It was the evening once again. Students returned to their quarters while Dareon came to Hubert in the field, their usual place.
"Hubert~" he called, a wavy voice, curved by joy, accompanied by a smile on his face as he approached Hubert.
Sitting on the ground, facing the tree, feet planted on the mushy ground, evidence for his whole day of training. Sword by his side, broken in half beyond repair.
"Dar,"
"Woah… what happened here?" Dareon said as he stood, seeing the sword then turning his gaze to the tree.
The tree, destroyed, demised by the contacts of itself with the sword. Wood against wood, both died in the end.
Carved on it, Hubert's mark, deep and splintered, uneven.
"Practicing," Hubert said, voice hoarse, lips dried, and his eyes giving up as he glanced up at Dareon.
"I know, but there is no way this was done by you…" Dareon commented as his glaive's pole rested against his shoulder.
"..." Hubert replied in silence.
"Or… is it?" Dareon continued. Hubert shrugged before dropping his gaze down, hiding his exhausted face.
Thud
A small, dull sound hit the ground, slightly vibrating in a low pitched and repeated ring. The two looked at the source. A sword, wood, similar to one Hubert used.
Behind it, Ron, holding a staff of wood in his left hand.
"Ron," Hubert called, short and quick.
Ron nodded in simplicity.
"Ah, teacher," Dareon greeted.
Ron nodded again.
"Teacher?" Hubert questioned as he swiveled his head to Dareon.
"Yep. What's wrong?" Dareon asked.
"Since when did you give him such a… no, that kind of makes sense if I think about it," Hubert retracted his thoughts.
Dareon smiled.
"And what about you, Ron? Is that a new sword for me?" Hubert asked as he got up.
"Yes…" Ron answered, soft voice as usual, though almost disturbed by the incoming east wind.
Hubert then walked to the sword and picked it up. The grip welcomed his hand, as if embracing. The blade was sharp, and its structure felt heavier than the one he used before, as its wood looked young.
"Dareon," Ron called.
"Yes, teacher," Dareon answered.
Thud
The small reverberating ring sounded again as the staff of wood landed on the ground in front of Dareon's brown leather shoes. Of Which Dareon smirked as he placed his glaive on the ground and picked the staff up.
Made of oak, the staff was simple, coated thinly by a newly dried oil. Its length was as long as two and a half times Dareon's arm length. Its thickness was quarter that of his leg.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hubert glanced back and forth between the two of them with brows curled, questioning.
"What else? Of course to spar," Dareon answered as he thumped against the ground with his staff's butt.
"Spar? Me against you?" Hubert questioned, slightly chuckling. His grip over the sword slightly tightened, his other fist clenched.
"Who else? Ron?" Dareon retorted.
Hubert looked to Ron, standing by the side, arms crossed, forearms showing.
"I'll stick with you," Hubert continued as he lowered his stance and pointed the wooden sword's edge to Dareon. His brows curved and his eyes pointed straight forward.
"Don't think I'll let you win this, Hubert," Dareon replied as he stuck his right foot forward, then his left foot backward. The staff in his hand was now pointing straight toward Hubert, like a spear.
"Don't need you to," Hubert replied.
"Then I'll go first!" Dareon's calves bulged as he was launched forward, disturbing the air's peace. The staff's end pierced through the air as it traveled with him, then as it was thrust to Hubert.
Stomach. Hubert predicted, his left foot planted on the ground as it rotated, his right foot going left. He used his sword's blade, preparing it as the staff's end was going near him.
Thuck
Wood met wood. The staff missed Hubert, redirected by the sword's push to the side.
"Is that all you got?" Hubert taunted as he retracted his sword and pointed it toward Dareon. He shifted his weight forward, then launched his sword, end first, to Dareon.
"No," Dareon pushed the other end of the staff toward Hubert's face.
Hubert widened his eyes upon the sight of the staff, wood and slightly covered with dirt, coming straight for him. All was lost.
Dareon stopped right before, the wind didn't as it blew Hubert's hair backward.
"Wh-what?" Hubert questioned.
Dareon retracted his staff.
"I win," Dareon replied.
"Th-that is clear…" Hubert responded, slightly unaccepting of the result, as he pointed his sword to the ground.
"Again," Ron's soft voice came.
The two looked at each other. Hubert's eyes slightly pleaded, Dareon shrugged as he turned around and walked a few steps.
Returning to the same stance, he readied himself. And so was Dareon.
"I won't go easy this time," Hubert exclaimed, with the same curved brows and blazing eyes.
"Don't need you to," Dareon taunted, smirking.
Hubert lunged forward with his sword in hand, determined to strike. Upon a step's distance, he raised his sword slightly to the left.
Dareon, in response, raised his staff up, intending to block.
"Ha!" Hubert shouted, a few drops of his spit reached Dareon's cheek. Dareon's eyes widened.
Then he rotated his wrist and changed direction. The blade's wooden edge cut through the wind, making its way now from the northeast to the southwest.
Dareon's tilted his staff a little.
Thud!
The sound was loud, piercing almost, as wood met wood once again.
Dareon's knees bent while Hubert pressed continuously.
His sword met with Dareon's staff as he continuously pressed on Dareon, who was now slightly on a lower level than him. For one moment, Hubert smirked.
"Having troubles, Dar?" smugly, he asked.
"N-not really," Dareon answered, though it was clear he was struggling under tension.
Hubert felt his shoulder's joint pressed and his triceps numbening. It was clear, a sign to end the fight.
"Good," he answered.
Then he raised his sword and charged his attack, an overhead slash, directed precisely at Dareon's split hairline on the skull.
Whoop!
The wind shouted as Hubert's sword slashed through them.
Dareon saw the incoming attack and rolled forward, to Hubert's left side.
Hubert eyelids opened wide as he saw the unpredicted action happening. He stopped his sword's movement and quickly turned to the left, using his left foot as pivot while moving his right foot again.
"Too late," Dareon muttered.
Dareon was low on the ground, like crouching. He swung his staff with his left hand, aiming at Hubert's foot, whichever was fine.
Thud!
"Ugh!" Hubert groaned as he felt a dull yet sharp pain on his left heel. To which he was incapacitated as he raised his left foot and stumbled backward, to the ground.
Dareon took the chance hastily and pointed his staff's end toward Hubert's neck.
"Good," Ron said as he stood, unchanged since earlier.
"I win again," Dareon smiled, then retracted his staff.
"Ugh…" Hubert's groan continued.
"Again?" Dareon asked excitedly, hope could be heard in his voice.
Dareon extended his left arm. Hubert accepted, and he got pulled up by his friend.
"No, thank you," Hubert answered.
"How does it feel being beaten by your right hand man, twice," Dareon said as he tapped the dust off his shirt and pants.
"It was anything but good," Hubert replied as he did the same.
"Don't be a sorrowful guy, Hubert. I'm the right hand man for a reason. Though... now, I do understand where you're lacking at," Dareon said as he walked to Ron and returned the wooden staff.
"What? I'm lacking?" Hubert asked, confused, as he too walked to Ron and returned the sword.
"Keep… it," Ron said as he shook his head.
"Of course!" Dareon answered while walking toward his glaive and picked it from the ground.
"Where?" Hubert answered while he looked at the wooden's sword, examining the dent he created from the contact with Dareon's staff before.
"A lot, don't you think? Though I don't feel I'm the best person to point out your mistakes," Dareon answered as he approached Hubert and Ron.
"Then who is?" Hubert asked.
"Here," Dareon patted Ron on the shoulder.
"..." Ron replied in silence.
"Ron…?" Hubert called.
Ron shook his head.
"What? Not you, teacher?" Dareon asked.
Ron shook his head again.
"Then… who?" Dareon asked, now as confused as Hubert.
Ron shrugged a little before turning around and walking away from the two. Leaving the two unanswered, looking at each other as they struggle for one.
The night came. There was no physical exercise that day. Hubert felt exhausted, though freshened up by the sight and sound of the waterfall that greeted him near his quarter now, the cave.
The moon saw, the moon shone, and the moon greeted.
He stood by the cave's entrance, enjoying the sanctuary nature provided while being sparked by a few drops of water. That day was tiring, and he knew, tomorrow was going to be worse.
"The way of the sword… huh, would master ever approve…?"
He closed his eyes and sighed in relaxation that was slightly mixed by worry.
"She will,"