Training with a Friend (Storm and Athena)

Storm glided down softly across the lush landscape, and dove down towards a small clearing. He had agreed to meet Athena here to help him get better at fighting. He spread his wings out wide before he hit the ground and landed smoothly. The Dragoness Shrouded by Ice wasn't here yet. He sat down by a tree to wait. It was early morning, the cool air around him felt nice. A soft breeze rustled the trees, and he breathed in deeply. It was a beautiful morning. He hoped that Athena would get there soon so they could start training.

Athena had been waiting for Storm. For an hour and a half. She was surprised he hadn't noticed her, lounging in the tree next to him. She smirked. "You forgot to look up, Lightning Boy," she said out of the blue. She hopped off the tree and landed next to him with a thud, tail hitting the ground as she landed. "So you came after all," she teased. "I was afraid you'd chickened out out of fear of me," she joked, walking to in front of him.

Storm jumped up in surprise as he saw Athena jump out of the tree. Already doing bad! Come on, Storm! Be aware of everything around you, he spat at himself.

"Hey, Athy," he greeted with a smile. He then frowned at her next words. "How long have you been waiting? I am sorry if it was for a while, I had to take care of some things," he explained.

Athena laughed and hit his shoulder gently with the flat side of her bladed tail. "Relax, Lieutenant, I am a patient waiter," she smirked at him, being sarcastic. "It didn't really bother me. Shot a few wolves, a few trees, the usual," she gestured to a few ice patches on some of the trees. She then smirked. "Now, why were you here again?" she teased him, winking to let him know he was in for a "treat." No, not that kind of treat. Storm was fifteen! She was nineteen! She was talking about a spar, for those inside her head who didn't realise!

Storm chuckled. "Alright," he said, wanting to get to business. "You ready to spar? I may have a few tricks up my sleeve that I didn't last time," he said with a wink. His face went slightly red, remembering how humiliated he got last time he fought her. He hoped it wouldn't happen again. At least this time, there wasn't anyone else around in case he did.

Athena raised an eye ridge as she half crouched. "I've seen plenty of tricks in my time, Stormy. Don't get too cocky with me. I'm sure you know what happens to those who do. Remember Fluster?" she teased, but she hissed as he said his name. She wondered where Nihlus had gone off to..

She grinned at his blush. "Relax. Once I kick your tail, I'll show some mercy, okay?" she flapped her wings, to make herself larger and to get the blood flowing. "Do you want the first move? OR will I beat you first?" she smirked.

// It was Full Buster, not Fluster. //

Storm shuddered, and wishing that she hadn't brought him up. He still haunted some of his dreams. Storm smirked at her next words. "You can have the first move," he said, also shaking out his wings and getting into position. He wanted her to get the first move so that he could counter it.

//Auto correct xD//

Athena nodded. "Such a-" At that moment she RUSHED at Storm mid sentence, aiming to tackle him to the ground. She loved this. She loved sparring. The adrenaline wasn't QUITE that of a proper battle, but she loved it all the same. Besides, she needed something to do when she wasn't looking for monsters to fight or performing real stunts to cure her boredom.

Storm saw the tackle coming and jumped sideways out of the way just in time. He rolled to break his fall and jumped up again quickly. He lunged for her exposed side, doing quick slashes with his claws. Of course he didn't do it as hard as if he was fighting a real enemy, though.

Athena was surprised when Storm managed to leap out of the way, and she had to skid to a stop to stop herself from tumbling over. She barely had time to react before she saw a purple blur in the corner of her eye. She whipped her head around and raised a wing, but he sent her off balance and stumbling backwards. he managed to get a few slices in before she used her tail to "block" his claws. It sounded a lot like a sword meeting sword. She slapped his claws by the wrist, not to hurt him too bad, just to prevent him from clawing her again. her tail did a loop before she used it like a whip, aiming to take out his legs from underneath him by the dew claw, while she aimed to get a hold of his neck with her jaws and force him to the ground.

Storm felt himself get knocked way off balance when Athena knocked his claws with her tail. Because of this, he didn't have enough time to jump over her tail when it came back in an arc. His feet got swept out from under him and he fell, only to be tackled on, once again, by Athena. He felt her jaws around his neck. He knew that she could have snapped it right then and there if she wanted to. He clawed ferociously at her chest area, determined to not let what happened last time happen again.

BUMP

Athena was on top of Storm. She felt the blood rush and very nearly snapped his poor neck in her predatory state, but she forced herself to loosen the weight on him before she crushed the drake. She hissed as he clawed at her chest and let go with her teeth. The worst that it was were faint teeth marks that would heal over time, she hadn't been holding him like she would a real opponent. She backed away to give him a chance. "If I was honest, you seem to be at your best while firing from afar and above and heading in for strikes when your enemy is weakened. Try it!" she suggested, getting into a dodge stance.

Storm felt his face go red with embarrassment as Athena had to get off of him to continue. He nodded at her advice. "Alright, I'll try," he replied, standing back up and getting into position. He suddenly jumped into the air, keeping his distance from her. He shot a couple sleeping orbs and dove in, doing a few quick swipes at her before retreating out of reach.

Storm could stay in the air for long periods of time, thanks to grueling SkyWing training. He was determined, though, and now he was as swift and agile in the air as any SkyWing was. He didn't even feel like a former NightWing anymore. He was basically a SkyWing, just with different colored scales and a different special power.

Athena had to chuckle as Storm blushed. "Relax, I was worse then you when I first started," she tried to make him feel better. She was still mortified by her first attempts at fighting. She had been TERRIBLE! Storm moved too fast for her to react and she had to leap out of the way to dodge the orbs, one of them skidding off her calf. immediately, it went numb. Athena felt Storm's claw scratch her and used her tail to block the rest, but her calf was numb. now she was slower on the ground. Picking her back leg up and tucking it into her side, she watched him in the air, a smirk on her face. "Seems like you're a natural. keep honing your skills in that direction and you'll be fit as a fiddle by the time the year is out." She then leapt up at him, large wings accelerating her. She knew Storm was far too quick while he was in the air, so she shot a few icy shards from her tail, aiming for his wings to knock him out of the air, while her frosty breath left her mouth in a gust of ice. She didn't aim to seriously injure him, so she kept the temperature high enough it would just stun him if it hit him directly. She mostly aimed for his shoulders and wings.

Storm felt better with Athena's confidence in him. "Thanks," he said humbly. He smiled. Then Athena attacked. Storm tucked his wings in tightly into a barrel roll (His favorite move), narrowly avoiding the ice spikes. He flared his wings open right after they passed him, only to get hit directly with Athena's ice blast. Despite the temperature being higher than normal, it still chilled him to the bone. He fell, feeling stunned. He shivered there for a moment in a ball, before feeling came back to him. His body steadily warmed up, and he stood up slowly, ready for another attack.

Athena raised a brow as Storm somehow managed to dodge the ice spikes she sent at his shoulder. She flared her wings and turned towards him as he fell to the ground. The icewing snapped her wings to her sides and fell to the ground, landing with a thud. She stepped towards him as he stood up, smirking. She shot another icy blast at him, aiming for his general body. She then leapt at him, aiming to distract him as she went to wrap her tail around his leg and pull him to the ground by the paw to the ground beside her.

Storm quickly jumped into the air as a second icy blast was shot at him, making her attempt to grab his leg a fail. A new adrenaline that he didn't know he had filled him. Fresh determination and confidence surged through him. He finally found his fighting style. And it had been in front of his face the whole time.

Storm hovered just out of reach of the IceWing, doing quick swipes at her when he could find an opening. He shot three sleeping orbs at her quickly, trying to overwhelm her.

Athena had to admit, she was genius! Storm had found his style! Athena was more into physcial fighting, but Storm was faster and more agile then her. She leapt back as he dodged her attacks, knowing he could easily claw her there and then. She leapt into the air, feeling his claws irritating the scales on her sides. Whenever she tried to swipe, he'd fly away. And the use of magic was draining her. Athena had finally met her match. And she loved every second of it.

When the sleeping balls came flying at her, she dodged the first two, but the third hit her directly in the face. She hovered there, wings supporting her. "Nice one.." She chuckled drowsily. Then she fell asleep in mid air, falling to the ground with a thud, crushing the grass beneath her. She wasn't seriously hurt, it was just a few metres in the air, which was nothing to a large icewing female like herself. She laid there, sprawled on her belly, sleeping as peacefully as a lamb.

Storm roared in victory. He did it! He felt the adrenaline draining from him and he spiraled to the ground. That battle felt good! He did feel a bit bad for putting Athena to sleep, though. Now he would have to wait there for a while. He sat down against a tree close to her and waited for her to awaken.

// Time lapse! We can make it about an hour later, since that is about how long it takes for it to wear off. //

//cooool! //

Athena snapped open her icy blue eyes with a soft gasp. She lifted her head. She was.. What? How was she flying while sleeping? She was far too busy looking at herself to notice the ballista aiming at her. When she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head, and barely had time to blink before the metal spear entered her body-


Athena lifted her head with a sudden snarl, gripping the ground with her claws. Once she realised she had been dreaming, she sighed and shook her head. She felt so tired.. So worn out. What.. "Shiningwaterdammit," she muttered. She glanced around, surveying the scene. She slowly relaxed, but she was on guard. "I hate bad dreams," she said to Storm. Then she smiled at him. "So. You won! Nice one!" She chuckled. "Seems I've met my match," she grinned at him. "You can take on a dragoness who went through eighteen years of training and was brought up by a physco uncle. Seems to me you've got grit, and grit you need to survive in a fight," she nodded to him, gesturing to his form. "You might even end up better then me someday." She had always preferred the idea that SHE was the best, but if she wasn't to be the most powerful, then Storm would be her pick to be.

Storm nodded when Athena talked about her bad dreams. Then, when she complemented him, he smiled humbly. "Thanks," he said. "The SkyWings did train me well to be able to hover and stay in the air for long periods of time. It was tedious for some of the time, but it seems like it has paid off!"

"So would you like to continue training, or do something else?" Storm stood up.

Athena tilted her head. "And thats why I want to join the icewing tribe. I'll probably get into a dozen fights per hour, but it would mean I could learn new.. Skills in fighting and.." She looked away. "Maybe I could find out why Atrex did that weird glowy thing and how I.. Do my.. Ice form, thing," she stammered. "Because it's one of the few things I'm properly scared of," she raised her eyes to Storm. "God knows what it is. It could just be a part of my being, but I CAN'T use magic. It's my weakness," she blinked. Then she shook her head. "Enough about me." She then grinned at him. "What do YOU want to do? You're the Lieutenant, its your call, Lightning Boy," she smirked at him, tail lashing from side to side, the blade cutting the grass it passed over. It was rather unsettling.

Storm smiled at her. "That is great that you want to get into the IceWings! I am sure that they would accept you," he complimented. He smirked back at her when she called him his nickname. "I guess we could keep training, Frosty." Storm got into his battle position.

Athena has to smile at Storm. "Thanks. Hopefully I won't give the old ones a heart attack from my 'violent nature'" she said, a hint of distaste coming into her tone as she started to imitate an elderly female she had once come across on her travels. "Oh, young one, you are far too pretty to go about spilling blood! Did your parents not teach you anything?" She said in a squeaky old female's voice. "Thats quote the old bat," she added, eyes widening for a moment.

She then smirked at Storm at his next words. "Now I know how you fight, I won't be so nice," she smirked. "And by the way, after you calling me Frosty, I'll be sure to punish you," she joked. The MOMENT she uttered the last syllable, she leapt at him, shooting an icy shard from her tail at his leg, aiming to make him jump as the flat, not nearly as lethal side of the blade at the end of her tail came at his wing, aiming to slam into it and lasoo around the bit where the wing met his shoulder and yank him to the ground.