I'll give you the short version of what happened next. I accepted his offer (duh) and we set up days and times that we could meet to help me practice as soon as my injuries were fully healed. Of course, because of my job I could only meet him at night, so at first I could only go practice maybe three times a week at most. If I were to go every night then I wouldn't be able to function as a human being from being dead tired all the time. But both Raul and I wanted to meet more often, so Raul taught me how to meditate on the same day we met, though it took me a few weeks to really get it down. This wasn't simple meditation either, but a technique used by all sorts of people to generate marks more quickly than usual, as well as relieve fatigue and go through the necessary processes of sleep in a fraction of the time usually needed. Of course, doing this instead of actually sleeping for several days in a row can make a person start to feel like a wet rag after a while, but it was worth it. By using this technique, I was able to practice with Raul every night by getting by on just four hours of meditation every night from Diday to Dimsday. I didn't have to meditate on weekends because the shop was closed so I was able to meet him during the day.
I was astounded at how often Raul was willing to coach me. No, not just willing, he insisted that I come almost every single night, and if I was ever late (which only happened very rarely), he would make me do extra exercises, like push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and running drills. Well, he made me do all of that anyway, even if I wasn't late. That was how we started our sessions, with a short, but intense, workout. After about thirty minutes of that he would have me stretch while he fed marks into my muscles. He told me that this would speed up the recovery process, and I never did seem to get very sore, so it must've worked.
I remember at the beginning I expected us to be sparring from the get-go, throwing Sights at each other, dodging by a hair's breadth at each moment. I was so excited to get to my first lesson that I ran all the way to our meeting spot, a small old amphitheater in the middle of the Bends.
And then I ran some more. Like I said, the first thing we did everyday was a short workout, and when Raul saw me running into view, I guess he decided it would be a waste to have me stop. He made sure I kept my pace up by occasionally sending a Projection streaking towards the back of my feet if I started to slow down. After running like the Soulless were after me for over 3 miles, I finally got to stop and stretch. This was to be by far the easiest part of my day, and looking back I wish I had appreciated it more before Raul attempted to kill me with the final part of our day.
Know that I only say that with a small amount of sarcasm. Looking at his bright smile (which almost never wavered throughout all of our training sessions), you'd never guess it, but Raul could be really harsh and strict when he wanted to. Unfortunately for me, it seemed he wanted to just about every day, because the second part of our training started with him beating the ever loving shit out of me. Our first session was the worst.
"Alright, up and at 'em!" Chirped Raul with his signature grin, "Go stand in the center of the stage there."
I got on my feet from my stretching, groaning lightly.
"Why?" I asked.
Raul paused and looked at me. Then he got a look on his face that could only be described as mischievous. I soon learned to stop asking that question.
"Oh, we're just going to start practicing combat." he said innocently, still grinning like some sort of gremlin. I was starting to think I wasn't going to enjoy our "practice".
I nervously walked to the center of the stage and stood there, looking back at Raul warily. I wondered what we were going to be doing. I had a sudden terrifying thought that Raul (being much larger than myself) was going to attack me, and I was going to have to dodge all of his hits if I didn't want my rib-cage to become a macabre xylophone all over again. But that's ridiculous, I chastised myself, I just finished healing. Raul wouldn't break my bones again just for training. I looked back at Raul, and saw his now-familiar warm smile, and calmed myself, trusting that whatever training he had ready for me, I would be safe in his hands. As I thought this, Raul just about skipped up to me, all smiles.
"I'm going to punch you now." He said cheerily.
I blinked at him for a moment, thinking I was still in my daydream. Once a moment had passed and Raul hadn't said anything else, I asked him stupidly,
"What?"
"I'm going to punch you." :D
I took a step back. "Wait, seriously!?"
Raul put a hand up to rub his chin, "Well, not exactly…"
I breathed a sigh of relief. He was just kidding-
"I'm not just going to punch you. I'm also going to kick you, jab at you, headbutt you, and do whatever else I feel is necessary to hit you somehow." He gave me a little thumbs up.
I gaped at him. "Am I allowed to, uh, hit you back?"
Raul raised his eyebrows nearly to his hairline. "Goodness no! You think these old bones could stand up to a hit from those tree trunks!?" He said, gesturing to my arms with a crooked grin.
I rolled my eyes and laughed. My arms were anything but tree trunks. I was just over six feet tall, but probably only weighed about 160 pounds, and not all of it was muscle. I wasn't out of shape exactly, but I definitely wasn't ripped. I figured there must be a reason for Raul doing what he was doing. After all he did to help me yesterday I doubted his goal was to put me back in Rhonda's office. Not that I would mind seeing her again.
"So… am I allowed to block?" I asked.
"Of course you can!" Exclaimed Raul excitedly before dawning a somewhat more serious demeanor, though he still had that smile, "That's the whole point of what we're doing here in fact. Tell me; what is the best way to avoid getting hurt if someone takes a swing at you?"
I didn't really feel that I needed to think about it. "Dodge it."
Raul snapped his fingers and pointed at me, "Exactly! But let's test something-" and he suddenly threw a punch at me.
Startled, I threw my hands up in front of my face, and his fist hit my forearms fairly harmlessly. It didn't seem like he put much power behind his punch.
"Good, you blocked it!" Raul stepped back and clapped his hands once. "But," He said, pointing a finger up, "Why didn't you dodge it?"
I looked at him for a second, unsure. Why didn't I? I had just said that dodging is the best choice, so why would I block it? After a second of intense thought, I had a flash of inspiration. It was a trick question! Blocking was better than dodging after all! Raul was trying to play a trick on me, but I was wise to him now. I looked back up at him, smiling.
"Because blocking works better, right?" I said, almost smugly.
"WRONG!" Shouted Raul, giving me a sharp slap on the top of my head. This time his hand moved much faster than it had before, so by the time he hit me I had barely registered that his hand had left his side. "Weren't you listening earlier? I specifically said that dodging is better. In fact, you were the one who said it first! Did you think I was joking around or something?"
"No…" I groaned, rubbing my head. I was pretty sure a bump was forming already.
Raul narrowed his eyes a little bit, but I guess he decided it wasn't worth pursuing because he got back on track. He started pacing in front of me. "Well, in any case, the reason you blocked instead of dodged is actually very simple." He turned to face me, "Blocking is easier. When you try to dodge a blow to the head or the body, you are often forced to move your torso to avoid the blow." He did a little bob and weave dance to demonstrate his point, "But it is both much easier and faster to just move your arms, especially if you are already in a fighting stance." He quickly brought his arms up from his sides, and I could see that he was right, it did happen much faster. "Do you see what I mean?"
I nodded, unwilling to actually speak in case I said something to make him hit me again. Once was enough.
Raul slapped me on the head again. "Answer when I ask you a question, alright?" He commanded in an easy tone.
"Yes sir." I grunted while clutching the bump on my head that I was sure was about to form a bump of its own.
"Good. Now, where were we?" He said, pondering a moment. "Oh yes, efficiency of movement. So, while dodging is definitely the superior option to avoid injury, you are more likely to block an attack than to dodge it. So, what are we doing today?" He looked at me.
Realizing this was a question, I thought hard about it, not wanting to get it wrong again and earn another slap. "I'm… dodging what I can, and blocking what I can't?" I asked, bracing myself for another slap.
"Very good!" Raul said brightly, "of course, I won't be going at full speed with Strengths like I have been the last few times… at least not at first," He winked at me, "but you still won't be able to avoid all of it easily. Now that we've gotten the boring part out of the way, let's get started."
After that, I spent the next hour and a half dodging and blocking his attacks. Well, I tried to anyway. In reality, I was only able to block maybe half of his hits. He showed me the proper way to stand, and reminded me constantly to keep my hands up and close to my face, while crouching a little to guard my ribs with my elbows. By the end of the session I had bruises everywhere, my heart was beating like it was learning to dance, and I felt like my lungs were on fire. I sat down hard on the cobblestones, giving a small yelp from the impact, but mostly grateful for the relief to my poor feet.
Raul, who didn't look nearly as bad as I did, but was also panting pretty hard, sat down next to me and gave me a small, somewhat apologetic smile. For once, the sight of it didn't make me want to smile too. He looked at my dour face and patted my shoulder lightly.
"Sorry I had to put you through that today, but I'm really just worried for you." He donned a serious expression, and I noted how strange it was seeing him without a smile. "I don't want what happened the other day to ever happen again. As bad as you feel now, I'd wager it's nothing compared to then, am I right?"
I had to admit it, he was right. Those two thugs, especially the fat one, had nearly killed me. I'm certain I would've been even more seriously hurt if Raul hadn't intervened. The thought of being left in the street like that, beaten by a common thug, surrounded by people, scared me. But it also made me mad. No, it infuriated me. How dare they treat another person like that, just because my skin was pale, just because my eyes were pink?
They all deserve to take my place, I thought bitterly. Why should I have to suffer from their paranoia? I started to imagine the man that I called out to, the one in the red cloak, getting beaten by the fat man, while the tall thin man jeered and laughed. He called out to me, his eyes wide, blood running down his face from his nose… but I didn't care. I kept walking, and I could see the despair in his eyes as he realized that no one, neither myself nor anyone else, was going to help him. Then the thin man was being beaten. Now a woman who had glared at me as I was walking with Raul to Rhonda. Then it was no longer the fat man doing the beating, but it was me. I was kicking the fat man instead. I was standing above them all, I was the one who won, I-
I gasped as I was snapped back into reality by Raul, who was now shaking my shoulder. I realized he had been trying to talk to me.
"-ou okay?" Raul was asking me, eyebrows furrowed, "You had a weird look on your face."
At this point, I realized I had been clenching my teeth and grinning like a maniac. I quickly loosened my jaw and forced a normal looking smile.
"Ah, I was just distracted by my poor limbs." I said, flopping my exhausted arms in front of me. "They've been through quite a bit in the last few hours you know."
Raul smiled, apparently convinced. "Yes, I suppose they have, haven't they? Which reminds me." He stood and faced out to his right, "Hellllllooooo! You can come out now!"
For a moment, there was nothing. Then I heard the sound of shuffling feet in the darkness, and from out behind the back of the stage came a very welcome sight.
"Hr. Sphinks! What are you doing here?" I called, jumping to my feet, momentarily oblivious to how sore my body felt.
Rhonda walked briskly towards me, carrying a small bag. "I don't like watching fights." She said simply. "But I wanted to make sure you had recovered completely, and I didn't trust one of my assistants to check up on you, so I decided to come myself today." She started rummaging around in her bag and soon pulled out a bonescape just like the one she had used in her office.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a fight…" I started to say.
"Were people hurt?" She said brusquely, not even looking at my face as she started running the bonescape along my midsection, which was already uncovered from the training.
"Well… yeah." I said a little awkwardly.
"Then it's enough of a fight for me." Rhonda said somewhat coldly. "I personally don't see why all of this is necessary."
"Oh, don't be like that Rhonda," said Raul cheekily, "Like I told Donny here, it's for his own good. You wouldn't want to see him back in your office all bruised and broken again would you?"
"It seems to me he's already bruised all over," she glared at Raul, "And if this keeps up, it looks like he's going to be broken again before he knows it."
"No worries my dear, I swear on my honor I won't let that happen." Proclaimed Raul, left hand on his chest, right hand in the air. "He's my good friend now after all." He flashed me a bright smile.
I smiled back at him somewhat weakly, though not because I didn't believe him. I thought that he was right, and I was willing to keep training with him. But I was distracted by my daydream before. Did I really think like that? Did I really want that? Morally I knew it was wrong, but still…
I shook myself. Of course not. Society might treat me like a monster, but it was them who were the monsters. I wouldn't stoop to their level. With that, I directed my attention back to Rhonda (not a difficult thing to do), who was now focusing intensely on my skin where there were bruises. As she did so, I started to feel the skin where she was rubbing her hands Form back into unbruised skin, but this time it seemed a little tougher. At this point I shouldn't have even been surprised, but despite myself I was deeply impressed yet again. Not only did she have the know-how to Form biological material, she even made it go through what seemed to be the natural process of healing, but in a few seconds rather than a few days. I figured this probably saved her some marks, though it must have been even more difficult than it would have been to just Form it back into skin. I was so impressed that I didn't even pay attention to the fact that Rhonda was slowly rubbing her palms all around my torso and arms. Nope, didn't notice at all. Totally oblivious.
After she finished treating most of my bruises, she gave me a small water bottle from her bag. I recognized it to be mark water. Mark water is a fairly straightforward idea, though it takes a Special type Sight to make. It's just regular water that has been suffused with more marks than usual. Drinking it will increase the rate at which a person naturally replenishes marks for a few hours while their body absorbs the water. It's typically used either after or before using a lot of Sights, like before a farmer starts replenishing their crops, or when a performer is in between acts. Supposedly it relieves fatigue as well, though there was some dispute about that. Some believed that was more of a mental effect than a physical one.
"Thank you Hr. Sphinks," I said gratefully, taking the water and drinking it slowly.
Rhonda nodded, gathering her left over supplies back into her bag.
"I won't be able to come as often as you seem to have planned," She said while clasping her bag, "So I'm going to have Jameson come and treat you after each of these... sessions. I'll try to come when I can."
My shoulders slumped a bit. I quickly thought of some reason that I could get her to keep coming, but before I could say anything, she kept talking.
"And you needn't worry about his skills being lacking." Rhonda said, now looking at me. "He does this sort of thing regularly, even more often than myself, so I daresay he is even better at it than I am."
I highly doubted that, but elected not to say anything. Instead I thanked her again right before she left. As I watched her go, I let out a small sigh.
Raul suddenly appeared at my side, putting his arm around my shoulders and poking my now-healed side with his finger. "What do you think your looking at?" He said with a sly grin.
I felt my cheeks start to look significantly less like milk and more like the inside of a plum. "I-I mean I… I was just-" I spluttered helplessly.
Raul winked at me conspiratorially. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He said cheekily.
My whole head burning furiously, I chuckled weakly.
"Well, thanks for that." I said sarcastically, looking up towards the moon. "I'd better get back so I can get some sleep before work. Thanks for tonight Raul." And I meant it. I really like I was going to get stronger from this, and I could feel my heart pumping just at the thought of coming again in a few days.
"Of course," Raul said flippantly, "I just wish we could meet more often, but that'll have to wait until you're better at meditating. Remember to keep practicing what I showed you, okay?"
"Got it." I said. And with that, I said my farewells and finished my first day of training.
The next few months went by in a blur. I mastered meditation after the first week of training, and after about a month we started working on actually hitting my opponent instead of just dodging, which I was pretty good at by this time. I wasn't worried about hitting Raul too hard, because he definitely wasn't worried about me. He never hit me hard enough to break bones, but it was no feather tap either, and I had enough bruises to keep Jameson busy for at least half an hour after every session. True to Rhonda's word, Jameson was very skilled at his work, though I still preferred when Rhonda came herself.
After three months of regular combat training I had put on a decent amount of muscle, and I was getting pretty good at unarmed fighting too. So much so in fact that Raul started teaching me to fight with my Sights. Raul tried several times to get me to learn Strengths since they supposedly had a high compatibility with me, being a natural Morpher. I never really got the hang of them though, so instead I worked on Morphs and Projections. Still, I was always much better at Morphs than I was at Projections.
Since I had so few marks, he wanted me to use Sights as little as possible, but if necessary, then I could try using a Sight for just a brief moment before letting it go. This was pretty hard for me, and Morph Sights usually have to be prepped and mastered ahead of time before someone can use them quickly, so we had to spend a few days practicing outside of combat before I could even attempt using it while sparring. Morphs were always the focus since those were the Sights I had the best affinity for, and we primarily practiced partial morphs since I didn't have enough marks to do many full-body morphs. I worked on basic things such as building thick slabs of skin to dull a hard blow, or transferring muscles to different parts of my body to maximize the power of a punch or kick. I wanted to practice things that would cause more damage, like making blades from my bones. Unfortunately, Morphing bones was much harder than Morphing skin and muscle, so Raul and I decided that I would take it slow.
Eventually I started using these Sights while I fought with Raul. This presented yet another obstacle, because not only did I need to get the timing just right if I wanted to keep the Sight as short as possible, but I had to do it while thinking about not getting hit, focusing on hitting my opponent, and dealing with the pain from times I was hit previously. In short, it was damn hard. It took me at least two months of training to really master it, which felt like a long time to me, though Raul told me that I was progressing at a monstrous pace.Very soon after I mastered using Sights Raul introduced me to Valdus.
"You want me to teach… this?" Scoffed Valdus after our introduction. He was a big man, taller than me at about six feet and eight inches. He had skin like wet sand, rough and dark. His hair was black, though I could barely tell even though it was in the middle of the day on a weekend. It was cut so short all I could see were short bristles. He wore a sheathed longsword on his hip, and two more swords wrapped on his back that looked a little shorter. And he didn't like me.
"Oh, don't be like that," Raul said lightly, apparently oblivious to Valdus' apparent prejudice. "He may not look like much, but he's made a lot of progress in just a few months. I'm willing to bet that, given a few years, he could even give you a run for your money."
Valdus looked like he would sooner believe that Roma was flat before he believed I would ever be able to beat him, and I have to say, I agreed. Not only was he massive, he was obviously well trained. From the way that he stood straight up, even with the three swords and leather armor he was wearing, I could tell he was well balanced. His muscles were corded, and he bore several scars from nicks on his arms, as well as a longer gash running from his left ear to the bottom of his throat, so I could tell he was experienced in combat. Honestly, he was damn intimidating.
"Valdus here is going to be teaching you how to use a sword." Started Raul. "I would do it myself, but I'm more experienced in the use of Sights than weapons, so I wanted to bring in… well, an expert. Valdus has been part of guard of the Sands Arena for fifteen years, since he was younger than even you. He may seem harsh, but I promise you won't get better instruction from anyone else." Raul looked quite pleased with this.
Once again I wondered how much money he must have to be able to hire a former member of the Sands guard for personal use. Since there was little to no actual war, all of the best fighters usually got jobs as guards in an arena, or as personal bodyguards of whomever could afford to pay them. Seeing as the Sands Arena was both the largest and most famous arena in the world, only elite fighters were hired to be its guards. But I was a little confused.
"Ummm… Raul?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend him. "Why do I need to learn to use a sword? Isn't this just for self defense?"
"Well of course it is!" Raul said, putting his teaching cap on, "This is going to be necessary for you, I promise. Since you can't use Sights as freely as most people, including those who might attack you, you're going to need every edge you can get!" He paused for a second, "No pun intended." He chuckled a little at his unintentional jest.
I was still unsure. "But I don't actually have a sword…" I started to say.
"Don't worry about that." Raul said dismissively. "You'd be surprised at how much random junk you can use as a blade or a club. Besides, if you want I can provide you with one of these once we're finished." He patted the wrapped bundles on Valdus' back that I assumed were swords of some sort.
I had to admit, the thought of having a weapon on hand next time I got assaulted put my mind at ease… and a small smile on my face. I wasn't sure how I was going to hide a whole sword from my aunt and uncle, but I'd figure it out. Now that I had no more qualms about this situation, I returned my attention to Valdus.
After glowering down at me for a few more seconds, Valdus exhaled sharply through his nose and pulled one of the wrapped swords from his back. I flinched backwards reflexively and got into my fighting stance, thinking in my surprise that he was about to attack me. Valdus paused a moment, looking confused for a second, then he scoffed out loud and tossed the wrapped bundle to me.
"Take this and stand ready Alpus." He laughed, and not in the innocent way Raul did. I didn't know what 'Alpus' meant, but I was willing to bet that I wasn't being complimented.
I flushed, but not wanting to make a bigger fool of myself I unwrapped the sword, only to find that it wasn't a sword. At least, not a metal one. Looking at it, at first it just seemed like a three and a half foot long wooden pole. However, on closer inspection, I could see that one end was wrapped tightly in leather, and had a small ridge going around the circumference of the pole. I suppose this must've represented a crossguard, though it certainly wouldn't be stopping anything. I gripped the leather hilt, threw the cloth it had been wrapped in to the side, and faced Valdus, holding the sword in front of me awkwardly. I had never held any kind of real weapon before, so I wasn't sure what I should be doing.
Valdus stood about six feet in front of me with neither his real sword nor the other one on his back drawn. He just stood there, looking at me impatiently. After I didn't move from my awkward position for several seconds, he spoke.
"What, never held a weapon before?" He demanded.
I flushed slightly and shook my head. "No sir." He seemed like a 'sir' type of person.
He harrumphed. Yes, harrumphed. I would've laughed, but it didn't seem like it was a good time, so I just stood there, holding my stick like it was a broomhandle that I was using to whack a rat that had scuttled into my uncle's store.
"Are you right or left handed?" Valdus asked.
"Right." I answered.
"Alright, listen carefully," Valdus started, "Hold that with your right hand about an inch or so below your left, with your left hand butting up against the top of the hilt. I want you to crouch low, with your shoulders at a slight angle facing me. A little more. Good. Now place your left foot forward, and your right foot back, leaning a little bit back towards your right foot. Make your left foot point directly at me. Now bring the sword-yes, the wooden stick in your hands, what else?- bring the sword hilt up to your right shoulder, with the point of the blade aimed parallel to the ground. Now keep the point of the blade where it is, but lower the hilt about to hip level. Good."
Eventually I got into position, though it still felt awkward. Valdus looked at me for several seconds, then scratched his chin and started walking around me. I started to turn with him, not wanting to show him my back.
"Stand still!" He barked authoritatively.
I glanced over at Raul, who was sitting on a bench nearby. He shrugged at me, then smiled apologetically and gestured for me to do as Valdus said. I had a sudden vision of Valdus walking behind me, drawing the second wooden sword - or worse, his real sword - and cutting me down like a sapling. There would be nothing I could do about it, and I started sweating, though not because of the summer sun. Just as I was about to spin around in my panic, I heard Raul start to whistle. It was a Cline's day tune, at the start of Stachin! We were almost 6 months away Cline's day, and I couldn't help but smile at Raul's ever-present nonchalance. I was still worried, but while I was wary of Valdus, I trusted Raul, so I stood as still as possible as Valdus slowly circled me. When he got around to my 3 o'clock, he stopped.
"Move your back leg a bit to your right."
I did so, and he continued to walk. Though it wasn't long before he corrected something else, the position of my elbow. Then my back needed to be straighter. One thing after the other, he adjusted my posture and positioning bit by bit until he finally made it back around. By this time, the position felt much more natural, and it wasn't very hard to control. Valdus circled me once more, corrected a couple more things, then stopped in front of me, arms crossed.
"Alright, now I want you to hold that." Valdus said seriously.
"For how long?" I asked, my arms already starting to feel tired from the weight of the sword.
Valdus glared at me."Until I say stop."
I decided to stop asking questions.
So I held the position. As I did, Valdus started to explain exactly what I was doing, which I appreciated since I had no idea what was going on.
"You are holding the basic stance of the sword style known as Vulpar, or 'the Way of the Fox'." He just about chanted. It sounded as if he was reciting a speech he had said several times and was getting bored with. "This style is designed to take advantage of the user's agility, and is best used with Strengths, though a Morph or Shift user can benefit as well. The Vulpar utilizes thrusts more often than cuts because of the reduced amount of time stabbing an opponent takes as opposed to cutting, though in rare instances cutting can be more efficient or deadly. This style does not rely as heavily on Sights as other styles might, though it does allow for more free and creative use of- I SAID DON'T MOVE!!!"
I jumped in surprise. His monotone voice was starting to wear on me, and unbeknownst to me, I had begun to relax parts of my stance somewhat, hence why I was now being screamed at.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GET BACK INTO POSITION!" Valdus bellowed bare inches from my face.
I quickly jumped back into what I was pretty sure was the position that I was just in, but Valdus was apparently not impressed. While before he had simply told me what to adjust, this time he physically moved my body several times before he was eventually satisfied.
"Now," He growled, "I'm going to start again, and this time you're going to listen to the whole thing WITHOUT MOVING!!!"
I was furious and I wanted to scream right back at him. But even though I felt like I could cook an egg on my face, I didn't dare say anything. I just stood rock steady as Valdus started again, saying the same words, but this time it was much easier to stay engaged as he was about four inches from my face, growling into my ears. Eventually he got back to where he had left off;
"- it does allow for more free and creative use of Sights, especially Morphs and Shifts. Now," Valdus said, apparently no longer using the script, "You are going to hold this position without moving until I tell you to, understood? Nod if you understand."
I nodded carefully, making sure not to move any of my limbs or lose my back posture. Thanks to all of my training with Raul where I had to fight while performing Sights, I was a good multitasker, so I could focus on listening to Valdus while holding my stance relatively easily. Key word: Relatively.
Valdus went to go and sit down next to Raul, who was a little ways away. Far enough so that I couldn't hear the conversation that took place anyway. Every once in awhile I glanced over to them to see what they were doing. It seemed like Raul was arguing with Valdus over something, though I wasn't sure what.
I smiled to myself. Maybe he's telling him off for getting in my face earlier. The thought made me happy. If Valdus had been just about anyone else, I probably would've thrown a punch after they got up in my face like that. But I liked not being beaten to a pulp, so I held myself back. Then again, I have been training a lot with Raul, so who knows? I could've caught him by surprise, landing a heavy blow to the nose so that he's stunned for a second. Then I'd drop low to avoid his blind swing, and follow through with a knee to the- wait, no, that's low. I'd sidle around to his back and send a hook into his left kidney and kick the inside of his knee to bring him down to the ground. Then I'd-
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE SMILING ABOUT!?" Roared Valdus, startling me out of my reverie. "Put your weapon on the ground! Put your hands above your head!"
I did as I was told, wondering if I was about to be punished for smiling. I almost chuckled at that, but I figured that if there was a punishment for smiling, there was probably also a punishment for laughing. But contrary to my line of thought, we just started exercising and stretching, starting with jumping jacks to warm up. After about twenty minutes of exercising and ten minutes of stretching, Valdus had me pick up my wooden sword again.
"Now get back into the basic stance." He said, watching me with arms folded.
I paused for just a moment to remember, then got into what I remembered to be the correct form. My elbow here, left foot there, head held at this angle, and of course, no smile. I was certain that I was in the exact position that I had held before. Valdus started his walk around me again, apparently checking to see whether I was doing it right or not. I waited for him to say something as he walked slowly around me, but he never did. He just kept walking. Once he had circled me once, he paused in front of me, then walked around again, more slowly this time. Still, he didn't say a word the whole way around. Eventually he stopped in front of me a second time.
"Hmf." He grunted, "Good enough. Hold that until I say so. If you can, then we can move on to showing you how to thrust."
He turned away to go and sit with Raul again, who gave me a big smile and thumbs-up. While Valdus' back was turned I flashed Raul a smile in return. I guess I must've been doing pretty well, but I wasn't about to start slacking now. In fact, I felt like I wanted to work even harder now that Raul was starting to have higher expectations for me. I steeled myself, and put all of my focus into standing still, but not being too stiff. Loose, but rock solid. It was called the Vulpar style, or in other words, 'the Way of the Fox', so I imagined that the low crouch that I was in was like a fox's crawl in high grass just before it pounces on its prey. And I held it. And I held it. And, guess what? I held it some more. Until finally- nope, just kidding, I still held it.
After what must have been at least an hour and a half of standing in that low crouch, I was shaking slightly from the strain to my thighs. I thanked the stars that Raul had made me do so many squats and leg exercises over the last few months and that I had worked by myself on off days. Even so, I felt like I would collapse soon if Valdus didn't tell me to stop. Luckily for me, that's just what he did.
"Alright, put down your weapon." Valdus ordered crisply. "We're going to stretch for a few minutes, then I'll show you how to properly strike your opponent."
I'll spare you the boring details, but over the next couple hours Valdus showed me how to handle a weapon in the Vulpar style. Just as he told me before, the style focused on stabbing through chinks in your opponent's armor or guard and either taking out vital points or incapacitating them by severing muscles and tendons. The stance was optimized for quick movement in any direction, especially with the use of Sights. Valdus showed me some of the basic strikes and movements, and it seemed to me that he was being ridiculously strict when it came to my form, but I supposed he was probably that strict with everyone. Maybe.
I still got the feeling that he didn't like me because I was Common, but it seemed that he was still willing to teach me thanks to Raul. Jameson was still there as usual to look me over and heal me, though he didn't have much to do in terms of healing since I didn't actually fight with Valdus that day. Though that would change very soon, and then Jameson would have plenty to do.
"Alright, that's enough." Said Valdus, "We're ending practice for today. Hold on to that (he gestured to my stick), because I want you to practice what I've shown you today so that you have it perfect the next time I see you. I won't be coming every day, so make sure you don't slack off, because I'll be able to tell." He glared at me to make sure I got the message.
"Yes sir." I said exhaustedly, letting my stick-sword fall to my side.
Valdus nodded. "Good. Now, I have things I have to attend to, so I'll see you in a couple of days. Make sure that you work hard so you don't waste my time any more than you already are." And with that he turned to leave.
As I watched him go I made a rude gesture at his back. Right as I did, I heard a hearty chuckle from behind me.
"Don't let him see you doing that," Raul joked, "or I guarantee that the worst beating you ever got from me will look like a nice massage in comparison."
I was a little embarrassed, but mostly I just wanted to live out my daydream from earlier and beat the marks out of that piece of shit.
"Why did you hire a guy… like that!?" I asked, somewhat flabbergasted.
Raul smiled at me a little sadly. "I know he's… a little eccentric." He held up a hand as I opened my mouth. "Okay, very eccentric. And I realize he has his prejudices too. But I promise you, he is the absolute best. I wouldn't ask you to put up with this kind of thing if I didn't think it wouldn't help you."
I still wasn't convinced. I felt like it would be hard to really learn anything from this man if he can't even give me the amount of respect due to a person. Even if he was the best, wouldn't it be easier to learn from another person who could look past the color of my eyes? I didn't say any of this out loud, but Raul must have sensed my mood.
"And besides," He said reassuringly, "If there is one thing that matters to Valdus more than anything else, it is hard work and strength. I'd say that you work plenty hard, and if you can show him you are as strong as I know you to be, then you might even be able to change his opinion of you." He waggled his eyebrows and poked my arms. "Besides, I'd say those tree trunks are starting to look more like pillars from the arena!"
Raul tilted his head back in a booming laugh, clapping my shoulder as he did so. Despite my doubts about Valdus, I couldn't help but join Raul in his mirth. This was why I liked Raul. He cleared away my moods and worry like the Sun burning away the morning fog. He was my best friend. I wish it could have stayed that way forever.