Fire and Ice - Riven | Fate: The Winx Saga

Chapter Twenty-Three: Training Day

"Eira, where is your specialist?" Miss Dowling asked me as she approached me sat on the bench with Silva, Aisha and Musa behind her.
"I don't have one." I told her, bluntly.
"Everyone has a partner today. That's how training day works. It prepares you for the real thing." The woman explained.
"Yeah... I think I'm gonna sit this one out."
"You will do no such thing."
"And are you telling this as my godmother or as my headteacher?"
"You're headmistress." Dowling states, frustrated. She then turned to Silva. "Find her a specialist to work with."

Miss Dowling, Aisha and Musa all walked off and I sighed as I stood up. "So, who am I being paired with then?" I asked as Silva looked around.
"RIVEN!"
"Shit." I whispered as the boy ran over to us.
"Alright, Mr Silva?"
"You'll be training with Eira for the rest of the day."
"Mr Silva, I don't think-"
"I don't want to hear it." Silva said as he walked away.
"That's such a good idea." I whispered.

Riven scoffed as he started to walk off before he turned around when he noticed I wasn't following. "Well, are you coming or what?" He asked me. I sighed and began to follow him into the field where teams of fairies and specialists were training.
"I don't see why I have to do this." I said.
"Can we just get this over with?" Riven asked. I sighed as we approached Kat on a mat. Riven exchanged a few words with her before the two of them started to fight. It was my job to help my specialist from the attack. I didn't quite know how to use my powers when sparring as we weren't meant to intentionally hurt someone, so I crouched down on the floor and touched the mouth before freezing it. A thin sheet of ice spread across the top and both Riven and Kat fell to the floor.

"For fuck sake, Eira!" Riven exclaimed as he stood up and helped Kat to her feet. "Why the fuck did you do you that?"
"Would you rather me just throw an icicle through the back of your head?" I questioned.
"Trust is the first thing you need to know when it comes to combat." Professor Harvey said as he approached us. "A fairy must trust their specialist and vice versa. So... the real question is... Eira, do you trust Riven?" I looked up at Riven. Given everything, I still cared.
"I'd trust him with my life." I admitted.
"Riven, do you trust Eira?" Professor Harvey then asked the boy.
"Of course I do." He stated.

Professor Harvey smiled before moving on to the next pair. "I'm sorry about Beatrix." I told him. "I know you really liked her."
"Yeah, well, it was bound to go wrong eventually."
"Did you want to go again?" I then asked.
"I think fairy magic's a little overrated." Riven admitted as he approached the bench and grabbed two sticks. "What do you say to a little stick fighting?"
"I say you've had way more practice and you beat me last time." I grinned as he handed me one of the sticks.

I swing first and Riven hit my stick back before swinging his. I ducked a swung again. Our sticks kept hitting each other as we dodged them and everything felt normal. "What's going on with you anyway?" Riven asked me. I swung my stick.
"What do you mean?"
"You're really agitated." He said before sweeping his leg and sending me to the floor. I groaned as I stood up and grabbed my stick again.
"Well, there are about a dozen burned ones out there and somehow the school thinks they can train us to fight them without actually telling us how to fight them." I frowned. I then stopped fighting and Riven stopped too.
"But you killed one, right?"
"With the help of Aisha and Bloom." I explained.
"So, then what are you doing here? Seems to me like you should be telling the rest of us how to kill a burned one." Riven smiled.
"It's mandatory." I told him as he swung for me again.

I snapped my fingers and he stopped. He was frozen in his place. He wasn't frozen like Gaia was though. His skin was still warm and smooth and his clothes weren't made of ice. I then walked around the back of Riven, snapped my fingers again so that he would unfreeze, and kicked him to the floor. I laughed as he rolled over and looked at me. "What the fuck was that?" He groaned.
"Still think fairy magic is overrated?" I asked him as I reached my hand out to help him up.
"When did you learn how to do that?"
"I couldn't sleep last night." I told him. "Thought I could use some practice. Impressed?"
"No." Riven claimed as we sat down on the bench.

On the mat beside us, Terra was using her powers to protect her specialist by wrapping vines around the legs of the opponent and tying them up. She was a natural when it came to it. Terra then sat down on the edge of the bench as she drank from her water bottle. "The vine restraint move's not half bad, Terra." I smiled.
"Thanks, it's all about the, uh, the tensile strength of the cellulose."
"Ah, tensile strength. Hot." Riven said. I then nudged his arm. "She's right, you know." He admitted. "You're a force out there."
"Wow, was that a-? Was that a compliment, Riv?" I questioned, smiling.
"Fuck off." He told me.
"You're good out there, too." Terra told Riven.
"I was shit." He replied. "Two attempts. First one I end up on the floor and when Eira switched to combat, I lost."
"It has been a weird week." I sighed.

"Sweet moves, Riv." Dane then grinned as he approached the three of us. "I've never seen somebody die so many different ways so quickly. You should go for Alfea's Got Talent." He laughed before looking at me. "We still on for tonight, Eira?"
"Uh, yeah... sure." I said as he walked away.
"What was that?" Terra asked.
"That was a shitty burn from the first year monster I created." Riven sighed. "Or... Beatrix created. He's still got, like, a hard on for her. A weird, gay hard on. Is he even gay? I don't even know anything anymore... Wait. What are you doing tonight?"
"I, uh... we were..."
"You're going on a date, aren't you?" Terra frowned.
"Yeah." I lied, also frowning. "I'm sorry, Terra."
"No, it's okay. I shouldn't stop you from dating anyone." She said. "I'm just- I'm gonna go."

Terra then walked off and I stood up, picking up my stick again. "You're going on a date with him?" Riven questioned. "Did you listen to a single word I just said?"
"I listened. I ignored." I told him. "Now, are we going again? You're not gonna improve by sitting on your arse." Riven scoffed and stood up before taking his stick and I floored him almost instantly before laughing.
"You're enjoying this way too much." He told me.
"I have to get back at you somehow." I grinned before helping him back up. "Plus, it's the perfect way to blow off some steam."