Wakfu Next: The Isles of Weldercrest

Chapter 10: Training on the Beach

ON the beach of the Isles, Bert stood tall before his master. He kept his shoulders relaxed and his head held high as he stared Aria down. "Are you ready to show me how much you've learned 'little one'?" Alibert grinned confidently. "I'm different than I was before, Master"

Aria shifted her weight to her other leg and crossed her arms. "Oh?" she said, unimpressed, "We shall see won't we?" Aria lifted her finger and gestured for him to come to her. Bert kicked the ground hard, charged forward as fast as he could and threw a punch at her face. Aria moved her head to the side and easily avoided the attack. Bert rolled in the sand to recover and leapt up to attack her again. Aria, once again, moved her body in order to avoid the flurry of punches and kicks that Bert threw at her. Bert did a quick downward axe kick to try and throw her off guard. However, Aria was too quick and, in one swift motion, avoided his attack and kicked him into a nearby rock. Bert's landing kicked up a great heap of dust and rubble. "C'mon kid, that can't be all you got" she taunted with a laugh, "Surely you can at least land a hit on me once. I believe in you!" A portal opened behind her and an energy beam shot through it. Aria quickly rolled out of the way and looked towards the dustcloud. "Very good Alibert! If physical force won't work, try using Wakfu!" Another portal opened, this time on her left. Aria ducked as another energy beam shot at her. Aria danced around as energy beams came at her one at a time from all sides. Bert leapt from the settling dust cloud and into a portal and once again tried to engage Aria in close combat, but she was way too fast for him and jumped several yards back. "Is running really all there is to fighting Master!?" he asked as he pursued her. "Nope," she replied as she avoided more of his attacks, "Think about how much energy you're using vs how much I'm saving. That's the first part" Aria suddenly opened a portal of her own and transported behind Bert. He instinctively dodged her arm swipe and back-flipped to gain some distance. Aria pursued him with portals of her own and delivered an onslaught of punched and kicks that the poor boy barely avoided in time. Aria finally came over him with the same downward axe kick that he had attempted to hit her with earlier. Bert rolled into his portal and came out feet first in an attempt to kick Aria in the side. But he was blasted in the back by an energy beam. "Augh!" he cried as he was propelled into the air and came back down with a loud THUD! Aria looked over her shoulder at him with false pity. "Remember that portals are everything to us" she said, "With them we can attack and defend ourselves simultaneously. Bert slowly got to his feet and resumed his battle stance. Aria suddenly felt a surge of power coming from him. "Oh? Getting ambitious are we?" she said and folded her arms again. Bert grit his teeth as he focused on the wakfu coursing through his veins. His eyes began to slowly flash between blue and brown. "Remember, what I taught you!" Aria called as a gust of wind began to blow towards her. Bert yelled as he felt the wakfu strengthen his body, but he soon collapsed in a heap of sweat. Aria sighed and walked towards him. "You almost had it that time kiddo" she said, offering her hand. Bert took her hand and pulled himself up. "I can keep going!" he said panting.

"Alright then," Aria said with a wide grin, "show me what you've got"