Jon was a bit exhausted. He was happy when Mallory brought him a straw chair.

“Stay comfy, king!” he said, as Jon gleefully took his place in the simple chair.

“Why.. .would you want me to be tired?” Mercy asked.

“Well, I don’t think I can teach in you in the way of technique,” Sabez said. “That would all be hidden behind the walls of your family dojo.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Mercy said. “Then what are we here for?”

“...I assume that you’ve been trained in any and all of your family techniques,” Sabez said.

“Then why am I here?” Mercy really didn’t seem to be understanding what was happening.

“You should hand over your weapons to Jon,” Sabez responded. Jon didn’t know if Sabez was providing an explanation or ignoring Jon’s question.

“Sure.” Mercy seemed surprised, but she adhered to Sabez’s instruction.

“Here, catch!” Mercy tossed her small black tool to Jon, who caught it in his hand.

She then took the Vindazi sword off her hip and lobbed it into the air.

It spun until it stabbed itself into the sand near Jon’s feet.

“Are we doing hand to hand?” Mercy asked.

“Whatever you feel will get you the upper hand,” Sabez said. “See if you can knock me down on the floor..”

“Alright…” She began to hop in place and raised her fists near her head.

Sabez simply raised his hands up.

She ran to Sabez, aiming towards his left leg.

Jon thought that Mercy was going to strike, but she simply stopped in front of him.

Sabez hadn’t moved.

Jon had no idea what happened. He looked at Mercy’s face. She seemed distressed.

“Are you going to make the first move?” Sabez asked.

“You…” Mercy literally growled.

She pushed towards him, and he swatted it away with his palm.

She continued to punch and he patted her fist away each time.

Suddenly, she made a high roundhouse kick, which he ducked.

“Smooth,” he said.

“You.. jerk!” Instead of going with one of her normal straight punches, she instead swung her whole fist over her shoulder straight towards his chest.

He crossed his arms, blocking the blow.

Mercy wasn’t done. She lifted herself off the ground and tried to kick Sabez in the back of the head.

He simply ducked and pushed her away.

“You have really strong moves,” he said.

“Stop… patronizing me!” She ran towards him again.

Jon watched Sabez parry, dodge, and retaliate against Mercy’s attacks. Her movements were wide and varied, and no matter what, Sabez always had a single move to defend whatever it was.

She began to move more and more around Sabez, striking him from any angle imaginable.

Sabez still swayed on the sand, not even appearing to break a sweat. Then again, he could have been sweating, and Jon would have never been able to see underneath the headwrap.

Mercy suddenly made a big attack from the front, leaping into the air and rapidly kicking forward with both legs in the air. Jon figured that she was using mana to keep herself in the air as she kept kicking forward.

Again, Sabez didn’t seem to pay him any mind.

That was the last straw for Mercy. She dropped to the floor and leaped behind Sabez’s head.

Jon had seen this before. Mercy kicked off of the air behind Sabez’s head towards him.

He swiftly turned around, grabbing her out of the air and tossing her over his shoulder.

She landed on her back on the ground some feet away.

Sabez wagged his finger at her. “Close, but no-”

Jon shook in his chair as he heard a loud roar from Mercy.

Her hands flashed in a flurry of motions in front of her body before she punched the floor.

Lighting like energy surged from into the ground and rushed towards Sabez.

Whoa… Just when Jon thought he was done being impressed, he wasn’t. Mercy could attack from far away in more ways than Jon could.

Sabez leaped back to give himself some room.

He then made a simple kick, deflecting the energy away.

Mercy wasn’t done. She had already begun making more signs by forming her hand together.

She punched forward, and fire rushed forward from her hand. Unlike Hector’s flame, Jon actually felt the heat from it, and it made him wonder if he would singe anything on his body.

Sabez took the brunt of the attack, but he was unscathed after the fire had dispersed.

Mercy had already run back up to Sabez. She jumped and grabbed onto his shoulders with her hands, flipping over his head.

As she came down, she grabbed his cape, throwing both of them to the ground.

Oh… Jon wondered if Sabez was in real danger.

In a surprisingly nimble move, he lifted his legs and wrapped his ankles around Mercy’s head.

He brought his legs forward and tossed her over.

She landed on her back but immediately rolled back onto her feet.

“Stop-” Sabez said. He raised his palm up.

Mercy was sweating more than Jon ever saw before. Her entire body rose and sunk as she breathed.

“Why… why would you do that… I…” She sunk to her knees. “I…”

“Don’t feel bad,” Sabez said. “That was clever.”

“Did you let me think… I had you?” She looked to the floor.

Jon felt compelled to leave his chair and go comfort her. However, he didn’t want to take Mercy away from her training.

“Your technique… albeit more precise and deadlier, was still the same. I assume you were told that you should overwhelm your opponent with great power and speed.”

Mercy nodded though her eyes still didn’t observe Sabez.

“I can tell you have much training… in so many ways… but you are afraid…”

“I’m not afraid…” Mercy said. “I just…”

She looked at Jon. She looked as if she was going to cry.

“Jon does not fear your strength,” Sabez says. “He is endeared to it. So much more that he wants to copy it.”

“No one… should have to go through what I go through…” she said. “No matter how strong it makes you.”

“And yet, you share the pride of your family-”

“I am not, like my family,” Mercy said. She stood up from her knees.

“But your pride, I feel it. When you fight for your friends, it’s gone. But, when the fight becomes personal… you fight like you have something to prove. And therein lies your pride.”

“I…” Mercy looked away. She didn’t protest.

Jon leaned in. He felt like it put him closer to Mercy.

“You have pride in your technique,” Sabez said. “But not in yourself.”

“I do have pride in myself…” Mercy protested. “I do…”

“When you’re fighting…”

Mercy made a noise in her throat.

“Your family technique is what keeps you alive. Your mastery over it, it gives you feeling, but you also hate your family and your clan. These emotions blend together-”

“I can’t hate my family and have pride in them at the same time!” Mercy yelled. “How is that possible?”

“Humans are complex creatures,” Sabez shrugged. “Surely you should allow yourself some sympathy.”

“Well, I don’t need it.” Mercy brushed the sand off of her arms .”And besides, all of this platitude nonsense isn’t giving me anything. What should I be doing?”

“I think you should not assess the strength of your technique, but the strength of your own character.”

Mercy clocked her teeth. “What?”

“How strong you are in performing your technique does not determine how strong you fight. It is the other way around.”

“...That makes sense… but I know that!” Mercy crossed her arms and looked away. Jon could have sworn he saw her pouting.

“So, it just so happens that you forgot yourself in our exercise…” Sabez readied himself for battle again.

“...Yeah…” Mercy braced herself as well.

She charged again, starting with her usual flurry of attacks. This time, Jon could see her eyes track Sabez’s movements.

Her movements were less erratic, but she still managed to keep Sanez on her toes.

She eventually leaped towards Sabez’s back again. Jon thought she would go for his head, but instead, she dashed through the air three times, landing back in front of Sabez.

She leaned over and kicked towards his head.

He leaned away front the strike, but his head wrap was knocked off of his head. His black hair flowed brilliantly in the sandy breeze, free from its casing.

Mercy looked in shock, her leg still raised in the air.

“...Whoa…” She lowered her leg down. “I didn’t know… I could do that.”

“That was a clever idea,” Sabez said. “Directing my attention and instead of striking from-”

“I tricked you!” Mercy jumped up and down in place.

“...Yes… you did…” Sabez shrugged.

“But… I don’t get it…” Mercy said. “What was different?”

“I know your family often puts their focus on completing the objective at all costs,” Sabez explained, “but there is more to the fight than the objective.”

“It’s the journey, not the destination, blah blah blah,” Mercy said. “Why didn’t you just say that before?”

“...You were able to grow, only when you were able to stop thinking about the mission, and started to think about how you were doing. As such, you knocked me down to the floor last time didn’t you?”

“I-”

“But you feel much more fulfilled now, don’t you?”

“...I see…” Mercy bowed. “You’re right, uh… Thank you.”

She stood back up. “Can we learn, like, actual techniques now? I know you know that I learn a lot, but-”

“Certainly,” Sabez nodded.

Jon didn’t know how they could keep fighting, but they did.

It was late when they finished. The sky was pitch black except for the stars and the moon.

It was odd for Jon to see the sky without the tons of mountains blocking them. It was nothing but the water. It felt oddly calming. Only then did he realize how being surrounded by nothing but trees made him feel anxious.

“Hey.”

Jon turned and saw Mercy standing beside him.

“Can I join you?” she asked.

“Sure,” Jon said.

He was going to offer her the chair, but she instead plopped down next to him, sitting in a cross-legged position.

Jon decided to get out of the chair to sit next to her.

She took the opportunity to lay her head on his shoulder.

“I’m… tired…” she said.

“Yeah…” Jon could imagine. He was tired.

“You two aren’t gonna make out, are you?” Tallow took a seat next to them.

“What’s it to you?” Mercy asked. “I can make out with whoever I want.”

“Don’t talk a big game you can’t handle,” Tallow said. “And besides, I don’t want to hear any smacking. I just want things to be clear of smacking.”

“I think you underestimate Jon and Mercy’s friendship,” Mallory said, taking a seat next to Tallow. “They’ve been through a lot.”

“Yeah, don’t you have friends?” Mercy asked.

“Nope,” Tallow said. “I mean, maybe, I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Mercy asked.

“No. I dunno." Tallow responded. "I spend so much time away from home.”

“Well, that’s a shame.” Everyone turned to Hector, who had sat in the chair. He was leaning back and balancing on its hind legs.

“Hector, come down here,” Mallory said.

“Ugh, fine.” Hector placed the chair back flat and slunk down next to Jon.

“I don’t have friends either,” Hector finally said.

“You don’t?” Mercy asked. “So, what’s Mallory?”

“Mallory doesn’t count,” Hector firmly said.

“How does he not count?” Tallow asked. “Is he your boyfriend or something?”

“No!” Hector responded. “We’ve been friends so long I don’t remember how.”

“I remember,” Mallory said. “But it was a long time ago.”

“How long?” Mercy asked.

“Well,” Mallory started. “It began when his father-”

“Enough, enough,” Hector swiped at the air. “It’s nothing to talk about.”

“Aren’t Genevieve and Hestatham your friends?” Mercy asked.

“They’re not friends. Their colleges… work buddies…” Hector began to blush.

“Huh,” Mercy said, “no wonder you don’t have any friends, considering your attitude.”

“I don’t need friends!” Hector said. “I don’t have time to hang out or talk with people. I have way too many responsibilities… and…”

He looked down to the sand. “No friends, except… never mind...”

He started playing in the sand.

“Me too,” Mercy said.

“Me too,” Mallory said.

“Friends are overrated…” Tallow said.

“...You guys are my friends…” Jon said.

Everyone looked at him.

“...You’re a sweet kid, Jon,” Mallory said.

“...Yeah…” Tallow added. “Annoying, but sweet.”

They all stared out onto the ocean.

“Alright, this is boring, Good night.” Tallow stood up and left the group of travelers on the beach.

"Is she ever gonna chill?" Hector asked.

"Says the literal hothead. I'm going to sleep now too." Mercy stood up. "You coming, Jon? Sabez already has rooms for us."

Hector gave Mercy a strange look.

"Dude, stop it," Mallory commented. "It's just you and Amalia, right?"

"Nothing's like that," Hector mumbled.