(Ereshgal POV)
As I approached the workshop, I heard heavy breathing, quick footsteps, and the sound of someone striking the air.
I recognized those sounds immediately.
Kisaya.
I opened the door and crossed into the courtyard. The moment I stepped inside, I saw her moving through a sequence of steps, thrusting with her spear as she advanced. She shifted her weight, turned the shaft behind her back, and brought it around in a wide arc.
Every movement flowed into the next.
From everything I had seen in my own life and in the two lives now inside my mind, I could not think of anyone who handled a spear better than her.
She did not even notice I had arrived. She just kept moving, completely focused. I sat near the edge of the courtyard and watched.
Even if I managed to adapt Liraya's dual-sword style to my body, and even with all the experience I now carried, I still wasn't sure I could beat her. My only real advantages were strength and speed. Once I covered myself in spiritual energy, I would surpass her in both, even if she did the same.
But in technique, I would lose.
Her talent was almost unfair.
"Eresh? How long have you been there?"
"Not long" I said. "You looked focused, so I didn't want to interrupt." Kisaya rested the spear over her shoulder and walked toward me.
"How did it go?"
I smiled.
"Everything went according to plan."
She let out a breath of relief. "Good"
"Why were you training? Couldn't sleep?"
Kisaya placed the spear against the wall, then sat beside me. A moment later, she rested her head on my shoulder.
"No" she said softly. "I was worried." She shifted closer, pressing against my side. I wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.
"Only five days" I said. "Then all of this will be over."
She nodded.
For a while, neither of us said anything. Little by little, her breathing slowed, and her weight settled more fully against me.
I shook my head, smiling softly. Then I lifted her carefully into my arms and carried her to the room without making a sound.
When I returned to the courtyard, my eyes went to the place where Kisaya had been training.
It was about time I got used to it.
I went to the storehouse. Inside, Zabar lay in one corner with his eyes closed. I did not bother softening my steps. His heartbeat told me he was awake. I took two short copper swords and returned to the courtyard.
Then I stood in the center and raised them.
One blade forward. The other closer to my body, guarding the center.
I would start with the basics and adapt her fighting style to my body.
The first thing I needed was balance.
I stepped forward, then back, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Slowly at first. I paid attention to how each movement settled through my legs, how my body adjusted, how my hands remained free while my stance stayed firm.
Once the footing felt like mine, I began with simple cuts.
Right hand first.
Then left.
I did not try to strike hard. Strength was not the point. I focused on the path of each blade, making every cut clean, controlled, and easy to recover from. After that, I added short thrusts, always returning to guard before moving again.
When my body found the rhythm, I started combining them.
One sword attacked while the other stayed ready to cover. Then I reversed the roles. Again and again, until I stopped thinking of them as right hand and left hand.
They had to move as one intention.
I increased the difficulty by imagining an opponent in front of me. One blade closed a line or redirected an attack while the other searched for an opening. I stepped diagonally, entered only when I held the advantage, and withdrew before staying too long in close range.
The movements gradually grew smoother.
Each had to serve a purpose. A threat forced a response. A defense created an opening. A step changed the angle. Every action prepared the next.
Eventually, I stripped everything down to its essentials.
The cuts became shorter. The steps became smaller. The swords moved less, but with more purpose.
I was so focused that I did not realize I had spent the entire night training until I heard Bazi open the workshop door.
Only then did I stop, settling into a guard stance as Liraya's words to one of her disciples echoed through my mind.
Using two swords did not mean attacking without pause. It meant knowing when one blade had to protect, when one had to deceive, and when the other had to enter.
I was not tired. I had not even broken a sweat. The only thing I felt was the thirst, returning again like something waking beneath my skin.
I ignored it and returned the swords to the storehouse.
After breakfast, I brought Zabar back there and drank from him again while Lureh kept watch outside. When Kisaya finally pulled me away, I watched his neck as she wrapped a bandage around it.
I found myself thinking about his blood.
It had not been as rich as Liraya's. Now that I thought about it, none of the three people I had fed from had tasted as good as hers.
Was it because she was a Chosen? For the first time, I found myself looking forward to tasting Namur's blood.
Without noticing, I licked my lip.
Kisaya carried Zabar through the courtyard toward the bedroom. He looked pale. I needed to keep him better fed.
I walked over to Lureh. "Thank you for keeping watch."
She nodded. "It was nothing."
I noticed she wanted to say something else, but she held it back.
"What is it?" I asked.
Lureh looked away. "Is there any chance I could go out for a walk today?"
I understood why she wanted to leave. She was a healer, not a warrior. The journey, the infiltration, and everything that happened after must have worn her down. Since we arrived, she had been trapped inside. And unlike Kisaya, she did not spend her time training.
The risk was not that high either. Besides Kelzar, there probably weren't many people around here who could recognize her.
"Sure" I said. "Just be careful."
Even if someone caught her, her oath would stop her from saying anything. And she was a chosen. Most people in the city would not be able to stop her anyway.
"I understand that you don't wan…" She stopped. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait. Really?"