19.

The training arena is like a dome. The roof is made of glass and the moon’s daylight shines upon the circled training ground. It is prettier than the one at home, Elai thinks. If only he could say it.
“Have you had any type of lesson about your ability?” Arlon’s voice is much more serious than it was back in the main hall. It is as if he has a tone for every type of situation. From training someone to being with his friends. It might be something a king is supposed to possess. Elai wouldn’t know; all his father had spoken in was fear and anger and disgust. He had spoken through hate for his own son. Elai has to snap himself out of it; there is no time to start thinking about the past. Not now. Not ever, really.
“Yes. And I have read a few books.” Elai watches the king take off his cloak and throw it onto the wooden table without a second thought.
“I know how to concentrate and I have felt the connection in my neck. And.. I have used it once. That’s it.” Elai feels his cheeks heat up; he is probably extremely weak compared to the king.
“So there has been no control?” Arlon raises his eyebrows and brings out his own fire, hands now being eaten by the flames. Elai loves how it looks on him. As if it.. suits him.
“N-No.” Elai thinks back of the day he trained with Mave. The day he had hurt him. Control is important. He knows that now.
“Alright. Let me show you some basic things first. I have been trained by a water wielder, so don’t worry about the power barrier Connie talked about.” Arlon does not mention anything else about the water wielder he was trained by, even though Elai would love to hear about them.
“Just watch my movements and don’t think about the difference, okay?” Arlon raises his eyebrows up at Elai, who simply nods. He seems to be wanting to reassure the blonde boy. Maybe he can sense the nerves that roam through Elai’s veins. He does not want to hurt another, even though Arlon is his enemy.
“Okay.” Elai confirms Arlon can start.
Arlon’s technique is advanced and a lot better than what Mave was able to show him. He has his fire under control without a thought behind his eyes, without a simple glimpse of concentration. His fighting motions aren’t rough and threatening; no. It much rather looks like he’s dancing. Now that he has taken off his cloak, Elai is able to look down at the king’s figure. He has broad shoulders that crawl down into a small waist. He looks a lot more delicate than his attitude shows. Elai’s eyes then shift down to the way the king’s feet are moving. They are quick and unpredictable; Arlon has had some serious fucking training. Elai cannot deny it; he is a master at this. If Arlon wasn’t a king, he surely would’ve done good in fighting tournaments. He has read about the tournaments of Turi only a few times back at Chay’s place. The name of the champion has been the same for six years now; Connie Hanlon. No surprise there. But now that he is watching Arlon’s fighting technique, now that he knows he has such a precise and delicate way of moving, he wonders if Connie could stay the champion if Arlon competed. It is fun to think about.
“You are focused on something else.” Arlon had stopped moving. Elai did not notice; he was indeed losing his focus.
“I am just very.. impressed. It made me wonder how you’d do in tournaments.” Elai decides to be honest about it. What fun is there in training without a little bit of casual talks?
Arlon laughs. It sounds.. nice.
“Have you ever been to one?” Elai is glad Arlon is okay with casual talks. It would have been awkward if he wasn’t; it would have been a drag.
“Ah- no! I do not know much about them.” Let’s not pretend like he knows Connie. That would be suspicious.
“Well, Connie has been our big champion since he was nineteen.” Arlon says something Elai knows all too well, yet a soft gasp leaves the younger boy’s mouth.
“Really?!” Just act surprised. Convince yourself you did not know, Elai.
“Yes. He loves bragging about it, I’m actually quite shocked he has not told you about it. It’s like his go-to topic if he wants to impress a boy.. or a girl for that matter.” Arlon chuckles out as he pulls on his gloves so they fit around his fingers again.
“Guess I am not one he wants to impress.” Elai does not mind; he doesn’t like Connie anyways.
“He wants to impress everyone. Trust me.” Arlon walks up to Elai, until he’s only a few inches away from him. Elai feels his heartbeat in his throat, and he has not even done anything yet. The king is a little bit out of breath and Elai can see the wetness appear on his forehead, but he does not seem tired. “Have you followed any of my steps?”
“I have followed them all, Makuyi. I can multitask.”
Arlon’s mouth twitches into a small smile when he hears the nickname. Moonlight. Still.
“Have you noticed where my focus was?” Shit. Elai does not know. The boy looks down and a soft chuckle leaves Arlon’s mouth. “That is alright. I am glad you didn’t. As long as your focus is invisible, people will be unable to resist your attacks.” Resistance is something every basic fighter has. It is the ability to make yourself immune to the blow of whatever power your opponent wields. If Elai were to attack Arlon, the king would easily be able to resist his ability, making it impossible for Elai to break his bones.
“It has to do with your control.” Control. Of course. The thing they were going to work on. Elai is overwhelmed by everything Arlon shows and tells; he forgets the simplest thing he came for.
“The deeper it flows, the more invisible your focus gets. It is the reason control is the core of everything.” Arlon sees it that way, but Elai can’t say the same. To him, control is the core because it prevents him from hurting people on accident. It prevents him from hurting his.. brothers. From hurting Mave.
“Can you concentrate for me?” Arlon takes a step back, and it makes Elai nervous for some reason. He is watching him with squinted eyes and a serious look on his face. The prince feels exposed.
“Take your time. There is no need to rush your process.” Arlon is serious, yet Elai feels guilty nonetheless. He can’t find it. The more he tries, the further it seems to run from him.
“Take a deep breath. Pretend like your enemy is in front of you, ready to put an end to your life. Feel that it is important to fight back, to defend yourself.” Ironic; his enemy truly is in front of him.
Elai takes the deep breath with a portion of determination, eyes closing to picture the sight of an enemy wanting to kill him. It does not surprise him when he pictures Arlon. The moment he imagines Arlon rushing towards him, the concentration seems to hit him. He does not have to follow the connection that runs through his body; he feels it in his neck in an instant. It took much longer back home.
“There you go!” Arlon’s quick to notice the change of stance. Elai has a grin on his face when he opens his eyes, too. It is obvious that he has found it.
“What now, what now?”