A few hours pass. I’ve talked with the Elder quite a bit about everything with the events of the dragon. Raven already told him about the absorbing of the dragon essence... Just she didn’t call it that.
Now the Elder wants me to learn more about what it means to be a slayer with Raven and Ash.
I keep finding myself in these interesting positions that I don’t even get to decide on my own. Learning from both of them won’t be bad but I wish I could just read about this stuff sometimes.
Reading used to be a good past time for me before—
~Why did you stop yourself? No one else is listening to you but me.
Sometimes the past doesn’t bother me, but the days that it does... I’d rather not think about it much.
~Acknowledged.
Footsteps approach from behind me which tells me I should finally stand up.
So I stand up from the log that I’m sitting on and turn around to face them. Raven and Ash are both staring right at me with a bit of excitement expressed on their faces.
"You both look excited for this," I say while crossing my arms.
Raven looked towards Ash, then back to me.
"It is slayer history and training! Of course it is something to be excited about doing with a newbie," Raven replies while slightly hunched forward.
"New slayers aren’t something we get to see often so this is a great chance to take advantage. I really knew you would be one," Ash speaks up with one hand on the hilt of her sword.
Slayer history and training... How lovely.
It’ll be kind of interesting to get some more perspective on it all. Especially when I only know of some stories from the village at best.
"What will come first?" I question with curiosity in my voice.
Ash steps forward.
"I’ll show you some of the best techniques to start with," Ash responds with more of a serious tone now.
Raven immediately takes a few steps backwards.
"You might want to do the same," Raven says while looking towards me.
"Huh?" I question with confusion.
Ash slowly draws her sword from the sheath hanging at her waist.
SHING...
The blade catches the sunlight for a brief moment before she lowers it towards the ground.
Her breathing becomes slow, calm, and her focus is amazing.
"What are you waiting for?" Ash asks.
I glance around for a moment.
"You want me to attack?" I respond with some confusion.
"I do," Ash says without hesitation.
"With what? My normal sword or?" I reply.
Raven tosses a wooden sword towards me.
I barely manage to catch it before looking back at Ash.
"Try to hit me," Ash instructs.
She really wants me to fight against her when the most experience I’ve gotten so far has been against a dragon. Sigh.
I can’t forget that we sparred a bit as well, just it is still quite a difference from everything I’ve seen. She is using some special techniques and what not.
"I’ll do my best," I reply before rushing towards her.
I tighten my grip before rushing towards her and I swing with everything I have.
WHOOSH!!
Nothing, it was like she wasn’t even there anymore. I didn’t think she could just disappear like that out of nowhere.
"What—"
THWACK!!
Pain shoots across my ribs as something slams into my side.
The force sends me stumbling several steps before I barely regain my balance.
"Too slow," Ash speaks up while standing before me.
I grit my teeth.
She gestures for me again so this time I thrust forward instead of swinging.
WHOOSH!!
Another miss.
THWACK!!
The wooden blade strikes my wrist and the sword slips from my hand.
CLACK.
I quickly reach down to pick it back up.
Again and again and again.
Every attack ends exactly the same... she moves before I can even understand what she’s doing.
Not once does she look pressured, nor does she appear to waste any of her movement in the slightest.
Eventually I drop onto one knee while trying to catch my breath.
"Is this really training...?" I mutter.
Ash walks over before stopping a few feet away.
She raises her sword once more.
"No, this is me showing you the difference. That is all," Ash responds with a serious tone.
Silence settles over the training grounds for a moment after that.
"The sword isn’t won through strength alone," She continues.
She slowly shifts one foot forward as the other slides behind her.
Her knees bend slightly.
The tip of her sword lowers until it hovers just above the ground.
Everything about her changes for the first time since meeting Ash... It is almost like she just became an entirely different person.
I instinctively feel danger for a moment as well.
Raven smiles proudly from the side.
’This is interesting,’ Raven thinks to herself.
Ash’s eyes remain locked onto mine.
"This stance has been passed down through my family for generations," Ash begins to explain.
She slowly raises the blade.
"We call it..."
A faint gust circles around her feet.
"...The Phoenix Stance," She finishes.
The pressure alone forces me to tighten my grip around the wooden sword.
"...A stance?"
Ash nods once.
"The Phoenix Stance isn’t a sword technique, It is the foundation that every technique I possess is built upon. So watch closely," Ash instructs.
She takes one silent step forward.
Then another step.
"If your foundation is weak... Everything else crumbles," Ash speaks once more.
She disappears.
THWACK!!
The wooden sword strikes my chest before I even register that she’d moved.
I crash onto my back, staring up at the sky in complete disbelief.
There really is a huge difference in strength... Especially when it comes to sword stances that I didn’t even know existed. I need to learn some of these stances or how to create my own.
Raven lets out a small laugh.
Ash lowers her sword before extending a hand toward me.
"Get up," Ash says with a smile back on her face.
I take her hand to get back on my feet.
"That was definitely impressive," I reply quietly.
"I’m glad you think so. I’ll teach you how to stand as a slayer now," Ash says with a bit of excitement.
I’m glad she can be excited too.
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