Chapter 45: 45
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Lucius unsheathed his sword with a grin.
The metal rasped and made all the hairs on Alex stand on end. He took a step back but realized there was nowhere to run even if he wanted to escape.
["Even after all you've been through you have a healthy sense of survival."]
[That doesn't really help me at the moment Angel.] Alex clenched his fists doing his best to disguise the trembling of his fingers.
Haruka quickly got out of the way. She had honed her reflexes and dodging ability at the edge of that very blade and wanted nothing to do with it. She cast Alex a worried and commiserating glance as she went to find cover. Alex grimaced for a moment as he watched her hurry away before returning his attention to Lucius.
Lucius finished his quick limbering arm stretches, "Where are you most confident in your defense?"
Alex furrowed his brow, [As far away from your sword as possible.] "I don't know."
["Hahaha, if you worry so much, it's only going to be worse for you Alex."] Angel laughed.
[Instead of laughing, do something!]
Lucius held an arm out to the side. "Then hold your arm out like this and channel your power into it. Imagine it covering your arm like armor and imagine it as armor that can withstand or repel any attack."
Alex held his arms against his chest instead. "Can't I just use a shield or real armor first? Wouldn't channeling my power into something be a better test to start with?"
"You'll be fine. Nothing will actually hurt you here."
[You're wrong old man. There's a thing called mental trauma.] Alex continued to give Lucius a pensive look.
"Fine," Lucius sighed and pulled the same large round shield he used before out of the ground and held it out to Alex. "Go ahead and use this to start with. Let me know when you're ready."
Alex grabbed the shield with both hands and nearly lost his balance in his haste. It took him a few moments to figure out which strap to put his arm through first and how to hold it. Then he started channeling his power into it with a more confident smirk. He closed his eyes to concentrate better.
"Are you ready?" Lucius asked.
Alex opened his eyes and nodded at Lucius. He gritted his teeth and tensed his arm as he waited for the blow.
Lucius lunged at lightning speed, stabbing the sword into the shield and piercing it with ease. Alex froze, only his eyes moved, growing wide in shock. The blade just missed his arm and stopped short of his chest.
Lucius frowned and pulled his sword back. There was little resistance because he was still channeling power through it which allowed the sword to cut its way back out with ease. "Did you have a clear mental image? Picture your energy making a shield over the surface of the shield."
"I, I'll try again." [Holy sh*t! Any advice Angel?] Sweat collected on his eyebrows and drained into his eyes making them sting. He wiped his face with his free hand as he listened for Angel's response.
["Just concentrate more. He's already giving you good advice. You're just too worried about getting hurt to take this seriously."]
[I am very. Serious. About this.] Alex wiped his face and eyes again to buy time.
["The more you panic and think about the pain or about getting hurt, the less your intent is focussed on defense like it should be. So stop picturing the worst case scenarios and think about your shield actually blocking his attack."]
Alex breathed deeply with his eyes shut.
Lucius waited patiently. [He's not doing as well with this, but that's understandable. Its harder for most beginners to focus when they're being attacked after all.]
Alex opened his eyes and nodded. His face had a calm detached expression. His eyes focused on the ground ahead of him instead of Lucius's sword this time. Lucius recognized Alex's stare. It was a beginner's attempt to distance themselves from what they thought would happen to them. He'd seen it thousands of times and would teach Alex how to fight better later. It's more important for him to get the hang of focusing his power first before moving on.
Lucius once again thrust his sword toward Alex's shield. This time the sword didn't go through but instead pushed the shield into Alex's body. Alex stumbled back and was hit in the face by the hand he was steadying the top of the shield with.
Haruka Tried not to laugh when she saw this. She remembered getting smacked by her own hand a number of times when a strong kick into the training sack knocked it into her face a few times. It tended to happen when you weren't prepared or started losing focus after a long day. Angel also pretended not to see anything. Lucius smiled, but because Alex had blocked his sword.
"At least you didn't fall on your a*s. That's a good start." Lucius said with approval, "Most people that haven't been taught how to brace themselves get scratch marks along their back as they slide across the ground."
Alex's face was no less red from embarrassment upon hearing this. He was trying to think of something to say to regain his dignity when Lucius's next words took the wind out of him.
"You're making excellent progress. Next, let's try it with just your skin."
Alex looked for any sign in Lucius's face that would indicate that he was joking. He saw none. He glanced at Haruka watching from the side but she immediately looked away with her ears flat against her hair.
His eyes returned to Lucius. "Can't I practice more with the shield instead?"
Haruka put a hand over her mouth and stiffly walked further away.
Lucius started scowling, "We don't have all day to be playing around. I've taught thousands of soldiers how to kill and stay alive. I won't go easy on you just because you have a connection to Zeus. That would ruin your training and make you soft."
Alex gripped the shield tighter, "I just think we're moving a bit too fast. I barely have time to understand what I'm being told to do before you jump to the next thing. Can't we slow down just a little?"
All the kindness left Lucius's eyes, "Do you think our enemies will wait for you to be ready before they come and tear the flesh from your bones? Do you think you have the time to be taking it easy? I have other men I need to make into soldiers boy." Lucius spat on the ground, "If its freedom and power you wish for, this is the right place. If you just want to be a burden, then go away."
["You don't trust him enough Alex. Stop thinking you'll die or be crippled forever in this training. This is what you need to learn to keep that from happening. Now apologize and ask him to continue."]
[Apologize? For not wanting to be stabbed? Am I the only sane one here?] Alex was making an exasperated expression at the ground without knowing it as he responded to Angel. Lucius was staring daggers at him.
["You should apologize for wasting his time. And you should apologize to yourself for not taking your own abilities seriously. What you learn from him will change your life."]
Lucius nearly ran out of patience as Alex considered Angel's words. [Fine.] He shut his eyes and opened them with a sigh, [I'll apologize. It's not like I haven't been beaten to death before.]
["Good"]
Alex looked up from the ground he'd been staring at and made eye contact with Lucius. "I'm sorry for not trusting you enough." He scuffed his feet against the grass, "It's just that I've been killed so many times already-"
["Alex!"]
[What?]
["Don't reveal where you came from or how you got here to these people!"]
A grim expression conquered Alex's face. [Oh sh*t! Did I say too much?]
["If they seem suspicious, just play it off as having meant in other training spaces or something. I'll think of a better excuse in the meantime."]
Lucius caught Alex's slip and so did Haruka who then turned around to face Alex with a quizzical look. Lucius glanced at Haruka before speaking to Alex.
"Let's get back to training then." He remembered then that there was obviously more to Alex's journey than simply being brought here by Zeus. "Put the shield down and picture your power forming armor around you. Remember, you won't die here."
Alex slid his arm out and walked over to the dummy stand to prop the shield against it. Then he walked back to where he was before and prepared himself. He focused on his power and imagined it protecting him as well as he could, but in the back of his mind, he just knew this wouldn't end well.
When Alex nodded with his eyes still closed, Lucius swung his blade diagonally down and cut into Alex's bicep. Alex heard a grating *snicker-snack!* sound in his skull, as the sword cut through his arm and sank into the bones of his upper ribs and shoulder blade.
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Lucius unsheathed his sword with a grin.
The metal rasped and made all the hairs on Alex stand on end. He took a step back but realized there was nowhere to run even if he wanted to escape.
["Even after all you've been through you have a healthy sense of survival."]
[That doesn't really help me at the moment Angel.] Alex clenched his fists doing his best to disguise the trembling of his fingers.
Haruka quickly got out of the way. She had honed her reflexes and dodging ability at the edge of that very blade and wanted nothing to do with it. She cast Alex a worried and commiserating glance as she went to find cover. Alex grimaced for a moment as he watched her hurry away before returning his attention to Lucius.
Lucius finished his quick limbering arm stretches, "Where are you most confident in your defense?"
Alex furrowed his brow, [As far away from your sword as possible.] "I don't know."
["Hahaha, if you worry so much, it's only going to be worse for you Alex."] Angel laughed.
[Instead of laughing, do something!]
Lucius held an arm out to the side. "Then hold your arm out like this and channel your power into it. Imagine it covering your arm like armor and imagine it as armor that can withstand or repel any attack."
Alex held his arms against his chest instead. "Can't I just use a shield or real armor first? Wouldn't channeling my power into something be a better test to start with?"
"You'll be fine. Nothing will actually hurt you here."
[You're wrong old man. There's a thing called mental trauma.] Alex continued to give Lucius a pensive look.
"Fine," Lucius sighed and pulled the same large round shield he used before out of the ground and held it out to Alex. "Go ahead and use this to start with. Let me know when you're ready."
Alex grabbed the shield with both hands and nearly lost his balance in his haste. It took him a few moments to figure out which strap to put his arm through first and how to hold it. Then he started channeling his power into it with a more confident smirk. He closed his eyes to concentrate better.
"Are you ready?" Lucius asked.
Alex opened his eyes and nodded at Lucius. He gritted his teeth and tensed his arm as he waited for the blow.
Lucius lunged at lightning speed, stabbing the sword into the shield and piercing it with ease. Alex froze, only his eyes moved, growing wide in shock. The blade just missed his arm and stopped short of his chest.
Lucius frowned and pulled his sword back. There was little resistance because he was still channeling power through it which allowed the sword to cut its way back out with ease. "Did you have a clear mental image? Picture your energy making a shield over the surface of the shield."
"I, I'll try again." [Holy sh*t! Any advice Angel?] Sweat collected on his eyebrows and drained into his eyes making them sting. He wiped his face with his free hand as he listened for Angel's response.
["Just concentrate more. He's already giving you good advice. You're just too worried about getting hurt to take this seriously."]
[I am very. Serious. About this.] Alex wiped his face and eyes again to buy time.
["The more you panic and think about the pain or about getting hurt, the less your intent is focussed on defense like it should be. So stop picturing the worst case scenarios and think about your shield actually blocking his attack."]
Alex breathed deeply with his eyes shut.
Lucius waited patiently. [He's not doing as well with this, but that's understandable. Its harder for most beginners to focus when they're being attacked after all.]
Alex opened his eyes and nodded. His face had a calm detached expression. His eyes focused on the ground ahead of him instead of Lucius's sword this time. Lucius recognized Alex's stare. It was a beginner's attempt to distance themselves from what they thought would happen to them. He'd seen it thousands of times and would teach Alex how to fight better later. It's more important for him to get the hang of focusing his power first before moving on.
Lucius once again thrust his sword toward Alex's shield. This time the sword didn't go through but instead pushed the shield into Alex's body. Alex stumbled back and was hit in the face by the hand he was steadying the top of the shield with.
Haruka Tried not to laugh when she saw this. She remembered getting smacked by her own hand a number of times when a strong kick into the training sack knocked it into her face a few times. It tended to happen when you weren't prepared or started losing focus after a long day. Angel also pretended not to see anything. Lucius smiled, but because Alex had blocked his sword.
"At least you didn't fall on your a*s. That's a good start." Lucius said with approval, "Most people that haven't been taught how to brace themselves get scratch marks along their back as they slide across the ground."
Alex's face was no less red from embarrassment upon hearing this. He was trying to think of something to say to regain his dignity when Lucius's next words took the wind out of him.
"You're making excellent progress. Next, let's try it with just your skin."
Alex looked for any sign in Lucius's face that would indicate that he was joking. He saw none. He glanced at Haruka watching from the side but she immediately looked away with her ears flat against her hair.
His eyes returned to Lucius. "Can't I practice more with the shield instead?"
Haruka put a hand over her mouth and stiffly walked further away.
Lucius started scowling, "We don't have all day to be playing around. I've taught thousands of soldiers how to kill and stay alive. I won't go easy on you just because you have a connection to Zeus. That would ruin your training and make you soft."
Alex gripped the shield tighter, "I just think we're moving a bit too fast. I barely have time to understand what I'm being told to do before you jump to the next thing. Can't we slow down just a little?"
All the kindness left Lucius's eyes, "Do you think our enemies will wait for you to be ready before they come and tear the flesh from your bones? Do you think you have the time to be taking it easy? I have other men I need to make into soldiers boy." Lucius spat on the ground, "If its freedom and power you wish for, this is the right place. If you just want to be a burden, then go away."
["You don't trust him enough Alex. Stop thinking you'll die or be crippled forever in this training. This is what you need to learn to keep that from happening. Now apologize and ask him to continue."]
[Apologize? For not wanting to be stabbed? Am I the only sane one here?] Alex was making an exasperated expression at the ground without knowing it as he responded to Angel. Lucius was staring daggers at him.
["You should apologize for wasting his time. And you should apologize to yourself for not taking your own abilities seriously. What you learn from him will change your life."]
Lucius nearly ran out of patience as Alex considered Angel's words. [Fine.] He shut his eyes and opened them with a sigh, [I'll apologize. It's not like I haven't been beaten to death before.]
["Good"]
Alex looked up from the ground he'd been staring at and made eye contact with Lucius. "I'm sorry for not trusting you enough." He scuffed his feet against the grass, "It's just that I've been killed so many times already-"
["Alex!"]
[What?]
["Don't reveal where you came from or how you got here to these people!"]
A grim expression conquered Alex's face. [Oh sh*t! Did I say too much?]
["If they seem suspicious, just play it off as having meant in other training spaces or something. I'll think of a better excuse in the meantime."]
Lucius caught Alex's slip and so did Haruka who then turned around to face Alex with a quizzical look. Lucius glanced at Haruka before speaking to Alex.
"Let's get back to training then." He remembered then that there was obviously more to Alex's journey than simply being brought here by Zeus. "Put the shield down and picture your power forming armor around you. Remember, you won't die here."
Alex slid his arm out and walked over to the dummy stand to prop the shield against it. Then he walked back to where he was before and prepared himself. He focused on his power and imagined it protecting him as well as he could, but in the back of his mind, he just knew this wouldn't end well.
When Alex nodded with his eyes still closed, Lucius swung his blade diagonally down and cut into Alex's bicep. Alex heard a grating *snicker-snack!* sound in his skull, as the sword cut through his arm and sank into the bones of his upper ribs and shoulder blade.
Lucius unsheathed his sword with a grin.The metal rasped and made all the hairs on Alex stand on end. He took a step back but realized there was nowhere to run even if he wanted to escape."Even after all you've been through you have a healthy sense of survival."That doesn't really help me at the moment Angel. Alex clenched his fists doing his best to disguise the trembling of his fingers.Haruka quickly got out of the way. She had honed her reflexes and dodging ability at the edge of that very blade and wanted nothing to do with it. She cast Alex a worried and commiserating glance as she went to find cover. Alex grimaced for a moment as he watched her hurry away before returning his attention to Lucius.Lucius finished his quick limbering arm stretches, "Where are you most confident in your defense?"Alex furrowed his brow, As far away from your sword as possible. "I don't know.""Hahaha, if you worry so much, it's only going to be worse for you Alex." Angel laughed.Instead of laughing, do something!Lucius held an arm out to the side. "Then hold your arm out like this and channel your power into it. Imagine it covering your arm like armor and imagine it as armor that can withstand or repel any attack."Alex held his arms against his chest instead. "Can't I just use a shield or real armor first? Wouldn't channeling my power into something be a better test to start with?""You'll be fine. Nothing will actually hurt you here."You're wrong old man. There's a thing called mental trauma. Alex continued to give Lucius a pensive look."Fine," Lucius sighed and pulled the same large round shield he used before out of the ground and held it out to Alex. "Go ahead and use this to start with. Let me know when you're ready."Alex grabbed the shield with both hands and nearly lost his balance in his haste. It took him a few moments to figure out which strap to put his arm through first and how to hold it. Then he started channeling his power into it with a more confident smirk. He closed his eyes to concentrate better."Are you ready?" Lucius asked.Alex opened his eyes and nodded at Lucius. He gritted his teeth and tensed his arm as he waited for the blow.Lucius lunged at lightning speed, stabbing the sword into the shield and piercing it with ease. Alex froze, only his eyes moved, growing wide in shock. The blade just missed his arm and stopped short of his chest.Lucius frowned and pulled his sword back. There was little resistance because he was still channeling power through it which allowed the sword to cut its way back out with ease. "Did you have a clear mental image? Picture your energy making a shield over the surface of the shield.""I, I'll try again." Holy sh*t! Any advice Angel? Sweat collected on his eyebrows and drained into his eyes making them sting. He wiped his face with his free hand as he listened for Angel's response."Just concentrate more. He's already giving you good advice. You're just too worried about getting hurt to take this seriously."I am very. Serious. About this. Alex wiped his face and eyes again to buy time."The more you panic and think about the pain or about getting hurt, the less your intent is focussed on defense like it should be. So stop picturing the worst case scenarios and think about your shield actually blocking his attack."Alex breathed deeply with his eyes shut.Lucius waited patiently. He's not doing as well with this, but that's understandable. Its harder for most beginners to focus when they're being attacked after all.Alex opened his eyes and nodded. His face had a calm detached expression. His eyes focused on the ground ahead of him instead of Lucius's sword this time. Lucius recognized Alex's stare. It was a beginner's attempt to distance themselves from what they thought would happen to them. He'd seen it thousands of times and would teach Alex how to fight better later. It's more important for him to get the hang of focusing his power first before moving on.Lucius once again thrust his sword toward Alex's shield. This time the sword didn't go through but instead pushed the shield into Alex's body. Alex stumbled back and was hit in the face by the hand he was steadying the top of the shield with.Haruka Tried not to laugh when she saw this. She remembered getting smacked by her own hand a number of times when a strong kick into the training sack knocked it into her face a few times. It tended to happen when you weren't prepared or started losing focus after a long day. Angel also pretended not to see anything. Lucius smiled, but because Alex had blocked his sword."At least you didn't fall on your a*s. That's a good start." Lucius said with approval, "Most people that haven't been taught how to brace themselves get scratch marks along their back as they slide across the ground."Alex's face was no less red from embarrassment upon hearing this. He was trying to think of something to say to regain his dignity when Lucius's next words took the wind out of him."You're making excellent progress. Next, let's try it with just your skin."Alex looked for any sign in Lucius's face that would indicate that he was joking. He saw none. He glanced at Haruka watching from the side but she immediately looked away with her ears flat against her hair.His eyes returned to Lucius. "Can't I practice more with the shield instead?"Haruka put a hand over her mouth and stiffly walked further away.Lucius started scowling, "We don't have all day to be playing around. I've taught thousands of soldiers how to kill and stay alive. I won't go easy on you just because you have a connection to Zeus. That would ruin your training and make you soft."Alex gripped the shield tighter, "I just think we're moving a bit too fast. I barely have time to understand what I'm being told to do before you jump to the next thing. Can't we slow down just a little?"All the kindness left Lucius's eyes, "Do you think our enemies will wait for you to be ready before they come and tear the flesh from your bones? Do you think you have the time to be taking it easy? I have other men I need to make into soldiers boy." Lucius spat on the ground, "If its freedom and power you wish for, this is the right place. If you just want to be a burden, then go away.""You don't trust him enough Alex. Stop thinking you'll die or be crippled forever in this training. This is what you need to learn to keep that from happening. Now apologize and ask him to continue."Apologize? For not wanting to be stabbed? Am I the only sane one here? Alex was making an exasperated expression at the ground without knowing it as he responded to Angel. Lucius was staring daggers at him."You should apologize for wasting his time. And you should apologize to yourself for not taking your own abilities seriously. What you learn from him will change your life."Lucius nearly ran out of patience as Alex considered Angel's words. Fine. He shut his eyes and opened them with a sigh, I'll apologize. It's not like I haven't been beaten to death before."Good"Alex looked up from the ground he'd been staring at and made eye contact with Lucius. "I'm sorry for not trusting you enough." He scuffed his feet against the grass, "It's just that I've been killed so many times already-""Alex!"What?"Don't reveal where you came from or how you got here to these people!"A grim expression conquered Alex's face. Oh sh*t! Did I say too much?"If they seem suspicious, just play it off as having meant in other training spaces or something. I'll think of a better excuse in the meantime."Lucius caught Alex's slip and so did Haruka who then turned around to face Alex with a quizzical look. Lucius glanced at Haruka before speaking to Alex."Let's get back to training then." He remembered then that there was obviously more to Alex's journey than simply being brought here by Zeus. "Put the shield down and picture your power forming armor around you. Remember, you won't die here."Alex slid his arm out and walked over to the dummy stand to prop the shield against it. Then he walked back to where he was before and prepared himself. He focused on his power and imagined it protecting him as well as he could, but in the back of his mind, he just knew this wouldn't end well.When Alex nodded with his eyes still closed, Lucius swung his blade diagonally down and cut into Alex's bicep. Alex heard a grating *snicker-snack!* sound in his skull, as the sword cut through his arm and sank into the bones of his upper ribs and shoulder blade.
