The dull thud of wood hitting against itself echoed through the halls, the empty thunk bothered an elderly worker with a sensitive ears. Grumbling under his breath, the monster moved away from the training room down the corridor to continue his job of polishing the detailed walls and designs else where. 

Faer's body steamed as she begun to sweat, the moisture immediately evaporating as soon as it beaded onto her inflamed skin. She growled as the wooden slab of a shield she held in front of her was beat with a wooden mallet relentlessly, making the durable material shudder from the impact. 

"Faer! Better posture! Don't let your enemy knock you down!" Dicen barked from the other side of the large, empty room, his own wooden training spear clutched in large black paws. Faer grunted as she bashed her shield into her attacker, sending the shorter monster cascading onto the ground. She had just about had enough with Dicen acting like a wise warrior, issuing commands and scolding those who didn't listen or oblige to them while training. She didn't take notice of the singed marks across the knots in her shield. 

She didn't want to be here, today was supposed to be her day off, but Dicen couldn't keep his muzzle shut and had mentioned that she could use some training to the queen. That she had been rusty on some of her alternative moves from her sword. That he could show her a few things. She gripped the shield's handle tighter. 

"Watch it, hot head. The big pussy cat might force you to make a new one. You know Elaine won't wanna." Faer's attention shifted to a grungy orc, the thick hammer he had been using had scattered away from his reach across the floor. Faer scoffed at him. 

"If he does, Dax, I'll singe his fur." Dax grunted in acknowledgement, the corners of his chapped lips curling up around the horrid under bite he had, grimy tusks peeking from his mouth among st his other twisted teeth. She couldn't help but wonder how Elaine could like such a boar. 

"And you'll have slop duty for a week." As much as she despised it, Faer new he was right, grimacing at the thought of wading through waist high mud and sludge to feed the strange beasts they kept as a form of transportation. She wished they could have horses, like the ones she had read about in her studies of human history, a requirement to be apart of the Royal Guard. 

"Put an axe in it." She grumbled, walking over to the soldier's fallen weapon and kicking the handle so it spun back to her comrade. The orc smirked at her.

"I already did. Why did you think I'm so beautiful?" Faer cracked a faint smile, her glowing soul dimming in her chest as the anger that had filled it receded, noticing a hint of sympathy in the other monster's eyes. 

"So THAT'S why Elaine loves you." Dax snorted at the comment, standing and brushing loose dust from his worn down tunic, adjusting the cracked leather belt that held in his gut and up his trousers. 

"She didn't want me for my looks, but I'm a real good worker with handling things." This time, Faer laughed, rolling her eyes at the crooked smile and wiggling eye brows the size of caterpillars on the orc's head. After recollecting herself, she readied a stance, her shield held in front of her, and nodded curtly to him. 

"Well, come on then. Before Dicen has a fit." 

"And our bottoms." Dax grinned as Faer lowered her head, her gaze serious but light hearted. She waited for him to steady himself, before he charged the fire monster, swinging his wooden hammer at an angle, in a perfect arc, to elude Faer. Knowing his tactics, the warrior easily side stepped, barely blinking as she blocked the attack, taking the force of the impact in her body, that easily transmitted back down through her feet and into the ground below her. 

She braced her body again as a volley of attacks reigned down on her, easily deflecting the force and harmlessly letting them bounce off of her shield. She moved around strategically with Dax, the two guards knowing their training exercise as well as their souls. Attack and retreat. Side step and lunge. Minutes felt like hours as they continued the almost playful banter, carefully dodging around one another. 

When fatigue started to work into Faer's body, she was grateful to hear Dicen yell "stop", freezing mid step as Dax lowered his weapon. She watched with calm eyes as Dicen advanced on her, his composure strong and forbidding, radiating strength, compared to her limp posture and slightly ragged breathing from the training match she had just taken part in. She sighed and stilled her chest, straightening to be level with the panther's muzzle, a few agonizing inches shorter than him.

"Dax, you're dismissed. Return to your quarters till further instructions are given." The orc saluted by pounding his fist to his hollow chest before walking away, dropping his hammer in front of a wall lined with weapons and casting a final, sympathetic glance at Faer as he exited the room. 

Faer didn't move her gaze from the panther, watching as he moved around her, inspecting her. She set her shoulders, narrowing her eyes at the other guard. 

"So, what's up with you? Get bored of watching?" She asked, closing her eyes as her aura seem to fill the small space between her and Dicen with nothing but confidence. Dicen glared, the narrow slits of his pupils dilated. Faer smiled at his heavy chuckle. 

"Yeah, I was getting a bit jealous of your fun with Dax. I just really wanted to sink my claws into it, enjoy it too." Faer shrugged, swinging the shield at her side casually, her empty hand set on her hip as she looked over her shoulder at the monster. 

"Were you looking for a fight, kitty?" Dicen hissed at the nickname, his hackles raising as his pitch black tail flicked behind him. 

"You read my mind." Faer smiled sweetly, though the innocence was poisoned with sarcasm as her fingers wrung the grip of her shield, the flames under the sleeve of her tunic flickered with adrenaline. 

"Magic duel?" She asked, her eyes narrowing, provoking the large panther. 

"Magic duel." She barely had time to react as Dicen whipped out an amulet from a pouch at his side, others connecting to the belt that looped through his shirt. He twisted his wrist so the palm of his paw exposed a gold plated jewel, small designs and patterns etched into it's surface, directed at Faer. She spun on her heel and summoned a ball of fire above her left hand, controlling the wild magic with her right.

She felt her soul's magic dwindle under the influence of the amulet, the jewel flashing deep, emerald green as it capped her power. The same was done to Dicen, creating a protective spell over the two so they would not be wounded or killed by accident during the duel, though some pain always found a way to leak through.

"Bring it, kitten." 

"You got it, coals." The two charged at each other, creating a blast wave of magic that resonated through a large radius and shook through the castle, upsetting the old janitor who hollered in surprise and anger as he fell from his ladder.

Outside of the room, Toriel was peacefully strolling through the halls, a bouquet of golden flowers with a sweet fragrance held in her paws as she passed by, her cloak flowing behind her as she moved gracefully past the raging fight. She seemed to take no notice of the blasts of flames that sent light and shadows flickering against the wall opposite to the doorway, oblivious to the clouds of dust that filtered through the air, along with pebbles scattering across the tiled floor. 

"Don't make too much of a mess, my subjects." Toriel sang sweetly as she continued along, leaving the guards to their own mechanics. She helped the miserable old monster to his feet, asking if he needed any help with his work.

"No, my queen. Just some distance from them darn youngsters crashing about in that room." He scowled in the direction of it, his expression softening as Toriel laughed kindly, thanking her greatly as she granted him permission, sending him on his way home, allowing him the rest of the day off. 

Unaware of the events outside of the fight, Faer grunted as a chunk of the floor hit her cheek, her head spinning from the blow, her neck twisting uncomfortably. She retaliated with a flash of fire, burning Dicen's outstretched paws as he yanked them back, back peddling from her range.

Baring his teeth in a silent snarl, the panther spun on his foot and sent the other stomping against the ground, his magic lifting part of the earth into his grip, his body set as he shoved forward, an invisible force launching the makeshift boulder at Faer. 

Processing the incoming attack in the two seconds before it was 2 inches in front of her, Faer danced lightly out of it's way, unfazed as it crumbled upon collision with the wall behind her, showering her in bits of loose dirt and rock. Waving her hands, she created a column of fire that flickered under her influence, twisting her wrists so it created the defined shape of a sword. 

Her clothes shifted as a gust of air pushed past from the presence of her power, strong even when dulled by magic. She spun similar to how Dicen did, getting more velocity for her attack. Her fist clenched as if gripping the fire sword by it's grip, though nothing but the blade and hilt showed past her hand.

Without warning, she swung at the air and slashed at Dicen violently, smirking as the light illuminated the panther's bright yellow irises, exposing a flash of fear that disappeared as soon as it had appeared. 

Faer stabbed forward, her boots hitting the floor heavily as she charged, her body propelling towards her opponent with exposed energy. Dicen dodged and slid a little as he struck his pose again, his paw swiping upwards stiffly to bring up a slab of rock, suspending it before him as Faer's magic attack him, successfully deflecting the burning flames that licked at the edges of his make shift shield. 

He felt his fur slick with sweat from the intense heat, his breath panting as he tried to reduce his core temperature. He noticed Faer's soul flash before her chest, something that only happens when a monster uses intense magic, catching him off guard as he lowered his defenses slightly as he got lost in thought as her soul seemed to radiate orange.

Searing heat against his shoulder snapped his attention back to reality, barely escaping another harmless yet painful burn. He threw his fist forward as rocks clamped around it to create a earthen gauntlet and glove, connecting with Faer's hip as he crouched, hitting low. 

Thrown off from the blow, Faer stumbled and grit her teeth as pain flashed through her nerves, a small gasp sucked through her lips. If not for the magic protecting their bodies, she knew her bones would have shattered or at the very least fractured dangerously from the hit. Rage fueled her flames at the though of being beat as she pushed her own hand forward, the palm of it connecting solidly with Dicen's chest.

The panther hollered and swung his foot out, the toe of his boot hooking around Faer's ankle and efficiently yanking the elemental's legs out from underneath her, resulting in a loss of balance and a heavy thud onto the floor. Concentration broken, Faer was powerless when her flames dispersed around her, along with her rage, the dull sound of Dicen's suspended rocks bounced out of her hearing as her ears rang from the ruckus. 

When the high frequency stopped, Faer finally took notice of the disaster they had created, resulting in burn marks stretched on the walls and large pieces of the floor missing, especially a crater bigger than herself in the middle of the room.

"Alright, that's a draw." Dicen panted, exposing the perculiar amulet once more as all the effects of their magic were countered, returning the training room back to it's original state. 

Faer couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh, her soul disappearing from view before Dicen had the chance to see it again, or she could notice. She let her eyes close as she dropped her head back, her arms braced as she leaned on them behind her, not moving from where she had fallen onto her bottom. Dicen slumped forward and laughed with her, his paws dropped into his lap, now also on the floor, his tail laying limply beside his leg. 

"You've gotten good with that block strategy." Faer commented as she let herself calm, her flames dimming to their normal flickering state of tranquility. Dicen's ear flicked, his gaze resting on the female guard. 

"Same goes for your sword tactic. Add that to you're sword, and it's unstoppable." Faer nodded as her soul swelled with pride, opening her eyes to meet the panther's.

"I'll keep that in mind, just have to wait for Elaine to invent a metal that is resistant to heat." Dicen chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, flinching at the residing pain of invisible burns as he lowered his gaze.

"Guess you're right." 

"I'm always right." He looked back up to see a softly burning hand outstretched to him, Faer's confident, as always, smile making him smile back. He took her offering and was pulled to his feet, nodding a thanks. Faer casually moved her hand through the air in a gesture of brushing it off. 

"Well, now that you're all fired up, wanna help me with slop duty?" Faer furrowed her brow, casting the monster a puzzled look. Dicen puffed his cheeks a little at her, smiling awkwardly.

"I.. broke a window in the throne room.." Faer sighed as she thought of the gentle scolding their Queen must have given him, feeling a small sense of pity for his shame that had to have come with it. 

"How did you even do that?" She asked, setting her hands on her hips. She felt a hint of satisfaction to have the upper hand on her comrade, especially at his oddly bashful behavior towards the question. 

"I.. uh.. sneezed." Dicen looked away than back again, trying not to let himself avert his eyes, considering Faer's expression at the moment.

"You sneezed," Dicen nodded, beginning to feel a trickle of relief as Faer didn't seem to show any emotions, glad that she hadn't laughed in his face. 

"You just sneezed?" Dicen nodded again, his muscles untensing until Faer's lips curled up in a smirk, his face falling into a frown as all hopes of her understand were thrown out the window.

"What did you do, send a boulder across the room?" Faer asked, her voice trembling as laughter threatened to take it over. Dicen narrowed his eyes dangerously.

"I just threw a rock by accident!" He retorted, his fists clenching as Faer held in a snicker, sighing loudly at her. 

"A little tiny kitten sneeze broke a window?!" Dicen growled as Faer imagined the scene, shaking from the need to laugh. 

"It was not-" Dicen didn't finish as Faer hollered with laughter, his ears laying back on his head as the guard fell to the floor, gripping her stomach as she laughed.

"You SNEEZED?!" Dicen sighed in defeat and walked away, the tip of his tail flicking behind him as he left the guard where she rolled in laughter, muttering "I'll do it myself" as he stormed down the hall.

"YOU SNEEZED!" He hissed as Faer's laughter echoed after him, devising a plan to make her wish she never said anything.