"So..... Now we are done with the work out... what you wanna do first?.... Spell casting or Weapon training?..." Scarlet asked.
"Hmmmmm..... let's find you a weapon...." Scarlet insisted walking towards the weapon stands.
"So what weapon type calls out to you?.." She asked.
"I dunno...." I shrugged feeling unsure.
"Ahhhh this might be a little hard." She pondered biting her lip looking at the vast collection of weapons on display.
"Ohhh do you wanna try Paul's weapon of choice?.." She smiled with excitement.
"The big scythe?.." I asked remembering him drawing it when we was at the desert.
"Yeah..... It has good reach but its heavy with big predictable swings but it's an extremely intermediating and dangerous weapons able to cut past people's guards." She said walking towards a giant Scythe picking it up with one hand and handing it to me.
As she released her grip on the Scythe it was extremely heavy..... I began to wonder how Paul even wielded it with one hand so easily. "Nope..... This is way too heavy and clunky...." I instantly said as I struggle to hold it aloft.
"Ahhh okay,..." She said taking it off me and placing it back on the stand.
"Do I really need a weapon?..... Can't I just use a spells?.." I asked.
"Ummm... it's always good to have a weapon up your sleeve...." Scarlet answered. "For example for me... Very few people know that I can use magic..... Most the time people see Paul buffing me and I never use magic in public so people assume I can't cast spells. So if I was to ever use magic to win a duel it would be such a surprise they wouldn't expect it.... like a secret weapon." Scarlet explained. "Similar to why Paul always uses a wand when he's in the company of others... except when opening portals." Scarlet added with a smile.
"Hmmmm..... Probably a light weapon?.." I suggested as I had no real way of wielding the heavier weapons and swinging them.
"Good point.... you're gonna be primarily a spell caster.... Silly me." She said with a smile and shaking her head at herself for being so silly.
"Ummm how about something for utility?.." I asked remembering what Ashley suggested for Jay to use.
"Ohhh great idea!" Scarlet smiled in excitement rushing to an area filled with daggers. "So we have fire and acid daggers…." She said holding two daggers... "Fire is great for cutting rope and starting a fire in cases when you're staying overnight outdoors..... or Acid brilliant at corroding chains locks and metal things.... if none of them call out to you... we also have an electric one that can momentarily stun someone when you hit them... hmmmm.... or if not daggers.... maybe a short sword?... excellent for close combat." she suggested pulling out and placing back various weapons to show me.
"Hmmm... can you teach me how to use any weapon?.." I asked curiously.
"Yup... I can use all the weapons here on display really well." She smiled holding her chin up in pride.
"Wow.... so anything's dangerous in your hands...." I commented.
"Yup.... but obviously my preferred weapon is my extra wide Claymore and my smaller wooden sword called a Wakizashi" She replied.
"Yeah.... why do you have a wooden Sword anyways?..." I asked slightly confused why she would have one.
"Because we aren't allowed to use lethal force unless they break the rules of Atlantis, I use the wooden one to cause less fatal injuries." Scarlet answered.
"OHHH I see....." I replied nodding in understanding. "Let's try daggers for now..." I asked.
"Daggers.... sure let's go...." She said walking up a stand and taking out two daggers.
"Okay... So even though Daggers look rather simple to use.... they require a lot of finesse and speed to use properly.... Slashing someone wouldn't cause much damage unless you aim for certain points on the body..... So you can always push someone to fight defensively with slashes and when there's an opening quickly switch your grip and stab the target for a more serious wound." Scarlet explained showing me some motions and grip switching.
"Ummm..... I don't think I have the physical strength to fight someone up close...." I replied.
"Well stick to some dagger training..... It's an easily concealed weapon.... in case you need it for self-defence or other situations." Scarlet advised handing me two daggers. "These are magical daggers.... this one is a flame one... crafted from the smouldering core of a hell hound and this one is forged from the core of an acid elemental.... hold these in your bag for now...." she explained carefully and precisely to me.
"Umm how do I activate them???..." I asked confusingly looking at both of them in my hands.
"So magical items need to attune to you.... so keep it on your person for at least 30 mins then they are magically bound to you.... so when you wield them their properties will take effect. Scarlet explained looking excited for me. "You'll also need to commission or buy some leather straps so you can conceal them close to your body and have them ready at all times or have a robe that has an opening with pockets..." Scarlet advised.
"Okay!" I said taking her advice and pocketing the daggers.
"Okay... let's do some training.... take these two daggers for now...." She said handing me another two daggers and began walking towards the sand pit.
"By the way.... you saved me on my first day here do you remember?.." I asked remembering how she sundered a blade with her bare hand.
"Huh?...." She asked.
"Yeah you caught a sword with your bare hand and somehow sundered and it didn't even scratch you." I recited trying to remind her.
"Ohhh yeah I remember.... damn punks..... Should have hurt him more." She replied.
"How did you catch the blade with your bare hand and didn't even get cut..... And crushing it into pieces and still never got cut?.." I asked curiously.
"It's a secret." She winked at me. "Besides that's what makes me such an awesome training partner.... It's really difficult to hurt me." She smiled.
"Are you sure?..." I asked hesitantly kinda doubting what she said.
"Yeah... look...." She said taking a dagger off me and began stabbing her palm. The dagger failing to pierce her skin.
"What the hell...." I looked in shock.
"Yeah..... Awesome right?.." She smiled and began slashing her palm and still her hand remained unscathed.
"How...." I whispered in disbelief staring at her hand.
"Ohhhh btw Ashley also mentioned that you had another incident that day." She informed me.
"I did?.." I questioned totally confused trying to remember everything that happened that day.
"Yeah he told me you punched a wall and you was stronger than expected." She revealed to me.
"Ohh yeah that... I dunno why.... I just felt so angry... and punched the wall." I recited what happened.
"Hmmm interesting...." She replied.
"Jay was telling me that my body used Arcanum to momentarily become stronger.." I replied.
"Jay's right... we can also use it to make us faster.... increase our senses and toughness.... It's a technique where we cause our bodies to metabolize Arcanum to enhance our Speed, Sense, Strength, Smell and Hearing immensely." Scarlet explained like a teacher to a student. It's good that you show signs of that at such an early stage.... even our most veteran and promising students only show these signs well into their years of studies in Atlantis." Scarlet stated sounding curious.
"What does that mean?..." I asked.
"Well for one... don't let your anger get the better of you.... anger may give you strength but it will cloud your thoughts.... you won't be able to assess the situation as clearly and correctly asses the correct course of action against very dangerous enemies they can use your emotions against you." Scarlet Advised.
"Okay....." I agreed looking down feeling slightly embarrassed knowing that I should never let my temper get the better of me.
"But it also means there is much potential in you." She smiled. "So the secret of fighting in close combat... is muscle memory and drills... as well as noticing micro twitches and behaviours in your opponent or opponents." Scarlet explained.
"Ummm what?...." I questioned utterly dumbfounded.
"Everyone, monsters and humans have micro expression and tells when it comes to anything..... Lying.... truth ... emotions... You can even read body language to tell when individuals are hostile based on posture or the way they speak... same with people attacking.... if you can read their body, you can read their attacks allowing you to be one step ahead of the enemy. Same with spells watch their wands listen for the spell." Scarlet carried on explaining.
"Okay....." I said nodding in understanding.
"For example in a heated situation a clenched fist and tensed arms signals hostility. One foot in front of the other indicates they may attack.... and which arm they are gonna swing with the slight pull back of the shoulder when about to swing. A dragon before using its breath attack will inhale deeply lifting its head up. A troll willing to take wounds and hits on its extremities… and avoiding fire damage as that will cauterize the wound and stop its accelerated regeneration revealing it's weakness." Scarlet explained.
"Okay." I nodded with confidence.
"Nice…. Let's start with some drills then and I'll teach you some tells when it comes to unarmed combat." She replied with a smile leading me to the sand pit.