"This is the training ground?" I pointed at the decrepit farmhouse with disbelief. Scanning the surroundings, I couldn't spot anything but overgrown vegetation for miles. Truly, this was the middle of bumfuck nowhere.
"Complaining already? We haven't even begun. I thought you'd at least wait till your bones started creaking." She chuckled, opening the padlock on the rusted iron gate leading into the fenced, and calling the rotten, degraded splinters hanging by a wire that was me being generous, farmhouse.
"Like this haunted relic of a shack? I can already hear Annabelle crying."
She rolled her eyes and cracked the gates open. They scraped across the stone tiles with a jarring, ear scratching, nails on chalkboard noise.
I cringed at the sound as she led me inside and looked at her with surprise. She didn't even flinch. I almost envied her loss of sensory vibrancy.
"See what I mean? Goodness, the thing's already falling apart. Give it a dignified death at least."
"Oh shut up, you princess. It'll be habitable by the time we're done here." She said, emphasis on the habitable.
"I don't like the tone of that 'habitable'."
"Well die hating it then." She threw me a rake and basket, "But before you do, clean the yard, will you? A hundred years of autumn mulch won't clean itself. Chop chop. Get on it."
"Really?" I deadpanned, "What next, wax on, wax off?"
She raised an amused eyebrow at that and I felt a chill go down my spine at the look.
Oh no.
"Good idea. You're waxing the floorboards after this." She smirked.
"Hai, Miyagi-sensei~" I groaned and got whacked on the head for my troubles.
"Ow!" I rubbed my head, "What gives?"
"You're being annoying. Lots of work to do and only so much daylight to go by. We're staying here, by the way, so unless you want to sleep in, what did you call it? Ah yes, haunted relic of a shack, you better get to cleaning."
"Aye aye." I planted the rake into the ground and activated my magic circuits, "I know just the spell-"
Whack!
"Ow!" I cried out, "What now?"
"No magic." She wagged a finger, "You're here for combat training. You need to work that twig of a body of yours. Put on some muscle. Farm work is good for that."
"I'm also here to learn Enochian magic." I pointed out.
"Hmmm.... " She thought for a moment as a smug grin crept over her face, "Alright you can use magic."
"Aww yeah-"
"Enochian magic, that is." And just like that she dashed all my hopes.
"Aww nah~" I deflated, giving her a dirty look and eliciting a chuckle from the older woman.
[I already like her.] PK gloated, taking immense pleasure in my misery.
Et tu PK?
PK just giggled like a kid at that and disappeared into the ring again.
I looked at the wide yard, caked with mulch and sighed. This is my life now.
Shaking my head I picked up the rake and basket when I noticed Lily taking a seat by the porch stairs, popping almonds into her mouth.
Wait, do I have to do it all alone?
That'll take ages, especially without magic.
Naturally, I brought it up with her.
"Hey! How come I don't see any rakes in your hands? What are you doin-"
Whack!
I felt an invisible hand smack my head from behind.
"No silly questions." She said crisply, nearly angering me, but I kept my mouth shut.
I'm no fool. I see that little smirk she's trying to hide. She's provoking me. Ain't gonna work lady. I know my capabilities. I'm no match for her as I am right now.
If I tried fighting her, I'd get my ass handed to me on a silver platter.
Seeing me not take the bait, she smiled and finally answered.
"I'm setting up the wards."
"Oh, I can do that. My bounded fields are way better-"
Whack!
"You're not getting out of work, boyo. Get to it." She ordered, "And seeing as you're so enthusiastic about it. You can add your warding after you wax the floors."
"Me and my big mouth." I grumbled.
She snorted in amusement.
"Quit the act. We both know you were going to do that with or without my prompting."
Well, she wasn't wrong. I didn't want the off-brand care bear peeping in on me. Can't risk him calling my bluff on the Mark of Cain. Not until I can get the Mark myself.
"And when you're clearing the yard, pull the weeds out by the roots." She added another task onto my to do list as naturally as she breathed.
"Yes, I know how to weed yards." I shot back, sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes.
"You know what I mean."
I grinned.
I did know what she meant. I had felt it the moment I stepped onto the land, radiating out of the soil itself, but out of respect for her and frankly, common decency, I hadn't brought it up.
The land was stained with angelic grace, specifically the kind that spills out when an angel dies.
The pure energy of creation that was the grace was part of the very soil here, such that if I didn't uproot the weeds they'd grow back to waist height in full by tomorrow morning.
I just shrugged and pulled out my headphones, putting them on.
"Are those cat ears?" Lily looked up at them suppressing a smile as I blushed in embarrassment. Another thing that stubg at my already fragile sense of masculinity, what with this body being so....
"Someone gave them to me." I excused, "And they're cute." I puffed up, hands on my hips, "I like them."
"Sure. No judgement. You do you, boyo." She snickered and I flipped her off as I twirled the rake in my hands.
Selecting Warframe's We All Lift Together on the playlist, I pulled on the thick work gloves and got to work, digging into the mulch.
.
I watched the sunset from across a shimmer of magic as my bounded field came to life around the farm like a curtain of water, before it faded into the background.
Giving it one final check, I walked all the way back to the farmhouse on the other end of the acres wide field, only to be stupefied by what I saw.
"Oh, welcome back. I thought you'd be coming around soon enough when I saw that barrier go up." Lily greeted me from the kitchen window.
I didn't answer though, as I took in the shack, now completely renovated and whitewashed like it was brand new.
It looked like a real old timey townhouse, the brick walls patched, the wood pristine, it didn't even creak when I stepped onto it.
"I swear the shack was more rundown than Lindsay Lohan before I went out to put up the bounded fields...." I chuckled, "Looked like a legit crack house. And look at it now." I whistled, "How did you even do this?"
She grinned at me and drew an arc in the air with her hands, sparks flying off her fingers mimicking my gesture.
"It's magic~"
"I know. What I didn't know was that you could turn back time with it!" I checked the house out with my mystical senses trying to figure out what she had done.
"No...not time manipulation. Wha-how did you even restore this? It feels like.....like it was always like this. Like it never rotted away."
She nodded with pride.
"I can turn myself immortal. Rejuvenating a house into ship shape is child's play. A rune here, a sigil there." She snapped her fingers, "Just like that."
"Uhuh?" I raised an eyebrow, "And how much of your soul did you burn away for this?"
She immediately puckered up.
"It's not a lot."
"I don't have any more angel grace you know?" I looked her over with worry, "Don't you want your revenge? Don't you want to dream again?"
"I do." She nodded, "But all of that will be easier if I have your help. I need to train you well. This is....an acceptable price."
Dammit. Why do you have to be so goddamn selfless?
Tch! I just can't with these goody two shoes.
"If you keep using your magic like this, you won't even be in any condition to fight Ishim." I warned.
"Boy, stop worrying about me. It really isn't much. I promised I'll pay you back, didn't I? I'm a woman of my word."
I took a deep and annoyed breath, and huffed, even as I felt a sliver of warmth from her actions. Now I can't even be mad at her.
"Fine. Do it your way." I grumbled, and began to readjust my plans to account for her reckless gratitude.
I had plans for her and I can't have her just collapse on me midway through training.
Looks like some of my plans will need to be preponed, but nothing of significance was going to change.
I sighed in relief, when suddenly my stomach growled.
Lily burst out laughing.
"Looks like dinner is just in time eh, boy?"
"Yeah." I leaned in through the window and took a sniff of delicious bacon, refried beans and chilli, and grilled veggies with a side of bread. Not the best I've had but everything tastes good when you're hungry.
"Mhmmmm.....smells so good." Especially after a hard day's work.
"Gimme one." I reached for one only to have my hand swatted away.
"Wait for me to platter it, you little monkey." She laughed, "Go wash your hands by the pump. I'll get it ready."
I looked down at my hands, caked in dirt, wax and lint, and nodded.
Best not to get any parasites.
___________________
Hiya!
I'm back.
A bit of a rough week. Still not sure about a lot of stuff.
But, I had fun writing this chapter.
Thanks for reading.
Donate your powerstones.
Add the fic to your library.
See ya!
