If anything, Hadama felt bad that Lena felt bad, and he gave a small shake of his head. "I am not hurt," he assured her. "This is why I am practicing." Because these things took both time and repetition to learn and get right, and while he had a lifetime of learning to dodge and strike underwater, he'd only begun his education in the physics of relative motion through air within the last two years. A long time, to be sure, but most of that time had been spent honing magic or learning to dodge, not necessarily to strike back.
He and Melita had played such a game once, it was true... but that seemed like a very long time ago.
He prepared himself again, and this time when the projectile came he managed a glancing impact. The shell wasn't entirely deflected; it still continued on a trajectory that skimmed over his shoulder, but this time he'd at least made contact, however slight.
His satisfaction with the slow but perceptible progress could be felt through the bond as he nodded for Lena to go again.
He and Melita had played such a game once, it was true... but that seemed like a very long time ago.
He prepared himself again, and this time when the projectile came he managed a glancing impact. The shell wasn't entirely deflected; it still continued on a trajectory that skimmed over his shoulder, but this time he'd at least made contact, however slight.
His satisfaction with the slow but perceptible progress could be felt through the bond as he nodded for Lena to go again.
