Anna
A celestial battleground where the god of war trains and spars with other deities. The arena is surrounded by grandstands where gods gather to witness displays of martial prowess and strategical skill.
Jonathan
** ** 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆. That day, the world seemed to be perfumed by the scent of fresh blooms and the faintest scent of a rainstorm long gone. Long stalks of grass brushed against bared skin, smearing spring's dew on Aurora's calves as she weaved her way through the thickened fields that bordered the outskirts of the nearby arena. The large structure loomed just a handful of yards over in the distance, shadows bathing the ground in an eerie pool of coolness as the sun slowly shifted on the horizon, sluggish in its start to brighten the day. It was times like this that made her truly appreciate the serenity of Olympus and the momentary periods where the war seemed to be nonexistent. She knew very well that bloodshed would pick up its activity sooner than later, but for now, contentment was in store while the clashing was lulled.
_ _

** ** Tilting her head back, the brunette offered a curious gaze to the sky, eyes tracking the gradual creep of fiery amber. Somewhere along the way since she'd come outside, birds had begun to stir, hidden among the branches of sparse trees speckled here and there. Their songs were cheery; as if there was nothing in the world that could possibly bring them down. Were they aware that the tranquility was only a part of their minds? Beyond, it was merely temporary. But even a short segment was better than nothing. It was better to appreciate what was there than what was lost. What was to come. What was to be lost. "Where are we headed, hm?" The question floated on empty air, no other mouth to respond to it. It was alright, though. She hadn't expected a reply, anyway. Not from the horse she'd brought to accompany her at least. The massive creature simply snorted, the meaning of the words flying right over twitching ears. Tossing its head, it snatched a small bite of a particularly tall head of grass, the pretty blade disappearing with a muted crunch. Gently patting the horse's flank, Aurora stifled a rather large yawn. Sleep still blurred her eyes, though she blamed it on the constant tossing and turning she'd done all night. By the time she'd finally given up on resting and had gotten up, her sheets had been a twisted mess of silk, duvet pooling at the foot of her bed in a mess. It wasn't that she'd had nightmares. It wasn't that there'd been disturbances that kept her from sleep. It'd been the lack of noise. The war had gone on for far too long, to the point that she'd grown accustomed to the cries of pain from those who'd been caught in the crossfire of it all. It had never been their fight to defend against, and yet they still found themselves the victims of it all. Olympus was in trouble, but for how long? Nobody knew.
_ _

** ** All they could do was sit and wait. Thud. Just like that, the peaceful hours of the dawn had ended. The wind gave another sweet sigh, throwing a breeze of cold air into Aurora's face and ruffling dark curls. Leaning forward against the saddle of her horse, Aurora squinted to no avail. The noise had come from somewhere just over the crest of the small hill she'd coasted onto, the source of it shielded from view. She knew people had busy lives, but who in their right mind would brave the day this early? The birds themselves hadn't even made up their minds on whether or not the world should've been awake yet. "Woah," She murmured, heels lightly digging into the flanks of her horse. The stallion snorted again, tossing its head before coming to a halt at the sprawling roots of an elderly carob. Gingerly dismounting with a swing of her legs over the side, she got herself down and crept up to the edge of the hill to see if she could catch sight of the noise from before. It came again, still as consistent as before. Just behind her at the carob, a bird took flight, a mere blob of black against the sky as it vanished in a flash. What, or rather, who, was down there? There in the dew-slicked grass, Aurora huddled and leaned forward, eyes scanning the fields below before landing on a figure just a little ways off at the foot of the slope. The atmosphere split with a whistle of protest as a blade slashed the air. Again and again, slash, whistle. Slash, whistle. It was a routine instilled by whoever it was that wielded the weapon, their side profile unrecognizable from her vantage point. Was this a training session of sorts? Would it be considered interrupting if she greeted them? "You're up early! Couldn't sleep?" Carefully rising back to a straightened position, Aurora gave a tentative wave and called down to the figure. Broadened shoulders suggested a man. But who?
Thelma
Douglas knew the day was one ripe for training the moment he woke up. Even before the sun was up he felt the call of the training field and decided it was a training day. So even before the sun had started to peak over the hills Douglas had gathered up some of his favorite weapons and carted them to the field. Against the rising sun, he stood, tall and muscular with a chiseled jawline and piercing blue eyes. He was known to be one of the most skilled soldiers in the fledgling group that was the start of Ares' demigod army- its soon to be leader if his plans went as he hoped. And with a natural talent for hand-to-hand combat and a sharp mind for strategy, Douglas knew he was better than most, and he had no qualms about reminding anyone of that fact. 

As he stood in the training field on that early morning, he knew that it was the perfect opportunity to hone his skills with some of his favorite weapons. Aside from his special powers granted to him by being not only the son of Ares but his champion as well, Douglas knew his way around any weapon with an almost instinctive level of skill and mastery. Despite this Douglas loved the rush of adrenaline that came from working with the weapons and made it a point to train as often as he could. And this day was no different as he reached out, eyes closed, letting his hand fall on the first weapon he'd be using for the day. He started with his swords, his trusty companions in battle. Douglas had a collection of swords, each with its own unique design and purpose. 

He grabbed the first one, a long and sleek Katana, and swung it with ease in the air. The blade glinted in the sunlight, and Douglas felt a surge of adrenaline rush through his veins. He moved fluidly, each strike precise and calculated, and it was clear that he had mastered the art. He switched between different stances and techniques, as if dancing with the weapon in his hands, wielding it with the same skill that a master of blades would have demonstrated.

Next, Douglas reached for the shining set of throwing daggers, one of his favorite weapons to use due to their ruthlessness and ranged attack. Douglas had a keen eye and a steady hand, which made him an expert at throwing daggers with precision. He took a deep breath and focused his gaze on the target, a dummy standing a yards away. With swift and accurate movements, he pulled out his dagger from its sheath and released it, watching as it hit the target with a satisfying thud. He repeated the motion, over and over again, each time hitting the target with precision and a ruthlessness that shone not just in his power but in the cold gaze of his eyes as well. 

As he finished with the daggers, he moved on to cane poles, a weapon that many would underestimate. But not Douglas, he knew well the power the rod could inflict. He picked up a cane pole and walked towards the center of the field, spinning it skillfully in his hands as he approached the dummy again. With lightning-fast movements, he started swinging the pole as he struck the dummies with calculated blows. The cane pole was light but sturdy, tipped with a golden cap at the end, and Douglas knew how to use its length and versatility to his advantage. He spun, kicked, jabbed, and struck, each movement of his body graceful yet deadly as well. 

As he finally stopped, deciding that was enough training and it was time for a quick break, Douglas took a moment to catch his breath and wipe the sweat off his forehead. He looked around the training field, taking in the scenery that seemed so clear and pristine, a stark contrast to the devastation he had just unleashed in such a short period of time. He smiled, knowing that he was pushing himself to his limits and was coming out on top, as always. There was no other option for a son of Ares. After quenching his thirst with a long drink from the water bottle he had with him, Douglas was about to turn back when something... Or someone... Caught his eye.

Douglas squinted slightly against the growing morning sun and looked at the figure standing at the crest of the grassy hill. ""You're up early! Couldn't sleep?" He heard them call out. Was definitely a female voice, but one Douglas didn't recognize. He saw as the stranger waves and he gave a small half-wave in return and watched her, tilting his head slightly. "Too good a day to be lazy. Perfect day for training" Douglas said with a small smirk as he wondered for a half second if he should bother putting his shirt back on. Nah, why cover up something so perfect after all? "What brings you out and about with the sun?" He asked.

||
Jonathan
** ** Glancing over her shoulder at the horse she'd brought along with her, Aurora studied it for a moment before deciding that it would be just fine without her for a bit. She highly doubted it would find the motivation to wander far (if at all) anyway. Fluttering her fingers in a nonverbal goodbye, she began to pick her way down the slope, eyes focused on the ground in concentration to avoid slipping and eating dirt. It was too early to be faced with any embarrassment so soon into the day. 

** ** "Well, I can confidently say that we're here for entirely different reasons. I was hoping to try and enjoy the morning before I got too busy to actually do that. To each their own for their use of the first hours." Jutting her arms out as a notably slick clump of grass flattened underfoot, Aurora finished the duration of her descent with an awkward totter, curses flying within her head until she coasted to a stop in front of the stranger. Psychologists and plenty more sources had always claimed that a person's smile was the first thing another looked at. Hell, even their eyes. But it was difficult to note any of the two when the bigger feature vying for attention was the obvious set of washboard abs. Whoever this guy was, he was absolutely shameless, and Aurora applauded him for his confidence. But she was here to keep it classy, folks. Staring, even respectfully, was off the charts, and for that, she kept her eyes trained on his own. After a moment, her brain buffered a thought and she nodded at the current weapon tucked into his hand. "How long have you been out here with these? That's a lot."
_ _

** ** Even though the man's body blocked a good bit of the grounded weapons from view, Aurora could still catch a pretty good glimpse of the spread. Were all of these truly necessary for one training session? By first thought, anyone would've immediately concluded that he was a general of sorts. And really, who could blame them? He certainly had the aura for it. "Have you already worked with all of these? I heard sounds coming from down here and thought I'd check it out, but the last thing I'd really expected to find was someone slicing and dicing the air like it owed him its lunch money," She said, lips curving into a grin as she comfortably folded her arms over her chest to trap body heat. The two of them maintained a distance between one another, but that didn't stop the soft voice in the back of her head from whispering a warning of caution. Friendliness was all too easy to dish out, but that didn't quite mean the other person was as kind. With the massacres she'd seen as of late, wariness, even in a small portion, was appropriate for any unfamiliar face. Though, in any case, maybe he liked chopping air better than people. 

"Do you have a favorite out of all of these?" Sidling off in a small semi circle, Aurora studied the display on the ground, attention pinballing from one item to another. They all had one thing in common: they were lethal. However, each had their own particular usage that the others did not, and that was what made them fascinating.
Thelma
A mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of Douglas' lips as he observed her. His gaze roamed up and down her form as she wandered around the field, seemingly torn between keeping her distance and being inexplicably drawn to him. She was undeniably attractive, even in his distracted state, and he couldn't help but wonder if he should make time for a little personal entertainment and pursue her. It could certainly be an interesting diversion. He took note of her movements, observing how she cautiously navigated the space and stumbled over her words as she spoke to him. Yet despite her hesitation, she was still here and engaging him in conversation... All the opening he needed to make his move. 

"I like to make the most the day," With a sly smirk before shrugging. "Been out here about an or so, I guess? Time flies when you're having fun... Or when you're busy beating the crap out of dummies," He added with a chuckle as nodded back towards the carnage behind him. Douglas then went and wiped his forearm across his brow, abs flexing and his biceps tightening in the process. There might have been a little extra flex in there for good measure as well just because he knew it looked good. The sun beat down on him, creating a sheen of sweat on his skin and casting shadows over the scars scattered over his sides and back. 

But to Douglas, this was just another day in the training grounds, where he pushed himself to be better and stronger than before. "I like using all of them" He said, waving his hand at the weapons strewn about the field, "Each has its own unique feel and purpose. Some days I like ranged weapons, others I like to be up close and personal with my... Target," Douglas said with a wink as he walked over to his swords again, picking up the longer of the two and swishing it through the air with a practiced ease that only time and skill could hone.

"Take these" He said, tapping the blade against its twin impaled on the ground "A better pair of blades I have not yet found," Douglas said with a smirk that was equal parts arrogance and flirtation. "Helps having a direct line to the best weapons and armor for sure. He trailed off chuckling to himself as he slowly followed after Avalon as she wandered, not getting too close btu still almost stalking her as he answered her flurry of questions. With a smile he bent down and picked up one of the daggers again and twirled it between his fingers. 

"A true warrior.." He scratched his jaw with the tip of it as casually as if it was something he did often "..Knows how to wield everything to their advantage. You never know when you might need a specific type of weapon." Douglas tilted his head at her comment about the noise carrying and laughed. It was an odd thing. Something he had never really considered before... That might have largely been because most found the son of the God of War to be too intimidating to strike up a casual conversation with. But this lass was different. And Douglas liked that. 

"Really? I didn't realize it carried that far. You've got good ears I see." He gave her another once over before returning his attention to the dagger in his hand. "But out of all these which is my preference? I am afraid I cannot tell. A man has gotta have his secrets after all." He winked at her before twirling the dagger again before sheathing it and then placing it back on the table. "Mostly here to get some morning exercise in before I start my day proper, train the body temple and all that to stay looking this good." Douglas made a show of bending down and picking up the other daggers and sheathing them before placing them on the table alongside their brother.

"I'm Douglas by the way, son and Champion of Ares. But enough about me, I am sure you didn't come all this way just to hear about my training routine" He said with a smirk. "What about you? You usually wandering around fields in the morning, looking like a daughter of Aphrodite herself? Or am I just an incredibly lucky demigod this fine morning?"

||