Heirs, 29

(POV: Renata)

"Stop, stop, please, stop," I speak with a feeble voice, my throat tight.

They immediately stop tickling me and help me get up. Luan hands me a water bottle, and I take a few sips after coughing a bit. When I feel better, we enter the forest. I can feel the cold wind tousling my hair, and the scent of flowers fills my nostrils. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to soak in as much of that unique fragrance as I can.

We walk for about an hour until we reach a wide part of the forest. I like this place; the trees are tall and thick, and the grass is low, as if it has been recently trimmed.

"Here, Lena," Luan says, tossing me my pair of pink gloves. I catch them in the air and quickly start putting them on.

"Here, Lucca," he tosses the pair of blue gloves to his brother, who, like me, begins to put them on.

"I imagine you already know the theory of this fight, right, Lucca?" I inquire.

"Yes," he confirms. "I just need the practice. I was too lazy to want to learn. My thing is and has always been archery."

"I see," I approach him, stop in front of him, and raise my head to meet his eyes. "Today, a new Lucca is born, a strong and audacious one. A Lucca who doesn't bow to anyone, no more being a punching bag. The next beating that Edgar takes will be from you."

"I'm starting to like this," he says, clapping his gloves together and looking at me with determination.

"All right, let's start with something lighter at first," I say, looking at Luan, who already has his red glove in position. "We'll do levels. At first, your opponent will be Luan, then it will be me, and I'll let you know right now that I won't go easy on you," I say seriously.

"Why aren't you the easiest level?" Rapha questions, arms crossed.

I look at him with the same reproachful look my mother used to give me when I questioned her about anything. I think nothing annoyed her more than questioning. She demanded respect and submission; I don't want them to be submissive, but they have to respect a certain hierarchy since I'm the most capable here.

"Do you want a display of strength, cub?" I say the last word with a certain intonation to irritate him, and it works because he looks at me seriously and starts walking toward me slowly, as if he were a hunter about to catch his prey. I'm not afraid and quickly stand firm in a fighting position, waiting for him.

"Hey! Hey!" Lucca calls our attention. "You came here to train me, not to compete with each other!" He intervenes, standing between me and Raphael. "Luan, shall we?" he asks, looking into his brother's eyes.

"Don't call me a cub," he growls at me, and I roll my eyes.

"I hit a sore spot, didn't I?" I ask, unapologetically. "C U B," I spell out mockingly.

"One minute in combat with you, and I'll show you the cub, you mocker," he says, and I see the indignation in his eyes. "I'm not Edgar, and I won't tolerate being made fun of." I applaud when he finishes speaking.

"See, Lucca?" I question, and he looks at me puzzled. "This is the reaction of an upset male. He knows I can take him down, but he faced me without bowing his head. Congratulations, Luan, you'll be a leader with a lot of determination." His gaze softens. "First lesson, Lucca, never show vulnerability to your opponent, no matter how powerful he may seem."

"Noted," Lucca says, getting ready.

"Start," I order, turning my back on the two of them and sitting on a nearby rock to observe Lucca's glaring flaws.

I notice Luan is holding back a bit with the punches he's throwing at his brother. Lucca can't counter any of them, and I sigh in frustration.

"Lucca," I shout, "Pay attention to his movements, use your intelligence to your advantage. He's stronger, but you're more agile and know various combat strategies. Use them," I order. "And Luan," I call him, and he looks at me. "Don't hold back, hit with force, or I'll hit you."

"It's the first day, cut him some slack," Luan pleads, and I roll my eyes.

"That's why he never listened to you and wanted to train with you," I say without any remorse. "Stop trying to protect your brother; he's capable, and I believe in his strength."

It seems like a stroke to the ego was the boost Lucca needed. He started moving with more precision and even managed to land a few punches on his brother. The sparring was intense; Luan was advancing, trying to land multiple punches, and Lucca was dodging with impressive precision. He was a bit clumsy when it came to countering the punches, but that was something that could be adjusted.

"Stop," I request, and they stop to watch me. "Luan, you're an excellent boxer, but you need more precision when launching your attacks," I offer constructive criticism, and he nods in acceptance. "Lucca, you lack coordination when punching."

"I'm doing my best," he says.

"You're more capable than you think," I say, approaching him. "Mastering a quick punch is essential; it all starts with posture, and you need to use your whole body, not just your arm, to generate power in the punch."

"How?" they both ask in unison.

"The positioning of your feet and legs is crucial when punching because punches involve your entire body. Keep your feet slightly apart and bend your knees slightly, like this," I demonstrate, positioning myself exactly as I instructed them. "This way, you can rotate toward the target easily."

"Like this?" Rapha asks, and I nod in agreement.

"If you're punching with your right hand, your right foot should be kept back, with the heel raised, and if you're punching with your left hand, your left foot should be kept back, with the heel raised," I explain. "Your focus should never leave your target-never close your eyes or look in another direction, like you did on the day we were going to do a demonstration in class," I say, looking directly at Lucca.

"I understand," he says, paying attention.

"When you start the punch, rotate your hips and torso toward your target," I make the movement with my hips. "The punch will be stronger if you can fully rotate."

"You could be an instructor at the academy," Rapha says. "You have an exceptional teaching style. Where did you learn so much technique?"

"We're here to train, not to talk," I say, unbothered by being rude.

"Okay, commander," he makes a salute gesture, and I roll my eyes.

"Inhale before the punch and exhale when executing it. After the punch, quickly return to the starting position before the next punch," I demonstrate by throwing a few punches into the air, controlling my breath and movements. "Now, do it," I demand before stepping back.

I watch them do exactly as I instructed and feel satisfied to notice that they paid attention to my entire explanation. Lucca already shows some improvements, and Luan is more agile and fierce. In just one training session, these boys show that they are strong and determined.

"No one will mock me again," Lucca says without taking his eyes off his brother's movements. "I will be respected as the future supreme beta that I am. That's a promise." I smile; for some reason, I feel proud of Lucca's determination.

"We're counting on it," Luan says, dodging his brother's punch.