After the issue with the harpies had been resolved, Amon brought Avic and the others back into the safety of Initium. Lori was returned safely to her mother while everyone else was allowed to resume training. They were now back down in the Room Of Proditio, ready to continue where they had left off.
"Now, it's time for us to continue where we left off," began Amon. "The next step is weapons training. This is where you take the weapon you're most compatible with and train yourselves to use it."
"How do we go about training ourselves though?" Asked Custos.
"Every weapon requires a different technique to master. You'll be trained differently, depending on your weapon of choice. For that, you'll be given a task to complete using that weapon. If you can complete that task then you will gain my approval to continue using that weapon."
"And if we fail..?" Queried Avic.
"Then I will fail you permanently and you will never become a Sicarius."
"What?! That's unfair! We've barely learned anything! It's still the first day of training as well! It's too early to fail us, you Old Geezer!"
"As Sicarius, you need to grow and learn quickly. Being able to adapt to unfavorable circumstances is necessary to keep yourself alive. When on the battlefield, you can't complain just because your enemy decided to attack you when you least expected it. You must adapt and find a way to win even in the bleakest predicaments. You must be prepared even when you aren't prepared..!"
The atmosphere immediately grew tense. No one complained as they knew Amon was right. When their lives were on the line, they would still need to find a way to win even if they weren't fully prepared. It was simply how the life of a Sicarius was.
"Now then, before we begin, let me see your final weapons of choice," instructed Amon.
"I chose the sword," answered Custos, stepping forward.
"That is expected. You look like a natural using a sword, Custos. I believe you have what it takes to master it. You can advance to the back of the room to begin the Sword Task."
Custos then nodded in acceptance before Eliisabet stepped forward with a weapon of her own. To both Avic's and Amon's surprise, she had chosen quite a unique weapon. In her hand, she held a 4m long curved yari. Its staff was a cool black design, attached to a curved silver blade that looked sharp enough to cut through bone like butter.
"Eliisabet, you've chosen a yari? Why did you choose such a difficult weapon? Wielding a yari requires skill and technique. It can be used both to slash and stab enemies which can prove quite useful. But using it while being inexperienced can cause you to lose a battle quite easily. Due to the yari's design, it won't be very hard for an enemy to sneak past your guard into your yari's blind spot, delivering a fatal blow," warned Amon.
"Into my yari's blind spot..? What does that mean?"
"Almost every weapon has a blind spot and the yari is one of them. What I mean by this is the area in which you find it most difficult to use your weapon. In other words, being placed in a compromised position by your enemy where you're unable to develop enough momentum to use your weapon to attack. When this happens, you become incapable of swinging your weapon around to harm your enemy. In scenarios like these, it's advised to kick away your opponent if possible. But it would be best to avoid being compromised like that in the first place."
"That's fine. I feel like this is the weapon for me. As soon as I saw it, I felt like it was just right. I'm okay with it even if it takes some time to master."
"Well then, if you feel so strongly about it, move to the middle section of the room and begin your task."
Before walking away, Eliisabet turned toward Avic and gave him an encouraging nod. This fueled Avic with a little determination to prove that he had what it takes to become a Sicarius.
Slowly, Avic then stepped toward Amon before revealing the dagger he had in his hand. It was the same one he had used to defeat the mother harpy.
"You've chosen a dagger?" Queried Amon.
"Yeah, I think this could work for me."
"And why's that?"
"It's similar to what Eliisabet said earlier. It just feels right for me. I used it when I was fighting that mother harpy and it helped me to win."
"I see. A dagger is a great weapon to use in close combat. It's swift and easy to use. But despite this, it requires great skill to be used properly in a battle."
"Great skill? I used it fairly easily."
"Yes, but I'm sure you noticed something when fighting that harpy with it. The dagger has very little reach. When compared to every other weapon, the dagger is the worst in terms of reach. What I mean by this are its length and striking range. For example, a yari like Eliisabet's can reach you from up to 13ft or more away. A dagger on the other hand can only strike when you're at least 2ft away from your opponent. That's a significant difference in reach. Someone using a yari is much safer than someone using a dagger because they can kill their enemy before they even have a chance to get close to them."
"Then how do I go about fixing that problem..?"
"Good question. To make up for its small size, the wielder must be flexible, agile, and precise. Without these attributes, you're nothing more than a knife-wielding maniac. You must train your body to become flexible enough to dodge attacks, agile enough to counter before your enemy can strike again, and precise enough to take your enemy down in a single blow. That is how you make up for the dagger's small size."
Avic nodded in approval. He knew it wouldn't be easy but he was determined to do whatever he had to do to become a Sicarius. He had to master the dagger if he wanted his dream to become a reality.