Chapter 68 - 68
The next few days flew by as training took over everything, and we spent less and less ti in camp and more and more ti training.
Zirani didn't teach any more new techniques, instead opting to help improve the techniques I already knew and refine them. I'd been disappointed at first, but then she'd explained that new techniques needed to be taught at the right ti and not all at once as that could overwhelm an arcanist and cause things like indecision during a battle, not to ntion it was straining on a person's body at lower levels, manipulating aether into many different patterns, not to ntion the fact she was already hesitant to teach new techniques since my foundation wasn't complete. The way she was currently going about things was due to our situation. If we hadn't been in the middle of a war she would have taught in the way she actually wanted rather than this mimicry as she put it.
Being able to copy a technique was one thing and apparently the way I did it was very uncommon as was the speed at which I learned. She didn't want to just mimic her techniques. She wanted to understand how they worked from the pattern to the amount of aether needed and more. It was like seeing a swordmaster swing a sword compared to a regular soldier. While both could swing the sword, it was the master who truly understood its movents and workings.
My bark armor was already improved and along with that, she taught how to create thicker vines and how to form two types of thorns on them. Sharp blade-like thorns ant for slashing and cutting and spike-like thorns made for piercing. She also helped improve the basic aether burst techniques I used so often. The way I used it was simple. I moved aether into a basic pattern then allowed it to flow into my body, giving a burst. Now, not only could I give myself a larger burst, but I could also enhance only specific parts of my body rather than the entire thing.
She also instructed in the fighting style she was teaching and general rules about warfare, specifically large-scale battles.
"A large-scale battle is completely different to a duel or fight against one of two opponents," Zirani explained as she paced in front of . "It's often a mad lee and almost always chaotic in nature, especially when it cos to lower-level arcanists. At the higher levels, things tend to reach a realm that we'd best not even think about until we're far stronger. When in a large-scale battle keep moving at all tis and be aware of your position. It sounds obvious, but I've seen plenty of people fall because they got too caught up in the fighting and didn't pay attention to where they were. They end up surrounded or cut off from allies. Another tip. This mainly applies to lower-level arcanists. Keep the adrenaline pumping and don't get lazy. All it takes is one mont and it's all over. I've seen people defeat an opponent then take a knee to rest only to be killed by an arcanist sneaking up on them. The battle doesn't end until one side has retreated or until one side is all dead. Do not stop fighting or moving until that has happened. If there are still enemies left on the field then the battle is not over."
"What if I get injured?"
"Then you get out of there, or into a better position," Zirani replied. "If you get severely injured then fight your way out at any cost. Even if you sustain a lot of damage, if you live then you can fight another day. You can recover from injury, you can't recover from death, well unless you want to beco an undead but that's a topic for another ti."
"And if it looks like we're going to lose the battle?"
"We've already spoken about this." Zirani sighed. "You get out of there. I know you see it as a cowardly thing, but it is not, because if the steel heart falls and you fall with them then there will never be anyone who will rise up to end them or force them back. You live to fight another day, and so that so hope remains."
There were a lot of pieces of advice she gave, not just to , but also to Sandra and Misty who had their own training.
Sandra's training seed to mostly consist of trying to control her bloodline or at least safely tap into so of its power and refining the techniques she already had. Sandra had also told after the second day of training that Zirani had managed to teach her a new dark technique, which had shocked at first, but then I just rembered how old Zirani was and how deep her knowledge of the arcane seed to go. She really understood aether and the arcane in a way I didn't. She also seed to be teaching Sandra so basic techniques like the burst technique she'd taught along with a few basic martial arts moves. Simple things which Sandra hadn't known. I'd asked why she'd never gotten a teacher, but she explained by the ti she'd joined the sect and was able to take care of herself, she'd been around sixteen which was only two years ago and since then she'd mainly kept to herself. She had made one friend in Lucas but well we both knew how that had turned out. The cost would have also been quite high and she'd never been able to shake the thoughts that she'd missed out on so much because she was in the plains.
As for Misty? Well her training was similar to Sandra in that she was trying to gain control over her power, but not just that. She was also trying to gain control over her new instincts. She didn't have any techniques like or Sandra to start off with since her core was an amalgamation of life, death essence along with a mutated form of pure essence. Its properties were odd and often different depending on the vampire. Certain clans and groups had unique traits and abilities. Of course, even with that hurdle Zirani had pulled through and had managed to teach Misty two techniques that were both pretty basic. One was a technique that ford aether claws around her fingers that could be elongated and shortened at will and the other was a basic projectile in the form of a ball of black and red which would stick to sothing then rot and eat away at them. Both techniques could easily be mistaken for death techniques which was the point. Zirani had needed to be careful as she couldn't teach or help create any techniques for Misty that would raise questions, and she was already having a hard ti with the blonde anyways. Misty seed to be getting worse and worse, and it was clear Zirani was starting to get frustrated.
I'd tried to put it off, but I realized that if I didn't help then things were going to take a turn for the worst. Zirani was trying to help and even Sandra seed to have llowed out towards the blonde, but it seed like neither could shake the air of depression and sorrow that seed to be clinging to her like a dark fog. Zirani had hinted that my words and truth might help her even though I didn't think it would, but both of them had tried in their own way, and it wasn't like it would hurt to try.
It was after the fifth day of training that I asked Misty if I could deal with her, much to Zirani's joy. I could feel her relief through our bond, and even Sandra seed to have been waiting for to make such a move.
The blonde was clearly feeling awkward about my request and hesitant, but after a bit of prodding, she agreed to talk with in her tent after we finished eating our usual al just before we usually headed to sleep.
The entire ti, the blonde seed to want to say sothing but didn't while Sandra seed assud and relieved by the situation. The dark-haired teens' entire deanor towards the blonde had done a one-eighty since they'd first t.
"Well I'm going to head to bed," Sandra said as she stood. "I'll see you two tomorrow."
With one last smile, she left, leaving and Misty alone. We finished our own food in silence then quickly left and headed towards her tent. Once again it seed like Misty wanted to say sothing or protest but she did neither.
I entered her tent and after closing the flap, turned to face her. This was it. It was ti to see if Zirani's idea would work and if my truth and thoughts could actually help.. For her sake, I hope they did.
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