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Consider it a deal! [Comes forth the reply, a wave with Zagreus' free hand as he holds the two shields like he's used to walking with two shields — one strapped tightly on his forearm, the other loosened at the strap around his shoulder. Zag smiles, happy to see the Pythia that had accompanied him in the docks again, and even speeds up his walk to meet him faster.] How have you been doing, Shalem?

Here. [He unfastens the strap (he had asked for a buckle to better adjust to different styles and people) and hands it to Shalem before rounding the other shield and setting it on the ground before him to reach out for the dagger.] Where did you get this?

[shalem smiles, the expression more enigmatic than friendly, as he places the dagger in zagreus' hand, sheath and all.]

I have... my ways. I'll share them with you later, once we're done with this session. [then he hefts the shield up and threads his left arm through the strap-- as a man used to a massive metal shield with ore and electronics within it, this simple wooden one is quite light. much lighter than he was anticipating. this tells him he really shouldn't use it seriously, or it may break.

not to mention, splinters would be annoying to remove from his arm. perhaps more annoying than having to deal with shedding days.

he flexes his hand in it, testing the tightness, and then steps away from zagreus with a nod.]

Now, shall we gauge your experience? Which hand do you prefer to write with? Hold the dagger in that, and wear the shield with the opposite one.

Edited 2022-10-06 12:11 (UTC)

Alright! [He was, in fact, used to using the shield alone instead of a weapon, but he does remember Theseus and his shield and spear. That had always been a problem for him to go through, the spear's range long, while the shield took care of the closest attacks. He had to hand it to him, regardless of how irked he was about the 'hero' himself.

So he straps the wooden shield on his left and the dagger on his right. The way he does so seems practiced, however, even if he's used to something much heavier, too.]

Like this?

Make sure that your arm still has full range of motion. Then... [shalem raises his shield arm, holding it parallel to his body and leaning forward slightly, legs apart. his other arm just hangs at his side, unneeded for now.]

Hold your shield up, and your weapon with it. Find a stance that's most comfortable for you to hold them both at the same time, but never let the shield down.

It's acceptable to skip some steps when you have more experience, but when you've only just started training, best not to.

[The stance he falls into is not the one of an inexperienced shield-holder.

In fact, the Shield of Aegis had been added to the roster of his infernal arms right a while back; he had done many runs with it through Asphodel and Tartarus, although getting through Elysium proved to be more difficult with it than the rest.

Achilles, though, had always sounded confident in his skills with it. Fight like I'd fight out there, lad, he'd say. ]

Like so? I think I've only worked with a shield before, but not with a dagger alongside it. Where should I hold it? Here? [He tucks it against the back of the shield for protection and to brace the wood better with both hands.] Or perhaps here? [Resting the blade on the edge of the shield, the many times he's seen Theseus do with his spear.]

I believe that's where you're wrong.

Never hold a shield with both hands, unless you're about to ram something much larger and more sturdy than another person. [which he hopes won't happen too often, but he's starting to figure that zagreus just does things, given the nature of his upbringing.] You'll not become accustomed to its weight like that... and if you're holding a weapon, you're more likely to cut yourself.

Rather, hold it like you normally would if you didn't have a shield in hand.

[so shalem demonstrates, shield slightly raised but not covering his front entirely and arm to the side, simulating holding onto a blade. he takes one step forward, hand with the "weapon" raised up and bringing that imaginary sword down, shield arm now moving away from his front to give him the range of movement needed but still covering his side.

then he snaps back quickly to his starting position, like he hadn't just made threatening movements.]

With a dagger, I would say that you should stab in front of you as if you were aiming for just under your opponent's ribs.

The shield cannot always be in front of you, if you have a mainhand. I would also argue that you should move your arm around even if it is your only weapon.

Edited 2022-10-11 12:04 (UTC)

I see… Wow. [This may be the most focused Shalem has ever seen Zagreus, as he listens intently, watches his motions closely, honing on how his feet land and the way his waist moves to pivot the shield around. He tries to mimic the motions that the Pythia has done and succeeds for the most part — he needs to practice further and make his motions smoother, but half of the technique is there.] Like so?

I would expect them to defend against the dagger, right? [He tries the same motion again, with another flick of his wrist, as he jabs it to the air instead of a slash.] How do I parry that?

In many, many ways. Using a shield does not mean raw strength... or holding yourself competely still while withstanding blows.

I asked you to to make sure you have full range of motion for a reason.

[then shalem beckons, and relaxes his posture. his shield arm is slightly raised, but he's standing casually now, as if not expecting to be attacked at all. this is his own combat stance, as zagreus may come to learn.]

Come and attack me in the way you're thinking.

[He takes in Shalem's relaxed posture and can't help but be slightly intrigued by it. Is he really that strong to assume that posture while asking to be attacked?

Well, Zag doesn't need to be told twice. He dashes forward with a flash of a grin on his teeth, his feet flaring to ember-like orange and red as he does so, leaving a scorch mark on the ground in his wake (oops).

And he mirrors the same stance he had just experimented with the same ease, not at all fumbling, even with the heightened speed the force of his motions. He's expecting either to watch Shalem dodge or block his motion with a defensive position. If he doesn't, well, he's aiming not to actually stab him and will stop at the last millisecond.]

[as expected, shalem blocks, pulling his shield before him. but more than that, he allows the pressure from the strike to make him move, leaning back to cushion the blow rather than stay stiff and withstand it-- the shield wouldn't be able to handle that sort of thing anyway-- and when he's bowed under the blow enough, the serpent strikes.

squaring his stance, shalem shoves back with a force that no one really expects with his thin frame and delicate features.

and more than that, he has a devious little smile on his face, ready to turn cruel at any moment.]

[With a groan, Zagreus' wind gets knocked out of his chest. His eyebrows shoot up, eyes widening with a tone of pleasant surprise. He braces himself on the shield, feet scraping across the ground…

and even though the prince is winded, and there's a moment where he has to get his bearings, his blood surges, and he grins.] Again, I need to see that again.

Only if you demonstrate it to me afterwards, so I know that you are, in fact, learning.

[he's treating this like a negotiation, because he is a trainer, not a babysitter. if he wants zagreus to learn, shalem knows he must demonstrate more... but also force the man to show what he's observed. how would he ever do anything otherwise.

still, with that devious little smile, shalem raises his free hand and beckons.]

I will! [His excitement thrums through him, and Zagreus prepares a stance again to charge him with a bullrush to see Shalem in action.] Ready?

Go on, then.

[though if he expects the exact same thing as before, he will be surprised, because shalem will follow his defense up with a counter, a mock strike of his free hand to zagreus' neck. after all, it's a good way to create an opening.

[Still, the charge under his feet, coiling from calf to waist and snapping with the steel of his arms, is faster, harder. Zagreus' eyes widen slightly, ready to take in the motion of Shalem's defense, the breath he releases, even something he commits to memory — that's where you should hit him. The mock strike to his neck is surprising but pleasantly so, and even if Zagreus lifts his chin to bend his neck back slightly away from that imaginary neck, he's smiling.] I think I got it, Sir. [A blink. Force of habit:] I mean, Shalem.

Do you? [he'll allow the honorific to slide right now, when he's used to his fellow operators addressing him as such when he's asked to be in the training room.

he holds his shield up now and withdraws his hand, ready to throw his own blows.]

Show me.

[that's the only warning zagreus gets before shalem strikes, drawing his hand back and then snapping it forward like he's throwing a punch, but with the shield instead. if it were metal rather than wood, connecting with it surely would break a nose. maybe more than a nose.]

[It's a good thing, then, that Zagreus isn't exactly a mortal. Albeit weakened, it's not without a groan that he gets the brunt of the attack, but he's nothing if not a fast student. 'Eager to learn, lad. I may just know how to work with you,' his mentor would say. He takes hold of the shield and braces himself but allows it to give, to use the impulse of the blow to dampen instead of running straight in. It's subtle, and he had needed that second time to ensure it, but it was a matter of timing. The moment the shield stretches out along with the snap of Shalem's arm, he knows it will be bouncing back slightly as tendons work. And it's there, there that Shalem had suddenly struck before, bending before unwinding back.

He doesn't do the counterattack yet, though. He just wants to show the baseline of the exercise first.] How's that?

[shalem gives a nod, and he is not shy with his praise.]

Very good-- a quick learner as I've seen. [and he has seen many eagers learners in the past... though part of that was because they all needed to be ready, at all times in case of a mission.]

Now we practise those motions over and over, and how you can take advantage of the openings you are making with such a maneuvre.

But as a treat... [shalem relaxes his stance once more, ready to defend as if he'll perform the same quick, whip-like motions from before.] I shall show you how I personally counter.

[Happy with the praise, Zagreus is quick to do a little bow in gratitude, and rightens his stance again. He's glad he got it quickly, and the inherent accomplished feeling of something quickly learned settles nicely between his collarbones, lowering his shoulders.

Eyebrows arching, he chuckles. He hasn't stopped grinning yet, the adrenaline singing in his blood since the first moment.] Oh, I definitely want to see that. [Getting ready again, he charges, yet again, wondering what's going to happen next.]

[shalem raises his shield when zagreus is near. with a flick of his wrist at the very moment that their weapons meet, he summons sparks of indigo and blue, arts to sting this student.

much more mild than the burning sensation he would have applied onto an opponent.]

[They singe through his skin, not on, and his breath hitches as though the sparks are glass sharding through him. Zagreus hisses, draws back with a whirl, feinting around Shalem with the shield still close to his chest, and retreats a few steps before he looks down at himself with a wince.

But he sees no wounds.] That's. How did you do that?!

[shalem has understood since awaking in the shadowlands that his strength is dampened here, and it has bothered him since. how can he protect rosa like this?

though it doesn't bother him now, because he knows his weaker output is barely anything, in the long run. he knows zagreus will not sustain damage without shalem needing to control his output.

he shakes his hand, dispelling the last of the sparks. they're not needed now.]

That is called Arts-- I channeled energy within myself into something visible and tangible. I believe some would call that magic, in their worlds.

[For a moment, his hands feel tingly, as if he absorbs some part of those sparks into him, only to make his skin feel like an ant farm, tiny sensations on his nerve endings making him thrum. He shakes them, looking quizzically. He's felt this before, the blessings, boons that gods have given him, the bursts of energy that the witches in Hades throw his way to stop him from going past once again. Zagreus has very little of that; at least, there's only one thing he can do that's slightly similar, albeit not as great as the power of the people he knows..

He's intrigued, eyes wide, mouth slightly slack in wonder.]

I see. Is this something you learned? Since you call it Arts.

It is... a natural talent I and others from my world hold, and I was trained in my childhood.

[a soft voice, after he had to be silent for a little bit, and think about how he can respond to this new line of questioning without revealing too much.]

But, before you ask, I do not think I can train you in it. [shalem gives him a soft, apologetic smile.] The way I was taught, the way Arts operates in my world?

Passing on my knowledge and experience in that may be exclusive to those from my world. You will have to settle with my shield skills.

That is more than enough; I was merely curious. [He smiles, still impressed. He's used to being surrounded by people more powerful than him—vastly so. Those who will the world around him to change by their volition. Raisers of darkness, breakers of resolve, bringers of death. Beloved all the same, he's never, somehow, felt envious of them and their abilities. Knows they brought more responsibility, even further.

Heavy are the shrouds.] Was it difficult to learn?

Yes. My mentors, those who raised me... they demanded nothing but perfection, so they trained me in the most difficult fields they knew. [and that's all he's comfortable saying about the matter.

it's not even false.]

But I am far more lenient than they, as long as you do learn.

[shalem raises his shield once more.]

Come, we shall practise more counter drills, before I move you on to using only the shield.

It shows. [Achilles, the Best of Greeks, was also a stern teacher, despite his soft-spoken demeanor that was not apparently the case during his time on the surface. The first session they had ended in five seconds—a stab through the heart with that legendary spear when Zag missed a step. He can recognize well-honed and finessed techniques, even if foreign.]

Let's! [He exclaims with a last grin before finally schooling his expression into something more neutral. Focused, driven. The practice isn't easy, but Zagreus is a quick scholar, going through the motions without a complain, if anything, with a question or two and exemplifying with his knowledge that he learned from his mentor.]

Hah… how do you think this session is going? [He finally smiles, panting.] Am I terrible at it?

[throughout the session, shalem has become more and more ruthless, a demanding teacher despite his claims of lenience. faster movement, stronger blows, quicker reflexes, more flexibility.

he's like a master looking for perfection.

in contrast, his movements have become less strained, adrenaline loosening up his muscles like he's just finally warmed up. though it's more that his heart has warmed to the sparring than anything else, the pythia forgetting exactly why he doesn't like to stress himself.]

Ah... you could be better. But you move better than when we began.

[a pause, before he makes a decision-- and a quick pause at that. he's being driven by the need to move, and his shadow is just egging him on, unbeknownst to him.]

I believe it's time to spar. [now he takes his stance once more, ready to fight.]

[There's a titter to Zagreus' lips, the rush of the workout and the excitement of learning something new fresh and running under his skin like the accomplished feeling of waddling through a current.]

Alright! You charge first, then. I want to see what you've got. [He claims cheekily, widening the position of his feet and lowering his guard, making use of his stature to brace himself.]

[the main advantage of being so lithe, lean with long limbs, is that shalem is agile. his heritage may also be a factor, because snakes are so quick to strike from seeming inactive, either to catch prey or to defend themselves.

he thrusts his shield out before him, as if to bash his shield against zagreus like all the times he's moved this way, but instead, he does something new. shalem places his free hand on his forearm, as if bracing it for impact. as if bracing himself for impact.

though the impact will not come, because he stops himself barely a pace before zagreus, peeking above the wooden shield with a wicked grin. then there comes a sound like a firearm being used repeatedly, or steel meeting flint, accompanied by a burst of his arts. shalem fires rapidly, body jerking each time, no wonder he needed to brace himself.

it may be a lot of noise, but perhaps if zagreus is particularly sharp, he may be able to hear soft laughter.]

[Many times he has incurred the wrath of the Olympians. Over silly things, really, usually something along the lines of choosing one over the other, the choice in itself stopping him from going farther in his path. He had felt the pain of Artemis' arrows, the knock of Poseidon's tides against his chest, the heartache of Aphrodite's sorrow, and the serrated edge of Ares' blades on his skin.

This, this feels nothing like it, and Zag can't help but be slightly amazed even as he tries to hold on for as long as he can until he can't and he stumbles back with a groan and falls onto his back.] Ah! Blast!

Ah-- [zagreus falling over has snapped him out of his little bloodthirsty trance, and he finds himself flushing, but with a cold spot in his chest from the shame. he almost let go in a way that could have become dangerous.

he relaxes from his stance, and offers a hand to help his hapless student back up.]

Apologies. I... lost myself for a moment.

[Meanwhile, Zagreus chuckles and promptly grabs Shalem's hand. Despite everything, he does look unharmed, the shock quickly ricocheting off him.] That's quite alright. It's part of practice, right? You seemed like you were having fun, and so was I.

[zagreus is not supposed to praise him for... for that!! shalem flushes deeply as he helps haul zagreus up.]

Ah, that-- [perhaps it would be too much to ask that zagreus forgets it ever happened.]

As long as you're not hurt. [then his gaze sharpens after his initial shame, and he looks his student over with a critical eye.] You are unhurt, right?

I am, I am. [Look at him, folding arms and legs and wrists and rolling shoulders to show how uninjured he is. Zagreus is made out of stronger stuff than most, Shalem. He has nothing to worry about.] I sort of let it flow to see how much I can take it. I can take much more than that, don't worry.

[shalem can breathe easier now, with the lack of lasting damage.]

As long as you're well, that's all I care for. It's not my intent to truly hurt...

[he looks down at his hand, at the weak little shield, and wishes he had his own. it helps him regulate his power, but in a way, not having his shield keeps him from being too reckless for fear of making himself ill. well, more ill than he already is.]

Are you willing to continue?

[He shakes his head, hoping to be as reassuring as possible.] That's quite alright; I do believe I can take more of what you gave me so far.

[He may not be so tall, but he's sturdy, and is slightly (understatement) used to pain.] I am. Shall we?

[if shalem didn't know better, he would have said that zagreus is probably asking for shalem to do more... what a troublesome godling.]

One more round of sparring before we end this session, all right?

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we still need to rest, and you need time to think about what you've learned and how to apply it better.

[That's because he is. He's had people spar with him to the death, Shalem, don't be a coward.]

Alright, that does make a proper training session. [He's a good pupil and does what he's told.] You've done this before, haven't you? It seems like it comes very naturally to you.

[was it that obvious, he wonders. is he even any good, he wonders. shalem never really thought he was exemplary in such things, just adequate-- or a fine enough teacher that his peers won't falter when it's time to fight.]

I have... been asked to take shifts in the training rooms before, helping other defenders refine their techniques.

You are the first I've worked with from nearly the ground up.

That makes sense. I'm really enjoying this. I've only ever learned about attacking with a shield, not defending.

[He rolls his wrists and shoulders, ready for the next session.] I have to thank you for this. I really needed to unwind, too.

[shalem shrugs sheepishly with a flush, unused to this specific praise because he never considered himself an actual teacher.]

I shall teach you how to properly attack with a shield next time. Perhaps... if you find a better shield to use, because I have no doubt that these will fall apart with the first strike.

[rhodes island's defenders go hard, okay.]

[closed]

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