章節 18: Sparring
David's face was incredulous.
(David) "Are you sure?"
Liz nodded. She rested her left hand on the hilt of her dual swords.
(Liz) "She wouldn't take that long, and I don't think you actually have that much experience training people."
She paused.
(Liz) "No offence."
David shrugged.
(David) "None taken. I actually have never formally trained anyone before, so I was really taken by surprise when she asked me to stay back to help with your training."
Liz's expression was one of indifference as she got onto the sparring arena and waited for David to get on as well. He got on as well and turned to her before asking,
(David) "Do you want to use real swords, or training ones?"
She thought for a moment, then hopped off the sparring arena and went over to a wall and did something which both David and Liana couldn't catch, and the wall adjacent to it started vibrating. It slowly opened, revealing a whole wall of training weapons. From daggers to swords, to bows and axes, it had everything and more than the weapons Liana knew of. To her, it looked like there were a whole lot of duplicate weapons, but Liz turned around and said,
(Liz) "Choose your weapon and the weight you use. There should be the one you use there."
David chuckled.
(David) "I use a very unique weight, are you sure you have it?"
Liz thought for a moment, then asked,
(Liz) "Do you have the numbers?"
David nodded, then listed a short list of numbers which Liana completely did not understand, but Liz simply nodded before walking over to the wall and pulling something that appeared to be a drawer out, then took out a sword from inside it. She threw it to David, who caught it by the hilt.
(Liz) "See whether this fits you."
David swung it a few times and a surprised look came over his face.
(David) "Yeah… How did you know where it was and how did you have the exact measurements?"
Liz chuckled.
(Liz) "Like my sister, I can recognize a weapon and its statistics from afar, and also which weapon a person would be best suited using. Also, I helped her with this, so I know where the things are."
David gave her an incredulous look. He repeated his second question:
(David) "But why do you even have these measurements and weights?"
Liz opened her mouth to reply, but Liana cut in and asked,
(Liana) "What do you mean by you can recognize a weapon's statistics?"
Liz raised an eyebrow.
(Liz) "You remember when I told you my training is similar to the training our magic soldiers go through, just on a higher level? Lil actually has me practising to use every single weapon just in case. As a result, I can use any weapon that exists, even if I'm not an expert at it. She also taught me how to analyse weapons, and people who wield weapons, even those who don't. The only thing is that I can't possibly expect to reach her level. If there's anyone who can even come close to defeating her, it would be very surprising. She trains constantly, and she has the skill to match it. I really envy my sister sometimes."
Liana smiled.
(Liana) "I'm certain you're also really talented."
David nodded at that.
(David) "There are only about one percent of people who can recognize and analyse a weapon and its statistics, and the person wielding it. And on top of that, you're able to do magic, and use every weapon known."
Liz chuckled and said,
(Liz) "I wouldn't be able to if Lil hadn't had me training so much. And why are you doing this anyway? Are you trying to cheer me up by telling me I'm actually talented?"
Liana smiled but didn't contradict her. Liz chuckled and said,
(Liz) "I'm not doubting myself or anything like that, and you'd better not say anything like that to Lil either or she'll have me training like crazy for the next two months. I was just saying my sister is a lot more talented than I am."
She turned to David.
(Liz) "So, are we going to spar, or?"
Before David could react, there was a knock on the door. Liz frowned slightly as Hunter stepped through the door and greeted Liz with the Loyal Greeting.
(Liz) "Hunter. Lillian hasn't come back yet."
Liz said before Hunter could even open his mouth to talk. When he heard it, he frowned but bowed and left the room without a word. Liana thought she noticed something else in his expression.
(Liana's thoughts) 'He looked… disappointed? Was I right?'
Liz clicked her tongue before gesturing to David. David smiled and held his training sword in a ready position. Liz turned back around and did something else before taking another training sword from a different hidden compartment. In that hidden compartment, Liana noticed there was only one of each training weapon, and a real double to match it. Liz unclipped her sword from her belt and placed it beside the slot for the training sword she took out. Liana guessed it was the compartment meant for Liz, and as the compartment closed, she realised there was another training sword inside, but Liz didn't take that one out. However, she didn't have enough time to wonder why as Liz jumped back on to the arena and stated some rules.
*
They started the spar the traditional way, and David went on the offensive. At a first glance, it would look like David had the advantage, but to Liana, it was clear Liz was not having trouble blocking all of David's attacks. Even though she seemed to be forced backwards with every move, Liz didn't seem disturbed at all. As Liana watched the spar, she noticed something was odd about the way Liz was fighting and wondered whether it was related to the extra training sword Liz didn't take out. Just before Liz hit the border of the sparring arena, she blocked a side slash from David and counterattacked. He managed to dodge it, but his eyes widened at the speed she moved. She continued attacking, eventually sweeping the back of David's legs with one of her own and he landed on his bottom, dropping the training sword in the process. She held her sword near his neck and he yielded.
(David) "You win."
She smiled and offered her left hand to David, which he accepted and she helped him up. Liz turned to one side of the room and asked,
(Liz) "How long have you been there?"
Liana and David swung to face where she was facing. Lillian seemed to appear out of nowhere and said,
(Lillian) "Long enough to see you haven't been training enough."
Liz's face turned into one of despair as she pleaded with her sister,
(Liz) "Lil, please… I really did train!"
Lillian chuckled and jumped on to the arena as well and said,
(Lillian) "Then prove it. Also, this is a chance for me to really see how much you've progressed since the last time I trained you."
David, who only now seemed to manage to register what was going on, opened his mouth to say something, when Lillian continued,
(Lillian) "And David, your village members are all back safely. You don't need to be afraid of another attack from that Gang anymore."
Liana frowned as she watched from the side, then she noticed something. Liz was smiling silently to herself. It had a hint of pride, yet it had admiration in it at the same time. Lillian turned back to Liz and asked,
(Lillian) "So, are you going to spar with me or not?"
Liz smiled.
(Liz) "Why do you bother when you know you'll win. And you don't need to spar with me to know what level I'm at."
Lillian chuckled.
(Lillian) "You're no fun, Liz."
She grabbed one of the sword sheaths hanging on her belt and threw it to Liz. Liz caught it and drew the sword, throwing the sheath to one side. No, the two swords. It was a dual sword, and Liana thought Liz looked more comfortable with the two weapons. She stood at the ready and waited for Lillian to get ready. Lillian walked to one corner of the room where there was a table and started unstrapping all her weapons, then taking one of the swords and unsheathing it. Liz noticed the movement and lowered her swords as she said,
(Liz) "Lil, if you're not going to play fair I don't want to."
Lillian chuckled then grabbed another sword. Liana's eyes widened in amazement as she pulled the sword out of its sheath. It had a gold line running through it, its quality far beyond anything she'd seen before. Even the royal guards didn't own swords of that quality, and she had actually never seen her father's weapon. She held that one with her right hand and the other on her left. The one on her left hand was considerably shorter than the one she was holding in her right. Liz smiled and raised her swords again. David quickly jumped out of the arena, not wanting to get caught in the fight.
*
Lillian jumped back onto the arena, while Liana watched intently as they started. Liz smiled and charged at Lillian, who dodged to the side easily. Liana remembered the scene in the forest before they arrived here. However, unlike the bandit leader, Liz was more skilled and saw the movement. She stopped and twisted to one side, using her right sword to attack Lillian's upper body and her left sword to attack her legs. Lillian decided not to dodge it, Liana realised, not that she was unable to dodge it, she just didn't want to. The sound of metal clashing echoed around the hall as Lillian blocked hit after hit. Liana's attention was so concentrated on the spar that she didn't notice David coming up behind her.
(David) "It's really intense, huh."
She jumped slightly then glanced at him and said,
(Liana) "As to be expected of the Chief of the biggest tribe and her sister."
She turned back to watch and didn't notice the strange smile that came across David's face.
*
Lillian slid back slightly as she deflected another hit from Liz. Liz's expression changed drastically as she realised Lillian wasn't using her right hand. She jumped back just as Lillian swung her right hand and the sword came down directly where Liz was standing a moment before. Liz's eyes widened as Lillian dashed forward and attacked. She managed to block the first ten or so, but she was soon overcome by Lillian's attacks. She sighed internally as she was pushed back more and more. Even though she widely overpowered David, she was still nowhere near Lillian's level. Liz smiled as she knew that Lillian wasn't even using her full power. Still, she held on until Lillian knocked her down, and she was in the position she had put David in earlier.
(Liz) "You know I can never win against you."
Lillian smiled and helped her sister up. She returned the swords to their sheaths and strapped everything back on before walking back to where Liz was sitting on the floor. She had gone back to sitting down as her legs were too tired to stand up. Liz looked up at Lillian as she approached.
(Liz) "Sis, you're never going to let me catch up to you, are you?"
Lillian smiled.
(Lillian) "You just have to train harder."
(Liz) "It would be easier if you trained me."
As she ended her sentence, her eyes widened and she quickly said,
(Liz) "Actually… I'll just train by myself. You don't need to train me."
Lillian chuckled as she said,
(Lillian) "Too bad. You already asked."
Liz sighed and stood up.
(Liz) "Fine. But you have to go easy on the training. The last time you trained me properly I was aching for a month."
Lillian chuckled as she replied,
(Lillian) "Then you'll be glad Liana's going to be training with you."
Liana, who was watching silently from the side with David up until now, exclaimed in surprise.
(Liana) "Hey! When did I say I was going to train as well?"
Lillian smiled, but both Liana and Liz weren't convinced by it.
(Lillian) "When you asked me to help you train your magic."
Liana groaned, but her face still had an amused expression on it. David figured he should leave them be and said,
(David) "I should go."
He turned to Lillian.
(David) "I am once again indebted to you, and if you happen to be anywhere near my village or if in any way need my help, you need only call and I will come with no hesitation. It is thanks to you that my family and village is safe and well again. But I must now take my leave and return to them."
Lillian nodded, and he turned to Liz and Liana.
(David) "It has been a pleasure, though it has been short, and I got thoroughly thrashed by Liz. I may see you again, and I may not. I hope you will stay safe."
Liz, already used to this kind of behaviour, nodded. Liana, on the other hand, wasn't used to the sudden change from his previous casual manner, giggled softly before nodding as well. David turned back to Lillian, who stretched out a hand, which he shook. The next moment, he was gone.
(Liz) "Wouldn't it have been easier to just let him go back by himself?"
Lillian simply shrugged and walked out of the hall, Liz and Liana following close behind.
創作者的想法 
Phoenix169
Phoenix169 Edited/Proofread by: c_wyvern
So I don't actually use a sword or study it or whatever, so any moves that are used are moves that I've made up or my own imagination of it so like it's not technically accurate if you read any proper books with proper sword-fighting or whatnot don't be offended and all that
^ This is actually just cos I had nothing else better to say so why not
My brain is not working
WC: 2293
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