Patience Pylet was currently in a bit of a panic. Sable Coldwater was charging at her with a very scary-looking sword and all Patience had on her was a simple training sword. No special equipment, no real preparation, nothing. What's worse was that in twenty-four hours she would have to fight another insane, battle-hungry swordswoman.

"I thought you weren't trying to hurt me!" Patience said as she managed to bring her training sword up to block the blows that Sable rained down on her. Numbness from absorbing those blows was already shooting through her arms. If she could, she would be crying right now.

"I am! I'm just prodding you in the right direction! Besides Bryson will do his best to help if things get out of hand!" Sable said as she sent Patience flying backwards with a strong strike.

Before Patience could tumble out of the ring, she felt herself hitting a soft wall that slowed her momentum. Turning around she saw Bryson with a hand raised with a grimace on his face.

"You really need to rely on using the berserker mode." Bryson said.

"I'm trying, but the only way I can do it is if I stop thinking!"

"That's not what she taught you!"

"I know! I need more time!"

"You don't have any time!" Sable shouted as she came flying through the air and brought her sword down.

Patience quickly darted to the side as she could feel the floor beneath her shake. Looking back she saw Sable pulling her sword free from a small crater that she had left due to the strike. Patience, wide-eyed brought her training sword back up in a defensive stance.

"Sable! What are you doing?" Bryson shouted.

"I telegraphed it pretty well I think." Sable said casually as she eyes Patience, "Think and focus. Use your anger and flow with the action, remember not just things that make you mad, but alsowhy you want to fight. Use that to control the berserker in you."

"I wish I could." Patience said as Sable charged her again.

"Work on defence first." Sable growled out as she deliberately aimed for Patience's blade, "Let it help defend you."

Patience as she retreated further back suddenly felt herself and everything move in slow motion. With all this time seemingly available to her, she took a moment to think. Why does the weird berserker mode activate with her?

She had at times sort of controlled herself before. Usually when she was dealing with small fry, but even then, she always had the urge to let loose. But that was different, she had actively tried to stamp away the urge to fight. Now she needed to find that urge and channel it.

She then paused. Why would she even want to fight? She had no real want to prove that she was the best. She simply wanted to work on her art. Thinking about it, she realized that her getting lost with designing wasn't dissimilar to getting lost in a fight.

So how does she control what she creates with her clothing design to stop it from being a nonsensical mess? She allows herself to be swept into it, yet she always had her eyes peeled while doing so. Then, why can't she do the same thing with a fight? Control it. Think the same way she does when she tries to design something.

Sable closed the distance more and swung with a horizontal strike. Her eyes widened when it registered to her that Patience just leapt over her blade and pirouetted into the air. She was graceful and more importantly, Sable could see that Patience was fully aware of what she was doing.

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With a small smile Sable then pressed the attack. This time when she struck her blade against Patience's, she felt the impacts to be different. No more was it Patience using her entire body to try and survive a shot, each hit was taken in stride.

Patience was no longer panicking with each approach, instead, she was carefully studying Sable. Making sure to look for any feints and tells, no longer overextending herself trying to avoid getting hit. Sable couldn't help but smile as Patience was learning to properly control herself.

Sable continued to chase down Sable

"Okay. Let's play a little." Sable said excitedly as she began to pick up the pace of the fight.

Before, she was swinging relatively casually in the direction of Patience, simply walking forward, now she became far more animated. She was creative with her strikes, properly setting up feints and traps. But more importantly than all, she was putting more power and speed behind everything.

To her delight, Patience was able to keep up with her. Patience was improving, getting better even. Her counters were smoother with each exchange, she looked more and more into the mood of the fight.

Then just as Patience was getting into the groove of the fight, an orb of white light soared towards Patience as Sable gave Patience some much-needed breathing room. Patience quickly ducked down and managed to avoid the hit.

Confused Patience searched for the source, as she did so, another orb flew at her. Leaping over it this time, she was taken aback as a large white ring came spinning towards her. Still in the middle of the air Patience could only bring her sword up to try and intercept the attack.

Thankfully, it never reached her as a small opaque glowing blue hexagon blocked the white ring. As Patience landed back on her feet, she could hear Bryson calling towards her.

"Focus, don't forget about Cherrywood!" Bryson reminded her as he looked over to Anna, who gave him an apologetic look.

"He's right. You need to remember, it's only going to get worse tomorrow!" Sable said.

"Actually I'm pretty sure I can take care of them." Bryson said to himself.

"Keep at the attacks Anna! Now we work together! Bryson don't help too much!" Sable said charging forward.

"Why do I have to listen to you?" Bryson shouted back as he was about to create a barrier between the two.

"It would help speed up Patience's training if she were more self-reliant." Reynard called out, giving Bryson pause.

Instead he stood there and watched as Sable, now with the aid of Anna began to combine their pressure on Patience. Where Patience would create distance away from Sable, she was immediately harassed by magic attacks being thrown at her. The moment she wanted reprieve from the magical barrage she was met by Sable's massive blade.

She was given no time to breathe or think, and yet Patience handled it all. Then for the first time since her manic phase, she smiled. One not of manic joy, but of someone simply enjoying the game that they were playing.

With another leap and a twist, she dove past a series of blasts sent her way as Sable swung for her. Landing back down she got into a runner's stance and then charged straight at Sable. Anna quickly sent another bolt of white light at Patience only for her to casually move out of the way and continue her charge. Patience was done with playing with defence, she was going to attack.

"Good job. We're done." Sable said as Patience halted her attack and wound up stumbling across the ground stopping in front of her feet.

"Huh?" Patience said panting and looking up at Sable. No longer in her berserker mode and extremely winded.

"You've shown that you can handle the berserker mode now. So we're done."

"But what about-"

"You have a fight tomorrow, we can't have you exhausted now can we? Go get rested up and plan with the other two on what to do tomorrow." Sable said as the large blade in her hand disappeared into thin air.

"I was just getting used to everything." Patience said sitting up as Sable left her there.

"Well, she isn't wrong about needing to rest and not take any needless injuries." Bryson said, "But also I don't think she would like to risk a repeat of the Kristel incident."

"The what incident?"

"It's not important." Bryson said, "Come on let's get out of this place and find somewhere to talk strategy."

"The Sanctum of Secrets is a good place to do that." Reynard said.

"The what?"

"Our clubhouse."

"That's not its name. It doesn't even have a name."

"I know, which is why I named it."

"That's a stupid name."

"Oh come on, you like it right Anna?" Reynard asked Anna as she joined the group.

"It's pretty cool." Anna said nodding her head.

"See, majority rules."

"You're from a monarchy why are you using democracy?" Bryson grumbled as they group went to the apparent Sanctum of Secrets.

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