The Protectors: Rising from Ashes [Progression Fantasy | Action-Packed | Epic Battles]

Chapter 48 - Rhythm of the Fight [Part 1]



The wind stirred across the training ground, cool and restless. It tugged at loose hems, ruffled hair, and whispered through the tall grass beyond the stone pillars. Dust curled around boots. The silence that had draped the field was gone, replaced by a hush filled with weight, like the air knew something was about to begin.

Cassandra stepped forward, the hem of her cloak trailing behind her like a shadow. She stood at the center, posture relaxed but unshakably firm, a general without needing armor.

"Let's begin," she called, her voice crisp and clear. "We'll start with paired duels. One-on-one. Learn each other's rhythm. Strength. Flaws. That's where real trust begins."

She let the words settle like stones tossed into still water.

"Who's first?"

Thorne didn't wait.

He stepped forward and strode to the center of the training ground, halberd slung across his back, his gait confident, almost theatrical. Chin lifted, shoulders squared. His eyes glinted with a spark that belonged to someone born for a stage, even if the spotlight here was steel.

He rested the halberd against one shoulder and turned, flashing a grin at the others. "Let's get this storm rolling."

Are you going to announce yourself every time you enter a fight, or should I start composing a theme song? Pyrix's voice curled inside his mind, dry and amused.

It's called presence, Thorne replied inwardly, smirking. Maybe you'd get it if you weren't stuck being a voice in my head.

Correction: magnificent voice. With claws and wings and centuries of battle wisdom.

Thorne ignored him and raised his voice, eyes scanning the group. "Well? Who's bold enough to face me?"

A laugh cracked the tension.

Bold? Or just bored enough to put up with your theatrics?

You're just jealous you don't get your own spotlight, Thorne shot back silently, his grin unwavering.

Aiden moved next, stepping into the center to stand in front of Thorne, whip-blade coiled at his side like something alive. His posture was easy, almost casual, but his eyes were sharp, too sharp for someone joking.

"You sure about that, lizard boy?" he said with a smirk. "You strike more 'dramatic flair' than actual threat."

Looks like wolf boy's got some teeth, Pyrix murmured with a flare of amusement.

Now you're sounding like my dragon, Thorne replied inwardly, grin still glued to his face.

Please. I was always your dragon. You're just finally fun to watch.

Thorne snorted. "Relax, howl-boy. I'll go easy."

From the edge, Elias stood with his arms folded, expression carved from marble. One brow arched—barely—but it spoke volumes.

"Try not to shatter the field. We just got here."

There was no amusement in his tone, but the dryness of it hung in the air like fine smoke.

Lyric, nearby, leaned her weight on one leg, arms folded across her chest. Her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement. She didn't laugh, not really, just exhaled softly, lips quirking in that ever-knowing way.

"And maybe try not to maim each other. Yet."

Alice didn't lift her head. She was adjusting the grip on her staff with slow, surgical precision. Her gaze remained on the weapon, but her voice cut in cold and level, like she was reading an observation off a chart.

"They're already maimed. Just emotionally."

Cassandra didn't bother hiding her smirk as she lifted a hand, palm open.

"Enough warming up your mouths. Aiden. Thorne. Let's see what your weapons can do."

The two moved forward in sync, boots grinding faintly against the gravel. The circle cleared without needing instruction.

And from the sidelines, Eddy stood frozen.

He hadn't spoken. Hadn't shifted. His hands hung loosely by his sides, half-curled. His eyes tracked every motion, the coil of Aiden's blade, the gleam of metal flashing over Thorne's shoulder, the wind brushing their hair aside like the scene demanded perfection.

This wasn't a fight.

This was a ritual.

He could feel it in his bones, that tension before something real snapped loose.

His chest rose and fell, steady but shallow.

Aiden's stance shifted. One foot back, knees loose, Shardtail uncoiling with a whispering hiss. It slithered across the air with an unnatural grace, heavy links rippling like a snake about to strike.

Thorne planted the halberd once, grounding it with a solid thunk. Then he spun it up and around, effortless. Controlled. His smirk had faded. What replaced it was focus. Hunger.

They circled. Slight movements. Measured. Eyes locked.

Dust drifted between them, suspended like the world had stopped breathing.

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Eddy's breath caught.

He'd seen fights. Of course he had — scuffles, arguments, maybe a few rough corners of the city. But nothing like this.

There was no yelling. No wasted movement.

This wasn't brawling.

This was something older.

Something dangerous.

And they hadn't even moved yet.

They faced each other across the short distance, weapons in hand, expressions sharpening like blades.

Thorne rolled his shoulders back, exhaled slow, then planted the halberd once more before sweeping it up into position — fast, clean, precise.

"Ready to dance, wolf?"

Aiden uncoiled Shardtail in one smooth motion. The chain snapped through the air with a metallic rattle, settling in a loose coil by his side. He cracked his neck, eyes narrowing.

"Lead the rhythm, scales. Let's see if you can keep up."

The wind stilled.

Then—

They exploded into motion.

Thorne struck first, closing distance with a powerful lunge. His halberd swept out wide, not testing, threatening. The blade sliced horizontally, the air around it whistling from the force.

Aiden dropped low and dove forward under the arc, kicking off the ground mid-roll. Shardtail flicked in his hand, spinning up and cracking toward Thorne's exposed flank like lightning.

Clang!
The halberd twisted back just in time, deflecting the segmented blade with a ringing crash.

Thorne didn't pause. He reversed his grip, spun with a low crouch, and slammed the butt of the halberd toward Aiden's knee.

Aiden blocked with the thick links of Shardtail mid-swing, sparks scattered as the weapons clashed. He pushed back hard, forcing separation, and leapt away with feline grace.

They circled now, not cautiously, but calculating.

"You're slower than I remember," Aiden taunted, flicking his wrist. Shardtail snapped once in the air with a deafening crack, the sound echoing off stone.

Thorne charged with a grin, halberd spinning like a windmill in his hands. He brought it down with force enough to split wood. Aiden twisted aside, just barely, the weapon crashing into the earth with a dull thud, dirt and gravel flying.

He countered instantly.

Shardtail shot out like a striking serpent, looping, redirecting, slamming toward Thorne from three angles in rapid succession. Chest. Leg. Shoulder.

Thorne's arms moved in a blur, intercepting two of the strikes with the haft, the third grazing his pauldron and leaving a scorched scratch along the armor.

He grunted. "You remember wrong."

Clash.

Halberd met whip-blade in a savage lock. The tension in their muscles rippled outward. Every movement had weight, purpose, no wasted energy.

Aiden ducked under a follow-up arc, kicked Thorne's leg mid-spin, then twisted backward, flipping the whip up and over Thorne's head. It looped, almost caught, but Thorne jerked free with a headlong spin, severing the wrap with a sharp twist of his weapon.

Breath misted in the cool air. Dust coiled around their boots.

From the sidelines, Lyric leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of a nearby stone bench, her eyes wide. "They're actually… really good."

Alice nodded, her arms crossed, face unreadable but focused. "Thorne's more controlled than I thought."

Elias stood still, one hand resting lightly on a sheathed blade, gaze following every twitch of movement. "Aiden's holding back."

The tempo climbed.

Thorne stepped in with a sudden burst of speed, jabbed the halberd's butt low, then flipped it overhead, swinging in a brutal diagonal meant to end the match.

Aiden raised an arm. The whip coiled around his wrist and shot up, catching the halberd mid-strike.

They locked eyes, just for a second, and shoved.

Thorne pushed with brute force.

Aiden yanked back with momentum.

The clash broke in a crack of metal, both stumbling a half-step from each other.

Then they rushed forward again, one last move.

Thorne swept low. Aiden leapt.

Shardtail lashed across in a wide arc.

The halberd twisted like a scythe.

The weapons missed, by inches, and kicked up a gale of dust between them.

Just then, Cassandra's hand rose, calm but firm. Her voice carried over the sudden silence.

"Enough."

Both froze.

Their weapons hovered mid-air, less than a breath apart.

They held the pose for a beat, eyes locked, sweat gleaming on their foreheads, breath shallow, hearts thudding like war drums in their chests.

Then, as one, they stepped back.

Aiden rolled his shoulders, letting Shardtail coil back around his arm like a sleeping beast.

"You got better," he said between exhales.

Thorne spun his halberd once, letting it settle at his shoulder again. "You're still annoying."

They bumped fists, quick, silent, solid, still standing at the center of the training ground, dust swirling faintly around them.

Eddy exhaled sharply, eyes wide. "What kind of training is this?" he muttered under his breath, barely realizing he'd spoken aloud.

Cassandra, without looking away from the pair, replied smoothly, "The kind that shows you what you're capable of, once you stop being afraid of it."

She took a few steps forward, her gaze steady.

"That," she said, voice ringing with clarity, "was not the same fight I would've seen from you two days ago."

Her eyes swept across the rest of the group, then returned to the two in the center.

"You weren't lacking skill before. You were lacking faith, in yourselves."

Her tone softened just a touch, enough to settle the weight of her words.

"But now... now you're beginning to see yourselves. And so are the rest of us."

Her lips curved in satisfaction, the gleam of approval flickering in her eyes.

"Well done. That's the fire I was hoping to see."

Aiden let out a small breath, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. "Guess we didn't completely embarrass ourselves."

Thorne gave a half-smile, lifting his halberd slightly in mock salute. "Speak for yourself. I was flawless."

From the sidelines, Lyric grinned, a spark of confidence in her eyes. "Not bad. One of you better be ready when it's my turn. I don't plan on holding back."

Thorne glanced over his shoulder at her, smirking. "I'll try not to look too impressed when you miss."

Aiden chuckled. "She's going to roast you for that later."

Alice tilted her head, arms still folded. "If we're handing out roasts, make sure he earns it."

Thorne shot her a mock-offended look, but she didn't blink.

Elias, quiet until now, gave a slow nod. "That was better than expected."
Then, more to himself, "Still room to grow."

Eddy just stood, motionless.

His hands were tight at his sides. His heart thudded against his ribs.

That wasn't training.

That was war rehearsed.

He blinked once. Then again. Eyes glued to the field like it might still be burning.

Then Cassandra's gaze turned to Elias, her voice calm but clear.

"All right. Elias, spar with Aiden. You need to sharpen your edge… especially if you're expected to carry more than your own weight when the next attack hits."

Elias's eyes flickered toward her face, just briefly, not with surprise, but with something more elusive. A thought. A question. Like he sensed a weight behind her words, something left unspoken.

He lowered his gaze.

His fingers curled tighter around the twin blades at his sides.

Kael Duskbane.

The name echoed in his mind uninvited, the image etched on the chamber wall, clear as day. The solemn figure of the former Protector, shadowed and resolute, with two blades drawn, blades that looked almost exactly like the ones now in Elias's hands.

For a moment, the grip felt foreign. Like he wasn't holding his weapons… but someone else's legacy.

Then, with a slow exhale, Elias let the thought settle in the back of his mind.

He gave a short nod. "Understood."

He stepped forward with quiet confidence, the twin curved swords at his side gleaming faintly in the morning light. His movements were smooth, composed, but there was a subtle tightness in his jaw, something restless, coiled just beneath the surface.

Thorne passed him with a crooked grin, lightly tapping his arm. "Don't embarrass the rest of us, blood prince," he teased before returning to the others, halberd slung over his shoulder.

Aiden turned as Elias approached, stretching out his arms, a faint smirk dancing across his lips. "Don't go easy on me, Nightshade. I'm all warmed up now."

Elias's expression didn't shift much, but the corner of his mouth lifted just enough. "Wasn't planning to. Let's see if your bark has any bite."


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