When the magical being finished informing them what needed to be done the Arijam helped them get to the training grounds as they called it.
Jade expected that it would be something similar to the military training camps she had seen in the movies, but she was surprised that it didn't look anything like it.

There were no obstacles to go across or mud to crawl through but on the second thought, she realized that shouldn't have surprised her since their training would be more magical than physical.

Jade was thoroughly relieved that there wouldn't be any type of exercise that involved dirt the way she had predicted it since no matter what happened to her she never enjoyed not being clean and tidy.

After the battle they had, she actually refused to start the training until she was provided with a bath. Of course, she didn't expect her shower to be a smaller waterfall but beggars can't be choosers.

Her mind was still whirling from what happened to them since the moment they first stepped their foot on the island, but the cold waterfall shower did manage to clear up some cobwebs from her mind and made her think clearly.
It occurred to her that her behavior towards Royce was unfair and uncalled-for.

All the time they had known each other he had been nothing but thoughtful and kind towards her, but she was judgmental and stubborn in not allowing any man to try to protect her.
Maybe she didn't need his help or protection, but she realized that unlike her ex, Royce offered help and support because of the goodness in his heart, not the need to control her or any of her actions.
Even after how she behaved towards him, and even though he was basically powerless in the Shadowworld, he still managed to help her out, to basically save her life, and she couldn't turn a blind eye to that.

She needed to find a way to apologize, to make it up to him, but she wasn't so great with apologies and felt that actions spoke louder than words.

It took her a long time, but she finally started to see Royce in a different light, he was no longer beneath the shadow of her ex. She was finally able to see him in his own right.
It was shocking to her how she couldn't see that despite his dark clothes and outside appearance, he was the type of person who brought light with him wherever he went.
He was the type of person who would sacrifice everything to help out those he cared about, even his life.
Jade couldn't help but admire that quality in him.
A loyal friend, a gentle soul, how could she ever mix him up with the terrible person that was her ex?

It was the truth that she could no longer deny, he was a brave but still kind guy who would never hurt her like she had been hurt before and who would, in turn, stop anyone else from causing her any type of pain.

"Alright Jade and Royce, you will be training partners and I will be there to help you out," Andar Sklea said approaching them.
Jade couldn't help but feel bad when she noticed Royce's gaze cautiously measuring her reaction.
Instead of saying anything she just nodded her head, afraid that if she tried to express her thoughts they would come out all wrong and the last thing she wanted to do was cause Royce any more pain than she already did.

For the first time since they met, she could see him for who he was and that in turn led her to notice that special spark in his eyes that shone brightly every time he looked at her.
"How could have I been so blind? How long has he had that look in his eyes and how could I miss it for such a long time?" Jade thought to herself.
She wasn't sure how she felt about that, how she felt about him, but she did know that she had to be nicer towards him, she had to give him the opportunity to show her who he was, to get to know him better.

The first thing Andar Sklea had her do was try to fly in a pattern that he drew for her and that went through the trees and some other natural occurring obstacles and that didn't go so well.
For the first few meters, Jade did a good job but once she gained some confidence, she made a mistake of speeding up and hit a tree head-on.
As she started falling down she did manage to cushion her fall by using her powers but still she hit the ground with a small thud that seemed to rattle all the bones in her body.

"Go help her out," Andar Sklea told Royce.

As she lay on the ground trying to get her bearings, Royce approached her slowly and cautiously extending his hand to help her up.
The relief on his face when Jade accepted his help was obvious and Jade felt a pang of guilt for being terrible towards him.

She generally tried to be nice to everyone but for some reason, she saw in Royce the man whom she tried to escape and that made her go on the defense.
Although her rational mind told her that she should give him a chance to prove he was different, she put her guard up and tried her best to keep him at bay.

"Thanks," Jade says quietly.
Royce's eyes opened wide in shock because he wasn't expecting her to accept his help let alone be nice to him so it took him a few seconds to respond.
Although she knew that it was a serious moment for the two of them, that they were building trust, Jade could barely stop herself from laughing at his stunned reaction. He looked like a fish out of the water with his eyes wide open and his mouth forming an O shape in wonder.

"You're welcome. Are you hurt? Do you need healing?" He asked.
"I don't think so," Jade said.

A moment after she said that she started moving her body checking if everything was okay, and she winced in pain.

"What is it? Where does it hurt?" Royce asked more panicked than the situation called for.
"My knee hurts when I try to straighten it out," Jade said calmly.
"May I see?" He asked.
"Yeah," Jade said.

He gently lowered his hand on the knee she pointed out and tried to focus on healing her.
He didn't have to focus long before he could in a way 'feel' what was wrong and how to fix it.

His warm hand engulfed her knee and soon enough she could feel the warmth seeping into her skin, her muscles and finally her bones. The feeling was a wonderful tingling sensation that she had never felt before.
The gentle warmth was closely followed by the feeling of relief as the pain seemed to have been washed away and her knee was back to its normal self.

"Is that better?" Royce asked.
He was surprised with what ease he could heal her, it was like a reflex like she was too precious not to be healed.
That, in turn, made him feel guilty that he couldn't do the same for Amber, but he couldn't help it.
He didn't feel as strongly for her. He didn't feel like she was part of him, a part that he had been searching for all his life.

"Much better, thanks," Jade answered.
A small smile appeared on her face and that made Royce smile broadly at her, happy that she had accepted his help without arguing and that she was showing him the nicer side of her personality that he knew was in there buried under all that hostility.
After that little friendly exchange, they continued training.

It was a strange but fun training for Jade, but she didn't think it was as fun for Royce who had to heal her more times than she could count, but he never complained. He just seemed to be worried about her.

Royce couldn't help but think that their coach had strange ideas about what good training method was.
To him, the fly patterns he demanded of Jade were weird and dangerous to perform, but he said nothing since she seemed to thoroughly enjoy them.
On his part, Royce was glad that he COULD heal her, that he could help out, but every time she got hurt he felt pain deep in his heart because he wanted her always to be safe and sound.
As a consequence of that strange training and Jade's inexperience, Royce had his hands full healing her cuts and bruises.

He found it easier to do every time he had to repeat the healing process, but he wasn't sure if it was his healing skills improving or if his reflex to protect her was stronger than anything else.

Whatever the reason, they were both improving more than they thought they would to which their strange coach just smiled brightly sure of his teaching methods.

As the night fell he decided that they had trained enough and Royce and Jade fell down to the ground more tired than they liked to admit gazing up at the star-filled sky relaxed by its beauty and calm.