Talon charged straight at Huntsman Lance with his spear, while the man still had his spear Pointed at Talon's direction, with an immaculate posture.
As Talon was charging at the Huntsman, his attack was evaded with a simple side step, and without even resorting to use anything else, the huntsman pointed his spear yet again, but this time, he barely had to resort anything else, only a simple graze with his training spear, and Talon was laying on the ground.
"It's not a bad idea to use training as an excuse to sort out your thoughts, but it wouldn't hurt to actually train if you're here." chuckled the huntsman. He extended his hand, offering assistance to Talon, helping him up from the cold floor of the training ground.
"Blindly rushing at me wont do you any good, and anyway, your spear technique should be honed to suit your gift, creating a combination from the two." Said the huntsman as he crouched down to pick up the spear dropped down by Talon.
"There is one significant issue with how you move, it's too predictable. You attacked by charging at me with yours spear, but after I evaded your strike, you were left vulnerable. Now that I've seen your current level, I think that we should focus a bit more on the basics."
Recognizing the need for improvement, Lance adjusted his teaching approach. He began by emphasizing the importance of footwork and balance, demonstrating how subtle shifts could make a significant difference in the fluidity and unpredictability of one's movements.
Talon remained intensely focused on every movement executed by his teacher, absorbing not only the physical techniques but but the technical guidance too. The huntsman's teaching involved simulated combat scenarios, where he highlighted the significance of feints and strategic maneuvers.
Additionally, Huntsman Lance focused on refining Talon's defensive skills. He introduced him to a variety of defensive stances and parrying techniques, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a dynamic defense that could seamlessly transition into a counterattack.
The training sessions under Huntsman Lance became a blend of physical conditioning and tactical education. "I think I'm beginning to understand it." Said Talon which only made the Huntsman respond playfully. "Then prove it."
Talon pointed his spear at the huntsman, this time, not blindly charging at him, but circling around him, but even then, the huntsman just stood still without even guarding himself.
Positioned at the left side of the huntsman, Talon stepped closer, thrusting his spear forward. However, his spear found nothing but air as the huntsman gracefully evaded the attack. In a swift response, the huntsman countered by stabbing forward with his own spear at staggering speed, but he narrowly missed Talon as he deftly managed to dodge the incoming strike.
"Nice one, but don't get overconfident," smiled the huntsman as he shifted to the offensive, altering the tempo of the spar.
Talon dodged strike after strike as the huntsman relentlessly stabbed in his direction. Left panting, Talon barely managed to defend himself from the seasoned huntsman's assault. The huntsman's posture was flawless, and even on the offensive, he maintained a defensive stance that left little room for a counter-attack, showcasing near-perfect defense.
Left without a choice, Talon activated his gift, enveloping the training grounds in a thick red fog, rendering the huntsman nearly blind. However, Talon's vision became clearer than ever in the midst of the swirling mist.
"It's true that I never limited the use of your gift in our sparring sessions," chuckled the Huntsman before continuing, "But it's good. Learn to wield both your gift and your spear simultaneously."
Once more, Talon circled around the huntsman, his position concealed by the thick fog. As he reached the back of the huntsman, his feet tensed, and he lunged into a spear charge. Thanks to his gift, the attack was less predictable, catching his opponent off guard from the blind spot.
The huntsman reacted in the last minute by side stepping to his right, barely managing to evade Talon's strike.
However, Talon paid no heed to it, concealing himself once more in the mist. The tempo of the spar shifted yet again, with Talon now taking the offensive as he charged at huntsman once more, this time, from his right side. But yet again, his attack was evaded.
The huntsman stood silently, his eyes scanning the surroundings without moving his head. He began to discern a pattern in Talon's attacks. First, from the back, then from the right. The huntsman smiled knowingly, tightening his grip on his spear as he silently observed from his left.
Unbeknownst to the huntsman, Talon had removed his footwear during the last charge. As he closed in, he threw it to Damian's left side, creating a distraction. The audible footsteps that had betrayed his previous movements were now absent, giving him the element of surprise. Talon took a little more time before attacking. He threw his footwear at the left side of the huntsman, catching him off guard, and successfully grazed his hand in the final charge.
I think we can say that it's over… color me impressed. I didn't think that you would use such a sly strategy. It's good," smiled the huntsman.
"But I just barely grazed you…" sulked Talon, which only made the huntsman laugh out loud.
"Most of the time, others aren't capable of even that. So, be proud. You are smart when it comes to strategizing. I thought that even when I saw you spar with Rokara, but I'm sure of it now."Praised the huntsman with a half smile.
"Oh, and by the was, I spoke with Damian after he trained you, and we concluded that separate training is necessary. I will teach you about the spear, while he focuses on harnessing your gift." Said the huntsman.
"Don't worry too much. Under my guidance, we'll work on your spear technique, and maybe, we can began to creating a style that is the most suited for you." explained Huntsman Lance.
"The most we can do is master the basics, then, you can begin to create your own spear art. Don't know if you've heard about spear arts, or any weapon arts for that matter, but let me demonstrate," said the huntsman as he started to remove the spear from his back.
The spear's handle was a vibrant red, while the tip of the spear was obsidian black.
The huntsman held his spear forward, but in a peculiar manner. It wasn't pointed forward, instead, it was held sideways, with the huntsman gripping the spear in the middle and initiating a spinning motion.
The spinning accelerated, creating an increasingly powerful gust of wind. At that moment, the huntsman rotated his body and unleashed a devastating attack, utilizing the wind as an invisible force. The attack reached a training dummy and cleanly cut it in half. Talon stared at the dummy and walked closer to it, the cut was perfect.
"This is my spear art. I nearly perfected it a year ago. It's still a work in progress, but I'm closer than ever. This spear art was with me when I fought in the war against Edoran." Explained the Huntsman as he put the spear back to his back.
"Does it have a name?" asked Talon with sparkling eyes, which only made the huntsman laugh. "Of course, every weapon art has a name, even the weak ones, much less amazing ones like mine... it's Wind of Destruction," answered the hunter with genuine pride in his voice.
"Do you really think that one day I can create my very own spear art?" Asked Talon with excitement evident in his tone.
Before answering, the huntsman began to head towards the exit of the training grounds. His expression wasn't visible to Talon, but he said, "I have no doubt about it."
Talon fallowed after the huntsman. "After training with Damian, come to the training grounds to meet me for spear training, we don't have a lot of time left." Said The huntsman.
"Thank you, Huntsman Lance." Said Talon with genuine gratitude in his voice.
"Ew," Huntsman Lance felt genuine disgust as he heard Talon. "Don't call me that. Just call me master, or John is fine. Anything but that disgusting title."
"Then, I'm grateful, master." Repeated Talon, but this felt strange to the Huntsman too. "Now that just sound strange, just call me John."
"Then, I'm grateful, John." Repeated Talon for the third time, sounding a bit annoyed.
As the two of them walked side by side, the hallways were still mostly dark as the dawn was still a couple of hours away. "You better go back to sleep for a bit." Said the huntsman, John as he began to walk to the right side of the hallway, opening a door.
"Oh, and before I forget, because you and your team are still new here, even if you are gifted and a member of a special division, you have to follow a hunter custom. In about six days, another Hunt will be held. You and your team will begin to hunt for beasts so that the dwarfs can craft you special equipment," explained the huntsman. "I wish you good luck, and be careful with the fellow hunters, neither Damian, Paul, nor I will be there."