Chapter Warning: Swearing
***
Approaching the front doors of the academy, Palette paused in reaching for the handle at the familiar shouts that were coming from around the back; Crom's gravelly voice. Following the stone wall that lined the grounds surrounding the building, the narrow pathway opened into a large field divided into individual sparring areas.
The skeleton spotted Goth immediately, dodging back and forth in an attempt to avoid the projectiles being fired at him.
"You need to deflect the seeds!" Crom bellowed from behind a row of bell-shaped orange plants, "Any movement made is being tracked and targeted; you won't get anywhere merely jumping around like a frightened rabbit! Fight back!"
"There's too many!" Goth gasped, rolling to the side to avoid a stream of seeds as they kicked up tiny clouds of dust in their wake and summoning a bone construct to swat the rest, "I can't get close enough to fight back!"
"You're too focused on avoiding the seeds! Utilize your constructs better so you can advance without sustaining damage!" The vampire barked back.
If Palette remembered correctly, the seeds were made to explode on contact; nothing dangerous for a vampire, but still painful. He grimaced in remembrance of the last training session with Crom and set his bag down to dig out the first aid kit. The servant hopped onto the wall while opening the box to make sure it had plenty of ointment stocked; from the way the smaller was moving, he had more than likely been hit a few times already and would need treatment afterward.
It looked like Goth was now trying to use some of his bone constructs to draw the fire of the plants, but the concentration required to move the bones around while maneuvering himself seemed to be wearing him out more than anything. The way things were going, it was only a matter of time before he got hit again.
Two minutes of dodging later, Palette's prediction came true; he flinched as one of the seeds connected with the small vampire's left tibia with a resounding snap, sending them to the ground with a pained gasp. Before he could even register what he was doing, the skeleton was up and running; intent on making sure Goth was okay.
"Wait, sto- shit, look out!"
Palette's starry eye lights flicked toward Crom, managing to catch a glimpse of the oncoming projectiles before white and red filled his vision. Before he could even choke out his master's name, energy gathered around Goth's hands and burst forth with a blinding flash of light. The taller threw his arms up to shield his sockets, faintly registering the sound of something being sliced in the distance.
When the light faded, Palette squinted his sockets open to find Goth standing before him; their shoulders rising and falling rapidly with each breath, staring down the length of the sparring ring with a long stick holding a curved blade gripped in their hands. Across the expanse of dirt, Crom was belly down on the ground; the plants around him now severed at their stems and wilting.
For a moment, the only sound that could be heard in the area was Goth's heaving breaths before Palette broke the silence, "Wow, that was amazing! I didn't know you had a weapon."
The vampire turned toward him, frantically eying him up and down before relaxing their posture. Looking down at the handle of the weapon, Goth took a slow breath, "I didn't know either."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Crom cheered, catching the pair's attention as he rose to his feet and jogged across the field. Coming to a stop next to Goth, he placed his hands on the small vampire's shoulders, "That was most excellent, young master. The scythe you're holding is a powerful weapon, much like your father's; make sure you remember the feeling of summoning it."
Goth nodded his skull, letting the scythe faded into particles of light before vanishing completely.
Crom's red eyes narrowed on Palette, growling, "And you. What the hell did you think you were doing rushing out like that? The plants I summoned earlier were made to handle a vampire's constitution; do you have any idea what could have happened to you if the young master hadn't interfered?"
Palette bowed his skull, his eye lights falling to the ground as he mumbled, "I'm sorry..."
"Crom, he meant no harm," Goth reasoned sternly, moving with some effort to stand between the two, "He was only worried for me, and I was able to summon that scythe thanks to him. If anything, he helped me."
Crom grumbled at his student's words but eventually heaved a sigh. "Alls well that ends well, I suppose. Can't really argue with results," his eyes leveled on Palette, "but you need to learn to be more mindful. I would recommend learning how to defend yourself if your gut reaction is to jump into danger like that. Things worked out this time, but your master won't always be able to cover for you. That kind of negligence for your own safety could very well get you killed one day, and I can only imagine how devastated the young master would be if that happened."
Palette caught a flash of Goth's stricken expression before it was quickly replaced with unease. The servant quietly agreed, "That might be a good idea. Would you or someone else be willing to teach me, even if it's just learning to dodge?"
Pleased with the response, Crom said, "Certainly, but we need to figure out a timeframe later; I'm already running short on time today. Besides, you have something much more important to attend to."
Following the older vampire's gaze, the servant's eye lights fell on Goth... who looked dirty and completely spent; not to mention the red mark forming on his left tibia that stood out against his white bones and clothes.
Palette gasped, "Oh stars, are you okay? Does your leg still hurt; do you need help walking?"
"What?" The smaller seemed confused until he looked down as well, "Oh... yeah, I should be fine walking on my own. It still stings a little, but I honestly forgot until you mentioned it."
"I swear you're more and more like your father every day," Crom rumbled, giving the smaller a pat on the shoulder, "Get yourself looked after; you made good progress today. We'll pick up on learning to control that scythe the day after tomorrow at the same time."
"Thank you, Crom; good day and take care," Goth nodded his skull in acceptance.
As the older vampire took his leave, Palette couldn't help but chuckle. It was always strange to hear Goth speak so formally, even when he knew it was due to their position in the coven, expectations of maturity, and force of habit. Still, it made the servant feel a bit special that he seemed to be the only one that wasn't subject to such formalities.
The smaller turned to him with a quizzical look, "What? Did I say something odd?"
Palette shook his skull, "No, I just remembered something funny. Anyways, let's get your leg taken care of. Do you have any oth-"
As Palette grasped the smaller's hand to lead him over to the wall where the first aid kit laid, Goth jumped and recoiled away from the touch. The taller regarded them as worry slowly crept into his expression, "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"N... no, I'm fine. You surprised me, that's all," the vampire responded with a faintly nervous smile.
"Oh...," the explanation wasn't what Palette had been expecting and he had to admit he felt a bit hurt by the reaction. Why that was, he couldn't say, but he apologized anyway, "sorry for surprising you, then."
"It's alright, I know it wasn't on purpose. Thank you for the concern," Goth reassured, approaching once more.
Palette fell into step with him as they both made their way to the wall. The servant replied easily, "Of course, that's what I'm here for."
***
Hmm...
Word Count: 1,343