Dragonscales

Chapter 34|Sparring

I circled the ring, spreading my feet apart for balance. Fandral  did the same, brandishing his sword. I flicked my wrists, the delicate silver bracelets turning into deadly swords. I took a deep breath, focusing my energy throughout my body. Light melted around me through my magic. Fandral gasped as I lightly stalked toward him. I was invisible. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead as I kept the spell going. I released the spell just as I attacked. My blades flashing in the morning sun. Fandral parried as I had planned. Even if he was bothersome, I didn't want to hurt one of Thor's friends. I ducked under a swipe of his sword and crouched down, sweeping his leg. His knees buckled, letting him fall to the ground. I smirked as I pointed my sword above his neck.  "I win." 

I offered my hand to help him up, but he insisted he was fine.  "I must admit, you made short work of me. You are worthy to call yourself Thor's friend and a glorious fighter." Fandral sheathed his sword and walked in shame to the sidelines. I flicked my hands, my swords automatically transforming back into their bracelet form. Loki grinned devilishly as I joined him on the edge of the sparring circle. "You've improved your invisibility magic." He commented. Although he could heckle Fandral to no end at the moment, he decided not to. But I could see it in his mischievous eyes that he was relishing Fandral being defeated. 

"I call next!" Ave raised her hand, stepping into the circle. Her golden cuff glinted on her toned biceps. She had lost muscle mass while imprisoned with HYDRA but was quickly gaining it back. Volstagg stepping forward, swinging his battle axe. "I challenge you, Lady Ave." While Ave was tall and muscled, Volstagg was twice her size. It would be an interesting battle between Ave's cunning and skills versus Volstagg's strength and size. 

Ave slid her cuff off of her arm, throwing it into the air. She caught it and twirled the weapon for extra theatrics. Amare jokingly rolled her eyes at her wife's need to show off. Volstagg charged, leaving Ave on the defensive. She blocked each hard blow with her double-ended spear. The varnished wood hooding back the brunt of the blade. She twirled her spear and whacked a pressure point, sending the battle-axe clattering to the ground. Ave swung her leg into Volstagg's solar plexus, sending him to the ground. She swung her spear over Volstagg's head and slid it as a cuff onto her bicep in fluid motion. Ave hauled Volstagg to his feet. He thanked her and went over to stand next to the other Asgardian warriors. 

Hogun stepped into the sparring circle. "My turn." Snowdrop sauntered into the circle, frost coating her knuckles. She had stopped styling her hair in buns, instead keeping the braids framing her face, and a braid ending in the back of her head. She also added another snowdrop flower to her collection. The air around us  dropped a few of degrees as ice crackled around her. Hogun brandished his mace. Between her fingers formed shurikens made of ice. She threw three at Hogun with a flick of her wrist. He expertly dodged, and swung his mace. It knocked a flower out of her hair, barely scratching her skin. The white flower fluttered down to my feet. I bent down and picked it up. My attention turned back to the fight, where Hogun had Snowdrop pinned down. 

He let her go, and she joined me by my side. I handed her the snowdrop. She returned it to its proper place on her front plait. "I let go of the anger." Snowdrop muttered, clutching the flower. Each snowdrop braided in her hair represented a lost love one. "The others... weren't for her?" I still didn't know how the former Queen Astra, my aunt, had died. "No. They are for Uncle Orion and my father." I smiled. "Thank you for honoring my dad." The Asgardians looked over at us, confused. "Elves honor their dead by braiding objects into their hair. Snowdrop's object of choice was the flower she was named after." Amare spoke up. Frigga nodded in understanding. "That's a wonderful tradition." Loki put his arm around my shoulders, comforting me. My lips curled into a smile at his touch. I noticed Frigga looking at her son in pride. Loki hadn't been one for physical contact in his youth, at least according to him.  

Raindrops fell unexpectedly, ushering our party out of the training field and back into the palace. Marigold and Peter were playing checkers by the fountain in the royal wing. Tourmaline was curled around Mari, wisps of smoke rising from her nostrils as she snored. The Warrior's Three still looked at her with apprehension, but it was softening. I had even spied Volstagg sneakily slipping her table scraps during breakfast. 

Thunder rolled outside. Snowdrop and I flinched, while Amare and Ave were cuddling on the moss. They were watching the rain pound the glass covering the atrium. The small silver cuffs decorating their betrothal braids glinted in the light created by the floating orbs dotting the room. A maid bustled by, wiping her hands on her apron. She shot an envious look at us lounging around. Snowdrop sighed and got up from where she was sitting cross-legged on the moss. "I have royal duties I must attend to. I'll see you all at dinner." 

I scanned the atrium. Peter was the only human in sight. "Uh... where are the Avengers?" I asked. Peter looked up from where he was dubbing one of Marigold's checkers king. Clint and Natasha went to the armory for new magical weapons, Tony and Bruce went to check out the laboratories, and I have no idea where Steve went." "Fair enough, you may continue with your game." I said.

(A/N)------

A year ago today I published the first chapter of Dragonscales. It has been an incredible journey so far and I hope you'll continue to join me. When I first started this story I expected it to flop like the rest of mine, but it didn't. Thank you so much for supporting me throughout this crazy year and my writing journey. Also, thank you for 4,000 reads! 

~Le Author