oxygen | druig

Chapter V

Five years since they last spoke.

"Come at me, before I make you regret it."

Sweat was pearling on her forehead, heavy breaths filling her throat with a strained feeling. Still, there was more to push.

"I will not fight against you, Persia, if you don't do it properly."

Persia dogged his beams, then twisted around herself and grabbed him by his forearm.
The sun was hitting her face so brightly that it hurt her eyes.

Dust around her made her stance slippery.
Ikaris ripped from her grip and elevated off the ground, forcing her to roll around to the other side.
One of her hands shot in front of her chest, feeling as it filled with a ball of energy and threw it his way.

"Then you have to fight properly too, you're treating me like a toy." she hissed, throwing another blast his way.

"Go easy on that energy, Persia." he grinned, getting back down on the ground.

He wasn't even sweating.

She felt like she was fighting for the first time, that's how stupid he made her feel.
Persia took a few deep breaths, trying to regulate her rhythm.

Her body was rushing with energy, filling every inch until it was threatening to burst.
She could feel how it leaked from her hold.

"Now focus on making it go away. Don't let it take control of you."

Her eyes closed, mind rushing with the lust for more. It buzzed around her like a swarm of bees, all eager to feed off a singular flower.
It took her a second before she could think clearly, then drowned the feeling out until there was nothing left.

It made her corpse quiver, but she fought for her stand.
Her body felt heavy, but her breathing light.

She opened her eyes and found those of Ikaris, who gave her a pleasing smile.
"Good, you're getting faster."

"That won't help me during a fight. I need to put a brake on it instantly and have it under control the whole time."
Ikaris walked up next to her, putting a few harsh pats to her shoulder.

"The owner has to teach the dog how to sit before it can trust it to be let off it's leash."

Persia was tempted to brush him off, but understood.

"Do you know how long it has been since you last lost control?"

"Five years. The last time I can remember at least."

"Keep that score." he spoke with a low tone, not letting go of her eyes until he was sure she understood his encouragement.

"Have you talked to Druig?"

There it was.

She had been bracing herself for it the whole time. It was stuck at the back of her mind.
Didn't matter who trained with her, they always asked.

"No." she puffed, letting her eyes wander off, "not since that day, you know."

Ikaris looked at her for a while, then tilted his head. "When you fight, do you think about him?"

Persia took her time thinking about her answer.
"I used to."

"Does it make you lose or fight for control?"

"Neither," it was more of a whisper to herself than to him, "It makes me angry that he enabled me to take control, that is why I want it so bad. But when I recall his words-"