Within a somewhat secluded forest clearing outside of Oak City, Ko was filling the air with sounds of his strained voice counting off repetitions. It had been some time since his battle with Erebus, and he had come away from the spar with a clear idea of his shortcomings. As was his nature, Ko couldn't stop himself from training to overcome them, and thus here he was. Nantosuelta, his trusted partner, lounged on an enormous stone nearby, bathing in the sun.
He'd been training nonstop since sunrise, and already the sun was starting to climb to the highest point. At the moment he was training his strength, having tied bundles of large weights to a long rod and resting the rod on his shoulders while squatting up and down in place. As was typical when Ko trained, he'd shed his upper body clothing early on to avoid getting it soaked with sweat. His muscles were on clear display, and the sheen from the sun overhead was distinct.
"I still don't understand what the point of all that...moving around is." Nantosuelta commented from the sidelines, peering at Ko from her lounging spot. "All that exertion seems rather pointless." Ko couldn't help but roll his eyes, continuing to count under his breath. When he hit 200, he dropped the weights and stood up straight, stretching his back out. "Of course you'd say that. I swear you're more Cat than Dragon sometimes. If I ever find out the Flamewyrm equivalent of silvervine I'm keeping some on me at all times."
Nantosuelta huffed loudly, sending out a puff of smoke. "Such disrespect. It isn't my fault your pitiful human body fails you. Though, I suppose I can't call it strictly human anymore, can I?" She was clearly commenting on his Dragon Slayer status, but Ko was convinced. Certain things might have been different, but as he looked down at his body, he could only frown. "Someday maybe. For now, I'm still subpar." His somber mood didn't last long, however, as he quickly smirked back at Nantosuelta, striking a pose that showed off his abdominals. "Still, I can't deny I look pretty good for subpar."
That got a bit of a chuckle out of Nantosuelta, who went back to sunning herself. "You have your good points, Ko, but I wouldn't call your looks one of them. You're closer to a wild beast than a majestic dragon." Ko sputtered indignantly. "Shows what you know, Nan. Ladies love the wild beast aesthetic." "If you say so, Ko." "Hmph. I do say so." If you'd accused Ko of pouting, he'd deny it, but you wouldn't be wrong either.