare?” Elincia inquired.

“The same as usual.” I responded as I watched from the railing on the airship’s side. “It takes them a bit to adjust.”

“It seems the young Dragon adjusts quicker than the experienced Zugal.” Ventari commented.

“You noticed that?” I asked.

She nodded from beside Elincia. “Young Typhon seems to get the upper hand earlier in these little sparring matches.”

Elincia then crossed her arms in a womanly manner as she watched. “It never lasts. Kheri is being restricted enough as it is. Her experience on the ground is lacking, this is true, but her experience more than makes up for it.” Then she gestured to an incident that had just occurred. “She also pulls her punches against her opponent.”

The Priestess was right. Kheri had many more openings to exploit than Typhon. That was due to her experience, and I could tell she was doing her best to make these matches a learning experience. However, I think she realized that my student was underrated. At times, he often surprised her. She reacted well enough, but only more experienced eyes would see it. Elincia and I were probably the only two that did.

Her eye would twitch every so often when she would watch them train. “Typhon…” The two women turned to me when I trailed off. “Typhon has a lot of potential. I just don’t know how much. Honestly, his rate of growth is rather intimidating.”

“You believe him to be some kind of genius?” Elincia questioned curiously.

“I believe he’s extremely talented.” I immediately replied. “Typhon has a natural talent that many don’t have. On top of that, he’s a hard worker, and he apparently has something to prove. I’ve not seen how far his genius may go, but I wouldn’t hesitate to call him as such.”

“Honest praise.” Ventari stated. “But all Dragons are powerful. We’ve never seen one be trained, so this may be normal for them.”

I didn’t feel the need to respond to that. Our attention was taken from the sparring match anyway.

“Land, ho!” One of the sailors shouted suddenly.

Rolling my eyes at the saying, I moved along with everyone else to look out upon the horizon. My eyes darted about as a sinking feeling washed over me. Narrowing my eyes to see what might be responsible, I found nothing. Nothing within range anyway. Ventari had a large smile plastered to her face while Typhon was bouncing lightly in excitement. He and Kheri were both covered in sweat.

Allen was the one who spoke up. “We’re about to hit land. That means we got the desert sun coming soon. There are a few key differences for us despite flying over it. One, it will be hotter. Stay inside if you’re not needed outside.” He called out to the sailors. “Two, make sure you cover up. Not all of us are as used to the sun as the Dwarves. Just look at her highness’s skin if you need an example.”

Ventari nodded in agreement. “The sand will also burn to the touch in the day. At night, due to the intense heat, you will feel like you’re freezing. Do not leave the ship unless necessary.”

“That goes for all fliers.” Captain Harlow continued after the Queen of Dwarves. “It’ll be easy for you to get lost among the dunes, canyons, and lose us if you’re not used to the environment.” Then he gestured to me. “Any words for us, Sir?”

Smoke eventually caught my attention as it was still far in the distance. “Prepare for a fight.” I stated simply.