[Training] Blood and bone

The King grieved, in his own quiet way. He had seen death in many forms and during the War he had watched Flora's twin die, important because he was important to Flora, but otherwise a stranger to the mermanta.

Ray's death was different.

He showed and shared his pain with a few close friends, but he could not allow himself to become lost in it. With great power had come great responsibility, and he had given up the right to fall apart when he had asked Safrin for her blessing and a crown. He mourned but he moved forward, facing the next threat to his people.

He had been unable to save his friend.

He would not be found so lacking again.

A spear of ice struck at the large, heavy skull that rested shallowly in the tide. It had a cyclopean appearance, massive and dense with a great hole in its center, but though a jagged crack ran through it from the point of impact it was the spear that shattered rather than the sea-polished cranium. Hadama's expression revealed no outward frustration, but his eyes shone sapphire as he reformed the weapon and reinforced it before striking again with a dull reverberation that echoed down the deadly island's beach.

Edmund

When he'd seen the notice, Edmund had been picking up a new corsèque from a blacksmith. Ray was dead? His aunt Ray? The woman who had taught him how to tend to his own injuries and always answered his relentless questions? That Ray? The young Ancient was devasted. Seeking privacy, he'd made his way to Metacarpal Island. He spent the morning exploring the island and trying to gather his thoughts. Each time he recognized an herb that Ray had told him about, a sharp pang of grief would pierce him. The island was beautiful, and he hoped that Ray had seen it before her death. After hours of wandering and exploring, Edmund sat against a tree and let himself cry. His grief was a sharp, burning thing. Half sorrow and half rage. Logically he knew that there was nothing he could have done. He wasn't there. Still, it felt like a failing to Edmund for not having been there to protect her. He let out a shaky breath and wiped his eyes as he registered a noise in the distance. It sounded like a weapon on stone. Instantly alert, Edmund was on his feet, corsèque in hand. Red-rimmed eyes scanned the forest around him as he followed the sound. A break in the trees revealed Hadama and the young Ancient relaxed. "Hadama." Ray had told him about the mer before and it was clear that he had been her friend. "Do you mind if I join you?" The idea of letting off some steam was appealing. Anything to push back his creeping sorrow. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Hadama paused his attack on the skull-stone at the sound of his name. A deep breath filled his lungs, and he let it out slowly as he turned to the source of it. They had never spoken one-on-one, but he had seen the lad from a distance, and heard about him from many. Though the boy had changed, and then changed, and then changed again, he still recognized his friend Maeve's son. Harper's adopted son. Ray's...

Even through his own grief he noted the boy's eyes, as red as his own might have been if he had been unable to hide his tears in the ocean. "Edmund," he rumbled, his deep voice revealing a shadow of the sorrow he held inside. "Of course." It was not so much a distraction as a re-focusing, widening his effort to improve himself to include one of his people, and especially someone who had been dear to Ray.

The water swirled around his tail and drew upwards, raising him to be on a more comfortable level with the young Ancient from the near distance of the shallows. "What would you like to work on today?"

Hadama accepted his presence and Edmund gave the mer a small smile, "Thank you." If the Kind had wished for privacy, the Ancient would have left without complaint. Everyone grieves differently. Being allowed to join the man is a gesture he appreciates. The chance to connect with another of Ray's loved ones is also a blessing in itself. The King used his magic to draw closer and Edmund paused in thought. Twirling the corsèque around his wrist and adjusting his grip he nodded towards the weapon, "I'm still learning how to use this. With my magic, I figured having a melee weapon was a good idea." If he recalled the King had a trident and although they were different weapons, they both were classified as polearms. "Do you have any tips? I'd appreciate help in mastering it." Edmund Reborn In Fire

He nodded at the thanks, though in truth he was the one who was grateful for this chance to connect to one of his friend's loved ones. Bringing himself to a more comfortable level to speak - and spar - with the young Ancient, Hadama considered the weapon that Edmund had brought. The trident was both weapon and tool, a staple of fishing as well as war, but the corsèque looked to be more the former than the latter.

"Indeed," he agreed to Edmund's reasoning. Given his focus on training his magic today he hadn't brought his trident, but a moment's thought and a touch of magic swiftly sprouted additional tines from the head of his ice-spear as it became a pale shadow of Safrin's gift, though the lethal edges grew rounded instead of sharp. "It is most effective at a distance." He drew the ocean beneath himself with him as he mimed a lunge into the shallows, stabbing slowly forward with his tines towards Edmund's chest at the edge of the reach of his long arms. There was ample time for Edmund to dodge or parry; Hadama was demonstrating the benefit of the weapon's reach rather than trying to overcome his partner. "To strike your opponent while they cannot reach you in return."

"Understood." Edmund's eyes widened as Hadama moved. Even clearly going easy on him, the King was fast. The young Ancient had to quickly turn sideways to avoid the ice trident. He could feel the chill as it passed him. As the weapon's tip moved behind him, Edmund tried to counterattack. He attempted to dislodge the trident's balance by knocking the upper shaft of it with the middle of the corsèque's. It wouldn't do to lose his own grip at the same time as dislodging Hadama's. If this worked, the trident would dip down and create an opening for the Ancient. The reach of the weapons was something he'd certainly need to get used to but maybe he could learn to counteract it while also mastering how to make the most of his own reach. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Hadama noted with quiet approval how Edmund - either through instinct or study - struck the weakest section of the mermanta's weapon with the stronger section of his own. It would be worth confirming later whether the move was made with intention or had simply occurred by luck and how close they were, but for the moment he simply allowed his frozen trident to be knocked down, rewarding the correct reaction with the expected consequence.

But since Edmund had a grasp of the basics already, Hadama saw no need to take it too easy on him. He twisted the trident and pulled it back towards him, attempting to catch the corsèque with the bar at the base of the trident's tines and pull the Ancient's weapon back toward him and up to the side, intending to direct it harmlessly over his shoulder if he was successful - and pulling Edmund closer to him if the young man held on to his weapon.

Edmund had half a moment to feel pleased at his success before Hadama counterattacked. The corsèque was caught just as the King attempted and the young Ancient was pulled forward. Letting go of his weapon seemed like a reckless choice so he held on. As he moved forward, Edmund attempted to make the best of the situation. He attempted to direct the butt of his weapon to knock into Hadama's ribs as soon as he was in range. The young Ancient braced to adjust his grip should he succeed, and his weapon be knocked backwards in the process. Being unarmed against an 'enemy' with a ranged weapon was too dangerous to risk. Edmund Reborn In Fire

With the head of the corsèque being dragged forward, it wasn't easy for Edmund to aim the polearm's butt. Hadama used his greater strength to keep control of the younger man's weapon, though as he dragged his opponent closer by sliding his trident smoothly through his hands the angle became difficult to maintain and he had to relinquish it.

He was already moving, however, as Edmund attempted to take advantage of his newfound freedom. One hand left his own weapon to clamp around the shaft of the corsèque, a foot or so up from the butt and he flung himself backward into deeper water, trying to either pull the other man's weapon out of his hands or else pull the Ancient into the sea where the Mer would have the advantage in movement.

There wasn't any time to lament over his failed maneuver. The spar was far too fast-paced for that. A fact that the young Ancient appreciated as it better mimicked true battle. The King attempted to pry away his weapons but perhaps the mer underestimated Edmund's stubbornness or strength. Regardless, the young Ancient was able to not only keep his grip but was able to pry his corsèque out of Hadama's hands while remaining on land. There wasn't much of an opening, but Edmund still tried to take advantage of Hadama's backwards movement. With his weapon free, the Ancient attempted to spin around his grip and jab (gently) at the mer's collar. With the King and his weapon moving down, Edmund attempted to time his strike correctly. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Hadama had, indeed, underestimated Edmund's tenacity, and he was pleasantly surprised when the young man was able to not only keep his weapon out of the mermanta's grip but also to retrieve it before being dragged into the water. For a moment he thought he caught a hint of Ray's stubborn strength in her nephew's efforts, but before he could be certain he had to worry about his own defense as Edmund reversed his grip and stabbed towards him.

He had not been idle in the breath it took for the corsèque to be regained and spun. The mermanta had at least halted his own backwards momentum, and sapphire eyes gleamed with a mixture of approval and rare ferocity as he was forced to bring his trident across his body in an awkward maneuver that only worked because he could use his magic to part the water the shaft would otherwise have had to pass through, preventing the drag that would have slowed his attempt to block the incoming stab. He managed to grip his weapon with his other hand in the moment before impact, only barely knocking the corsèque off target with a soft grunt of effort.

He used the corsèque's shaft as a rotational point to spin his own weapon down and lunge along it, attempting to slide up it in a stab towards Edmund's chest that would stop a hairs-breadth from his skin if it wasn't stopped before then.

In the heat of the spar, Edmund's instincts kicked in as the weapon approached his chest. Quickly switching hands on his corsèque, he turned to avoid the blow, eyes sharp and gleaming. Going with his momentum, Edmund allowed his weapon to be carried forward. The shafts of the weapons grazed each other, and Edmund attempted to strike Hadama's chest. If successful, he would only light tap and not harm. This spar had the young Ancient's adrenaline pumping. It was far more intense than his archery training and it had his blood singing at the violence of it. Even if it was without the intent to harm, it pleased the bloodlust that was in his very nature now. Edmund Reborn In Fire

Edmund neatly dodged the incoming attack, and if Hadama had thought that the Ancient could hear him he would have offered a word of praise through the Attuned bond. Especially when the young man picked up the technique immediately and attempted to repeat it back upon the merman. His instincts were good, and whether that was because of his race or simply because he was his mother's son it didn't really matter.

What mattered was the result.

Though Hadama might have allowed the final touch, he suspected the young warrior would not appreciate such patronizing. So he reacted, his body twisting within the column of water that sustained his motion so close to land as he mirrored Edmund's recent dodge and he used his greater strength to force the corseque away from his body. His magic wave carried him forward as part of the same motion as he closed the distance between them in a rush, and he twisted his lower half further so that his whip-like tail cut out from the water and came behind Edmund's knees to knock the young man down. Though he held his water back he followed his opponent's movements with his icy trident, intending to hold the sharp, cold tines lightly just above the Ancient's chest.

"Very good," he rumbled, letting the weapon melt back into water and rejoin the ocean. He offered Edmund his hand instead, helping him up before pulling his magic wave back into the sea and subsiding back to his more usual 'height' within the natural waves. "You learn quickly. I see why Ray was proud of you."

With the spar over the Tidebreaker felt some of the pain he had been channeling fade away as well. Enough, for now, that he put away his weapons in favor of talking to the young man who had inherited his friend's will and fierce protectiveness. To build something new from the ashes of what they had both lost.

~Fin~