The axe came free with a sudden leap that almost had Tal overbalancing at the unexpected magical assist, and he bit back the undignified yelp of surprise. Even as he recovered, the target began to shiver and dance and Tal drew in a slower, deeper breath of envious admiration at the casual display of magic that Deimos made look so effortless.
Tal was too reticent to beam with pride, even when the legendary General praised him, but the young man did stand a little taller and raise his chin with a flush of confidence. It didn't fade when Deimos continued with his suggestions, either. The courier simply nodded, watching his instructor intently with pale eyes to see how he could make those improvements.
"Punch, and then chop," he repeated slowly, setting the words in his mind as he followed Deimos's movements with his gaze. He watched the repetitions several times, trying to take note of stance as well as grip as well as the motion of the hips and the unfurling of the arm. It was too much to hold in his mind all at once, but he did his best to set himself in an echo of how Deimos had stood, directly in front of 'Sunjata's' battered countenance. "Punch, and then chop," he murmured again, under his breath, and then tried to copy what he'd seen. The motion was choppy and disjointed on his first try, the axe barely sinking into wood as his momentum was disrupted, but he stubbornly pulled it out and tried again.
And again.
On the sixth try it finally started to smooth out a little, though his speed was nowhere near what Deimos's had been. He scowled at the target and gave it another solid whack for good measure.
Sunjata's face had certainly seen better days...
Tal was too reticent to beam with pride, even when the legendary General praised him, but the young man did stand a little taller and raise his chin with a flush of confidence. It didn't fade when Deimos continued with his suggestions, either. The courier simply nodded, watching his instructor intently with pale eyes to see how he could make those improvements.
"Punch, and then chop," he repeated slowly, setting the words in his mind as he followed Deimos's movements with his gaze. He watched the repetitions several times, trying to take note of stance as well as grip as well as the motion of the hips and the unfurling of the arm. It was too much to hold in his mind all at once, but he did his best to set himself in an echo of how Deimos had stood, directly in front of 'Sunjata's' battered countenance. "Punch, and then chop," he murmured again, under his breath, and then tried to copy what he'd seen. The motion was choppy and disjointed on his first try, the axe barely sinking into wood as his momentum was disrupted, but he stubbornly pulled it out and tried again.
And again.
On the sixth try it finally started to smooth out a little, though his speed was nowhere near what Deimos's had been. He scowled at the target and gave it another solid whack for good measure.
Sunjata's face had certainly seen better days...
