Jigano may have been the instructor, but Maea was an adult and knew her own limits far better than he did. He gravely allowed her to continue pushing herself while he continued his corrections, gently but firmly to try and cut off any bad habits before they could form: Hold the sword closer to your body when at rest so your arm doesn't get so tired. Don't overextend the knee on the lunge or you'll overbalance and be unable to retreat fast enough if your blade is parried. Hold your spine straight but not rigid. Drop your shoulders and keep them relaxed.
It felt a little strange to be passing along his old teacher's wisdom. Joram Kyta had also used sticks to teach the young Oracle, but his lessons had been taken to heart and had saved Jigano's life on many occasions since. Like the old cleric, he praised Maea when she moved well, and was patient with her when she made a mistake. Given that this was her first time attempting to learn anything of the sword he was quietly impressed with her determination and endurance as the time passed and she began to make inroads on the lesson.
When she finally became too tired and her movements too sloppy for the lesson to matter he stepped back, letting her catch her breath. He retrieved their tea mugs and filled them with plain water, which he handed to her with a smile at her request. "Just the lunge?" He asked, tilting his head to the side with a grin. "Or what you will be able to do after a few years of practicing?" He had caught her longing glance towards his rapier and he chuckled as he moved to collect it. The blade fit into his hand like an extension of his arm, a familiar part of him as he moved to a guard position and then demonstrated the thrust at an angle. From there he followed up, sweeping an invisible opponent's blade high and striking down with the glittering tip before retreating from an attack only he could see, parrying low and out as he danced back and to the side before parrying and following the line of his foe's sword straight into their body. Again he retreated, working with the confines of the room and furniture as he moved slowly enough for Maea to see each attack and defense clearly while keeping up footwork that was fluidly continuous, never stopping or falling into a pattern that his opponent could predict unless he was deliberately drawing them into a trap. He finished facing Maea, saluting her with the blade before sheathing it at his side.
"If you stay with your daily practice of what you learned today, and continue to build on it, that is what you will eventually look like," he said, giving his student an encouraging smile.
It felt a little strange to be passing along his old teacher's wisdom. Joram Kyta had also used sticks to teach the young Oracle, but his lessons had been taken to heart and had saved Jigano's life on many occasions since. Like the old cleric, he praised Maea when she moved well, and was patient with her when she made a mistake. Given that this was her first time attempting to learn anything of the sword he was quietly impressed with her determination and endurance as the time passed and she began to make inroads on the lesson.
When she finally became too tired and her movements too sloppy for the lesson to matter he stepped back, letting her catch her breath. He retrieved their tea mugs and filled them with plain water, which he handed to her with a smile at her request. "Just the lunge?" He asked, tilting his head to the side with a grin. "Or what you will be able to do after a few years of practicing?" He had caught her longing glance towards his rapier and he chuckled as he moved to collect it. The blade fit into his hand like an extension of his arm, a familiar part of him as he moved to a guard position and then demonstrated the thrust at an angle. From there he followed up, sweeping an invisible opponent's blade high and striking down with the glittering tip before retreating from an attack only he could see, parrying low and out as he danced back and to the side before parrying and following the line of his foe's sword straight into their body. Again he retreated, working with the confines of the room and furniture as he moved slowly enough for Maea to see each attack and defense clearly while keeping up footwork that was fluidly continuous, never stopping or falling into a pattern that his opponent could predict unless he was deliberately drawing them into a trap. He finished facing Maea, saluting her with the blade before sheathing it at his side.
"If you stay with your daily practice of what you learned today, and continue to build on it, that is what you will eventually look like," he said, giving his student an encouraging smile.
