Welcome back to Despair Remnants!
Here are my replies to your comments.
Man of no import: Bring you outta hibernation with another chapter.
LockeBelmont: Okay… that's hilarious!
Enigma Protocol: Well here you go!
Rnij: Glad to know you stuck around. I am currently trying to fix how I do my dialogue so I hope it fits better for you. Also… not telling :P
Darkus: Thank you for bring that to my attention, I will try to fix it some. Enjoy!
Baz: I can see that. Maybe, may be not, who knows. Also congratulations Baz 100!
Silver III John: In due time my friend… in due time.
Scarease: Indeed… Glad you liked it.
Evinco: Sadly that is only one of the many doors guarding the mental fortress of Venatores'. And yes… By the gods, fear it Laurance.
DashingxRouge: My belief is that, no matter who says it, it will only ever affect him if it is his mother. Don't worry, he's still our cold-blooded badass.
Audiotistic: Aww, thanks man. I'll keep it to the same quality as much as I can! Bet on it.
Student: Thanks for the tips man, I'll be sure to put remember it. Also, spot on as usual. Keep up these awesome reviews man.
The Philosopher Anon E Moose: In every Souls story I've ever read, what you said right their holds water. It's infuriating! How am I supposed to relate to the character, if I don't even know their origins, what caused them to be where they are today!
Also, thanks for the writing tip. I have it written down to help me remember and everything. Have a great day.
Arkham Wyntier: Thank you very much for the criticism. I have triple checked my work, even had my brother proofread. I'll try to do the best of both worlds, Story and writing.
Thank You once more for the Review.
Lesson of the Mighty
Mors Ignis
"Argh!"
"Again!" I screamed at Sir Jaune, as he was flung back by my sword swipe. It was a bit weaker than what I usually put out, but it was sufficient enough.
At the end of class, Sir Jaune and myself had migrated to a Team Eclipse's private coliseum. In hopes of not only avoiding the late night curfew t, but to use up more hours, dedicated to Sir Jaune's training.
The training itself had gone well-
"Faster!" My voice echoing against the coliseums closed walls. "Stop tensing and parry faster!"
-enough.
Of course, Sir Jaune was an excellent student. He was quickly closing the gap on parrying at record time. Even now, the only real problem were two things.
For one, he was far to tense. I understood, of course. After all, he was currently facing a man, who as far as he knew, trained most of his life to perfect and use this single technique. It would be a miracle to say that he wasn't scared to strike me.
The other, was the fact that I was seeing the technique coming.
Parrying was a powerful thing to use, especially against those you have never seen before who aren't expecting it. To those expecting it, they could plan ahead of time to avoid it. Either by using a miracle, sorcery or pyromancy. Or by simply being unpredictable in you fighting style.
But parrying wasn't the hardest part. No….
It was what came after.
Capitalizing on the enemy's weakness, and giving a mortal blow.
When I was a young Knight in training, this was one of the first techniques I learned, as I told Sir Jaune. I told him that it was a powerful technique created to defeat even the strongest foes.
What I didn't tell him was how they showed us just how effective it really was.
That was the first time I saw death, and how horrifying it was to watch the soul leave the body. True, it was on a Undead and had meant almost nothing at the beginning. Yet, the memory remained clear as day, especially after my untimely demise.
Even now, I wonder what happened to that woman. Who my knights had treated less than nothing. Who I had treated less than nothing.
No. Now's not the time to be thinking of things that cannot be changed. Now is the time to better Sir Jaune. One that was turning harder and harder the longer time dragged on.
After all, Sir Jaune's stamina was… on the rocks.
Especially as he had not moved for the past few seconds. Instead choosing to remain lying down in extreme exhaustion, the heavy breaths of exhaustion encompassing the area.
A strange development. Usually he would last, at the very least, thirty minutes, true by the end he only kept his shield up. Despite that however, it had only been... say twenty minutes and he was on the ground.
Was perhaps something amiss? Possibly, but what was the main cause?
"Are you alright Sir Jaune?" I asked moving forward to help.
"Yeah… ju-just didn't get enough... sleep last night." Jaune spoke slowly rising from his laid down position. Faltering slightly as he began to rise. "Ren… decided to help… with history."
Ah yes, the dreaded history class! It was a difficult class that required all of my focus. It didn't shock me that it was the case, especially since his grade was apparently as bad mine.
I nodded my head to that, tossing the sword to Sir Jaune who had caught it very simply. Shifting ever so slightly as he grabbed it out of the air, but just enough for me to notice something crucial.
"Your stance…" I spoke up, looking at the young man before me pacing around him in a studious manner. "Tis different."
It was slightly wider, both feet pointing toward the target, me. Shield faced out bracing for anything, while his legs were slightly bent to absorb strain.
It was very strange, especially since he had not had this stance in our earlier spars. Yet, I had taught him nothing. So, it had meant one of two things.
He had become a prodigy over a night, or that he had received additional training. Though, the later seemed far more believable.
"Oh, really?" The knight in training spoke, looking down at his body. His face seemingly not shocked at my question. "I didn't notice… does this mean I'm getting better?"
I looked at his face once more. Seeing the slight clenching of his jaw as he looked at my face. That slight movement telling me a story.
"It is undeniable that you have grown," I started, looking at Sir Jaune up and down. "Though, it doesn't explain the stance you are currently taking."
"Why's that?" Jaune stated looking down at himself, his jaw tightening a bit more. A common sign of withheld information. So it appeared he was getting extra training, but from where?
"Well, it's a stance for when you have a sword and shield. Yet, I have only taught you to use a shield." Curiouser and curiouser, a sword and shield stance...Aha!
A fellow companion, who has specialized training when it comes to sword and shield. Their can only be one culprit!
"Ms. Nikos!" Sir Jaune's face seemed to tighten a bit more at that. "You've been taking extra lessons from Ms. Nikos!"
Sir Arc's face remained tight for a second. It was only after that second that he let go, his hand making way to the back of his neck and face pink. "Yeah…"
"Stupendous!" I screamed out patting Sir Jaune's back, causing him to almost fly forward. It was a good thing that he learned that stance from Ms. Nikos. "You have a sword trainer!"
"How is that… stupendous?" Sir Jaune asked, looking more hurt than confused. Though that probably had to do with my pat on the back more than anything else.
"Surely you jest Sir Jaune," I told the boy with a smile, as I pulled him from the floor. "You must've foreseen that I could not teach you much in the way of the shortsword, as I focus in the way of the greatsword, so you sought a teacher who could!" I said, as I gave a chuckle, amused and astounded by his foresight.
"Y-yeah…." Jaune said, scratching the back of his neck, much like I do when I'm nervous or…
…
"So she sought you out, huh?" I asked with my arms crossed, seeing through his poorly hidden lie. He flinched more than just a little at my words, as he grinned sheepishly. "Having multiple instructors, even tutors, is nothing to be ashamed of, Sir Jaune. Remember, she is an Ember-"
"That may guide my way." He finished, punctuating the ending by sheathing his swords. " I know, I know, it's just…" He sat down on the ground, looking up at the ceiling with a distant gaze. "Part of me just feels… ashamed? Ashamed that she needed to go out of her way to help me, that she thought I needed so much help that she had to…Y'know?"
I stayed silent, staring at the man before me in contemplation. I moved to sit upon the floor in front of Sir Jaune, looking at the very same spot Jaune was.
"Did I not do the same for you?" I asked him, folding my legs in a comfortable manner. "Did I not not see a man who needed help with his technique, his strength?"
"W-well," He hesitated, perhaps trying to find the right words to say. "Your different."
I didn't respond, having him bring the words out instead of me. A technique often used by some of the most eloquent of nobles…
And the most dangerous assassins.
"You… you were a lot like me at the beginning," Sir Jaune told him, as I stayed silent and listened for the right moment to speak. "You know where I am right now, cause you've been there before. You just started a lot earlier than I did. But Pyrrha..."
Sir Jaune looked down at his lap, as if he were slightly ashamed of himself for what he was about to say.
"She's talented. She's famous. Hell, she's probably got a fanbase that ranges over almost half the world!" He said with a quiet chuckle, though there was no humor in his tone. "If it were anyone other than me, they would've probably taken the chance in a heartbeat. To them, it would be the chance of a lifetime."
"To me, it just shows how much she pities me."
I waited, letting his words sink in to his own mind, letting them become a real thought rather than something in the back of his mind.
Than I spoke.
"But you didn't turn down the offer…" I asked, still looking up at the ceiling, wishing it was actually the night sky.
He sighed, still looking at his lap in thought. "It seemed wrong to reject her, especially after I accepted yours."
I nodded slightly, still looking up at the blank ceiling.
And with words, I struck.
"It's because there aren't people like you, that you shouldn't feel ashamed," I told him, as from the corner of my eyes, I saw him turn to face me. "It's because no one was given a chance to accept the offer, that you should feel proud."
He looked at me, questions filling his eyes. I ignored them though, still gazing at that ceiling.
"I'm sure, with her popularity, you would've heard if she had ever personally trained someone. Whether she tried to hide it or broadcast it, you would've heard, even if you aren't listening that hard. That's the power of legends and story."
"Despite that, I feel that no mention of such a thing will exist, even if you look it up on the… Scroll." I finally turned to him, looking him straight in the eye as I told him this. "That means you aren't the many 'talentless' people she 'pities', but the one person she feels can benefit from it. Someone she feels is special."
Sir Jaune looked at him with shock in his eyes, perhaps never thinking about it in such a way. I wasn't shocked, as I knew more than anyone else that someone insulted never thought of what the other person felt.
"Why….!? Why would you do this?! "
"Don't talk to me like you're… you're him!
"Please! Please, it's still m-"
"Don't you dare speak another word! Don't talk as if you're our…."
The old, painful memory stung in a special way, a closed but still fresh wound. A Scar forever placed and never forgotten upon my decaying soul.
But that didn't matter, for it was long ago, in a now forgotten time. What mattered was the Now, not the Then.
"She sees your talent Sir Jaune," I told him, staring into his eyes to get the message across. "Not the opportunity to become a 'hero to the pitiable knight', but a man willing to listen and follow her directions. To stick through even the hardest of tasks…"
"And you're lucky to have such a person on your side. For there is no more powerful Ember than someone who feels and shows you are special, not only with words, but with actions."
I didn't gauge Sir Jaunes reaction to my statement, as there was no need. Even if he didn't understand my words, he knew of the wisdom they held and would try to follow them.
"Thanks Mors," He told me, as I gave him a small smile. "But even with everything you said, I still can't help but feel like…
… like a pitiable failure."
...
"You won't be for long, Sir Jaune," I told him honestly, as I began to look towards the ceiling once again. "Even the greatest warrior starts off where you are now, even Pyrrha. Just like everyone who learns a new skill, it will take time to mas… master…." I paused, as the thought ran through my head.
"Mors?" Sir Jaune asked, wondering why I had stopped speaking.
"... take time…." I said out loud, quietly and calmly at first. "Take time! A new skill takes time to master! Of course, why hadn't I seen it before!"
"Mors…" Sir Jaune began, sounding a little creeped out by his actions. "Your starting to scare me."
At his words, I turned to Sir Jaune with the biggest smile I've ever had since defeating Ornstein and Smough!
"Sir Jaune," I began, picking myself up off of the ground as I did. "I believe I may just have the solution to your problem."
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that from the beginning?" Venatores stated, as he began to rub his hand on the bridge of his nose. "I'm afraid I might be experiencing auditory hallucinations."
It was around noon in the cafeteria in Beacon, and Teams RWBY, JNPR, and Eclipse had gathered together upon my request. Each and every person was staring at me, looking at me in either curiosity, intrigue, or disbelief.
"Of course Venatores," I told him, repeating my earlier statements just as he had asked.
"Last night, Sir Jaune and I were having a conversation about his progression as a Knight," I told them all, already gaining permission to share this fact from the knight-in-training himself. "As we were speaking, like a sun rising across my mindscape, an idea began to dawn on me."
For some reason, Miss Xiao Long seemed to find that first part amusing, as if I had told a joke. I ignored her, however, continuing on with my tale.
"We all specialize in one form of combat, and a skill that comes with these combat styles! We have kept them to ourselves, unwilling to share the secrets and specialties we keep close to our hearts! As a team, this works wondrously as we can send people who specialize in certain tasks to do certain missions. But as an individual, this specialty we hold may also be our downfall!"
"What I propose is simple. We head to the private training grounds that Venatores, The Professors, and I may only access. There, we share and teach these skills to one another, effectively creating both a stronger bond and a stronger combat prowess!"
"In short, what I ask is that we all teach each other our special skills in Jolly Cooperation!" I told them all with a loud cheer, as many people around the lunch room began to stare at our group.
This was the plan I had created to raise Jaunes self esteem! By showing him that he isn't the only person who needs an instructor to learn new fighting techniques, his confidence in himself will raise! Not only that, he could become a better swordsman by learning even a little of these things and adding it to his style.
It was a situation where everyone, even the most trained person here, wins!
Everyone was silent, taking in what I had just suggested.
Venatores, on the other hand…
"The nonsense that spews from your mouth still shocks me, even after all this time." The one eyed Venatores said quietly, shaking his head in what almost seemed like disbelief. Suddenly, his right and only visible eye opened up and stared into my own. "What sort of skills?"
"Any skills you feel might be useful on the field!" He told him, as he began to speak of his own skills he could teach. "For instance, I could teach you guys how to create weaknesses in an enemy's guard, the weakest parts of armor to aim for, be it beast or man. I can even teach you how to be unpredictable in even the simplest of styles. Anything that's useful for you and can be taught is what we're looking for. Any suggestions?"
"Hmm…" Miss Xiao Long began, a hand on her chin in thought. "I guess I could teach hand to hand combat?" She told everyone with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Brilliant!" I exclaimed, shocking the blonde woman with the excitement within my voice. "I myself have never been taught the arts of hand to hand combat! It would be marvelous opportunity to learn from a professional if I'm ever disarmed!"
The blonde woman grinned, as she leaned back on empty air. "So we get to fight than?" She asked, as I gave a quick nod in her direction. "Awesome!"
"Oh, oh!" The excitable Red Reaper gasped, raising her hand as of waiting to be called upon. "What about weapon customization and sharp shooting! Will that work?!"
"I myself do not wield a ranged weapon, but learning would be a great addition to my arsenal." I told her, as the young girl beamed in excitement.
"Acrobatics have been pretty handy for me…" Sir Lie Ren told everyone, thinking about something off of the top of his mind. "I also know a few calming exercises that could be helpful in the middle of battle."
"Excellent!" I told him, bringing a small smile to the usually calm boy's face.
"I myself know about Dust Customization, and can teach you all some powerful Dust combinations." Lady Schnee spoke, a sort of pride in her voice.
"While I have no use for Dust, how could I possibly refuse a means of combating opponents who do." Especially seeing how I did not know a single thing about Dust. It will be a very interesting lesson indeed.
"I can teach you how to break the legs of your enemy!" Ms. Valkyrie spoke her appearance cheerful, despite the rather gruesome lesson plan.
"Nora." Sir Ren spoke, not even truly looking at Ms. Valkaiye, who had looked sad at the mere mention of her name.
"But Ren!" The young girl pouted, looking at her partner. "It's a useful skill to have on the battlefield!"
"But, who will thou use for a test dummy?" I couldn't help but ask. After all, if we are going to do it, which we weren't, it would be best to be realistic.
"Simple!" The hyperactive hammer user spoke her smile almost contagious. "We sneak up on Cardin, knock him out and use him as the training dummy! It's a win-win situation!"
"How is that a win-win situation?" Sir Jaune spoke, looking confused and terrified at her idea.
"Because we win twice, silly."
...
"All in favor of not doing that plan?" Sir Jaune said quickly, raising his hand, followed by almost everyone at the table.
The two exceptions being Ms. Valkiye and Venatores.
"It is tempting…" My partner spoke, his hand quickly being placed on his chin. "We could even make it look like an accident if we truly wanted t-"
"Moving on!" I spoke, looking at the two people who hadn't even commented yet. "Ms. Belladonna, what of your attributes?"
"... Stealth?" She spoke, looking at the rest of the table as if she was almost embarrassed.
"An appropriate means of combat, perfect for the cover of night." I said, a hand to my chin. "Besides, I would like a few tips in it."
"Your gonna teach us how to be Ninjas!" Ms. Rose spoke looking as excited as a small child.
"Ninja is a bit much, but I guess." Ms. Belladonna spoke, looking away from the group of people.
"What might you have to offer Ms. Nikos?" I asked said woman before me, slightly jumping at the mention of her name.
"Oh, um." She spoke, looking down at the table. "All I have are just some sword skills. Nothing much."
"Define sword skills?" Venatores asked, his gaze never leaving the young champion.
"Mostly just disarming and predicting sword swings." She replied, looking down at the table top. "Nothing too advanced."
"Nevertheless, useful to know!" I spoke my enthusiasm never wavering in the slightest. "What of you, Venatores?"
Venatores merely stayed quiet, looking down at the table with a look of deep thought. More than likely, knowing the man in front of him, he was hesitant to reveal anything about himself. It was only after a few seconds of deep thought, that he said his skill.
"Medical Training."
For some reason, everyone had looked at him strangely. Confused at his words, or probably even shocked.
"You mean like First Aid?" Ms. Rose questioned, looking as curious as a small cat. Venatores merely nodded his head, thinking that was a good enough explanation.
"You know emergency First Aid?" Lady Schnee asked, looking incredulously at Venatores.
"Why does thou sound so shocked?" It wasn't as if Venatores was a fool, anything but really. So why were they so shocked?
"It's just…" Lady Schnee begun, never taking her eye off of my partner. "He's so…"
"Non-Doctor-like." Ms. Xiao Long spoke up, looking up and down at the man in question.
"Could thou explain further?" Not understanding what that meant exactly.
"Well," The Blonde Brawler started, continuing to look at the man in question up and down. "doctors are usually nice people who care for others, telling people the bad news as gently as possible."
"How are you supposed to say, 'Your dying.' Gently?" Venatores stated, as everyone gave him a quick glance, as if he had answered some unasked question.
"Plus, Ven -"
"-atores." Venatores interrupted, saying his full name as she spoke.
"-seems to be the type of person who causes problems, not heal them." The girl finished, ignoring the quick interjection.
Ms. Rose quickly interjected. "Hey, Venatores doesn't cause problems. He's just responsible for a lot of them!"
Everyone was silent, looking at the small girl in slight confusion, and some nervously chuckling . Though it appeared that it wasn't what she wanted to say, what with the red seeping into her face.
"Thanks…" Venatores spoke, no changes on his face present despite the accusation.
"S-sorry." The girl said, her face only growing redder at his sarcastic appreciation.
"Anyway, as for the reason I know First Aid," My partner spoke, quickly getting back to the topic at hand. "my teacher believed that if I could not understand basic human anatomy, I would never be a fully fledged Hunter."
"What does human anatomy have to do with being a Huntsman?" Ms. Rose asked, getting over her recent blunder.
He, however, decided to answer a question with a question. "If my opponent had a rapier that could transform into a gun, what would I do to stop the transformation?"
"... Block the trigger, or disrupt the parts transforming them into said weapon." The Scythe wielder spoke, an ounce of confusion in her tone. Causing the questioner to nod his head.
"That is exactly what I do with people."
That caused everyone's eyes to quickly move towards him. With a varied sense of interest, ranging from disgust to curiosity.
"If they use strength, dislocate the shoulder. If they uses a spear, shoot them in the hip. Right hip for a right handed person and vice versa. Causing them to lose accuracy, effectively making the spear nothing more than pointed stick." He explained simply, not noticing the stares of slight disgust pointed his way.
"Oh," Ms. Valkyrie raised her hand, like she was in a classroom. "what about hammers?!"
"Severe damage to the legs causes you to be unbalanced and gives the hammer less strength." He spoke quickly, as if he had memorized it word for word.
"So your going to teach us how to stop the body from working." Sir Jaune spoke slowly, looking slightly disgusted at the process.
"You want me to teach her how to possibly cripple the average man?" Venatores stated, pointing at Ms. Valkyrie, who had an innocent smile on her face.
"Please don't." Sir Lie stated simply causing the girl's smile to vanish from her face. Replaced with an adorable pout.
It would have been far more adorable if she didn't say, "I just want to break people's legs."
"What I'm going to do, is teach you all how to heal yourself, or at least get you into fighting condition, for the problems you will, inevitably, give yourselves."
"Give ourselves?" Lady Schnee spoke in disbelief, looking at him with, from my experience, hurt pride. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"So, when do the lessons begin?" My partner spoke, ignoring the small and ineffective glare given by the small Lady.
"Right now!" My voice echoed out, followed quickly by the bell that signalled the end of lunch. Which also happened to be the end of the day.
"We must make haste! To the Arena!" I spoke, grabbing my bag as I made way to the arena far away from the lunchroom.
"Hey, wait up!" Ms. Valkyrie spoke, following close behind my person. Her loud footsteps, quickly followed by the rest of the group of young knights.
Such a momentous occasion, this one meeting will be. Not only will thy fellow allies be granted a more efficient practice, but a chance to learn more about themselves!
Such a chance will be needed greatly. After all, as Venatores put it so eloquently, they were most definitely going to cause problems in the near future. After all, they were a culmination of knights, as well as teenagers.
It would only be fair to say, that they would get themselves into a cascade of trouble.
It would be better for them to at least learn something from this practice.
I have made a grave miscalculation. One that may have very well have made this practice not worth anything of the sort.
When we arrived at the coliseum, Miss Rose had the brilliant idea to draw straws, which were sticks to my utter confusion. We had all agreed on it, leading people to draw them in hopes of being the first to teach.
Venatores was deemed the first to teach. I had thought he would make a wonderful teacher, what with his straight forward attitude.
That was not the case. At least, not in a humane way.
"I will repeat this," Venatores began, standing in front of the 'class', with an expression that made him seem almost demonic. "Only once more."
"A man walks up to you with a knife embedded right around… here!" He stated, as he stabbed a very lifelike, anatomically correct doll that came from who knows where, just below the chest. In fact, it actually started to spill drops of deep red water, as Venatores had filled the abomination before hand. "And has passed out. What do you do?"
Miss Rose, Sir Jaune, and even Lady Schnee, one of the smarter girls of the group, were currently stuttering over how to answer the question. The others were merely sickened by his method of teaching, so much so that they couldn't answer.
Now, I knew the answer to my partners question right then and there, which I could have answered very quickly. However, Venatores had come up to me before he even began the lesson, and spoke loudly so that everyone could hear his words. Ones that probably confused them.
"Don't help them… how I'll teach them will not help if you answer for them."
So, with a small amount of confusion, I merely watched.
"Well!?" Venatores asked, before pointing towards the bleeding 'man' with a ferocious gaze. "Stop watching the man bleed out and start helping him!"
"R-r-remove the knife!?" Sir Jaune started with panic in his voice, his nerves making him forget that he had already answered with that before.
"That will only kill him faster." Venatores repeated for the third time, not even bothering to look at the young Knight, who flinched under his blunt words.
"Put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding!" Lady Schnee stated, who unlike Sir Jaune, gave a new and very accurate answer.
"It's been too long since he's been stabbed, evidenced by him passing out." Venatores told the Lady in White, shooting down the answer faster than Hawkeye Gough with his eyesight could. "If you are to save him, you have to stop the bleeding immediately. What else?"
"Pour alcohol on the wound?" Yang fired a random answer out of nowhere, not even sure if it was a good answer.
"That would stop an infection, not bleeding." Blake answered before Venatores could, as she turned to answer herself. "If it's been long enough to the point where he's passed out, than removing the knife should be fine. He didn't pass out because he was bleeding out, rather, the pain made him pass out. The bleeding should have already stopped."
Team RWBY and JNPR could only stare in awe at the answer to the question, which seemed so logical that it had to be right.
However…
"It's a good answer," Venatores stated simply, grabbing the handle of the knife with a tight grip. "Let's test that theory."
With a quick flourish of the knife, he removed it from the doll…
As the serrated edge tore an even wider hole in the doll, making the red water flow unopposed. It all spilled to the floor, as whatever 'blood' the doll had left spilled into a bucket below it.
The two teams stared wide eyed at the display, understanding the relevance of what had happened.
"Lesson 1:" Venatores began, drying the knife in his hands off with a towel by his side, making sure the blade wouldn't rust. "Never remove a knife, or any material, from someone's body, unless you are prepared to treat it. Especially if you have no idea what the material looks like."
Miss Valkyrie slammed her head into her hands, already looking tired. "First Aid is hard…."
Sir Lie Ren patted the girl on the back of the head, still looking as calm as ever. Though, it was to my attention that he was paler than usual. In fact, everyone seemed to be slightly paler, as the tension Venatores had crafted so eloquently drained them of their energy.
Lady Schnee merely huffed, glaring at Venatores with a look that would make Demons shiver. "What's the answer than?"
Venatores didn't answer for a while, perhaps thinking about how to go about answering the question. Until, he finally began to speak.
"The best course of action," Venatores began, this before placing his knife back into one of the pouches. "Was to do nothing."
"What do you mean, nothing!" Weiss cried out, rising from her seated position. "What kind of answer is nothing!"
"The right one," Venatores said simply, turning to grab the bucket filled with water and putting it on the table. "There is a reason why this is your first lesson, even if you can't see it." He told everyone.
Miss Nikos raised here hand at that moment, looking around a bit shyly at her friends. Which was copied by Miss Rose a second later.
Venatores simply gestured for Miss Nikos to speak.
"May I ask the reason for the first lesson?" She spoke, lowering her hand as she looked at my partner.
Venatores merely shook his head. "It wouldn't be much of a lesson than, now would it." He then turned to Miss Rose, who had taken it as a sign to speak.
"Why did you specifically use a knife? Wouldn't something more common, like a sword or gun, fit better." The young girl spoke, causing her teammates and friends to stare at her in confusion.
"In my own experience," Venatores began, looking at the girl with an unchanging expression. "if one learns how to treat a knife wound, they can treat any other similar wound."
"Why?" Sir Jaune spoke up, now looking slightly more interested in the topic at hand, then the cruel lesson.
Venatores stayed silent for but a moment, before taking said weapon out of a his coat.
"Despite being a simple sharpened piece of steel, there is a reason why these things are used by assassins to this day." He began, twirling the knife in his hand like a professional. "The knife is a weapon that is made to ensure a kill. It's long enough to reach the important organs of the body, yet short enough not to stick out the other end and reveal what type of blade it is. It's sharp enough to cut through bone, and with one well placed strike, is enough to kill the strongest of men. The serrated edges are enough to reopen wounds with even a small tug of the handle. Not to mention all sorts of poisons or lethal diseases that could be coated upon the blade."
"Swords, axes, hammers, spears, even scythes. They all pale in comparison to the cruel lethality of a well placed knife. The only other weapon to match it is the arrow, and some would prefer that over the terror of what a knife blade may hold." He told them, his words making them all recognize the terror and horror that was centuries upon centuries of research to make the knife a cruel and dangerous weapon. Even if they were only seeing the surface of it.
Then, Sir Lie Ren decided to ask a question. A simple, hypothetical question.
"Say that we arrive at the scene," He began, everyone turning to the usually quiet boy. " and someone, without medical training, decided to pull the knife out. Not knowing that it was serrated."
"What is the size of the knife, where is the location and how long has it been in him?" Venatores asked, not even wasting a second, showing how serious he was about this.
Sir Lie Ren responded in kind. "Same knife that you used, the same location as the doll and long enough that he is only two minutes away from death."
Venatores looked at the boy for only a second, giving an almost invisible nod to the boy. One that had felt almost respectful, in a strange, silent way.
It had also left me jolly and proud at his achievement in being social.
"By that point you have two options. Keep as much pressure on the wound in a vain hope that he may survive. Or, use a technique none of you, but Mors and I, has the stomach for."
"Oh please." Miss Schnee said, rolling her eyes at Venatores, who only deemed to narrow his eyes and nothing else. "What can be so disgusting about wrapping a bandage around a woun-"
"If I may intervene." I spoke, my voice holding a small weight that caused Lady Schnee to stop in the middle of the sentence. Hopefully stopping any drama that may happen right now. After all, the young heiress still held no signs of comradery with the stoic Hunter. "What manner of method is thou talking about? I only have a mere inkling of what it could be."
Venatores didn't even give me a sideways glance, he merely said a single word.
"Cauterization."
"Ah…" My mouth unintentionally spoke for me, as my eyes widened from rememberance. "Yes… a very sickening, but necessary if it comes to it, means to close a wound."
I remember reading about the method in my youth. In humanity's younger, more foolhardy, days people believed that since fire gave life, it would also have the properties to heal injuries and the like.
It was proven dreadfully wrong. It had burned the people, causing the skin to harden and turn black around the open wound. Causing man to feel intense pain, even recording to be passed out for days on end.
This became later known as cauterization. A method used by the poor and homeless to help wounds, for they had no other means to heal themselves.
"Cauterization?" Miss Rose spoke up, looking very confused. Which was also responded in kind with Lady Schnee, Miss Xiao Long and Sir Jaune.
Everyone else however, grew paler than the Ghosts of New Londo. It was very apparent, that they had heard of this method before. Be it from books, or actual experience, was currently an unknown.
"That can be explained at another time." Venatores spoke, quickly pushing the idea away from the young group of people. "For now, I think I may be done for the day."
"Already?!" Miss Valkyrie spoke, turning to my partner with a jaw wide open in shock. "We're only on lesson one! How can you stop there!"
"Half of you look like you are about to pass out or vomit at this exact moment." The Hunter spoke, being quite blunt in his approach as usual.
"Besides, knives are what you'll be worrying about on the field more than half the time. The worst you'll have to deal with on the field is poison, amputation, and Head trauma, which is all very unlikely because of Aura. The rest, you just need to put pressure on the wound, pour some alcohol on it, and wrap it tight. For deeper wounds… does anyone know how to stitch a wound, or at least clothes?"
Miss Belladonna, Sir Lie Ren, and surprisingly Miss Valkyrie raised their hands, as Venatores gave them a quick nod.
"Good," He told them, before turning to put the life like doll on the ground. "Blake, teach one of your other teammates how to stitch when you get the time. Or all of them, it doesn't matter which."
Said woman gave a small nod, looking at her teammates. Possibly to gauge who had the skill to sew into a person's skin.
Venatores then turned towards the two friends, slowly getting up from his seated position. "You should be fine, since you have two people who can sew."
"That concludes your first lesson."
With those words uttered, everyone let out a simultaneous sigh. A majority of them almost appearing to be tired, which was understandable from the tense atmosphere Venatores placed on the arena.
Ms. Xiao Long, was by far the most noticeable. "Finally, it felt like we were doing that for hours!"
Venatores, being the man that he was, informed them the truth of the matter.
"It's been thirty minutes."
Everyone quickly turned to the Hunter, all of them displaying some form of shock. Even going so far to remove their scrolls to check.
"H-how!" Sir Jaune practically screamed out.
"You will find," I spoke up, getting up from my seated position with slow methodical movements. " that times of extreme stress and attentiveness makes everything seem so much slower. Even the flow of battle."
Sir Jaune nodded, seemingly satisfied that his question was answered. In fact, he seemed happy at his answer. Especially as he turned to all his peers, each one holding a similar gaze of disbelief at the time limit.
It appeared, that my great and ingenious plan had worked, if only a little. Though, it would do no good to stop now.
"Alright… Which of you, were the next teacher?" My voice caused everyone to change from their shocked looks. As I had forgotten the pattern while… enthralled in the sheer tension of that lecture.
"Right here!" The voice screamed out, the hand of the person rising skyward.
That person, was Miss Xiao Long. Who had a smile on her face that was bright, yet tainted in mischief.
It was a smile that almost reminded me of an old acquaintance.
And by acquaintance, I mean Trusty Patches.
Needless to say, my thoughts instantly went to the idea that I will soon perish.
"Is this truly necessary?"
Miss Xiao Long and I were currently in the center the arena, a square formed within it, as a means of boundary. Each of the other students, including Venatores, who had surprisingly stayed to watch, had migrated to the viewing section of the arena.
However, Lady Schnee, Miss Nikos and Miss Belladonna hadn't stopped staring at me since I had changed.
"Of course it is," The blonde brawler spoke, her hands creating a small square with her fingers while looking at me with mischievous eyes and a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "it wouldn't be fair if you wore all of that that thick armor while we spar."
I looked down at myself, and could barely contain a blush, even though it should be physically impossible for me.
It wouldn't be too far from the truth to say that I was standing in the arena, practically naked. with nothing but a mere pair of, as Miss Xiao Long called them, 'gym shorts'. Pants that are short and loose enough to move fast in, while also compromising any sort of defense. I had no shirt on, which I was entirely uncomfortable with, except for the single exception of my blue shawl. Which, thankfully, covered the area around my heart.
Needless to say, every one of my muscles were now exposed to the air, which was cold compared to my usual attire.
Opposite of me, Miss Xiao Long was also wearing something different. According to her, they were 'biker shorts' and a tight 'top' that barely covered any of her skin. In fact, only the essentials were covered, while her cleavage and flat, toned stomach was in full view.
It was quite scandalous, if nothing else.
"But this offers no protection of any kind." My hand moved to my shawl, pushing a bit more over my heart, inversely exposing more of my opposite pectoral.
"Damn right it doesn't!" The brawler suddenly shouted, her face becoming an unhealthy red at the shout, almost causing me to run in fear at the lust in them.
T'was very uncomfortable.
"I-I mean," My temporary teacher spoke, suddenly gaining her earlier composure, though her face still a shade of pink. "of course it doesn't. The purpose of the exercise is… is to…"
It was after a while that she had started to trail off. Her eyes moving up and down my body, like a dragon it's prey. Stopping at every single apparent muscle, making me want to shy away from her gaze.
"Yang!" Miss Rose yelled from the sidelines, two of the only girls not currently staring at me like a piece of meat. "Stop staring at Mors, your supposed to be teaching him!"
Let it be known, that this great Knight owes a debt to one Ruby Rose.
"T-to avoid any type of distractions!" The brawler spoke, roused from her sisters shout.
I nodded my head, accepting the answer from the girl. It would explain why she was currently in a revealing outfit, and why I myself was wearing something revealing as well. So that teacher and Student could practice together.
"I see, a wondrous idea!" I told the blonde brawler, as what sounded like a large slap sounded across the arena.
"You are all buffoons." A quiet voice spoke, which sounded as if it came from the corner that Venatores currently resided.
"Glad to see you think so to Mors…" She spoke, as she retrieved a scroll from her back pocket, quickly opening it up and facing it towards me. "Now hold still."
"Whatever for?" I asked, keeping my embarrassment behind a blank face I had forged through years of combat. Moving along with the lesson that the 'teacher' had laid out for me.
"Are you questioning your teacher, Mors?" Miss Xiao Long asked in a teasing tone, aiming the Scroll in her hands right at me.
"Currently, yes." My head tilting to the side at her odd question "Why, am I not supposed to?"
She gave a small pout, as if something hadn't gone as she had wanted it to. "I just want to take a picture." She told him seriously, before tapping her finger on the Scroll. She looked down at the screen, before frowning ever so slightly.
"Hey Mors… any possible way you can, oh I don't know, do a pose?" She asked with a look that made her seem like she was almost begging, yet not.
"Start fighting, or I will shoot that Scroll out of your hands." Venatores voice echoed across the stadium, being quite real with his threat.
"Eh," Miss Xiao Long gave a quick shrug, before beginning to put her scroll away. "That should at least get me 500 Lien a picture." She whispered quietly, so that no one in the stands could hear her. Only I could hear it, even then hard for me to hear.
"So," Miss Xiao Long spoke, as she began to get in a low stance and brought up her hands in a simple guard. "Ready to be taught Mors?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, Miss Xiao Long." I told her, getting in a very similar stance, knees bent and arms slightly out as a guard.
Miss Xiao Long grimaced slightly, as I had an eyebrow raised, silently questioning why she did so.
"Yeah, none of that," Miss Xiao Long told him, giving him a quick shake of the head. "Call me Yang. Not Miss Xiao Long or Lady Xiao Long, Yang. Got it?"
I stood there for a moment, staring at the blonde brawler, before giving a small, and quick nod. "Of course, I understand. Than, I'm ready as I'll ever be Yang!"
The young lady smiled… than promptly dashed forward as fast as a spear thrust by Orenstein himself.
Before I knew it, Yang was under my guard, preparing for a powerful uppercut.
"Lesson 1: Always guard your chin!" She shouted, preparing to punch him in the chin and launch him into the air.
That is, if I hadn't slammed my foot on her own, making it so she couldn't stretch her arm high enough to hit me where she wanted.
"Eh?"
Before she had a chance to recover, my foot locked her in place, as I gave her a mighty slam to the gut.
Something wet landed on my arm, be it bile or spit, I wasn't sure, but Yang's body didn't move. I was unsure if it was from my foot or just her being unable to move, but at that point, I was already in the motion of battle. Than, taking my foot off of her own, I began turning around…
Before giving the young lady a brutal sidekick in the diaphragm!
Before anyone knew what happen, Yangs body was launched across the room, before impacting the wall with enough force to shatter it. Dust and small fragments of stone made its way across the arena, shrouding everything from view.
"I believe, I hit her too hard."
"YOU BELIEVE!?" Lady Schnee screamed out, causing me to turn towards the group of people who were watching the teaching session. A majority of their eyes not leaving the area that Yang was currently resting in, out of oth shock and worry.
Venatores and Sir Jaune had a different face, however. Venatores was one filled with a strange sense of calm as he vaulted down to the arena floor, carrying a box with a strange red cross on if.
Sir Jaune, on the other hand, held a look of awe as he looked down at me, perhaps realizing how powerful his teacher was. He also seemed to realise how much I hold back in our practices, as if I had attacked him like that with a sword…
Sir Jaune turned green, as the wickedness that was imagination assaulted his mind with what must've been terrible images of amputation and a cut open stomach, or perhaps worse.
The simple things of battle.
"I thought you said you weren't good at hand to hand!?" Miss Rose cried, as the young girls worry for her sister and curiosity over my apparent skill.
"I said I've never been professionally trained," I told her calmly, making my way over towards the new crater in the wall. "I've been in more than enough street fights to get the basics."
"Ow…" A voice groaned from within the wall, drifting my attention back to the matter at hand.
"Are you alright Yang!" I shouted out, slightly worried at the possible damage I could have caused the young girl.
Only to stare in shock, as the young lady stood herself up from underneath some of the debris, looking as if she hadn't been kicked straight through a wall.
"Peachy," Yang responded simply, as she began to bat the dust off the dust in her hair with care. "Just got a little kickstart after all."
I could only stare, watching as the girl before me seemingly shrugged off my attack with ease. Even Venatores could only stare, as he began slowly walking back to the stands, closely observing the blonde brawler.
"Now then… where were we?" She asked me, shocking me a little bit more.
Before I could fully get over my shock, Yang rushed me once again, this time taking this as a fight rather than a lesson. Using my shock against me, she slid under my legs, before slamming me with a punch in the back.
Still shocked to see the girl perfectly okay, the punch forced me off of balance, causing me to fall forwards. That was enough to put my mind back into the battle though, as I caught myself and turned towards the brawler.
What he saw could only be described as an amateur move, as she jumped and made to slam a fist down on him. However, with nothing to launch her forward, she was at the mercy of gravity.
Using that against her, I grabbed her arm and spun her in the air, hoping to get her dizzy, before slamming her down on the floor. Putting a knee on her chest to keep her pinned there. I watched with a careful eye, trying to find the origin of whatever it is that helped her withstand his attack.
Just as her back slammed against the floor, I saw it.
Like the Mist Walls blocking my way out of a powerful enemies lair's, a bright yellow fog appeared just an inch above Yang's own skin. Absorbing the damage that I had given her in an instance before quickly disappearing.
"You like being on top?" Yang asked him a teasing grin, before grabbing my arm with an iron grip. "What a coincidence!"
Before I could get a word in, she turned and brought me along with her, pulling my distracted self along with her. Before I knew it, I was the one pinned down with my arm pulled back, and my face buried into the floor in an uncomfortable way. Than, from the corner of my eye, the buxom blonde that was Yang gave a shining grin as she straddled my back. "So do I!"
With those words, she pulled my arm to her chest, as I felt my shoulder strain from the strength she held.
"What does being on top have anything to do with battle?!" I asked her, my voice sounding like I wasn't in any sort of pain whatsoever. Despite that she didn't let up, possibly thinking that I was merely putting on a brave face.
"When did I say anything about battle?" She asked him, before using a free hand to punch me in the back of the head, that smile still as big as ever. Each blow, despite being powerful, barely giving me any form of harm.
If there was anything good about being a undead, it would be the ungodly amount of pain tolerance.
Deciding that I had had enough of this, I pulled my arm free of Yang's, and turned myself over on to my back. Not suspecting such a move, she couldn't dodge when I pulled my legs out from under her, and used them to, once again, launch her across the room.
She was able to bring up her arms in time, and guarded herself from his powerful kick. She was still launched through the air though, as I caught another glimpse of the strange yellow energy.
Was this the Aura? The same energy that so many people talked about? The possibility was certainly high.
"Comin' at ya!" Yang cried, as she flip in the air so that her legs hit the ceiling, before launching herself back down at me. This was a far more effective strategy than last time though, as she shot through the air like a small dragon.
Right towards me.
Still on the ground, I spun myself to the side, dodging the powerful attack, before standing myself up. As soon as I looked up, Yang was already in front of him, her fist inches away from my face.
Thinking of using the push to my advantage, I pushed back in time as the punch hit me, using both my legs and the punch to gain some distance.
I landed right where I had launched Yang the first time, as the area was covered in debris. Seeing Yang making her charge against me, her grin still wide and mischievous, I acted as quickly as I could.
Grabbing the debris that was be his side, he planned to use the wall as a makeshift weapon…
Only to reconsider and drop the wall, and charge forward to meet Yang head on.
If this was a battle of the fists, than he would use naught but his hands to obtain victory!
Yang only smirked at what she saw, still charging in fast. "How nice of you! Hope you don't come to regret that nice gesture."
I only smirked, which seemed to have a strange effect on Yang, as she turned slightly red. "If you believe I need such an advantage, than you underestimate me."
"Oh yeah!?" Yang asked, still slightly red, as they were barely a few feet away from crashing into each other. "Prove it!"
They each threw a punch at the other, the blows impacting against the other cheek with a fist. Yet, I did not back down.
And from the impact on my stomach, neither was she.
We continued to trade blows, whittling down each others health as we did. When I struck her head, she struck my liver. When I struck her stomach, she punched me in the chest. It was a seemingly endless trade of blows, like a tornado of punches in between the two of them.
Yet a smile appeared on my face, despite the pain. Through the endless storm of punches, I saw Yang smiling as well. Nothing mattered here, not the present, the future, not even the memories of the terrible things that had happened which plagued me every waking moment.
This was just like all those endless fights when I had joined the original guild. Though they were hard, though sometimes I had wished to never go through it, I continued to fight. I wasn't just punching Yang at the moment.
I was unleashing the side of me, that tiny part that I thought I had lost so long ago, that loved to fight. The feeling that nothing mattered but the next blow he threw!
Suddenly, the blonde brawlers eyes turned red, as her attacks seemed to gain twice their strength, matching my own power. Despite my current battle high, I couldn't help but note that this had to be her semblance.
The 'Ultimate Comeback' she called it.
If I was in my right mind, I would've stopped and dodged these attacks, and use the distraction to defeat Yang.
However, this was the me from many years ago, wanting nothing more but for this fight to go longer.
So, I did the only thing I could do.
I called upon the Power Within.
I couldn't remember how I did it, but I had slammed my chest with the Pyromancy, one that basically doubled my already impressive strength. Despite that, I felt no burning sensation, not even pain. The cause most likely attributing to my current disregard of it.
With that done, I continued to punch the feisty blonde with my now overwhelming strength. Still, they continued attacking one another, letting the fight that was happening now be all that matters.
To bad all good things come to an end.
I wasn't sure what exactly happened, All I knew was that Yang had left her guard open, giving me a clean hit to her unexposed jaw. My fist impacted her jaw, causing her to landed flat on the ground from my blows strength.
Instinctively, I made my way on top of Yang to capitalize on her weakness. Instinct taking full control of my body while I did so.
Luckily, I had long since realized how to stop when I became like this.
'Ahhh.. I found it!"
"Don't talk as if you're our…. Our Son!"
"I accept your proposal...K-
Reality came back in the blink of an eye, as color washed before my eyes, and shapes returned to sight.
I was on top of Yang, with a fist reared back and ready to strike the blonde in the face. She was gasping for breath, tired after there long skirmish. She was also covered in small bruises, possibly from her aura giving way.
That was when I felt all of the pain hit me like Smough's hammer. Barely keeping my wits about me, I stood up from my current position. My hand already reaching out to help the brawler up from her position.
Of course, she decided to comment on the way we were positioned.
"Sure you don't like to be on top?" She asked through gasps of breath, grabbing my hand so I could help pull her off the floor. As soon as she was standing properly, I let go of her hand.
Only to have her legs give out, the combined stress of the fight and the wounds covering her body proving too much. Luckily, I still had enough strength pick her up by the waist, draping her across my shoulder like a small child.
"What is this 'top' you keep speaking of? Is it some sort of fighting stance?" I spoke, my curiosity spiking at that instant.
"You could say that, Handsome." The blond spoke from behind, hiding what sounded like a small laugh, using what appeared to be my new nickname.
"Are you done?"
I jumped slightly, my hands releasing their hold on Yang, who had practically jumped from grip my at the voice that was apparently right next to us. One that so happened to belong to my fellow teammate.
"Venatores," I began, quickly turning my head to face him, as I placed Yang down, keeping her standing with her arm around my shoulder. "Don't sneak up on me after such a-"
"Quiet."
For some reason or other, I listened to the voice of Venatores. It was actively more serious than his normal tone of voice.
"You both have spent the last six six minutes doing nothing," Venatores began, moving silently forward to the pair of us. "but hit each other senselessly like mindless animals."
"So, the both of you will sit down."
"Oh come on, Ven." Yang spoke, possibly not realizing how serious he actually was, as she slowly tried to stand up. She wobbled a little bit, as I spotted her to make she wouldn't fall. It was unnecessary, however, as she then stood standing tall and proud. "It was a spar, nothing har-"
"Did I ask for your opinion?" Venatores spoke, not letting Yang finish her sentence, that alone causing the blonde to freeze.
"N-n-" The blonde stuttered, utterly shocked at Venatores' interruption. Or perhaps she was shocked that he didn't correct his name for her.
"Then, sit." Venatores finished for her, causing a feeling of dread to seep into my every pore.
Needless to say, we both sat on the ground as quickly as possible.
"Now then… who do I heal first?"
It was sad to say, but-
"I think, " Venatores began, as he slowly opened the box with a Red Cross on it, while simultaneously making it terrifying. "That winners should go first."
-this was far more terrifying than Gravelord Nito himself!
"Well… that was an experience." Yang pointed out, her face a bit paler than her usual color. Her usual outfit was back on, with added bandages on random spots of her body.
"Indeed." My usual was attire being worn as well, as the teams began to move out of the arena. Though it appeared that I was lucky enough not to retain serious damage, shown by the lack of bandages.
"It would have been less," Venatores spoke up, his usual serious, indifference expression in place. Despite the rather horrifying experience of him playing doctor. "If you two didn't decide to fight like a bunch of imbeciles."
That had made us both quiet, remembering the horror that the Hunter put us through. I couldn't stop my hand scratch the back of my head, as Yang herself made a similar gesture.
"So… What now." Sir Jaune asked, looking slightly tired, despite him not even fighting.
"I believe," I spoke, with caused everyone to turn to me. "It is our time to rest."
We had spent a good hour in that if it they had not trained, Venatores' lesson alone tired them out a good bit.
"But," Sir Ren spoke up, taking a quick look at the scroll in his hands. "it's only three o'clock."
Lady Schnee then chose to speak up. "The stadium was destroyed in the fight between Yang and Mors, and we can't use it till it's repaired."
Perhaps that's why Venatores was so mad when we completed our spar? This was his second most frequent place to go, so he must've liked it somewhat.
"Well, since we have extra time," Lady Schnee spoke up, her usual proud stance seen by everyone. "let's start making our way to the port. I hear that the preparations for the Vytal Festival have begun!"
"Oh, that sounds cool!" Miss Rose spoke up, looking at her fellow teammate with a small amount of glee. "But I don't think we should. Yang is still injured and needs to re-"
"We're going," The heiress spoke, though it sounded more like an order, before grabbing the girl by the back of her hood. "Now."
"Hey, let go of my hood!" The young girls voice screamed out, despite the small smile on her face.
"Well… I guess we're going to the port." Yang spoke, a small smile on her face at the display between the two. "See ya later guys!"
With that Yang walked away, slowly followed by Miss Belladonna in tow. Who had practically stayed quiet throughout the entire exchange.
"Farwell." I spoke, waving them away with a glee.
"I'm going to get some homework done." Sir Jaune spoke, already moving away from the two of us. His team following close behind him, silently agreeing to their leaders plan. "I'll see you guys."
"Farewell Sir Jaune, be sure to practice your parries with someone." I spoke up, looking between Ms. Nikos and Sir Jaune. Hoping that he or she had gained the message.
"Sure thing." The man before me spoke, giving me a small thumbs up. Right before his entire team turned the corner, vanishing from my sight.
"So Venatores, what say w-"
"Go take a shower. I don't want our dorm smelling like a corpse." My teammate spoke, not realizing how much that single word caused me so much fear. It was only thanks to him walking away, did I realize that he wasn't talking about my condition.
"O-of course..."
Ever since I've come to this new age of Fire, I've discovered this was easily one of my new favorite things.
I stepped out of the shower within our private training room, a change clothes just outside the door. I felt the steam from the hot shower come off of me, as the warm damp hair on my head clung to my forehead and just above my eyes.
Blindly, I grabbed at the towel on the rack, quickly drying my hair and body with ease.
This 'Shower' was a wondrous invention, possible one of the most wonderous I had seen. Unlike in my time, where one had to tediously heat up a iron basin with a fire, you merely had to turn it on and hot water would spray from the strange novel at the top.
It was refreshing, satisfying, but most importantly…
It made the walking corpse that was my body feel alive again, as the heat of my own body had long since stopped being generated.
Truly wondrous.
As I dried off my hair, I could not help but smile.
"Today was a good day." I told no one, as the fog within the shower room started to lift without the original heat source.
No only had he helped Sir Jaune with his self esteem issue, he had also gotten closer to Yang of Team RWBY, and learnt more about Venatores. Though, only his combat style and his knowledge of wounds and how to heal them.
Now, I can only hope that tomorrow will be just as grand.
Finally dry, I moved through the steamy shower, making my way towards my change of clothes in hopes to talk with Venatores or study for the dreaded History class.
However, what I saw from the corner of my eye made me freeze, and grimace.
'Ignore it Mors.' I told myself, shaking my head with my eyes closed. 'You know that if you look at it, you will only regret it for the whole day.'
I moved faster toward the door, hoping to rid myself of having to see it.
Yet, fate had always been cruel to me.
My quickened steps caused me to slip on the slightly wet floor, in a rather humorous way actually. Before I could slam my head on the tile floor, I grabbed the sink to catch myself before falling. I quickly pulled myself up to my feet, facing the sink...
And the mirror I had tried to avoid.
Through the mirror, I saw myself. My blonde hair, still wet and damp from the shower. My golden eyes, which I stared into with disgust. My body, covered in scars from my many years of training with the blade.
And the thing that told me it was all a lie.
The Darksign.
I grimaced as my eyes met with the accursed symbol upon my chest, the black circle, symbolizing the fire in my soul escaping, leaving naught but endless darkness.
With my sight locked onto the symbol, the illusion that was my current form escaped my sight…
As I could only stare at what I really was.
I looked away, as even after all these years, I would, could, not accept reality.
With a quickened but still slow pace, I left the shower, taking a quick look at my hand to assure that my body was back as it was.
My hand was like it had always been, slightly tanned and normal.
Not even bothering to change in the bathroom, I left and got changed out in the open…
Escaping the sight of the body that was my corpse.