Shadowfall: Training session 1.

   "Mummy, where are we going?" Said a tiny voice that was tinted with confusion.

  "Don't worry, you'll see." The mother comforted the child, who kept quiet, but still wondered where his mother could be leading him to. He could sense a bit of sadness coming from his mother, but he just couldn't understand why she would be sad. Had something gone wrong?

   "We're here, Ashton." The woman said as she turned around and gave her son a smile - not a genuine one but a pained one. He decided to ignore it and looked up at where they were. It was an ordinary looking house.

  "Maybe it's a friend that mommy misses so much.' Thought the little boy, as he smiled and happily went in with his mom, eager to meet this 'friend' of hers.

Upon arriving, they were met with an old man with a white long beard, sitting on a chair outside with his eyes closed, as tho he was sleeping.

"You have finally returned I see." The old man commented, still with his eyes closed.

"Err, yes, I have brought him here, just as you said, sir." The woman said quite hesitantly.

"Good. Would you mind leaving him with me?"

"F..for how long, sir?"

"hmm...for a couple of years I suppose."

"A couple of years?! Please, he's still a child, he shouldn't be separated from his family like that!"

"Relax, I don't fancy keeping him away from you either, but he'll need to undergo some training, and that's definitely not going to take a few days or weeks, but I can assure you, he'll definitely come back to you. I'll take good care of him, so you have nothing to worry about." The old man said as he got up and put a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder.

At the end of the day, She reluctantly left her son with the man, and went home with a heavy heart. Who knows how life would be for Ashton from then on.

"Ashton is it?"

"uhm, yeah." The boy shyly said.

"No need to be afraid dear boy, see me as a friend from now on, oh, and your master too, okay?"

"'Kay" He said while nodding his head.

"let's go inside."

Upon entering into the house, Ashton saw another child that looked a couple of years older than him. It was a girl with long brown hair, and the most shocking thing was that she was busy practicing on a huge punching bag with her small body. Ashton's jaw nearly dropped.

"Oh, hi Gramp...Wait a minute, don't tell me this is

the kid you've been talking about, he's a toddler, can he even handle training at all?" The girl questioned.

"Catch them when they're young, they say. With proper training, he'll adjust. Now, just show him what you're doing, we'll start the real training tomorrow. "

"Yes Gram-I mean master." She said as she bowed.

"What're you doing?" Ashton asked inquisitively.

"I'm practicing my punches, what does it look like?"

"I'm Ashton!" He said suddenly with a sudden bright expression and with his hand stretched towards the girl.

"I didn't ask!" The girl snarled. "Come here and do as I do."

"Hmph, so mean." Ashton said as he puffed out his cheeks and tried to angrily stomp his feet.

"Punch it with all your strength, I'll watch from over here." The girl said as she sat down at the left corner of the room.

"Okay." And he took a step back, inhaled deeply and used all the strength he could muster up to punch the bag, but it didn't even move a centimeter. Soon after, he held onto his now red knuckles and started wailing loudly. The girl could barely contain her laughter.

"Just one measly little punch and you're already this loud? You're a bloody mess! It's a good thing you have me to whip you into shape, because I'll be honest, tomorrow isn't going to be rainbow and sunshine, so better prepare yourself." She said as she walked up where he sat crying.

"Get up." He still sat there confused.

"When your master tells you to get up, you spring up!" Ashton immediately flew onto his feet.

"Good. Now watch me. Put your right foot behind, put your fists by your hips, then punch with your right hand." She then punched the bag and sent it swinging back and forth. Now Ashton tried to mirror her moves, but still didn't get the bag to move.

"That's terrible! But at least you didn't cry. Now keep doing that, and switch from your right to left until you get the bag to move.

Ashton was lost.

"Grrr!" She growled as she switched the position of his legs.

"Now go!" He punched it over and over again, switching each time she kicked his foot, till he got a hang of it. He kept punching and punching, till he finally got it to move, which was at night.

He was sweating and panting, and his feet could barely support him, and he fell to the ground.

"Get up." And instantly, he flew to his feet. It's time for dinner, follow me." And Ashton immediately did without a word.

______________________________________________

"Uhm...hey..."

"What Is it? Go to bed!"

"When would I see my mummy? She didn't pick me up today." Ashton asked, sounding quite sad.

There was a moment of brief silence, before she finally answered.

"Don't be naïve, you're not seeing her any time soon, now get over it."

"Huh? but, I want my mummy and daddy!" He started to cry.

At this point, the girl got up and sat beside him.

"Look, reality is harsh kid, but you've got to accept it. You're not going to see your mummy again, no matter how much you cry, no matter how much you run away, it is your fate, and you cannot change it. You are the chosen one, the peoples' saviour, so don't let everyone down, even your parents are counting on you, so all you've got to do is work hard, and you'll have a chance of seeing them again." The girl said and was about to leave, but Ashton grabbed her arm.

"Could you please tell me your name?" Ashton asked.

"Fine, It's Xenia, now go to bed Ashton."

"'Kay "

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